A Secret History of Witches is a family saga following a family of witches over the span of just over a century. They face persecution and loss but always stay tethered to their birthright. The gift is passed from mother to daughter and there is the constant worry that the Orchiere bloodline might die out. There are some wonderful characters in the novel - so many different responses to their gift, some use it to help others and some for purely selfish purposes. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel but I did find the inclusion of real people in the World War Two section a little jarring. It would have worked just as well without.

I received a free digital copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley.

This book is one of the most special stories I have picked up this year. We follow a witch family through several generations, getting the perspective of each witch for each generation while they move around and try to live alongside society without getting discovered and killed. The charm of this book for me, was how attached I got to every single perspective. I love books that follow generations, and this book does that really well, while also throwing in the witch storyline into the rich historical fiction settings.

This book starts in 1821, and we follow the generations right up to the second world war and beyond, so over one hundred years of lives and dramas. I love historical fiction, and I can truly say I have never read one like this before, and the paranormal twist in this works well and feels like it could be real. That said, further in the novel, I did temporarily have a slight moment of doubt, as an iconic figure ends up linked to the whole paranormal side of things in an interesting way, which honestly I wasn't sure I was going to be on board with at first. I did soon adjust though, and as the story delved even deeper, I got fully on board with the idea and found myself entertained.

So this novel is told in parts, and each parts protagonist is whichever witch is currently youngest in the family. I loved reading each perspective for very different reasons, and while I do have favourite characters, I don't have a favourite perspective overall, because each voice sounded unique and brought something different to the table. Earlier witches are a lot more cautious about getting caught, and with good reason as witches would be killed back when this novel first starts. Some of the characters get ideas above their stations, and this leads to the direction of the story moving drastically, which is wonderful, as otherwise things would have got very repetitive.

This is a long book, and yet it flew by because each part almost reads like its own novella in a family chronicle. I loved how the story was told and developed this way. I also loved seeing characters and previous witches from the eyes of their children, it made for excellent character development and growth. I became incredibly attached to several characters in this book, and had a good cry at a particular point in the story. Also, when I finished this book I was left wanting more, in all the good ways. I didn't want to leave my new friends, I wanted the story to just keep on going. I could have read this book just as happily if it was double the length, which is a sign of just how amazing the authors writing is to me. I rarely feel like I want and need more in this sort of way when reading a book that is over five hundred pages long.

This author can do no wrong in my eyes currently, and I can't wait to pick up more of her work in the future. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy historical fictions, realistic paranormal novels or reading about several generations of a family. This book is so rich in research of the time periods, and is one of my favourite books of all time.

This generational saga of a family of witches was hugely entertaining and a lot of fun. It was well written and evidently well researched. The story mixed historical accuracy with fantasy and did it very well. The witchcraft aspect is unsensational and believable and this allows the character and experience of the witches themselves to take centre stage. I particularly enjoyed how repetitive (in a good way and I suspect deliberate) the stories of the women were - I felt it added to the feeling of the universality of female experience and also mirrored the unchanging patterns of the wheel of the seasons. It also enforced for me the image of the chain of women stretching back into the past who share the power and had to deal with the same issues of hiding the craft while at the same time trying to ensure its continuation. There are some relevant messages about women and their place in society and while it isn't heavy handed about it this book is definitely feminist to a certain extent. The ending left enough unsaid for a sequel to be possible and I would love it if one was forthcoming.

I really enjoyed this saga of a family of witches and how they survived from 1821 to 1937 and beyond. The story is divided into five books, one for each of the five generations of witches who inherit the skill to use magic. The witch from each generation has their own story to tell. From a fictional perspective the story is an easy read and has some wonderful descriptions when it comes to the spells being cast. I thought there was quite a sharp change in the storyline when it came to The Book of Veronica and I didn't enjoy it quite as much to begin with. I thought the historical side was really interesting and enjoyed the references to times of the year such as Lammas (August 1st), Samhain (November 1st) which I had heard of but didn't realise their significance. Clearly the author had done a lot of research on witches and their spells, potions and traditions. A fun and interesting read.
I read an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I am drawn to this book because I always love inter-generational stories and historical fiction, especially if it’s about women. And it’s about generations of women!!! It kinda reminds me to House of the Spirits by Isabelle Allende, which is also about generations of women with prophetic power.

