“They keep burning us. We keep rising again.”

I loved The Ten Thousand Doors of January but this book rocked my world. It was even better than I could have hoped. This is now in my top favorite books of all time now and I will be rereading it in the future because it was that awesome.

I cannot compare this book to others I have read. I have always loved stories about magic and have struggled to find books that employ magical realism in a satisfying way, so I usually stick to fantasy books when I’m looking for magic. Oftentimes with magical realism there isn’t enough magic for my tastes (Hoffman’s “The Rules of Magic), or sometimes there’s almost TOO much and the lack of rules give make the universe too hazy for me (Harkness’ “All Souls Trilogy” by the end). This book was very magical but the world it took place in was one I fully believed and understood.

We follow the story of three sisters, Juniper, Bella, and Agnes, as they find each other after seven years of separation. They experienced joint trauma at the hands of their abusive father, and separate trauma as they face a world that does not show them kindness. We enter into a world after all of the witches of Old Salem have been burned, a world that is built to subjugate women. A world where witches exist, but in secret.

This novel does not shy away from brutality, it does not shy away from exposing the ways in which men brutalize women and how society is built by these men. Witching is the salvation that women seek to protect themselves.

Romance exists here too as it does in most of our lives but it doesn’t take precedent over the goals of our three heroines. The romance is gorgeous. I don’t want to spoil a moment of it.

Harrow explores what segregation looked like in the north in 1893 and how our early white “feminists” and “suffragists” were often racist to the bone and always safer from the law then Black women.
Harrow also gives us a small glimpse into what stigmas existed for lesbians and trans people during this time.

Alix E. Harrow is a master of world building. I immediately could see smell and hear this land she dropped us into. Her writing is strikingly gorgeous through every page. I probably highlighted about half of this book and I am so grateful to have lived inside this story. There is so much more to say about this beautiful book, it tore me apart and gave me hope. I can’t wait to recommend this to literally everyone I know.

ARC was provided by the publisher Redhook Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Review posted on Goodreads on 7/19/20, review to be published to Instagram @sophies_library on publication date.

Three sisters take on the patriarchy as they fight for the vote and endeavour to restore the age of witchcraft. It’s not an easy thing to be a woman in New Salem in 1893: Witchcraft has been all but wiped out after the last witch uprising, and the men who run the city want to keep it that way. But when the long-estranged Eastwood sisters – bookish Beatrice, maternal Agnes, and firecracker Juniper – are reunited, they discover that together they might have the power to bring witchcraft back. “The Once and Future Witches” is an extremely fun ride, with rich world-building and writing as gorgeous as its cover art. By the end, you too will want to put on a pointy black hat and fly away with the Eastwood sisters.

