3.5 stars - This was a fascinating look at the history of how witchcraft (aka women who studied nature and used it to heal others) was perceived throughout the centuries and why its held such a negative connotation. It is quick, concise, and a great starting point for anyone curious about the subject matter.

While this chronicled the past and was paired with stunning illustrations, its not the book to read if you want to learn how to actually do witchcraft. The author grazes the topics of symbols, crystals, herbs, etc but only briefly enough to help readers determine if they want to continue learning more.

This book is beautiful and the artwork is amazing. The book itself is an interesting read, but is definitely a beginner book.

I found this book to be interesting, but I am not sure how I would recommend it to anyone without directly being asked. The history was fascinating, and I learned some neat things. This would be a good book for someone (especially a younger someone) interested in witchcraft and how to get started.

This was so interesting to read! O enjoyed finding out more from back in the day. Past witches. And many other things I had no idea about. So this was fun to read. And the pictures were absolutely gorgeous!

This is a beautiful book to own if you are interested in the history of witches. It covers the myths across the world as well as what truly means to be a witch. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful!

I was sent an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Informative and beautifully illustrated, this book gives a fantastic look at the history behind witchcraft and magic across the world. Truly interesting and a great source for those who potentially want to write fiction based on the history.

I was able to be approved for an ARC on NetGalley.

This is a very basic introduction to the history of the witches and witchcraft and gives some basic understanding on how witchcraft has progressed through the centuries.
It also gives little tidbits about witches past and about sacred numbers, herbs, amulets, etc.

It was easy to read and informative.
Appropriate for young people and also for older people who are just interested in the topic.

This nonfiction book is a concise introduction to the history of witches and witchcraft all over the world and how society's view of them has changed over the centuries. The pages are filled with gorgeous illustrations that add to the text and make this book visually gratifying.

This is a short book but it is packed with information and gorgeous artwork. The book highlights the history of witchcraft discussing the beliefs of practitioners, how they were viewed by society, and notable witches and deities to bring this history to life. There is also basic information about the symbols and practices that give power to witches. The voice of the book is friendly talking to the reader as a fellow witch and offering guidance on the reader’s educational journey. This makes the book a great resource for readers that are beginning to practice witchcraft but it is still a great resource for anyone looking to learn about witches. This would also make this a great resource for people already familiar with witches looking for a concise history or wishing to refresh their knowledge.

Thank you #Netgalley

"You are a part of nature, that nature has an affect on you, and you on it."

I have read a few books on witches/witchcraft this year, and this one had to be the most fun.

All the information in this was straight to the point, making it easier to read. The artwork is beautiful in this and really breaks up the pages.


If you are looking for an excellent book to read about witchcraft, I'd give this a go.

Excellent explanation of the history of witches. Very clear and well summarised along with those beautiful illustrations by Laura Pérez.

I absolutely recommend it.

Thanks to Quarto Publishing Group – Wide Eyed Editions and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

The Secrets of Witches review

Thanks to the authors and Wide Eyed Editions for the free copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

When I was a teenager, The Craft was the movie everyone was talking about, and Willow was moving from background sidekick to powerful legend in Buffy The Vampire Slayer. I would have loved this book then and am sure that it will make a treasured gift for young people interested in learning more about witches.

The authors manage to capture the origins and essence of the ‘witch,’ including the dark history of hysteria and persecution of women who didn’t quite fit the everyday mould. It moves on to more recent movements which aim to change the image of a witch into a positive feminist role model.

The illustrations are beautiful and the explanations of introductory practises are achievable and easy to understand. I’d happily buy this book for my twelve year old (and borrow it from her too!)

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 stars

With both amazing illustrations( really amazing illustrations) and text this work takes us on a journey through time to learn about witches and their history.

Witches have been feared since always but we don't really understand why. These authors explain in a simple and detailed way everything there is to know about the history of witches, their symbolism and their customs. From wands to brooms and even plants i have learned a lot about these incredible woman who are now the embodiment of feminism.

Thanks to Netgalley and the imprint Wide Eyed Editions for a giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

The artwork in this book is beautiful, but some of the concepts lack depth and some are unsubstantiated. If it's intended for beginner witches, the information should be a little more carefully researched. It's a pretty book, but mostly a lot of fluff.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ebook arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Secrets of the Witch was a gorgeous, informative read. I loved learning more about the history of witches and witchcraft, and I really enjoyed the little bios of famous witches scattered throughout this book. The illustrations were so stunning, they really added depth to the information, and I will definitely be looking up that artist.

I don't know if I agree this is appropriate for "witches 9 and up" since it does tell the truth about the torture, murdering, and poisoning that happened in the past, but a parent could definitely read it aloud to their child and explain it more.

All-in-all a fantastic guide to the history of witches, with some very basic instruction tucked at the end.

There are two main sections : section about history of witches and witch hunts, and section that could serve as a griomoire - it contains basic informations about crystals, familiars, amulets and so on.
Throughout the first part we also get a glimpse of famous witches.
This is in no way a full compendium of witchcraft or spells, it's more of a encyclopedia, but it's a good starting place. You get a general view and if you find something that would interest you, you can research it more.
In that way I'd say it's very suitable for young witches and wizards (although I feel it's geared towards women more), or beginners or even someone who is experinced but wants to have a pretty book 😊.
The graphic design of the inside pages with stunning illustrations and "medieval" fonts is just amazing and makes me want to purchase a physical copy.
My only negative and the reason why I did not give it 5⭐ - to me, it was a little bit biased. Which is understandable but I personally prefer my witchy books without the "catholics started/stole everything" view so I felt maybe someone here has it similar, so maybe this information will help you. It's not the same as with Silver Raven Wolf, this book is trying to get more proof of facts and even though the voice of the book is partial, I did not mind it that much.
What I actually quite liked is that it's written as if the reader was a real part of the coven, listening to other witch telling tales about the history - there is often used "sisters" "this happened to us.." etc. which felt quite nice. (Or in the case of witchs hunts and trials, it felt horrible and very real).
As with every book about witchcraft and magic - take it with a pinch of salt, and take what you need. I would not be afraid of showing this book to a young witch but I feel a talk about some aspects would be needed

This is a wonderfully accessible primer on witches and witchcraft for Teens and Young adults! While this book is marketed to younger readers, it was a genuinely enjoyable read as an adult. The text presents a broad strokes history of witchcraft and some introductory principles of practice. Seeing the connections of women and magic throughout history was very interesting and the connection to modern day feminist movements will definitely strike a cord in today’s young readers.

What really makes the reading experience however, is the illustrations. They beautifully accent the text and have just the right mystical/spooky vibe for the intended audience. The physical layout of the book was expertly designed and really enhances the text.

A gorgeous, brief history of witchcraft. I would have adored this book in middle and high school. The illustrations are stunning and it's very readable, giving a wonderful introduction to witchcraft. I wanted more! I wish it was longer and contained more information about witchcraft. This would be a great gift for a young feminist witch!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC.

Unfortunately I was unable to properly download the file provided, however it sounds really good I can’t wait til I can purchase a copy!

Review to be posted on GR:
First i would like to thank the publishers and Netgalley for letting me see this ahead of publication.
My first thought when reading this book was wow, just how beautiful is this? And that was a thought that remained all the way through.
Now, I never knew much about Witches apart from the basic history stuff and reading HP (Just kidding) and I've found this book to be a illustrative and curious presentation of their history. I would imagine that If you know anything about the Topic in a deeper level, this might not be for you, since It didnt Go in depth into the topics, however this might be a good present for a friend that knows nothing of it and just wants a nice entertaining read. The illustrations are out of this world and I Hope to see more of the illustrators in the future.