The Book of Witches by Jonathan Strahan is a rich and diverse collection of enchanting short stories, accompanied by a handful of captivating poems. What I loved about this witchy and sometimes spooky anthology is the diversity of these stories. I am in love with this kind of around-the-world collection that shows how much reading and also just the ideas in the stories can make all of us feel a bit closer.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. While the premise was interesting I didn’t connect with the characters or the story in a meaningful manner. Some books just aren’t for us, and that’s alright.

This anthology is full of dark, atmospheric, witchy tales that capture and hold your attention from the first page of each story. Diverse culture are well represented as well as great LGTBQIA+ rep. There is something for everyone in this collection!

I received a copy of this from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I find it difficult to give collections a review because each story deserves it's own. I love anthologies that are themed, and witches are not a new topic, but I thought there were some very unique takes on what a witch was. Most people, myself included, tend to think of medieval witches or sorcerers. There were some really unique futuristic and even sci-fi versions of witches in this collection. Some I did like better than most but there were a few that didn't fee like complete stories. Many had "witch" used in a very loose sense, which I understand as the editor explained what it was that made a witch in the editor's note. However, I do feel like very few of these felt complete or even reminiscent of the feeling I get when I think "witch".

A collection of short stories and poetry, the Book of Witches offers a myriad of understandings of what makes a witch. Each author in the collection brings a different set of vibes and criteria and together it makes a greater sense of the cultural understandings of witch. That range was the most interesting element of this book for me over all. The ways that authors approached their stories and characters and what pieces of magic carried between them was really interesting to me. I loved the breath offered between stories of charms and magic schools and revenge and bargains. I found the whole collection to be well written, which I can't say is always true of short story collections in particular. The form is deeply challenging and was handled expertly in each entry. But really I was here for the vibes and they did not disappoint for even a moment.

Marvelous collection! Anthologies are so often a hit-and-miss affair--casting a net wide enough to have something for everyone means that of course very few readers are going to love everything--but at least for this particular reader, this is one of a standout handful of anthologies whose stories were consistent hits. In this gathering of 4 poems and 24(!) stories, there were only a few stories that I didn't really connect with. My favorite anthologies have a delicious balance of authors I already know and love and works from new-to-me authors that I can get excited about and go hunt up more of, and this was great for that.

Standout stories from minds I already loved included "What I Remember of Oresha Moon Dragon Devshrata" by P. Djèlí Clark, Ken Liu's "Good Spells" (this very modern take on witchcraft is both thoughtful and clever and it satirizes an easily-recognized famously exploitative employer and is a strong contender for my favorite story in this collection-worth the cost of admission all by itself), Premee Mohamed's "So Spake the Mirrorwitch," the utterly haunting "Through the Woods, Due West" by Angela Slatter, Usman T. Malik's horrifying "Night Riding," E. Lily Yu's "Witchfires" (love), and Amal El-Mohtar's stunning "John Hollowback and the Witch," which is tied with Liu's in my mind for favorite of the whole bunch. I have only read a few Indrapramit Das stories before The Book of Witches, and I was surprised to find that their entry, "As Wayward Sisters, Hand in Hand" was not a horror piece (Saad Z. Hussain and Usman T. Malik have that covered in this collection; not for kids!) but instead a melancholic meditation on growth and change, sprinkled with Macbeth. I was unsurprised to encounter and enjoy stories by Alaya Dawn Johnson, Darcie Little Badger, and Cassandra Khaw. I don't always remember introductions, but I really, really liked Strahan's introduction.

Works by authors I hadn't encountered before The Book of Witches that delighted me enough to look up more of their work included "The Cost of Doing Business" by Emily Y. Teng, Miyuki Jane Pinckard's "The Academy of Oracular Magic," "Her Ravenous Waters" by Andrea Stewart, the unsettling "Just a Nudge" by Maureen McHugh, Kathleen Jennings' "Catechism for Those Who Would Find Witches," Millie Ho's poem "She Who Makes the Rain," and Tobi Ogundiran's "Nine Jars of Nukulu."

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of stories about witches. My favorite was by Clark, but of course, he's also one of my favorite current authors. I'd say about a half dozen of the stories really stood out. There were a couple that I didn't love, but I did enjoy each author's unique take on "witches". Overall a very good collection of stories (and a couple of poems).

The Book of Witches, edited by Jonathan Strahan, is an expansive collection that dives into the world of witchcraft, shining a spotlight on diversity and inclusivity. With contributions from 28 fantasy and sci-fi authors, the anthology delivers a mixed bag of tales and poems, each adding a distinctive spin on the authors' ideas on witchcraft.