<b><I>Thank you so much to NetGalley, Redhook Publishing, and Alix E. Harrow for the early ARC in exchange for an honest review</b></I>
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<b>3.5/5</b><br>
<b>I’m honestly heartbroken to write this review. Taking a deep breath here...</b>
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I’ll start by saying Alix E. Harrow is an exceptional author and one of my ‘Top 5’ all-time favorites (<I>The Ten Thousand Doors of January</I>) came out of her brain.
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I’d also like to add, I’m a fellow artist, a musician— I know how daunting it is to follow up such a strong debut. It sucks, honestly. Really fkn sucks. A lot.
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With that said... [I’m so upset to type this]<br>
I did not immerse into this like I had hoped. 🙍🏻
The pacing was really not my thing. Every time I thought I was getting hooked in, it flat-lined for me.<br><br>
There’s <I>a lotttt</I> of exposition. This isn’t always a bad thing, and if Harrow wasn’t such a skilled writer that truly has a knack for developing a unique, visceral tone for her main characters, I might’ve given up at about 40%. <br><br>
I would say that this is fiction, sub genre historical fiction. It’s absolutely necessary to provide a bit of context, but I felt it was overdone at times (and underdone in others????) <br><br>
And now, folks, the most devastating and <I>uncomfortable</I> critique I have—<br>
As I said, this piece has a lot of historical context to it, which I love. Unfortunately, I was disappointed that a story, centering witching, barely spent any time talking about the Black (Egyptian and Haitian) community of witches (The Daughters of Tibuta) who reside in <I>New Cairo</I>. <br><br>
I found it incredibly frustrating that there was so much given regarding our [white] protagonist <i>Sisters of Avalon</i> from <I>New Salem</i>— their history, their family history, their witching history... and yet the section when Cleo finally tells Bella about <i>The Daughters</I> is so lacking, I actually had a hard time finding it again when I wanted to go back before writing this review (Chapter 18).<br><br>
To write a historically accurate book on witching, and to neglect a key part of its history, considering the overarching theme of the novel is “stronger together” in many ways, left me pretty disappointed.<br><br>
Speaking of disappointment, let’s talk about <b>Ms. Cleopatra Quinn</b> some more— oh wait, there’s not much more to tell. 😢 Again, a <I>huge</I> missed opportunity here. I found her character fell into a common trope with “strong, black femxle” characters across pretty much all disciplines of narrative fiction: they’re one-dimensional and pretty much act as a plot device in service of bailing out the white characters from their messes. Harrow barely scratches the surface...throwing us a few crumbs when we finally hear about her bearded marriage to a gay man, and then it’s back to the Eastwood Sisters Show. <br><br> <i>And listen</i>, I’m not unaware of who this story is supposed to be about. I get that. I like the sisters, I really do, but it’s quite possible to create supporting characters that are fully messy, beautiful, piercing ruckuses (which, with Harrow’s previous work, shows she’s fully capable of, by the way!) without taking away from the story’s main protagonists and I just did not feel it happened here. It just... bothered me.<br><br>
Again, I take no joy in sharing this, and maybe had I read this a year ago, I might not have (as a white cis person) thought twice about this, but with racial inequity at the forefront of mine and many other people’s minds, I again found myself pretty frustrated... I mean, Cleo is honestly one of the most interesting characters in this book in my opinion— she deserved better, she really did.<br><br>
Cleo was not the only supporting character to get the shaft— Jennie, the Sisters of Avalon’s first member and record keeper, former suffragette assistant, and as we find out at ~82%, she happens to be trans. Now, I’m all for having trans characters without focusing too much on their identities. I think this is an important evolution that needs to be made in how art tells trans stories and represents that community. To represent them as regular people who are, and need to be known as trans, but it’s not the entirety of who they are. This is necessary, so it’s not the lack of talking about her identity that I take issue with. However, this is revealed so late in the book (like, 82%???) that I actually had to double-back and reread the section again. Similar to Cleo’s small nugget of development, it came and went so fast, I was left feeling really empty from wanting to get to know Jennie better, and not being given that chance.
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<I>Phew.</I> How’s everyone doing? That was rough. I feel tired. <br><br><br><br>
Let’s talk about some great parts of this book, yeah? <br><br>
<I>Again</I>, I can’t overstate enough how skilled I feel Harrow is. Despite feeling like I missed out on so much of who Cleo is, my favorite sections were the dialogue between Bella and Cleo. Their romance is truly beautiful with some of the most elegant intimacy scenes probably ever written. I would 100000% read a spin-off centering them.
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I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention our Sisters Eastwood and their masterfully crafted dynamic. Each of the three are so distinct, not just in personality and quirk, but also in the way that they process (shared and individual) trauma. Really freakin riveting character study. <br><br>
(<I>Not to beat a dead horse, but that’s precisely why I couldn’t let my critiques slide for Cleo, Jennie, hell... I even would’ve taken more on August! It’s not only a disservice to what I know are such fascinating characters living in the author’s brain, it’s a disservice to Harrow as a very capable character author. <b>Just let me in your brain, Alix!</b></I>)
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Okay, so here’s the summarized consensus— I didn’t hate it, how could I? <b>It’s Alix-freakin E. Harrow. </b>It just wasn’t all the way there for me. I told myself after finishing that I’d reread it, I’ll definitely buy a physical copy once it’s officially released, but currently I’m not crazy about this one. <br><br>
And like, that makes me so, so sad. <br><br>
<b>Thank you again to NetGalley, Redhook Publishing, and Alix E. Harrow for allowing me such an early look! (<i>please don’t hate me...</i></b>)

another love letter, another beautiful book from Alix E. Harrow. a timely, scorching-rage tale of magic and women, of love and hate and forgiveness and regret, of the ways and wills and words of people who've had enough, who've been sidelined and beaten down, who want to change their lives and build their own, better futures. it was everything I could have wanted & more. <3

This was a unique book with a great premise. I loved the setting and playfullness with nursery rhymes and fairy tales and history. I like the points that were trying to be mad and the overall story. And while I understand the circular nature of the narrative and how it fits the story, I found it hard to follow and a bit confusing. There were a lot of minor characters to keep track of.

