First of all, the cover is very appealing and appropriate for the story. The language is easy to under unlike most of the historical fiction novels. Life during of the different sections of the society during the Gilded age in New York has been elegantly described in the novel.
The story is interesting and alluring, told through four different perspective- Harriet, Annis, Frances and James.
A witch named Bridget Bishop was hanged 200 years ago in Salem. Her two lines of legacy through her two daughters, have different motives.
Annis is a strong, vivacious and independent girl who has immense passion for horses against her family's interests and the social taboos. But, her stepmother, Frances, has other plans for her that she wouldn't like.
Frances has always lived in poverty until she met a affluent widower, George Allington. After getting him under her control through some dark magic, she marries him and lives a wealthy lifestyle. She only has one more desire- she wants to climb higher in the New York society, that is, she wants to become one of the four hundred most prosperous families. And acquiring a title in the family would make the difference she had wanted.
Harriet is dedicated to use her power for good purposes like healing. She also keeps an eye on her cousin and her great niece. On seeing that her cousin is up to no good, she arrives to rescue Annis, her great niece.
James's father, the old marquess, has just died living James the title and also, debts. The whole estate is in danger due to the debts. James must find a solution quickly or lose them all. To make matters worse, his mother thinks the best way to get out of the problem is by forcing James to marry money.
As all of their lives intervene, the story is takes us through a rattling journey of love, power, ambition, feminism and most importantly magic.
I thank NetGalley and Little, Brown Publishing (Orbit Books) for giving me this wonderful opportunity to read and review this book.
P.S.- I would love a sequel of this book.

Beautiful book. Wonderfully crafted, the characters are developed so well you feel you actually know them this book for me was a winner. 5 stars thank you Netgalley for letting me read it and Louisa Morgan for writing it, I hope to read more.

This is a lyrical, entrancing story that readers are sure to lose themselves in. Louisa Morgan is a brilliant writer who has managed to weave a beautiful web of love, the female identity, fate and destiny, and the power of sisterhood. Set against the enchanting backdrop of witchcraft, the gilded age, and the city that never sleeps, this book is perfectly suited to a cool afternoon and a warm cup of tea.

Many thanks to NetGalleyUK and Little, Brown Book Group for providing a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to Little Brown Book Group/Orbit for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Age of Witches’ by Louisa Morgan in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third work of historical fiction featuring witches penned by Morgan. It was published on 23 April and I elected to buy its audiobook edition, narrated by Polly Lee, and combined listening with reading the eARC.

In 1692, Bridget Bishop was hanged as a witch in Salem. Two hundred years later in Gilded Age New York her legacy lives on with two very different women. Harriet is dedicated to using her powers for healing and to help women in need; while Frances is only interested in increasing her power and securing her position in high society.

Between them is Annis Allington, a young woman who is a pawn in Frances’ schemes. She also is a descendant of Bridget Bishop though is unaware of her legacy. In order to save herself she will need to claim her own power.

I enjoyed this very much. Unlike much fiction about witches, the magic portrayed is based on real practices rather than the kind often found in fantasy and paranormal romances. So no zipping about on broomsticks or nose twitching but plenty of work with cantrips, potions, poppets, and herbs.

I adored Annis. Her love for her horses and determination to be independent despite the expectations of her father and machinations of her stepmother, Frances, was pleasing.

Yet Frances is a formidable witch, who has her husband completely under her control. She also ensures that Annis has no knowledge of Harriet, her great-aunt. Her main plan is to manipulate Annis into an advantageous marriage with a title attached in exchange for a generous dowry.

Therefore, they travel to England where Frances quickly gets to work on Lady Eleanor, Dowager Marchioness of Rosefield, who has a marriageable son, James, and a crumbling estate in need of an American heiress. Shades of Downton Abby! Annis and James take an instant dislike to each other. Always a good sign and so preferable to insta-love.

This lack of cooperation proves no barrier to Frances, who is quite prepared to use the maleficia, dark magic, to seal the deal. However, Harriet secretly follows them with the intention of sabotaging Frances’ plans.

I found this quite a restrained story that was beautifully told with a good balance between romance and magic. It held my attention throughout and despite its length I finished it wanting more.

I am now keen to read her other two books, ‘A Secret History of Witches’ and ‘The Witches’ Kind’.

Highly recommended.