Stories like Garth Nix's "The Unexpected Excursion of the Murder Mystery Writing Witches," P. Djèlí Clark's "What I Remember of Oresha Moon Dragon Devshrata," Angela Slatter's "Through the Woods, Due West," and E. Lily Yu's "Witchfires," as well as Cassandra Khaw's "Met Swallow" and C.L. Clark's "What Dreams May Come" — which feature transgender witches — give a fresh take on a classic literary staple.

The witches in this anthology inhabit various environments from fantastical realms to dystopian futures and post-COVID Los Angeles, underscoring the breadth of experiences covered. They take diverse forms, exploring unique paths, ensuring every reader finds a story or poem that resonates with them. I think the collection would have benefitted from a few more cuts — a few stories fell flat for me.

The Book of Witches is an exploration of "otherness'" infused with human experience and diverse voices. With its fusion of stories and poems and despite its length, this is a worthwhile read for lovers of witches and witchcraft.

This is such a well done collection. If you ever wanted to read an array of beautifully written stories about witchcraft look no further. This anthology is so carefully put together that the reader is able to go on a journey through different styles of writing as while as different interpretations of witchcraft. Some anthologies with a central theme can get a little stale but this is a top tier anthology for sure.

3.5 stars rounded up!

Anthologies are always a toss-up, with some absolute winners in the bunch either because they have a lasting impact in only a few pages or because they deserve to be turned into fully-fledged stories, some that are fine but entirely unremarkable, and some that are some baffling or eye-crossingly not good that you wonder how they ended up being included in the first place. This particular anthology is a collection of stories about witches, whether they be fantasy-, science fiction-, or fairy tale-based. A lot of them are told from a diverse background of authors, particularly queer and PoC, and and this leads to an overall empowering collection.

For the sake of fairness and kindness, I want to focus entirely on what I felt were the good in this collection based entirely on my own personal opinion:
- "What I Remember of Oresha Moon Dragon Devshrata" by P. Djèlí Clark. The story of one of the "Travelling Folk" who comes to Mara's Bay to warn and save the seaside town from an upcoming invasion. She makes a deal with the people to help them, until things begin to go awry.

- "Met Swallow" by Cassandra Khaw. A fox spirit takes over the body of a dying witch girl and learns to live in the house with her sisters and her pain.

- "What Dreams May Come" by C.L. Clark. A transman who is estranged from his family of witches and their female-inherited powers is called home as the only one who can rescue his mother after she falls too far into the Dreamscape. Intergenerational family trauma is dealt with.

- "The Unexpected Excursion of the Murder Mystery Writing Witches" by Garth Nix. A coven of middle-aged witches (who make a living writing murder mysteries) make a nighttime excursion through World War II Britain to deal with a shitty ancient monster that has been woken by the air raids. Because Peter the dog told them to.

- "Through the Woods, Due West" by Angela Slatter. Three friends (and soldiers) are getting more and more lost in the woods. Dima keeps being visited by an old woman late at night by the fire after his friends are asleep, who offers to show him the way out - if only he'll abandon the other two.

- "Witchfires" by E. Lily Yu. Ron Morgan and his followers travel the United States hunting and cremating "witches," stoking a frenzy to search out anyone who fits the bill of "other." Honestly a haunting story given the current climate in the country today. It also had arguably my favorite quote in the entire book:
"The way I see it," Mira said, "some folks choose to become beasts. Choice by choice, day by day. They chase greed, cruelty, and fear, and call it justice, kindness, righteousness. When you twist words to breaking, you lose human language. Harm enough people, you lose humanity itself."

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Anthologies are tough to rate, and this collection is no different. While some stories stood out and had me glued, others fell flat and were a drag to get through. The authors included in this collection are diverse, and so are many of the characters, which allow for a study of witches from various cultures and ideologies. Certain authors I’ve read before (Amal El Mohtar and Cassandra Khaw), but after reading this collection I’m excited to read other works by the authors included. Some works are short stories, while others are poems; the short stories are what really stuck out to me about this Anthology.

The stand-out works in this collection for me were:
• What I Remember of Oresha Moon Dragon Devshrata - P. Djèlí Clark
• The Liar - Darcie Little Badger
• The Nine Jars of Nukulu - Tobi Ogundiran's
• John Hollowback and the Witch - Amal El Mohtar

My favorite story in the collection was So Spake the Mirrorwitch - Premee Mohamed.

I think this is a great collection to read as we approach Halloween time!

The Book of Witches is an eclectic collection of tales with a common theme of witches. While many of the stories are missing the word ‘witch’, characters have supernatural abilities, cast spells, call forth magic and invoke curses, tying the tales to the central theme. The stories are presented in a variety of forms from prose to poetry.

As with any collection I pick up, there were some I enjoyed and some I did not enjoy. Sadly, I did not like more than I liked and ended up not reading the last 25% of the 507-page book for this reason. However, tastes vary and your experience may be different.