The Once and Future Witches drew me in from the very first sentence. The prose and language were the best I have ever read—so creative and world-changing that each sentence was like magic and honey. The book did an amazing job of interweaving history, fairytales, and of course—WITCHES. The three sisters were distinct and well-developed, each one providing a different approach to the storyline. This feminist, magical-realism novel is a must-read! Alix E. Harrow did not disappoint!
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this ARC. I can’t wait until I get my hands on this book in October!

I loved The Once and Future Witches. It definitely has some similar aspects to her previous novel, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, but it branches out on its own, with its tale of sisterhood and magic and feminism. This book is about three sisters seeking to bring back magic and power for women in a world where both are shunned. It’s more atmospheric and character driven, and I loved the character development and growth for the three sisters. The romance subplots didn’t feel forced, and the writing is so lyrical and gorgeous.

I feel bad as I just struggled with this book. I just found it slow and everything would distract me because I just couldn’t get into the book. I see it has lots of good reviews though. I need to love a character (good or bad) in a book and I just felt nothing for these sisters. They just did not develop for me. The story line was to slow. Sorry 😐

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book will be available on October thirteenth.

Do you know how sometimes people get so angry they feel like punching a wall? This book is the literary equivalent of punching a wall. It’s packed with the fury of women oppressed. And it works perfectly.

In Alix E. Harrow’s The Ten Thousand Doors of January, the prose flowed like a stream building into a river. It was beautiful and it took its time. The Once and Future Witches does not have that feel at all. Instead, it is told in staccato bursts of cause and effect. This book rose and fell like a giant wave. I’d take a breath-and get pulled under again.

The story follows three estranged witchy sisters. Juniper is the wild child, the one who starts it all. When she comes across both her sisters in New Salem, they are reunited, past baggage in tow. Never content to sit on the sidelines, Juniper jumps straight into the suffragist movement, from there doing her absolute best to make everyone and their dog mad. Juniper was unpredictable and interesting to read. I never knew what to expect from her character, only that it would cause trouble.

Beatrice is the middle child and the wise one. Books are her refuge (sound familiar, anyone?) and she is the researcher who makes sure the sisters have any knowledge they need. She is often unsure of herself. Really, she is her own worst enemy. Her story arc is quieter, but no less important. When the other sisters break down, she is there to pick up the pieces.

Agnes is a force to be reckoned with. It takes her quite a while for her sense of injustice to boil over and turn into action. Once it does, though – yikes! Don’t make her mad. While I enjoyed her character, she is my least favorite of the three.

The concept is a unique one: take the suffragist movement and chuck in some magic. If it was written by any other author, it might have floundered. However, Alix E. Harrow is a fantastic writer. She could write a novel about paper cuts, and I’d be excited to read it.

If you like books with angry characters, vengeance, and more than a touch of magic, this one is for you.

In the late 1800’s witchcraft has all but been eradicated by burning the words, wills, and ways along with any woman who wielded them. What once gave woman power has been reduced to concealed charms, chants, and nursery rhymes. In New Salem, a city plagued with sickness and shadows, three witchy sisters will pursue the lost words and ways turning the woman’s suffragette movement into a witch’s movement. The Eastwood sisters; James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna; will need to mend their past, find what was lost, and gain new alliances if they want to survive the evil afflicting the city.

The Once and Future Witches is a beautifully written feminist witch tale by the author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January. Three sisters with a broken past must work together and risk everything to bring back witchcraft and restore the power that has been taken from women. I absolutely loved this clever novel in which familiar fairy tales and nursery rhymes are used to pass down hidden spells and knowledge. The novel incorporates a more "comprehensive" ideal of witchcraft introduced through immigrant workers, former slaves, and Native Americans as well. The story of the first three (the crone, mother, and maiden) is expertly woven into the plot, and you can’t help but fall in love with each unique but equally enchanting sister. This was a wonderfully crafted witchy tale that I didn’t want to put down. The perfect novel to curl up with this fall--a must read!

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and author Alix E. Harrow for providing me with an ARC of the title The Once and Future Witches!