Thank you to netgalley.co.uk for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for giving a fair and honest review.

When it comes to the subject of witchcraft, I must read it. I'm glad to say that this book did not disappoint. I thought the author did well by moving out of the 17th century into the 19th century. I thought the characters were interesting and well written, this kept me hooked throughout the story. I did think the story was running a bit slow however, I thought the author's writing was brilliant. I will be reading more of her work in the future.

Magic, history and romance all in one book., what more could you want? Well you get strong female characters who have to fight the pull of evil, some will succeed, and some will not. Annis and her Aunt Harriet are wonderful characters who really draw you into the story, how delightful to see women leading against some despicable and often weak men who at the time had all the power in society. Magic gives them some choices and history shows them how it can shape them for good or evil.

A must read for anyone who enjoys history with a twist of magic!

Although I bought a copy of 'A Secret History of Witches' by Louisa Morgan a while ago, I never got around to reading it, so I wasn't familiar with her work when I picked up this book. I wasn't really sure what I was getting into, but I ended up enjoying it quite a bit.

'The Age of Witches' is set in the 1890s and tells the story of a bloodline of witches descended from a witch who was executed over a century ago. One branch practices herbalism and uses their skills to help others, and one who use the dark side of magic. These two branches are represented by Harriet, who is a 'light' witch and Frances, who is a 'dark' witch. The two are at odds as they struggle to navigate this new age of witches. At the centre of this is their step-daughter and great niece Annis, a modern young woman who finds herself at the mercy of the current times in which her every move is dictated by others. Perhaps witchcraft can offer her the freedom she so desperately craves, but this may come at a price...

I really liked the vibe of the story and the overall atmosphere of it. I thought Annis in particular was a very interesting and fun character, but was mostly indifferent about Frances and Harriet. I felt that they were a little too black-and-white, though Frances was more compelling than Harriet.

My favourite part of the story by far was the use of magic and I would have liked it if more had been included. The story is all about old-school witchery and witchcraft and it gave me kind of a Charmed-vibe, reminding me of my middle school days when I used to love that kind of stuff. The story didn't quite grip me, but overall I had a good time reading it and I enjoyed the atmosphere. Would recommend to fans of books about witchcraft and magical realism as well as strong female characters.

Rating: <b>3.5 stars</b>

<i>I was provided with a copy of The Age of Witches through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Books & Orbit for giving me the opportunity to read this.

I loved it, it's a 5 star read from me. We meet 3 characters Harriet, Annis and Frances and I enjoyed them all for different reasons. I loved the writing style it was really easy to get on with and even though it is a timely book, Louisa didn't try to write it as if she was in that time period which, for someone like myself; dyslexic, was enjoyable and appreciated. And saying that, I still felt like I was in the time period with Annis and Harriet. I was looking up some words I hadn't heard of and liked the learning I was getting from the book. Louisa's description of New York and Seabeck was very well done and I could imagine myself there with the characters enjoying the sea breeze and the busy streets of New York.

The plot was spread out nicely. It escalated around 63% but once that part was seen to, there was still so much the author had left to do and say which was great, and there was almost a second plot afterwards which made me look forward to the end. After the climax I didn't feel like it was the end and wanted more from the characters and that we did.

I appreciated Harriet and Annis' relationship and how good Annis is and how willing she was too throughout the book. Frances's character was a tough one for me as we knew from the start she was one to watch out for and not good at all, and I found myself booing at her which tells me that Louisa did a great job of writing her story out.

I was very pleased with the ending and I really wouldn't mind a second book following Annis and her journey.
I can happily say the book lives up to it's description and is definitely the next book everyone should be picking up if you love family, horses and magic.

Following last year's The Witch's Kind (a book I loved) Morgan has gone back a few decades to the Gilded Age 1890s while still using her "actually existing witches" to shed light on customs and manners and, especially, on the position of women in society.

Annis is a seventeen year old woman living a comfortable life in New York. As daughter of a wealthy manufacturer (her farther owns a business making iron stove) she can have pretty much whatever she wants - except for parental love.

Annis's mother died when she was a baby; her father is withdrawn and money-obsessed. Stepmother Frances is there, but she has her own plans for social advancement and only pays attention to Annis as far as those plans require it. The nearest thing Annis has to a mother is Mrs King, the cook - and the love of her life is her horse Black Satin ("Bits") who, in defiance of conventions, she insists on riding astride rather than side saddle.

