Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

I wanted to love these stories but they didn't really do it for me. There were a few that I wanted more of and that I think would make amazing full novels. There are some that had me so confused. I don't read many anthologies and I'm starting to think they're not for me.

Sometimes anthologies are a hit or miss with me, so it did take a while for me to read this copy.
I was excited to receive an ARC copy from NetGalley, because I love to see other people’s ideas or thoughts pertaining to the literary witch figure. I will say, some of the stories in the book were slow in my opinion, and weren’t my cup of tea, but that’s the thing with anthologies. I did enjoy a handful of them, The Witch is Not the Monster, Her Ravenous Waters and Witchfires to name a few. I think it was a good choice to end the book with John Hollowback and the Witch, it definitely was more my vibe story wise.

Thanks HarperCollins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the anthology 😌

The Book of Witches by Jonathan Strahan is a compilation of short stories that delve into the mystical and enchanting world of witches. While the anthology has its moments of magic, it overall left more to be desired. On the positive side, the diversity of voices and writing styles showcased in the collection is commendable. Some of the stories shine with creativity, weaving intricate spells that draw you into their enchanting realms. However, the anthology falls short of maintaining consistent quality across all the stories. While some narratives are compelling and leave a lasting impression, others feel lackluster and fail to fully capture the imagination. Despite this, The Book of Witches does have its merits, and those with an interest in witchcraft and the supernatural will definitely find at least a few stories to captivate them.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

I love an anthology and this one was a well curated one however it was too long. Because of how long this collection is I started losing some of the stories to the mix. At this point maybe two stand out to me.

Fascinating collection of stories from a wide range of authors. I really enjoyed these stories and how they described witches in different situations and settings. Fairy tale like to creepy and haunting. Overall a lovely, immersive collection.

This short story collection showcases witches in all of their traditional and modern glory, maiden, mother, crone, or other; funny, fierce, light and airy, or dark and disturbing. These twenty-nine stories and poems collect some unique stories about witches in all sorts of situations. In these pages you’ll find:

The Book of Witches features Linda Addison, C.L. Clark, P Djeli Clark, Indrapramit Das, Amal El Mohtar, Andrea Hairston, Millie Ho, Saad Hossain, Kathleen Jennings, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Cassandra Khaw, Fonda Lee, Darcie Little Badger, Ken Liu, Usman T. Malik, Maureen F. McHugh, Premee Mohammed, Garth Nix, Tobi Ogundiran, Tochi Onyebuchi, Miyuki Jane Pinckard, Kelly Robson, Angela Slatter, Andrea Stewart, Emily Teng, Sheree Renée Thomas, Tade Thompson, and E. Lily Yu—and contains illustrations from three-time Hugo award-nominated artist Alyssa Winans throughout.

I always enjoy a good witch story, and this collection did not disappoint. I was readying it for quite a while, because I’d pick up a story between other books here and there, but it was fun start to finish. The traditional spooky season might be over, but witches are fun all year long.

I really enjoyed this book was completely hooked from the first page and couldn't put it down definitely recommend

What a great book of short stories all about witches! I enjoyed this novel very much. Full of magic and mystery. Very well rounded stories, each and every one. Truly loved every story in this novel!

This is a better-than-average anthology that collects some pretty good witchy stories from some rather great and diverse authors. "Orphanage of the Last Breath" was a real standout for me, and the rest of the stories were pretty wonderful, with only a few so-so ones in the bunch. It's a solid collection overall and I recommend it.

I loved this, the collection of anthologies is great. It's beautifully put together and the way it flows goes well. The stories and poems were wonderful. I really like a lot of the prose these writers used. I recommend this for people wanting a fall read.

This collection was very meh. There were only a handful of stories that I actively liked. Very much a take it or leave it collection.



Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

A really interesting collection of stories of all types of witches.
Some of my favorite stories included The Liar; As Wayward Sisters, Hand in Hand; and Orphanage of the Last Breath.
I really enjoyed seeing the interpretation of The Witch through a variety of cultural and social aspects. Hearing from a wide diversity of authors was very important in representing so many variations of the theme.

ARC & Final Copy provided by NetGalley & HarperCollins.

DNF: 60%

Actual Rating: 2.5 ⭐


Friends... I'm so freaking sad! This is the first ever anthology that has not only disappointed me, but my first anthology I won't be doing a full break down of and my first anthology I've ever DNF'd. This was... fine, okay? Honestly, I don't even really know how to describe how I felt about this book because there were so many times where I got bored or I would zone out. Almost every single story was a two or three star rating with only three stories that really stood out to me, as a reader. I don't know if it's the book or if it's me, but I had to dnf this book because I just wasn't having a good time. I wanted to love this book especially when I'm reading this so close to Halloween, but this anthology missed the mark for me. I think there will be many readers who enjoy this anthology, find some new authors to fall in love with, but as for me, I'll be off in the corner grieving not being able to love this book.


All thoughts, feelings, experiences, and opinions are honest and my own.

"Even in a world of witches and angels, good fortune is from what you do, not what you have."

The Book of Witches by Jonathan Strahan was a lovely collection of tales of witchcraft and whimsy from many contributing authors. These stories are accompanied by gorgeous artwork by Alyssa Winans and feature a large variety of representation for different cultures, peoples, and beliefs.

I couldn't choose a favorite among the stories! They were all so imaginative and unique and I really loved the entire anthology. I would recommend this collection highly to anyone who loves witchy fables and fantasy.

Do you like witches? Do you know what ditches do? If you read this book you will find out! Reading this anthology of stories and poems shows many aspects of witches that you may not know about. I enjoyed the variety of stories in this anthology. I have read some witch novels that exposed me to different types of witches and enjoyed them. I can’t tell you which I liked best as I don’t want to prejudice you. I believe there is a story that will intrigue you to continue reading other stories/novels by these authors.

I am a big fan of Darcie Little Badger and "The Liar" did not disappoint.
This is a collection celebrating diversity through witchy stories and poems. Some short stories I loved, but as with many anthologies there were some hits and misses. Some of the parts of this anthology I found very confusing and not enjoyable. I was expecting more from this because I love so many of the authors in it, but its a 3.5 for me.

Interesting collection of stories relating to witches. I really enjoyed the unconventional modern twists to some of the stories. I was not expecting a story of a witch who dealt with cyberspace and was pleasantly surprised by how the story turned out. A good book to read during spooky season.

I have no doubt that this has its audience and, when it finds it, they will love it. For me, this was a miss. It was not what I was expecting. I was expecting more whimsical and magical witchy fiction. This, instead, includes more folklore and stories of witchy beings. It felt more like the tales parents tell children to help teach a lesson or moral. Not for me but I do appreciate the writing and the storytelling talent these writers have.