I was first intrigued by this book due to its witchy folklore plot, and I wasn't disappointed. It contains short stories of different types of witches and magical creatures present in folklore, and it was nice to learn about new creatures that I've never read about and their folklore. I believe this will also make a really interesting table book thanks to its gorgeous illustrations.

ARC received by the Publisher Watkins Media via Netgalley.

I was very excited to read this especially as this is by a Hungarian author & a Hungarian illustrator and it is a rare and welcome expereince.

"Ten chapters introduce ten different categories of witches, from curse-bringers, shape-shifters and survivors to revenants, nature witches and fate-turners. Most, but far from all, are women, and their stories come from across the world.

Each chapter is linked to a different card of the Major Arcana and to a stage in the alchemical process of turning base metal to gold. In this way, as you learn about the witches, you will complete a journey of self-discovery and transformation, gleaning wisdom and empowerment from the awe-inspiring magical practitioners of folk tradition and history."

This was an intriguing and fascinating read about a wide range of magical, mythical and real persons from the widely known to the obscure from all over the world and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience especially with fantastic and fantastical illustrations.

Recommended to readers interested in folklore, history, alchemy and mythology.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book!

I've always been fascinated with the supernatural and how present it is in our day-to-day lives and in our traditions. This volume encapsulates that feeling very well. I especially appreciated how it wasn't your average non-fiction book, with an almost Wikipedia format, but the author actually found a way to tell these stories so that anyone could enjoy them. The connection to the Major Arcana was also a very nice touch!

Lovely illustration and a strong thread for the storytelling are apparent in this book.
I’m looking forward to getting my hands on a hard copy.

Beautifully put together. A great choice in candidates to write about. Then illustrations are lovely and the chapters are well written made me want to look into each subject/person more.

This is a wonderful illustrated novel on witches. I had a blast reading this and learning about these women. You should read this to understand witches in other novels.

This is a folklore encyclopedia of witches and other supernatural creatures across history and around the world. It’s chock full of fascinating information.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Beautifully illustrated, filled with information that I found incredibly helpful, and not focused solely on the eurocentric or western folk characters. This book would be especially helpful for history and witchy people who want to know more about the forgotten witches and other creatures of folklore. 4.5/5

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"𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒚𝒓𝒎-𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒔𝒉𝒆'𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆."

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 is a collection of stories and folklore surrounding witches throughout history.

Split into ten chapters, each of which is linked to a different card of the major arcana, readers are presented with legends of the supernatural from all over the world, beginning with curse bringers and ending with fate turners.

The abundance of illustrations featured alongside these stories are stunning and there's the added touch of a short story being told at the end of each chapter, reflecting the themes explored and bringing a fairy tale quality into the collection.

One of my favourite aspects of this book is the mysterious narrator that accompanies the reader throughout. They welcome you to the invisible hall of Corpus Corvorum, an old witches library atop Raven Hill, perceived as ruins by most wanderers.

This setting adds to the historical aspect of the book and the merging of worlds when a character from one of the short stories is supposedly in the library with you feels oddly comforting and really brings these tales to life.

The lore in this collection is interesting, spooky and a little whimsical, but it can also be inspiring, endearing and heart-breaking at times. Some of my favourites were the stories of Sun Bu’er, the Bagolyasszonka, Mother Shipton and the three Moirai.

You may already know a lot of the legends this collection presents to you (there's even a surprise visit from Issac Newton) but it's possible that any reader can learn something new due to the depth and varieties in which these fables are explored.

Highly recommend this read for anyone who likes witchcraft, the supernatural and historical mysteries.

“Let the ever-changing candle flames guide you”.

Release date: 3rd Sept 24

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book. I liked how the book was separated into different sections of witches. Some of the folklore and legends I did know about but some was new to me! I also really loved the illustrations in this book. This book speaks to you through the explanation of different tarot cards and how they are relevant to certain stories and I really appreciated that perspective as I have never read a book that speaks directly to the reader. I also loved the use of different genres in the short stories and made them super interesting. I would recommend this!

This would not download . I tried to contact NG to no avail. I am not sure what format this was in but it refused to download.

On one level, this is an enchanting book. It’s presented beautifully, with bold, atmospheric illustrations. I liked the introduction.

I don’t like that “evil spirits” and “demons” are included under the title “The Book of Forgotten Witches.”  It can be read as continuing the death-strewn tradition of ascribing anything evil to witches.

For readers like me who might hope for a book that doesn’t seem to conflate witches, old traditions, and remnants of ancient religions with “evil,” it’s worth being aware that the book lumps together all manner of maligned beings, corporeal and non-corporeal.
Many of the entries are extremely brief.

I respect the work and talent the author and illustrator put into their gorgeous book. No doubt many people will be as delighted with it as I wanted to be.

