An enthralling witchy historical fiction taking place during WWII. With elements of drama, romance, historical fiction, paranormal, mystery and suspense this one will keep you interested throughout. I couldn't put it down!

I read the synopsis of A Resistance of Witches and was immediately intrigued. I’ve always been drawn to stories that blend genres. In this case, there was a little bit of everything: friendship, magic, an adventurous quest but with elements of horror and sci-fi as well. The world building was fascinating, and Ryan’s take on witch covens felt unique. I also loved the main character, Lydia. Sure, she was frustrating at times, but I connected with her struggles even in a world so far removed from my own. My only wish was that we could’ve explored more with Henry.

Overall, this was a fantastic debut, and I’m excited to see more from Morgan Ryan in the future! Thank you NetGalley and Viking for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Minor spoilers.

4.5/5 stars

There's just something about a witch setting out to defeat Hitler that makes me happy.

The world built here was fascinating, and I really wanted to spend more time in it. I want to know how the witches function outside of war time. I want to see the differences between the academy-taught witches and the self-taught.

I loved the different mother/daughter relationships that were explored - there's something about witches and mother relationships that just make sense together.

I liked that the witches weren't treated as an allegory for [insert marginalized group here] but stood on their own.

Rebecca was a great character and I want a sequel about what she did between 1943 and 1945.

Henry was interesting I guess, but I either wanted more of him or none of him at all. The romance was probably what docked half a point. I get why it was there but the relationship wasn't super well developed. I would have rather had the relationship between Lydia and Rebecca expanded on than trying to divide time between them and between Lydia and Henry, but as it was, it was just kind of... There.

TLDR: Witches take down the Third Reich with spells. And guns. And I'm gonna go tell my mom I love her.

I really enjoyed this book & definitely give it bonus points for being creative in a fantasy landscape that feels overrun with will they/won't they tropes & fantastical landscapes. I like the Ryan included different types of witches, rather than a blanketed, one dimensional witch. I'm hoping this turns into a series, but we'll see!

Thank you, Netgalley and Penguin Viking Group, for this stunning debut novel! A coven of British witches joins forces to steal precious magical artifacts before a rival German coven can get their hands on them to attempt to aid Hitler. Very intriguing and different story plot from so many done before that had me racing through this book to see what happens. A solid 4 star read and a wonderful debut!

4.25 stars for A Resistance of Witches.✨ a solid debut novel. I really enjoy books with blended genres such as this - historical fantasy with elements of thriller and horror mixed in. It took me until the 30% mark to really get invested but after that I was totally hooked. Overall, it was a creepy, witchy slay and I’d certainly recommend it to others.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking Penguin for this ARC

A Resistance of Witches was a delightful, magical, historical tale. This one had me hooked from the beginning.

Thank you so much Net Galley and Penguin Group Viking Peguin for allowing me to read this book before it's release.

A Resistance of Witches.

I give this book 4 stars.

It is a really good read! It's under the Sci-Fi & Fanatsy genre, but with it being a time piece it didn't feel fantasy to me. I gave the book 4 stars because even thought I really did love it I wasn't left with a soul crushing feeling when done reading it and that is what 5 starts feels like to me.
The book is based during WW2 and gives the point of view of the British witches during that time. Just like everyone else the witches are not sure what to do about the war and the Nazi's. Some want to fight and some want to hide as they always have. This is a great story that follows a witch named Lydia through the difficult decision whether or not it is the duty of the witches to help stop Hitler. This book has lots of twist and turns and keeps you on your toes. There are great friendship and family relationships that bloom throughout the book. The ending had me in tears. This is definitely a book to put on your want to read list!

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a debut novel. Now for many of us, that statement would have us begin a book with trepidation if we ever pick it up to begin with. I, myself, am guilty of starting debuts with the thought that it's just going to be rough. But holy moly, Morgan Ryan blew me away with this one. There are so many things I want to rave about with A Resistance of Witches.

Firstly, the plot. I read the synopsis and was immediately hooked. A young witch fighting against time and Nazi witches to find a book that will end the world? I mean, come on. What's not to enjoy. But then as I immersed myself into the story, it became so much more. It wasn't just action. There was so much more that went deeper into the characters' backgrounds, the world itself. Everything that led up to witches who had been persecuted for millennia choosing sides in World War 2.

Then we get to the writing itself. Writing can honestly be what makes or breaks a great story and thankfully, this one did not suffer from shoddy words. The pacing was perfectly executed. The sense of urgency was injected into the book without it feeling like a countdown timer sitting in the background. Truly a case of "show, not tell" done so well.

Finally the pièce de résistance, the part that sold this book and convinced me that I needed to buy the hardcopy immediately at release: the characters. Lydia was amazing, like hands down, one of the best 19-year-old characters I have come across in a long time. This wasn't written like your '00s YA novels. We didn't get stuck with a girl who's "not like other girls" but was secretly the greatest witch of all time. Lydia was flawed. She hated the way she looked to the point of using a glamour. She was only really proficient at 1 type of magic, and she came across as pretty naïve. But she is so beautifully written that you can't help but cheer for her, cry with her, feel the same rage she feels. Our other main characters, Rebecca and Henry, have so much depth as well. I don't want to delve too much into them without spoiling key parts to their story and the story as a whole. But these three main characters were so richly crafted and formed on the page, that if I wasn't convinced that magic wasn't real and witches didn't collaborate with Winston Churchill in 1940, then this could have been a story about real people.

Needless to say, this was such a surprising stand out book to me. Like one of the best I've read this year, or of all time, to be completely truthful. I'll recommend it to anyone and everyone.

This debut blew me away in ways I didn’t expect. What makes this book stand out is not just its captivating plot but how it blends history with an eerie, magical twist. The writing style is rich and immersive, pulling me right into this darkly magical version of WWII. What really worked for me was how the story made me feel the urgency of Lydia’s quest, not just through her actions, but also through the emotional weight of her choices. I couldn’t seem to put it down, and will surely be recommending it.

I am always apprehensive about an ARC from a first-time or relatively unknown author. I thought the premise seemed a little wild, like Harry Potter meets Indiana Jones. But I LOVED this book. I was hooked from the first page and I loved the world building and the story. I will be buying a copy in hardcover when it's released for my personal library as well as recommending to patrons at the library. What could have easily been "cheesy" and completely unbelievable, or actually Harry Potter meets Indiana Jones, was really well done, well paced, well executed.