Unfortunately, this one doesn’t live up to my expectations. The pacing is sooooo slow. There are 5 women to covers, each only get 3-5 chapters which disconnect me from them. Also, the problem is repetitive, so it gets boring after a while. The setting is very atmospheric though, I love seeing the change of setting overtime. And at its heart, this book is about mother/daughter relationship; the good and the bad, and the sacrifices the old generations made for the new ones. This aspect works for this book. But I was expecting more witches badassery... which this book doesn't give at all. This book just doesn't live up to the potential or my expectations :/

A compelling tale of the woman of the Orchiére line, I quickly became intrigued by the story.  A Secret History of Witches has a different take on magic, it's a pagan magic and not everyone has the ability and some have the gift stronger than others. I enjoyed the way the story started with Nanette and then told the story of each new generation of women going through history and telling us about the time period so that it was like reading an historical novel as well as a family saga.

The story is told from the viewpoint of these women: Nanette, Ursule, Irene, Morwen, and Veronica. I did not like Irene, she is self-serving and  didn't seem to have any redeeming qualities. However where Irene was selfish and had no care for anyone else Veronica cared enough to be involved with helping people during the war. Each woman's story did seem very similar and writing this review it's hard to remember who is who because of this.

I liked the different take on magic, however I felt that they were only really doing magic for personal gain and that each generation seemed to make the same mistakes, they never learnt. I would've thought that magic would've been a prominent part of this tale but it was more about the people and how they discovered they were witches and about the problems it brought them. 

I hoped that something would happen with the magic, or that they'd go back to where their ancestors came from. Right at the start of the novel we're told about Grandmére Ursule and how she gives her life to save her tribe, they bury her there with her staff. I thought it would've been great if one of her descendants went back  and retrieved it and then maybe revived magic. But that didn't happen. I suppose that's what makes this story realistic, the characters not being perfect and making mistakes, that the world always prevents them from being who they truly are. It's magic in a realistic world, not magic in a fantasy world. It's a shame because I've read a lot of books about witches lately that seem to be too realistic, like they're too afraid to be fantastical. But the author wasn't afraid to be fantastical about historical facts:

I almost stopped reading this book when the fiction strayed a bit too far into history, sorry to give a spoiler here, but I did not like it when the author brought the Royal Family into the story and decided that the Queen Mother had been a witch. I like historical fiction and don't mind when people from the past are made into Daemons etc (Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness) but this is modern history and I couldn't really accept it. I 'woke up' from the story and read on only because I was so close to the end and wanted to find out what happened next.

Sometimes I felt that more could've been told, that it could've been a longer saga but then nothing of note really happens, like I said they never seem to learn and the magic is not as prominent as I'd have liked. 

Although I have been negative about this novel I did enjoy it. But felt something was missing, hence the critical comments. I would recommend this novel, I was engaged with the story and characters but after a short time of finishing the book I'm already struggling to recall some of the characters because of how similar their stories are. 


I was indecisive about whether or not to give this 3 or 4 stars. I did enjoy it but was diaspointed too

This is a well researched historical novel about a family of witches. The accuracy surrounding the way witches were treated throughout the ages made the book interesting but, at times I felt it dragged a bit and at times I felt it became a little predictable. Overall, I enjoyed it.

From Brittany to London, from the 19th century to the 20th, this is the story of 5 generations of witches. Each generation's story is told from the perspective of one witch and could almost be a standalone story The detail in the first and last chapters were highlights for me. The combination of history and mystery carried my interest.
This book just fell short of five stars because I wanted more story, more of the characters, just more.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Spanning from Brittany in the 1820’s to London during World War II, this is a family saga with a twist.

