The writing was beautiful, but I was struggling to connect with these characters. There are so many sometimes it’s hard to remember who they are. I lost interest about 30% of the way through. I finished with the audiobook but even that didn’t grab me.

The Once and Future Witches is the second book by Alix E. Harrow, and I truly enjoyed her first book, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, having read it out loud to my wife and teenage son. Full disclosure: these are two very different books. They are different in topic, in style, and in mood. I would imagine that there will be many who enjoy both books, but I don’t necessarily think it is safe to say that if you enjoy one you will enjoy the other. Let me elaborate …

The Once and Future Witches is set in 1893 in New Salem in a time just before the women’s suffragist movement had brought a measure of equality to the plight of women in our country. This outcry was met with considerable resistance both from the men who held much of the power, and the women who were unwilling to overturn the status quo or were perhaps afraid of the backlash. This tension is at times front-and-center, and at other times lurking just out of sight throughout this story. In fact, that tension is what dominates the mood for the book. It is brood-y, and angst-y, and tangible.

The story is told of three sisters who find themselves swept up into the changing climate of the day, one as an instigator and provocateur, a second as docile, resistant rule follower, and the third who just wants to be free to be herself and live her own life. There is a terrible shared familial history that has left resentment and deep pain. There is also a link to the ways of witchery that has passed through the women in their heritage.

At this point I want to pause and discuss how this book impacted ME. As a disclaimer, I am NOT a minority in virtually every aspect of who I am. I am a white, middle-aged man who is married to my high-school sweetheart. I am a Christian, and middle/working class. With that said, I have always tried to be sympathetic to those in the minority. While I am not an activist, I am at least very cognizant of avoiding any thoughts or behaviors that would be considered racist, sexist, etc. My standard for who I want to associate with has nothing to do with skin color, gender, sexuality, wealth or any other distinction, but rather if the person is good and kind and is making the world better than they found it.

With that said, there is a certain amount of guilt by association that I felt when reading this book. Throughout, women are portrayed as brave, heroic, and noble, fighting against suppression and injustice (and rightfully so). Part of me felt accused, targeted and harassed in this, given just how predominant the suffragist theme was used in the book. But there was also a deeper part of me that was cheering them on, celebrating their small victories, and grateful for the progress that has been made since this era of our country. I was conflicted over whether I (as a man) was the bad guy, or whether this was a simple plea for more understanding of the plight of women.

In the end, I was conflicted. I wanted to like this book more. (It was well-written, with compelling characters enduring an intriguing, multi-layered, surprise-filled story.) But then, it also felt like I was lumped in with the evil based on my gender. After much thought, I consider this unsettled feeling good, at least for me, because it forces me to consider any inappropriate biases I might still have, and required me to confront them.

For all these reasons, I think there will be many who will love this book, but others that may not. Ultimately, I gave it a 4.5 out of 5 stars, knowing that this will be a book that will stick with me.

(Thank you Orbit for the copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.)

The use of nursery rhymes combined with her incredible storytelling style puts this book at the top of my list for titles I will suggest to readers. The power of women, witchcraft, and folk lore entrance the reader. Fast paced, fascinating, and full of witchcraft - Juniper, Bella, and Agnus’ story will stay with the reader. “Or perhaps for all of them: for the little girls thrown in cellars and the grown women sent to workhouses, the mothers who shouldn’t have died and the witches who shouldn’t have burned. For all the women punished merely for wanting what they shouldn’t”
― Alix E. Harrow, The Once and Future Witches

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is my second Alix Harrow novel, and her sophomore offering has certified Harrow as one of my I'll-read-your-grocery-list authors. I enjoyed TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY, but I loved THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES.

Once upon a time.... Harrow takes us into an alternate historical reality: a Gilded Age America where witchcraft has been driven underground (literally, in some cases) and powerful men seek to keep it that way. Witches practice their craft in quiet, unseen ways, passing down the spells in nursery rhymes and fairy tales. Until the Eastwood sisters reunite and decide to resurrect the lost of age of female magic: Avalon.

