Louisa Morgan creates a tale that weaves in life during the Gilded Age in America and England while telling the story of 3 Bishop witches. Each of the 4 different characters (3 witches 1 gentleman) rotates as the narrator of particular chapters, but it is done in a way that is easy to follow without getting lost between the shifts. The pace is slow for the majority of the book and even the climactic conclusion unfolds uncomfortably slow. The character development is shallow and the witchcraft is used sparingly by all the witches.

Overall, this was an enjoyable yet slow read that I would recommend to readers that enjoy the historical fiction genre but are not looking for a provocative or exciting plot that is driven quickly or filled with dangers for its characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this DRC in exchange for my honest review.
**I will add an additional review to my personal blog closer to the publication date.

I'm a huge fan of Louisa Morgan and greatly enjoy her books. This one is no exception. Beautifully crafted, it is the story of 3 related witches and the paths they choose to follow

It explores the disparity of power between men and women, particularly at the end of the 19th century. It illustrates women's fight for autonomy and Independence and the various lengths they go to in order to achieve it.

I highly recommend this for all lovers of fantasy and romance.

I was given an advance copy of this book. I am leaving my honest review

This is a story of self-discovery and finding your own power. Annis learns that she is a witch, but not your stereotypical witch. One branch of her family uses herbalism and has good intentions; one branch of her family has discovered an evil type of power. The women in this book have to learn to empower and protect each other. I enjoyed the story line, the unexpected romance, and the depth if the characters. Highly recommend!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to NetGalley and RedHook books.

This story takes place in the late 19th century, primarily in NY, but with a little in England. It is told from the point of view of several characters: Harriet, Annis, Frances, and James, Harriet and Frances are witches and distant cousins from two different lines of Bishop descendants. Annis is also a Bishop descendant and a witch, but she doesn't know that in the beginning.

The story is a great tale of magic, family, love and some classic good vs. evil. I really enjoyed this book by Louisa Morgan.

This is the first book that I've read by Louisa Morgan and it wasn't quite what I expected but it kept me reading through until the end. I liked the time period in which this story was set and the family rivalry. Harriet was my favorite character in this book because she was a single lady who seemed a bit reclusive. Her vast knowledge and dedication to the use of herbs appealed to me. Overall, I loved most of the characters and the story had a nice flow to it. The romance was a nice touch too.

I give it 4 stars instead of 5 because, despite the good aspects of the book, I found it hard to pick up and continue reading at times. It felt a little slow sometimes and other times, it was exciting enough that I couldn't wait to pick it back up and continue reading it.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

The Age of Witches, due to be published on April 7, 2020, is Louisa Morgan's newest book in the loosely connected series of books that begins with A Secret History of Witches.

The book begins with a prologue set in 1692 focusing on the death of accused witch Bridget Bishop, and then jumps easily to 1890s New York and England. The story's protagonist is Annis, a beautiful, headstrong 17 year-old who loves horses, has zero interest in marriage or the typical proprieties of the age. Annis has little idea of the familial history of witches, healing, and power that she is connected to through both her mother, who died when Annis was a child, her stepmother Frances, and Frances' distant cousin Harriet, who also happens to be Annis' great aunt. Between Frances' scheming to gain societal acceptance through a good marriage match for Annis and Harriet's desire to protect the niece she has never really known, the story moves quickly and with great descriptions of what life was like during the Gilded Age. Ultimately, The Age of Witches is about love, family, accepting one's destiny vs. choosing one's way forward, and the balance of power between good and evil.

"Today, when women have little power that is not granted to them by men, to be a witch is a very good thing."
"Witch should be a beautiful word, signifying wisdom and knowledge and discipline, but it isn't used that way. It's been made an insult, implying evil, causing fear. The word has been perverted"

Unfortunately I did not post a review of this book, as it ended up being quite far removed from what I am typically interested and and don't think it is fair of me to judge the author on that. The premise of this was really interesting, but I did not like the delivery.

Pleasant enough, probably a bit longer than it needed to be. Ended oddly - is there to be a sequel? Though I love books with magic, this one wasn’t as atmospheric as I’d hoped, There *were* some good descriptions of what witches are.

Another stunner from Louisa Morgan. Family drama intersects with witchcraft in New York and London. Harriet uses her magic to help others while Frances uses hers to rise above her social status ad to obtain the riches she feels she deserves. When Annis, her stepdaughter is made aware of the black magic her step mother is using, she works with Harriet to help combat the dark evil I love the way that Morgan twists and turns her novels. This one did not disappoint.

I received a free digital ARC through Netgalley in exchange for a honest, unbiased review. I sincerely thank Netgalley, author and/or publisher for giving me this opportunity.

This is a story of three generations of witches and two different types of magic. They are all descended from Bridget Bishop who was executed for witchcraft during the Salem Witch Era. Furious at her fate, she vowed to watch over her descendants and through them punish all men who think they can control women.

A century later, Harriet is the oldest surviving member of the Bishop family, she considers herself a healer and steers away from the darker arts of the practice.

Her cousin Frances, however has been seduced to the darker side and uses the art to get what she wants. She used it to marry a wealthy man and become the step-mother of his young daughter and now she wants to become a member of the elite 400 and in order to do this her step-daughter Annis must marry one of them or marry into royalty in England.