My favorite (5-star) story – What I Remember of Oresha Moon Dragon Devsharta by P. Djeli Clark. This author was the reason I chose this book, having just finished the Dead Djinn Universe series. This one is a complete story with a beginning, a middle, and end and even sort of an epilog. Kind of a pied piper story, it tells the story of a witch who arrives at a seaside village, predicts an invasion and agrees to provide a solution in exchange for a place to live. The town agrees, but the longer it takes for the invasion to occur, the more the town begins to grow suspicious of the witch. Understanding and accepting people who are different is always a challenge and lack of said understanding and acceptance can lead to tragic stories. Without saying more, I will tell you that I was happy with how things ending for the witch and for the town.

For me, other standout stories were The Liar by Darci Little Badger, The Nine Jars of Nukulu by Tobi Ogundiran and What Dreams May Come by C.L. Clark.

The price of 17.99 for the e-book or 40.00 for hardcover is a little steep. But if you really enjoy reading about witch lore, new imaginings of witches and are game to try some new authors, you might find the price reasonable. Or maybe, your local library will make The Book of Witches available to you…..

Through NetGalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book. My review is my honest opinion.

Countless authors shared their craft and spun tales for The Book of Witches: An Anthology. This collection of stories is vast, and I am impressed by the variety of witches that enchant its pages. There are so many stories that I cannot possibly review them all, but I will share an overview and my recommendation for readers to become spellbound by this book.

The Book of Witches is a cauldron bubbling over with stories. It’s over 500 pages long and features 28 fantasy and sci-fi authors including QTL favorites P. Djèlí Clark, Tade Thompson, Ken Liu, Cassandra Khaw, and Premee Mohamed among others. The content ranges from stories to poems and even songs. While I certainly have my favorites like The Nine Jars of Nukulu, She Who Makes the Rain, The Unexpected Excursion of the Murder Mystery Writing Witches, Just a Nudge, and The Academy of Oracular Magic, I enjoyed every entry.

Editor Jonathan Strahan speaks true when he says there is a witch for everyone in this anthology. You will encounter a diverse coven of witches that will spark admiration, fear, and pity. The witches inhabit fantastical lands, oppressive futuristic states, and familiar settings such as post-COVID Los Angeles. They travel by hot air balloons, chicken-leg houses, broomsticks sporting armchairs, or they simply walk about. They can become crows, work as nurses, travel through dreamscapes, or make mirrors. They are good and bad and somewhere in between and they help, hurt, and are harmed. There are so many ways the witch has been honored and reimagined in this anthology that I guarantee you will discover a new version of this enticing figure to love.

I was not prepared for how emotional it would be to read tale after tale of powerful, lonely, hunted, misunderstood, and feared individuals. Many authors used this opportunity to showcase how easily our fear can be manipulated into violence and how easily blame can be shifted to anyone not fitting the status quo. C. L. Clark tells the story of a transgender witch shunned by his family and barred from his power. One particularly chilling tale by E. Lily Yu follows a charismatic man with a portable crematorium who has incited Salem witch trial energy across America. There are more somber stories, like P. Djèlí Clark’s depiction of a witch who is adored until she isn’t, and how ugly things can become. But there are also triumphant tales of empowered and celebrated witches and even witches who aren’t the main event but make life a little weirder.

The Book of Witches is a charming collection of stories that are guaranteed to entertain and inspire. I read the anthology quickly for this review, but it is a brew that should be sipped and savored so that you can sit with the enchanting lessons the authors impart in such a few short pages. The entire anthology is a powerful potion and will inspire you to reflect on who is labeled as a witch and why some are celebrated while others are vilified.

Rating: The Book of Witches - An Anthology - 8.5/10
-Brandee

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. The thoughts on this story are my own.

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Blog link goes live August 4th
Will be in a Arc Review Roundup within the next two weeks on Youtube

Anthologies are hard, sometimes they’re a hit in one half and just fall off and you loose interest in the second half. Sometimes they just don’t have that sparkle you want anywhere. Nothing is catching your eye or they all feel the same. The Book of Witches, I’m happy to report is definitely neither one of those things. Like When Spring Arrives, another anthology I read this year, this one was fantastic!

The collection on this one is the strength of it. It feels like Mr. Strahan and his team went out of their way to select unique and diverse voices, and did so with care. Nearly every story felt different, each had a unique take on the idea of a ‘witch’ and there was very little overlap in the setting or time period of the pieces. From a modern day-post COVID story, to the far flung future, they are varied and rich in scope and style.

If you’re looking for something witchy, or a fantastic way to sample new authors I can’t recommend this one enough. My favorite stories included The Unexpected Excursion of the Murder Mystery Writing Witches (which reminded me that I truly need to revisit Garth Nix), Just a Nudge (a dark story I will be turning over for some time), and Her Ravenous Waters (another author I have got to get to). What a fantastic collection, I highly recommend it.

