The Book of Witches is collection of 29 short stories and poems about witches. This was a delightful collection and I truly enjoyed the variety of essays, poems, and short stories. My favorite was The Liar by Darcie Little Badger!

The Book of Witches is a huge anthology, jam-packed full of wonderful prose and poetry from a diverse range of writers, lovingly edited by Jonathan Strahan. The quality of writing does not wain throughout, but here the following really stood out to me:

The collection opens with a moving poem, Seed of Power, by Linda D. Addison. It made me feel powerful, but also made me cry, and I think the work really sets the tone for the anthology.

The first story, What I Remember of Oresha Moon Dragon Devahrata, by P. Djeli Clark, was another amazing entry. A traveling witch, a curious young girl, a giant "champion". Clark built a world so quickly, and I did not want to leave.

I was hugely impressed by Kathleen Jennings’ 2020 novel, Flyaway, so I knew I’d love her story, Catechism for Those Who Would Find Witches, written as a pamphlet about witches, that seems to be speaking directly to the reader.

I’ve been meaning to read Alaya Dawn Johnson for a while, and her story, The Witch is Not the Monster, definitely encouraged me to do this asap. A haint, a storm, generations of witches. Eco-horror. I absolutely loved it.

I am an unflinching Cassandra Khaw fan, and her story, Met Swallow, did not disappoint. A dying girl exchanges her dying body for a living fox.

The Nine Jars of Nukulu, by Tobi Ogundiran, is a tale in which a girl encounters a man in her dreams with the reflection of a panther, which leads her to discover the truth about her mother's death. Another incredibly rich story.

Premee Mohamed continues to impress with So Spake the Mirrorwitch, where some witch hunters find themselves deservingly trapped in a living nightmare.

In the story, Her Ravenous Waters, by Andrea Stewart, a dead woman becomes indebted to a sea witch who "saved" her after her abusive husband drowned her. Again, a work of incredibly rich and engaging writing.

It’s always a pleasure to read new work by Angela Slatter. In her story Through the Woods, Due West, three young men have some strange encounters while trekking through a forest.

The ending of Night Riding by Usman T. Malik is one of the most horrifically entertaining things I’ve ever read.

E. Lily Yu captures horror and beauty perfectly in Witch Fires, a story of modern-day witch hunts and a portable crematorium.

I am so excited to seek out other work by Miyuki Jane Pinckard and Emily Y. Teng, two new (to me) writers. Pinckard’s story The Academy of Oracular Magic is about a trans girl destined for greatness, attending a prestigious magic school. Teng’s story, The Cost of Doing Business, takes place in a strange factory, which has an on-site witch to deal with injuries.When it becomes clear what the factory is, the story just opens up so wonderfully. I loved this so much.

But my absolute favorite story came last, from the remarkably intelligent writer Amal El-Mohtar. John Hollowback is a story of betrayal, forgiveness, and resentment. When the titular Hollowback visits a witch to fix his affliction, the reason for his literally hollow back unravels. This one also made me cry; it’s such a gorgeous story.

And these are just the highlights! This is such a strong collection, showing the many facets of witchcraft. And I really hope people discover their new favorite writer in this anthology.

Excellent book for those of us who.love all things Witchy. Great stories and great for an evening bs creepy entertainment. I loved all the stories.
I recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book was interesting. A collection of stories, poems, interviews, etc. It was not my favorite book I read this year. Some of the stories were lacking, overall it was good.

I’ve been trying to read this for months and I have had such a hard time making myself do it. I think I expected it to be different when I read the blurb. I thought it would be more like stories of witches in folklore from around the world. Must have been a mistake on my part, but there were very few stories that captured my interest.

My favorite was definitely the one by P. Djèlí Clark. A few others I liked, but that stands out.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for an advanced copy of The Book of Witches in exchange for an honest review.

This... will be my shortest review to come I think as I don't know what to say. This is not what I was expecting and that may be my fault but nonetheless, I did not enjoy more than half of these stories/poems. My favorite part of this book was Jonathan Strahan's note at the beginning, and his passion behind the project. I felt that deeply.

Excellent anthology. I was hooked from the beginning and didn't find a story I didn't enjoy.
If switches from scary to humorous- are your thing you'll love this book.

29 witchy short stories and poems. Very interesting and super charming. Had a lot of fun reading this.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc of this book.

Neat little collection. I especially appreciated the editor’s attention to recruiting a diverse set of authors to contribute and explaining so in the introduction to the collection. He is right that what many of us know about witches from pop culture and literature is very western-heavy and whitewashed.