Annis has no idea that she has inherited any abilities or that she is related to Harriet. Her mother died when she was very young and once the wedding was over Frances refused to allow Harriet into the house and Annis has never seen her except in passing. She doesn’t want to ever marry; she wants to raise and breed horses an idea which is considered scandalous for a woman during that late 19th century

This is a novel with three strong women, one who uses her powers to help and heal others, one who uses hers to get what she feels she is entitled to and the other who comes to realize that she has abilities and must decide which path to follow. It starts out slow but the pace picks up and I found that I could not put it down. I have read all the novels that this author has written and while some are better than others, she has become my favorite author for this type of novel.

4.5 STARS

The Age of Witches is a story about 3 descendants of Bridget Byshop from the Salem Witch Trials. Though the book is fiction, some of it is based on fact.
The story takes place in New York in the 1800’s.
The villain deserved a better plot than this.
The Age Of Witches is yer another novel that the story doesn’t match the title.
I am not saying that this was a terrible read, but the characters deserved better. Annie deserved a better story arc than to fall in love with someone who was involved in a very traumatic experience, Francis deserved better than to ultimately be considered a formidable foe while her character isn’t present in most of the book. Then there is Harriet...I don’t know what to think of her. I cannot imagine being a 50 year old grief stricken virgin witch. But maybe that is/was a thing.
Also, the witchcraft in this book is very watered down, this is more of a weird romance story with a sprinkle of witchcraft mixed in.
While this may make a great lifetime movie, it did not live up to my expectations for a novel.

I enjoyed the family rivalry, with the 2 lines of magic. The writing was really well done, the characters were interesting and the story was paced nicely.

There is just something so magical about a book from Louisa Morgan. This book was no exception. Annis comes from a long line of witches, however has no idea of this until she is whisked away to America by her step-mother to find a wealthy groom. Francis uses her dark magic to help aide in magicking the marquis to be bewitched with Annis and tries to use the same magic to propel Annis towards a groom. Unfortunately, Annis' aunt Harriet becomes involved and is able to stop her. Annis was unaware that she was a witch and is immediately drawn toward the freedom that the magic can provide for her. Things definitely go awry in this book, however the story wraps up well in the end. I will definitely be recommending this book to others. Thanks for the ARC, Net Galley.

***Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Release date April 7, 2020.***

4 stars

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. My first concern was that each chapter followed one of four main characters…I usually don’t like this because the changing POV tends to be abrupt. In this story however, the story still flowed well for me.

The beginning seemed to be a little slow, but to be honest, many books are. After the initial set up, the story really picked up for me. I also enjoyed that there was a fair amount of character development for everyone.

The conclusion was nicely done…to me it leaves *just enough* of an opening that there may be a potential follow-up in the future.

It was OK, I didn't abandon it.

The Age of Witches by Louisa Morgan features a family of witches with historical roots, some benevolent magic vs manipulative magic for self-interest, a social climbing stepmother, a young woman fighting for independence, a little romance.

Like with ghost stories, witch stories always appeal to me, but rarely satisfy me. Although I didn't want to abandon it, The Age of Witches didn't make me want to seek out the author again. For me, it promised more than it delivered.

Read in December. Blog review scheduled for March 16, 2020.

NetGalley/Redhook Books
Historical Fiction/Paranormal. April 7, 2020. Print length: 448 pages.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Age of Witches is a tale of magic, ambition, and love set in the Victorian Era. The strong female presence of this book makes it even more magical. Annis struggles between the values of the time, and that of her stepmother, as she wants an independent life, one built out of her wants and desires.

Witchcraft and historical fiction in one book is right up my alley! Strong female characters are prevalent in this book, something that is needed in more literature. The independence and determination that is written throughout the book, making me cheer for the main character to the end. The characters are very well written and crafted, making me want to know more about their story and keep reading. Overall, I enjoyed aspects of this book, and it was a good read. I think that it lacked in some area; however, it did drag along at times and got off to a slow start before I got into it. The relationship between Annis and her stepmother seemed to fit a troupe, but the magical background and world kept me intrigued.

This was a book that I have some mixed opinions on, but overall positive. Set in the 1890s New York, this focuses on Bridget Bishop’s descendants who have her magic skills. The most enjoyable part of this book for me was the relationships - between the women friendships and the romance which was not THE central part of the story. The writing style was good but there were some parts that dragged a bit and the plot moved a little too slowly for my taste. The antagonist of the story was almost a caricature but there’s just something there that still kept me interested as I was reading. Overall a book you may want to read if you have an interest in witches in a historical setting but probably won’t be a book for everyone.

The Age of Witches by far my favorite of the three "witch" books; it is a fine blend of Victorian historical romance and a family saga of witches. A compelling read that had me reading until far too late into the night. A good story that had the right amount of fantasy and a suspenseful mystery.

ARC from NetGalley

3.5

This was a lovely read. I found the herb lore and witchery quite fascinating. The romance was lovely and not over done. The relationships between the women were complex and satisfying, and I quite enjoyed the relationship between Annis and her Bits. It was a good look at what holding grudges and never taking a step out of your past can do to a person. That said, I don't have any sympathy for Frances. She was a horrible person. Growing up poor is not an excuse to be a garbage human.

This was a fun book to read, albeit one that didn't exactly hold the reader in suspense. Harriet and Annis are descendents of Bridget Bishop and have retained some of her gifts and skills. When Annis is dragged off to England by her evil stepmother to find a husband, Aunt Harriet secretly follows along to keep her safe. Devoted to horses, Annis is willing to offend as many potential suitors as it takes to maintain her freedom. The meddling stepmother, however, is willing to fight back with her own skills to claw her way up in class status via Annis's marriage, regardless of what her stepdaughter wants.

I would have enjoyed the book more if there had been any doubt of the eventual ending with 1/3 of the book remaining.