My favorite parts of the book are the tales. There are wonderful windows into different worlds. The dreamlike simplicity and power of the little stories coupled with striking art made this a fun book to browse.

Recommended for adult readers who enjoy coffee table books, folktales, illustrated books, or tarot.

Thank you, NetGalley and Watkins Publishing for the e-ARC for consideration. These are my opinions.

The book of Forgotten Witches is a lovely and spooky book about witches from all over the world. It is filled with stunning illustrations and interesting facts. I read it as a PDF so I can only imagine how amazing this book will look as a physical hardcover.
I'm definitely getting a physical copy in the future.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this eArc

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this arc.

The Book of Forgotten Witches by Lilla Bölecz; Balázs Tátrai Is one of those witchy books that has all the spooky vibes I like while also having some of the best illustrations I've seen so far. Even though it's not the usual book of spells and rituals I am used to I enjoyed the witchy folklore and the use of the major arcana in tarot to mark the chapters was perfect. My only wish is that the stories and some of the lore were a little longer.

I loved this book so much that I mean to buy a hardbook copy as soon as it will be out for sale.
Not only because witchcraft, myths and folklore are among my favourite interest, but because compared to other similar book, this had an outstanding authoring and appeal.

"The book of forgotten witches" is THE book you want if you, like me, are fond of witchy stories, witchy folklore and witchy atmospheres, as well as if you want know things beyond the phenomena of witchcraft, with its origin, folklore, pagan roots and myths.

But it's also a treasure of beautiful illustrations, a book that deserves a special place in your bookshelves, so that you will go back reading it, consulting it or just enjoy the amazing illustrations that decorate almost every page.

Another special feature of this book is that it deals with figures from all around the world. You will just regret that every story is too short.
My favourite charaacter still and always remain Morgan Le Fay. Not matter how many stories, versions and visions I read about her, I still want more.

Looking forward to my own copy.
Please release more books like this.

If you're a fan of folklore and supernatural mysteries this book is for you.
The content is divided into ten chapters, each is linked to the first ten cards of tarot's Major Arcana. My favorite chapters were about course-bringers, alchemists, and nature witches. Then we have short introductions to some archetypes from all over the world. I found these too short, and too vague, some feel like ultra-concentrated fabric softener. I'd love to see more details and some insight into the background of these stories.
The illustrations deserve acknowledgment and praise. Creepy, dark, somehow scary, and yet nobody can't say they aren't beautiful. Each is eye-catching, thought-provoking and stunning. Absolutely fantastic.
Three stars for the content and ten stars for the illustrations :)

The Book of Forgotten Witches by Lilla Bölecz and Balázs Tátrai is an enchanting anthology that brings to life a collection of magical and mysterious tales. Each story delves into the lives of witches whose histories and powers have been obscured by time, offering a fresh and captivating take on classic witch lore.

The authors excel in crafting immersive worlds and compelling characters, blending rich folklore with imaginative storytelling. The book’s diverse narratives and lyrical prose create a tapestry of wonder and intrigue, making it a delightful read for fans of fantasy and magical realism. Overall, The Book of Forgotten Witches is a spellbinding journey into the forgotten realms of magic and mystery.

I loved this book. Not only did it inform you of witch myths and lore, but it described it in a way that was both factual and entertaining. I loved learning about all different witch tales from all the different places. The layout of the book with the drawings gave this a very witchy feel to the book. It is a perfect book for fans of folklore.
Thanks to NetGalley and Watkins Publishing for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

A history of folklore and tales of times long forgotten by many. Discussing types of witches and their presence in history. Absolutely loved it. A must read for anyone interested in the folkore surrounding witches.

Love the way this book was written and set out! It's both wonderful in writing, but also the illustration and stylings of the book itself are GORGEOUS. The aesthetic gives way to the creepiness and spookiness of the content, but I also like that there are multicultural witches, attached to tarot major arcana, but also the archetype of some of these witches are written out for us to witness. I wish there were more cultural examples of witches, but surprised to see Kapo, the Hawaiian goddess of fertility, here-- especially with her story about how Kamapu'a'a chased Pele (Kapo's sister, the volcano goddess) around until Kapo can distract Kamapu'a'a with a certain body part until it makes Kohelepelepe. That one's part of the archives, and a fun story to tell the kids lol. I like that she's included in here as an example of a mesmerizer and wish that other examples of fertility goddess (persephone, for one) was included!

Either way, I loved the book and how it's set out. Gender spectrum gods and witches make their appearance in this book too, which I'm delighted about. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this DRC :) I enjoyed the book and can't wait to recommend it. The only thing I wanted to comment on is that it can be disorienting for the change from kitchen cookbook descriptions to narrative and story. The text is also quite small, but this could be because I read a digital copy.