Harrow's writing is such a pleasure to read, and her insightful, sharp social commentary is a perfect complement to her chosen historical setting. Her female characters are strong, diverse, and smart. They are women who mostly lift up and support other women. The plot is a wee bit holey, but nothing terribly bothersome is left unexplained.

In conclusion, I'd say ONCE AND FUTURE was a superb way to start my year of reading, and I can't wait to see what Harrow has in store for us next. Highly recommended for fans of fantasy, historical fiction and strong female leads.

My high expectations have been upheld and more! Our trio of witchy sisters is perfect. The romance, the fear, the heartache, physical and mental torture... the list goes on. Add to that mini retellings of famous fairy tales or fables, twisted versions of nursery rhymes or songs that are used to chant spells, AND some of the best LGBTQ+ representation (that didn’t feel forced or faked at all); and you get one of my fave books I’ve read in the last 2 years. This stand-alone novel by Alix E. Harrow is a brilliant work of literature that brings so many believable, yet unique, elements together from our world and sets us in a world where the magic works.

Paganism
If I were to have one teeny tiny criticism of The Once and Future Witches it could be that it ignores that Paganism and/or Wicca exist as religions in our world. Although I suspect Harrow did this in order to simplify the difference between a religion in our world and the actual magical calling in her own. Obviously the spells that Witches perform today are more prayers than anything as they do not have instant success like those in the book. As a solo practitioner of Wicca for more than 20+ years I respect her decision to disregard the magical arts as known in our world and make hers clearly a layer of addition that is fictional.

The Writing
I could probably give you 1000 words on just the magicalness and relevance of quotes in this large novel. Looking at my notes it appears I highlighted more quotes in Harrow's novel than I have in all the books I've read for the last two years! I'm not a big highlight person on my Kobo (and never in a print copy; then they are written down elsewhere or a sticky stuck in to flag quote). So for me to have highlighted so many is very telling. My personal favourite among them all is this:
"Maybe magic is just the space between what you have and what you need.”

Characters
This could easily be a movie or limited series (like 8-10 episodes would be perfect). I seriously hope someone like Amazon or HBO is looking to pick this up immediately! I can even imagine some of the actors to be cast. What was weird however was my constant fixation on Giancarlo Esposito (who is POC) as being Gideon Hall. Our evil bad guy has to be a white male. Due to the time period, the racism and sexism invoked means our bad guy can be no one other than a white male. Maybe it's because I just finished watching the Mandalorian; but I couldn't get Esposito as the lead evil out of my head (lol).
Our three sisters elegantly 'fit' into the stereotypes of Mother, Maiden, Crone; and yet at the same time any of them could play any of the three in theory. This we see the fluidity of the female as she ages. The supporting cast really makes a difference here too. While our three women are all caucasian; we have some lovely supporting characters that are POC and the disparity in class and status is well represented. I do wish that there had been more of a certain character or two but it's a large book as it is and I think it balances out nicely.

Clever Re-tellings, Songs & Nursery Rhymes
I've read a lot of retellings of fairy tales, myths, and children's stories over the years. Few are as well done as this. We encounter little stories like Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, and others that are well known. However they are twisted a bit to give us new outcomes or morales. And so that they fit nicely into the core story Harrow is telling us.
There are also little spells at the beginning of each chapter. Each is a snippet of a commonly known nursery rhyme, song, or lyric. For example one of that is slightly twisted is:
"May sticks and stones break your bones,
And serpents stop your heart. "
Below that there are instructions about what ingredients are needed for the spell. It's really quite clever and these precede each and every chapter. They were one of my favourite little things.