I wanted to check this book out because of the AMAZING authors that have worked on it. Unfortunately, the book was a little lackluster for me.

P. Djèlí Clark is an author I adore and he didn’t disappoint! I wish it was a full length book that expanded in the world a bit more.

Despite having some stories from notable writers that I love, nothing from this anthology particularly stuck out for me. Those I enjoyed the most were by P Djeli Clark and Amal El Mohtar, but I think that had more to do with their style clicking well for me than because of the book content. I did like the nontraditional nature of some of the stories, with a few being written as interviews or poems. Fans of witchy content generally may enjoy this, but none of the stories struck me as overwhelmingly unique or compelling.

I had a hard time with this book. I thought I was really going to enjoy it and I was looking forward to it. The book was not really what I had in mind, so I can't say the book isn't good, and I won't say that. I was just expecting something different. Overall I would give it 3 stars, as some of the short stories were entertaining.

I have really struggled with this book and I make continue it some other time but I just cant keep reading it now. It is failing to keep my attention. I dont know if it is the fact it is an anthology or If i just dont like the stories. I have enjoyed 1 of the stories so far and the others are lack luster and the poetry just doesn't register with me. I need to move on to toother books to review so I can keep struggling with this one. Im sorry.

As with all short story collections I read, there are some that I absolutely love and around half that I think are just fine. P Djeli Clark and Garth Nix were predictably wonderful to read. Ken Liu's was a weird little story that I loved with some fun formatting quirks, and I liked the intersection of advanced technology and general witchery.

As a whole, some stories felt a touch too long for my tastes in short story collections. I would find myself wishing these authors were a bit more concise in telling their stories, as I treat short stories as a short intro to a world that I can myself iterate and expand on. If it's expanded too much in the short story, it loses its charm for me.

Overall, I did still enjoy this collection, though! The good did outweigh the bad for me. 3.5 stars rounded down for this rating system.

I mean look at that line up of authors. I have loved their work before. I was excited to get into this witchy anthology but overall, a little whelmed.
It was 29 stories
My favorites were:
What I Remember of Oresha Moon Dragon Devshrata by P. Djèlí Clark
The Liar by Darcie Little Badger
What Dreams May Come by CL Clark
Just a Nudge by Maureen McHugh

I also liked how they broke up some of the longer stories with poetry. My favorite poem was BOTANICA: A Song in Four Movements.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an eARC.

"The Book of Witches" edited by Jonathan Strahan is an anthology of short stories that explores the world of witches in fiction. The stories in this collection are written by some of the most talented writers in the fantasy and horror genres, including Neil Gaiman, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Kelly Link, among others.

One of the strengths of this anthology is the diversity of voices and perspectives represented. The stories range from traditional witchcraft to more modern interpretations, and each one offers a unique take on the theme of witches. Some stories are eerie and unsettling, while others are whimsical and uplifting.

Another strength of this collection is the high quality of the writing. The prose is engaging and well-crafted, and each story draws the reader in with its vivid imagery and compelling characters. The editor, Jonathan Strahan, has done an excellent job of selecting stories that showcase the best of the genre.

Overall, "The Book of Witches" is a captivating and thought-provoking collection that is sure to appeal to fans of fantasy and horror. Whether you're a longtime fan of witchcraft in fiction or a newcomer to the genre, this anthology is definitely worth checking out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager, Harper Voyager for an eARC of The Book of Witches: An Anthology.

This collection of witchy short stories, interviews, and poems contain a multitude of witch lore and legend from different cultures and regions around the world. The anthology contains works from Ken Liu, Garth Nix, Fonda Lee, C.L. Clark, Andrea Stewart, Sheree Renee Thomas. All incredible authors popular in the Science Fiction and Fantasy world. The stories themselves were wonderful and different in their own right. Definitely worth the read!

I will update the review with the link to on our blog closer to publication date.

I'd like to thank the publisher Harper Voyager and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review

I wasn't sure what to expect when I found this book but I'm honestly happy I did find it. 5 star book. Was drawn by the blurb. I do recommend this book to. Might reread this book later on in the year. Kept me pulled into it. Couldn't put it down at all.

Lovely Anthology!

This is a combination of fantasy and sci-fiction stories centered all on witches! I enjoyed each and every story even the poems which are not always my favorites! In this book, it works! Each story is also not all dark and disturbing - some of them are quite cute so it's a very nice balance! Definitely put this on your radar this fall!