This was such an amazing read that I had been hearing so much about. I for sure was not disappointed!

These three sisters were such an amazing cast of characters. Witches, fairytales, spells.. What more could you want, really? This was queer, Pagan, feminist, and all kinds of beautiful amazement. The hype around this one is REAL, and I can’t wait for more people to get their hands on it.

Thank you again to those named above for providing me with an ARC of this novel.

Wow! Once and Future Witches was amazing. Talk about a prescient and powerful book! It feels so timely to be reading a book about suffragette witches in 2020, a month before the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment. Harrow’s writing is lyrical and transportive. You get the sense you are reading a beloved, but lost, fairytale.

Set in 1893 New Salem, Once and Future Witches revolves around three sisters, Agnes Amaranth, Beatrice Belladonna, and James Juniper, as they reunite and struggle for the vote and equality and rights for women and witches. Since learning that this was a book about suffragette witches, I have been dying to get my hands on Once and Future Witches, and let me tell you it lived up to each and everyone of my expectations. The characters were well fleshed out, the world was wonderful, the magic system made sense, and reading it made me feel a part of something larger, much like the Sisters of Avalon.

I don’t know if I have read a book in recent memory that has so accurately portrayed how it feels to be angry as a woman or any other marginalized group, and to be railing against the status quo. Often, I felt that Harrow had pulled thoughts straight from my head. Once and Future Witches was magical in every sense of the word.

5/5!! I will post a longer version of this review on my blog, Flea with a Degree, closer to publication date. I was provided an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you NetGalley and Redhook Books!

Pretty amazing stuff. Witches and spells, fairytales and children’s nursery rhymes. A fantasy that really comes together and has you reading faster and faster to find out what happens— a fairy tale for adults That loved the tales of childhood.

Three sisters: Bella, Agnes, and Juniper, rediscover the "Lost Way of Avalon" and fight to restore earthly magic and women's dignity.

It is the first book in a long time that has kept me reading well past midnight. This compelling fantasy adventure twists folklore and history into a dark, yet phenomenal, tale of triumph. I plan to add a copy of it to my collection upon its release in October.

I knew that The Once And Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow wasn't being released until October 2020, but I also knew that I had to read it ASAP as soon as I was approved for a digital ARC from Net Galley. I wasn't the only one apparently. There are currently a hundred ratings on Goodreads.

Actually, the reason why this book was so appealing to me is because it was supposed to be about witches who were suffragettes. These are two of my favorite subjects. The last book with a witch protagonist that I reviewed on this blog was the steampunk novel, Her Majesty's Witch, which I reviewed here. I usually review suffragette novels on Flying High Reviews, my blog for strong female protagonists that aren't in fantasy or science fiction contexts. I discovered that the women's suffrage movement was not the major focus of this novel though it was very much centered on feminism. So I was still delighted.

I was surprised that few reviews mentioned the alternate history aspect of The Once and Future Witches. My guess is that many readers aren't familiar with the history referenced in the book.

The most important issue in late 19th century America was probably immigration, not witchcraft. Leaders in late 19th century New England considered themselves scientific though some of the science they believed in was based in racist ideology like eugenics.

I couldn't find any reference to a witchcraft hysteria during the period, but there is a fascinating Smithsonian article about a vampire hysteria during 1893 in Rhode Island here . While there is indeed a city of New Salem in Massachusetts founded by people from the original Salem, this didn't occur because the Salem where the witch trials took place was burned. Yet it does seem plausible to me that America could have become permanently obsessed with witchcraft in an alternate timeline.

The approach to witchcraft in The Once And Future Witches isn't paranormal. This is unusual within the fantasy genre. It's stated in this book that anyone can become a witch by knowing the words to the spells. Having a focus on the intention of the spell is mentioned, but isn't emphasized. Most current day Wiccans consider magical intent very significant.

As someone who loves fairy tale re-tellings, I was drawn to the alternate versions of fairy tales that are sprinkled throughout the novel. Though of course these are the official versions in this continuity as told by the Sisters Grimm.

I had revolving favorites among the three Eastwood sisters who are the witch protagonists of this book. Each one was a favorite of mine at various points. I also loved the African American witch Cleopatra Quinn who was also a reporter for a local Black newspaper that is described as radical.