Overall
As my first read for 2021, I have to say that, I'm afraid now that nothing else I read this year will measure up. Although I'm sure that won't be the case; but you just never know.
For anyone who like stories about witches, Salem burnings, magic, women/feminism; but also for those who have a faint interest or desire to read some interestingly spun historical fiction that has real magic.
Without a doubt Alix E. Harrow has become one of my favourite new writers of the last decade and I look forward to many more wonderful stories from her. To date she has written just two books that are both elaborate fantasy stand-alones. This is a refreshing change to a genre that has long been bogged down by unending series, or ones that go for 10+ books and are difficult for new readers to get into. A perfect starting point for someone wanting to try a more modern fantasy story without engaging in a huge time commitment (~550 pages).

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Alix Harrow has quickly become my favorite author writing fantasy today. I love her world building, literary proclivities, and unique characters. This isn’t my absolute favorite of hers but it’s so unusual, it is easy to recommend to fantasy fans who seem to have read it all.

I know I am in the minority here, but I unfortunately just couldn't get into this book. The storyline sounded really interesting to me, but it was just so incredibly slow that it took me a month to get 5 chapters in. I ended up not finishing it as it just didn't hold my interest.

Lyrically written and wonderfully told! The Once and Future Witches was both like and unlike the fairy tales I read as a kid. I loved these three sisters and their journey from lost to found. This book is a winner.

This one started slow for me, but I was grabbed by it about 50% of the way through.
Each of the sisters whose perspective we get has their own, unique voice.
I highly recommend this book.

I read this title in November and really enjoyed it. I loved Harrow's last book The Ten Thousand Doors of January, so I knew I needed to pick this one up ASAP.

I very much enjoyed the storyline, the characters and the writing, as I knew I would. I loved all the the main and immediate side characters, I felt for them as they struggled through the story. The way the author wove in the underlying lesson that you don't have to be "born special" the embrace your inner power, was probably my favorite part. We all tend to forget our own personal power within at times, so it's always nice to see characters figure out the same thing. I loved watching relationships blossom and the love the sisters had for eachother.

The story itself, while written in the time of 1893 was still quite relevant to today's struggles. Harrow paints a picture of white men in political power trying to gain even more, while women, people of differeanknt ethnicity and lgbtq+ struggle to even survive and live equally.

My only complaint was the pacing. There were times I had to step away for a while and read something else. There was some really great scenes where I was fully invested, while there were others that could have been cut from the book entirely. That's where my rating falls short on this one.

I did still very much enjoy the book and can't wait to see what Harrow comes out with next.

Thank you to Netgalley and Redhook Books for a copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I feel like I missed the point when reading this book. It's so intresting and even while reading it, I knew it was onto something very cool, but I could not connect to it.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January was my favorite book of last year. It was type of perfect book that swept me away and reminded me why I love reading so much. Naturally, I was impatient as hell to get my hands on Harrow’s next book especially when I heard the teaser description, “Suffragists, but witches.”

Set in 1893 Massachusetts, the story revolved around three drastically different sisters who got pulled into the fight for women’s rights. It is set in an alternate universe that closely resembles true American history with one major exception: magic is real and only men can use it. Witches, of course, are burned.

I knew this story would be darker than her debut, so that part of it was not a surprise. There were times when the tone was bleak, but it felt realistic to what women suffered during that time period. Even though The Once and Future Witches is an alternate history that involves magic and witches, the story had many realistic aspects. The struggles of the characters were relatable and poignant.

Admittedly, I didn’t love it as much as The Ten Thousand Doors of January. The main reason was the present tense writing. It is no secret that I don’t enjoy novels in present tense. Unfortunately, this came along when I was already frustrated and burnt out on trying to struggle through too many present tense novels. I had a hard time connecting with the story because of that. Combined with the slow pacing of the start of the book, it took me a while to get absorbed into the story. Despite the use of present tense though, Harrow undeniably has a way with words. She paints a vivid picture and is so creative. I loved the incorporation of fairytales twisted into feminist versions. And there were delightful little details such as women’s clothing not having pockets to prevent women from carrying around spell ingredients.

Another thing I enjoyed about The Once and Future Witches, was that it was full of badass women who showed very different types of strength. I have pointed out many times that too many people think the only way to show a woman as “strong” is to portray her as masculine. Which is demeaning bullshit. There are many types of strength and many ways for a woman to display that strength other than the stereotypical tough chick persona to which too many storytellers default.