The book almost reads like a book of 5 short stories. Stories that are connected yet complete in themselves. Told in separate sections starting in 1821, each section focuses on the life of each of the 5 witches in the Orchiéres families descendants and revolves around the relationships between mothers and daughters, each generation’s loves rivalries, and the fight they face to keep their beliefs and craft hidden.

The different women in each story are all distinct characters and not all are very pleasant or likeable! I did find that some stories were better than others with the best being Nanette’s story which takes us through the main storyline and taking us on to the next generation.

The world war 2 part will require you to suspend reality and embrace the magic of the witches and even though it maybe a stretch of the imagination it is a great addition to the book bringing real life history and giving it a whole new magical spin to it.

The only thing i am a bit disappointed in was the ending but perhaps it’s been left open for a sequel. I really hope so!!

This is the story of a family line of 5 women. Five women who just so happen to be witches. We begin in 1821 in France when the family are forced to flee from witchunters in France. The story continues through the generations to the end of the 1940s in England.

I very much enjoyed this book. It started with suspense and action with the family fleeing the witchunters in France. However, after that the book is very much a slow burner. This didn't bother me as I found it interesting and the story kept my attention well.

The main characters were well constructed as were some of the supporting cast. They were interesting and strong women. I did get cross, however, that the main use of the woman's magic seemed to be to snare a man! I know times were different in the nineteeth and early twentieth century but it would have been good to see the women seeking for more from life than a man! Surely there were more useful spells in the grimoire than just love potions?

The last witch whose story we follow, Veronica, did use her magic for more than just love (though that did come into it). In fact she uses it in the war effort. I won't say how as I don't want to spoil it for the reader.

I felt the book was well structured with good description and detail. The women were strong if a little too focussed on love!

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

Atmospheric and beautifully constructed, magical, magical, magical. I was desperate for a great witch book and so excited to read this.

I really enjoyed this book and the historical context. It is clear the author put a lot of research into the history of this book.
You follow A clan of witches from Brittany 1821 until the Second World War when the descendants reside in England. It covers five generations of the family with the knowledge of magic being passed down from mother to daughter. Each generation deals with their skills differently but al, with the knowledge that if their magic is revealed then all they love and themselves will be in grave danger.
The novel has five books within each focused on one generation.
I liked all of the characters even though some of their behaviour is not likeable and the world in which they lived comes alive in the historical context.
I would love to read a second novel following the next generations.
Thanks to Net Galley and Little, Brown book group for an ARC.
#ASecretHistoryOfWitches #NetGalley

Spanning several generations of the extraordinary Orchiere family, and taking the reader from Brittany in the 1820's to London during World War II, this is a family saga with a twist. The women of the family are hiding a very dangerous secret, as witches their lives are in danger from the twin forces of superstition and religion, and it is this very danger that causes them to flee from France to Cornwall. Unfortunately danger continues to haunt these powerful women, and as the family secret is passed from mother to daughter down the generations , it often takes the form of a power struggle between old and young.
The sacrifices that mother's make for their daughters is a common thread throughout the story, and the often bittersweet nature of the mother and daughter bond is well described in a way that is easy to relate to. Another strong theme throughout the book is the struggle of the women to protect their power in what is often a man's world, and the array of strong female characters add to the appeal of the book for me as a reader. It is clear the author has done a good deal of research, the little historical details sprinkled here and there add immensely to the feel of authenticity for the reader.

I was eager to read this book after reading it's blurb.
It is an enjoyable multi- generational, historical story following the lives of the women in the Orchiére family. It started strong and I instantly liked Nanette. As in all families there were characters I liked more than others and felt there was a lull in the story of Irene but it soon picked up again. I wish it was more in depth for some characters so it could delve further into their magic and story. I was surprised by the abruptness of its ending which left me wanting more.

I really enjoyed this story of a multi-generational family of witches from the 1800's through to the end of the Second World War. The book tells us of 5 generations of women whose witchcraft powers are passed from mother to daughter and their individual stories. I enjoyed the mix of history and magic, particularly the earlier parts of the book. Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read it.

The story of a group of Romany witches and how passed their craft down through the generations whilst trying to keep their witchcraft a secret.
Enjoyable