I think I can reveal that one of the sisters ends up in a lesbian relationship, but it would be a spoiler to say which one. There are a few great moments in the development of that relationship that I was glad to see.

I consider The Once and Future Witches really wonderful and a strong contender for best novel of 2020.

I am a big fan of "Ten Thousand Doors of January" and had been looking forward to this book ever since I heard about it.

I am glad to say that the author has not disappointed. Absolutely fantastic story (though felt a little long in places). This is a story of empowerment, sisterhood, familial bonds and celebration of women. Thoroughly enjoyed the book and waiting for the next one now...

Let me start with the fact that the bar I set for this book was unimaginably high. When I read Ten Thousand Doors of January I had no idea what the book was about. I only knew it had a beautiful cover and that’s it, there were no expectations. That book took me on an unexpected expedition into beautiful worlds that knocked the air out of my lungs. Needless to say, when I heard Alix was writing a second book I was immediately ready to sign up to read it. When I found out it would be a witchy book, (witchy books being my very favorite books) I was practically ready to have a cardiac event.

Well. Not only did this book meet my expectations, it wildly exceeded them.

This story absolutely rages. With the world as it is, I didn’t realize how much I need this book right here, right now. It felt almost cathartic.

Alix creates a world, not so different from ours, where magic hangs on by a thread. It’s mostly used to help keep ladies hair in place and rust at bay. True witches and the Ways of Avalon have long since been lost. First we meet Juniper. Oh, June. I spent so many moments just sighing “Oh, June” out loud. I loved her and her anger and her spunk. She rages for us all. Her two sisters Beatrice and Agnes are their own tour de force. I found myself mostly relating to Beatrice, but it’s hard not to find a little bit of yourself in each of the sisters. They are surrounded by a large cast of wonderful allies and together they embark on the search for witchcraft.

Once again Alix proves herself a master of prose. There are so many perfect lines. I read this as an e-arc, but a physical copy just arrived in the mail and I fully intend on tagging each line I flagged on my Kindle and I fully expect my book to look like a paper pincushion.

There are moments within parentheses where it’s almost like Alix herself is whispering to the audience from just out of site of her characters, trying to help them communicate small moments. For example, on p.70 Bella can’t quite think of a word and at the end of the sentence is the word “luminous” in parentheses. I adore these moments.

Oh! Also, this book finally revealed to me why I’m always so overjoyed when I realize a dress I bought has pockets.

I loved this book. Loved it. I ugly cried through the last 10% of it for so many damn reasons. I can’t wait to read it again. I can’t wait until everyone else can read it too.

The Once and Future Witches is a book that made my heart sing. First, I love books that feature witches! In this historical novel, women fight for the right to vote and then must fight to survive as magic grows and flourishes. This book is a dark and honest look at what it means to be a woman now and in decades past. With plenty of rage, love, and determination, the three Eastwood sisters set out to reclaim the lost words and ways of magic. In their search for the Lost Way of Avalon, they uncover secrets about themselves and the history of witchcraft. When the sisters decide to collaborate and their power increases, they draw the menacing attention of a shadowy politician.

I loved how the magic system relied on rhymes and words passed down for generations, secretly smuggled between mothers, daughters, aunts, and grandmothers. One of my favorite aspects of this book was the carefully crafted sentences and beautiful prose that had me furiously highlighting and nodding in agreement. I think especially now, in a time where women must fight for the right to have agency over their bodies and fight against sexism, this book will ring true for many. The Once and Future Witches is witty, smart, inclusive, and fiercely feminist. At the heart of it all, this is a fantastically witchy book about the joys and pain of sisterhood. This story is one of my new favorites and I know I will be re-reading it again soon! The Once and Future Witches releases October 13, 2020. Thank you so much to Alix E. Harrow, Redhook Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Alix E Horrow has done it again! Just like Ten Thousand Doors of January this will have you hooked from the first page!

I really enjoyed The Ten Thousand Doors of January so I was excited to see this new novel from Alix E. Harrow. Smart, feminist, inclusive fantasy with a dash of historical fiction? Yes, please! And she did not disappoint. I found myself delaying the end of the book because I didn't want it to be over. And the prose! These words... I want to swim in them like a warm sea. I want to wrap them around myself like a blanket... or armor. This book is more than a story; it's a battle cry.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy. This is easily one of the best books I've read this year, and I will be recommending it and gifting it for some time.