So yes, I didn’t love this book the way I loved Harrow’s debut. But to be fair, that was an extremely high bar. The Once and Future Witches is still a great book! And I’m ecstatic to read whatever Harrow comes out with next.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced audiobook copy of “The Once & Future Witches” by Alix E. Harrow. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’ve struggled with my rating for this book. While the writing was beautiful and I liked the way fairy tales were interwoven with the witchcraft, I ultimately think I was not in good headspace to read this book.

While the blurb promises suffragettes and witches and “finding power at the ballot box,” the suffragettes are quickly forgotten about in favor of the witches. I normally love witchy books, but this was more depressing and less empowering (for me) as women are hunted, imprisoned, tortured, and murdered for being witches.

There was also a big trigger for a character almost dying in childbirth and then the baby being stolen. This was hard to read (especially as someone who recently had a newborn) but it was well-written as it evoked the fear of the situation in me.

Overall I just found this story sad and discouraging with how little has changed in attitudes towards women. While maybe that’s the point to inspire a desire to bring about change in readers, it made the book a struggle to get through for me. I would have liked there to be more hope at the end. This book just wasn’t for me but I’m sure plenty of other readers will enjoy it.

4/5 stars

What a badass and fun book! This is way longer than the vast majority of books I read, but this one was so enjoyable and transported me to the pages!

I started this book almost 4 months ago, and I almost DNF’d at 35%. I’m glad I didn’t. I must not have been in the right mood when I first picked this up, but after that section, the story flew by and was much more entertaining and the character connections were much stronger.

Really enjoyed the theme, the three sisters, and all of the witching vibes that came with this story. I’ll definitely be revisiting this one again and picking up a physical copy!

I didn't know quite what to expect when I closed The Ten Thousand Doors of January and next opened this text. I was so ready to go wherever Harrow wanted to take me, and boy did that take me off on a whole other world. Unlike January's world, wherein we start with the beginning of her life and work toward the plot & resolution, we start incredibly media in res with all three of the Eastwood sisters absolutely alienated from each other lives with a mass ton of only "you know what you did" baggage referenced at.

This book was phenomenal. It went so many places I didn't expect it to go, and it filled flush a history that it was so easy to see as being realistic and being bound by the rules of realism even with each new step and step and step into magic. I love so many things here. The suffragettes. The Daughters of Tituba. The whispered down 'women's magic' and the contestable rules about 'women's' and 'men's' magic. I love the very differences of how the sisters each are, strengths and flaws. I love the two love stories. I loved the coming full circle of the family.

With this book, Harrow took my "I almost end up in tears somewhere in a Harrow story" and turned it into tears. If you've read the book, you know exactly where I lost it and how powerful that entire section was. It still cleeves me right in the heart. But it was so very perfect, powerful, witchy, and loving. I cannot wait to see if the sister book to this comes out or get in on whatever Harrow does produce next.

Three sisters find each other again after years apart, and break open a world of magic and power. I really enjoyed this fantastical take on women's power and voices in an alternate nineteenth century. The connections that magic draws between women's suffrage, racism, and power are unsubtle but still fascinating. The three sisters are wildly different in their own ways, and their story of reconciliation rounds out the tale of witching and women's rights and the power of knowledge handed down from mother to daughter and granddaughter.

Loved this! I think the author hits the right tone with today's political landscape, as well as it being an enjoyable and entertaining tale. I look forward to more!

This is my first book from this author and I can't wait to read the rest. I loved this book. The characters really felt real and I loved the storyline. It was so easy to get sucked into the story and I honestly couldn't put the book down until the end. Loved it!!!

I found this story familiar and original, with nods to traditional witchy narratives while grounding the novel in a strong historical setting. The characters were layered and interesting and continued to develop throughout and beyond the narrative - I'd love to see where our sisters are past the last page of this story, and details we learned of secondary characters enhanced the reader's understanding of the setting which I also appreciated.