In a Nutshell: The best thing about this book is the cover. The second best thing is the intent. Hardly any story left any long-term impact on me.

This is a collection of twenty-nine stories, focussed on witches. The stories are quite diverse in terms of format (prose as well as poems), genres (horror, sci-fi, fantasy, contemporary), cultures (having several BIPOC authors gives it a brilliant diversity), and even the types of witches focussed upon (there is one story with a techno-witch!)

The book starts with a brilliant editor’s note, highlighting what makes a witch, and talking about the approach to building this inclusive collection. It also stresses on how the witches in this stories aren’t the ones from Western tradition with witches in pointy black hats. (Query to the people involved: Why that cover then?) I must say, the note made my expectations go sky-high.

Sadly, the stories didn’t live up to the promise. Most of the stories dragged. Most of them had a “witch” in the loosest sense of the word. Witches and magic go hand in hand, so to see several stories without a substantial fantastical content was disappointing.

At 500+ pages, this is a huge anthology. The meandering style makes it further slower. As such, I would recommend this only if you are a hard-core anthology fan and are open to slower, lengthy collections.

As always, I rated the stories individually, but most of the stories hovered around the midway mark. Very few breached the four star level. There were a couple of poems as well, but I didn’t read or rate these as I am not fond of freeverse poems.

The only stories that touched or crossed four stars were:
➙ What I Remember of Oresha Moon Dragon Devshrata - P. Djèlí Clark - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
➙ The Liar - Darcie Little Badger - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
➙ The Unexpected Excursion of the Murder Mystery Writing Witches - Garth Nix - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
➙ So Spake the Mirrorwitch - Premee Mohamed - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
➙ John Hollowback and the Witch - Amal El Mohtar - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
(Sorry, but I am too disappointed to even write a short synopsis for each of the above stories.)

With just 5 out of twenty-nine stories delivering, I cannot put this anthology in the must-read category. But every reader ha a different taste, so who knows? Maybe you might enjoy this collection if you are more open to innovative formats in meandering storylines.

2.45 stars, based on the average of my ratings for the stories.

My thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Book of Witches”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Anthologies are always hard to review. Like any collection of stories, some spoke to me more than others. These short stories were all very unique, with some variation of witch in them. This collection is incredibly diverse- both in interpretation of what makes a witch, and culturally.
Most of these stories were just too odd for my liking, but there were definitely a few gems in there.
If you are looking for a diverse collection of stories, told in unique voices, you would likely enjoy this one.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an early copy for review.

As with most collections of short stories my enjoyment of each varied greatly. Some were a delightful self-contained world, some I wanted to read for a much longer time, and some were utterly forgettable.

The collection of authors is quite diverse, as are the stories they tell. Some were old, some modern, some futuristic. Some had monsters, some use technology, one or two of them are a bit spooky. Being a witch can mean many different things, and this collection was a beautiful way to think about that. All that sent, my favorite was Her Ravenous Waters by Andrea Stewart. It was a lovely introduction to an author I had never read, but am now very excited to learn more about and whose work I will be looking into ASAP.

Personally, I tend to prefer longer interconnected stories, which is just not what this anthology is, and I did not enjoy it as much as others likely will. If you like would to have a good book around to pick up and occasionally read a story or two, this is a lot of fun.

What I loved about this witchy and sometimes spooky anthology is the diversity of these stories. I am in love with this kind of around the world collection that shows how much reading and also just the ideas in the stories can make all of us feel a bit closer.

There are some stories I loved and some not so much. I love the variation in storytelling styles in this book, which kept it interesting for me. I feel like this is something a person could take their time reading and enjoying.

Out August 1, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Short story collections can often be hit or miss, especially when as an anthology featuring different authors. While Strahan has curated a very interesting selection of short stories, The Book of Witches does fall into this in that some entries are much stronger than others. Still, I thought there were some real gems here and I really enjoyed reading such varied takes on witches (in particular, I loved P. Djeli Clark, Kathleen Jennings, Cassandra Khaw, C.L. Clark, Fonda Lee, Ken Liu, Andrea Stewart, and Amal El-Mohtar’s takes). This was a fun read that I enjoyed quite a bit, and I think it’s a perfect collection to read once fall hits.

This is a diverse collection of witchy stories incorporating a variety of formats, cultures, and popular SFF authors. From poetry to prose, there's a little something for everybody. Anthologies are difficult to rate because they will always be filled with hits and misses, and this collection had quite a few of both for me. Standouts for me included P. Djèlí Clark's "What I Remember of Oresha Moon Dragon Devshrata", Tade Thompson's "The Luck Thief", Tobi Ogundiran's "The Nine Jars of Nukulu", and Andrea Stewart's "Her Ravenous Waters".

I recommend this for anyone who wants to explore the expansive concept of witches from across the world.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an eARC, opinions are my own.