We also meet Harriet, Frances' distant cousin (Annis is also a several-times-removed relative). Both Harriet and Frances are witches, descendants of Bridget Byshop, hanged in Salem as a witch two hundred years before. Harriet has followed a path of enabling, collaborative and healing craft, Frances the maleficia, magic used to control and even harm. As Frances begins to see a way to raise the family to the ranks of the Four Hundred, New York's glittering social elite, by snagging an English aristocrat for Annis to marry, the two womens' different forms of practice come into opposition...

I really enjoyed this book. Morgan has an easy way of writing - about life, relationships, magic - that carries the reader along so that the other-worldly aspects of her story don't stand out, they just seem obvious. There are matter of fact descriptions of bits of magic, of "knowing" things, of the effects of various workings on their practitioners which seem just as much in place as Annis grooming her horses or her maid Velma fixing her hair. While there's an opposition between (broadly) good and bad uses for magic, these aren't stand-ins for cosmic good and evil. Yes there can be consequences to what one does but that's just life.

Indeed the essence of this story is more a matter of romance - if you called it "Pride and Prejudice and Witches" you wouldn't be going too far wrong especially in the sense that a major tension ion this book is between the aloof English aristocrat whose family seat is crumbling away and bleeding cash, and the (to him) brash American heiress who has the money to fix that but would rather pursue horse-breeding. Not an unfamiliar story or setting but Morgan does it very well, pointing up the powerlessness of Annis as a young woman in what Frances assures her is a man's world, the contempt heaped on her for not following the normal rules of society - and the privilege of great wealth that allows her, all the same, to get away with that.

Being a witch may help one soften the edges of a rigid and patriarchal society, but it also has its dangers since it means being a woman who stands out. Both Frances and Harriet deal with this in their different ways and while that animates conflict in the novel (and leaves Annis having to make hard choices about her path in life) Morgan is careful not to judge anyone's motivations. Frances has had a hard life - she also lost her mother young and grew up poor. Her desire to climb in society arises from being the outsider and ultimately it's this warped structure of social inequality that is to blame for much of what goes wrong. Annis has, as I've said, the advantage of money and is a sympathetic character but tellingly, we learn that she's never visited the servants' quarters in her own house and that when she does, she is surprised how cramped and cold they are.

A fun blend of fantasy, romance and shrewd social observation. The latter is perhaps a bit less nuanced than in The Witch's Kind but the book shares with its predecessor a focus on capable, forthright women who are nevertheless constrained by the warped patriarchal society around them.

I think I see Morgan setting things up for a possible sequel and I look forward to that.

This book was received in return for a honest review via NetGalley.

The Age of Witches follows women in the Bishop family. In …., Bridget Bishop is executed for being a witch. Now, her descendants must deal with the trials and tribulations of magic. Harriet Bishop is a herbalist whilst her cousin, Frances Allington, tends to the turn towards the darker side of magic.

Frances will do anything for power and money, even bewitch her own stepdaughter and cousin, Annis. Harriet will do anything to stop Frances from manipulating this girl. Annis isn’t exactly pleased with the bewitching either.

Louisa Morgan’s story is incredibly a well-crafted, slice of life amongst witches in 1870. She looks at these three women with deep family ties. The tale highlights how even those closest to you can be completely different. It questions the position of women in society; about what it means to be a witch. All these difficult questions are explored and developed really well. Her writing easy to read and eloquent, carefully telling this story to ensure that everything was very clear.

The character that won the book for me was Annis. Used as a pawn, thrown into this new world she wasn’t prepared for, her character is incredibly strong and throughout the book, her goodhearted nature shines through. Harriet was an interesting character, taking on the role of kindly guardian and teacher. Frances, in turn, was a good antithesis to Harriet’s character.

Yet, there is no true villainous character I would say. Perhaps that’s the point. As stated above, Morgan focuses on what it means to be a woman. Her female characters are strong, opinionated (some in the quiet and others to the face of those around them) and all under the same strain of womanhood, regardless of station. Although Frances does things that in another book would cast her firmly as the ‘evil stepmother’, neither Harriet or Annis treat her that way. I found it refreshingly unique to see this portrayal of women in literature and thoroughly enjoyed that aspect of this story.

There is romance in this book. At first, I was a little worried about it due to aspects of magic used within the story, but as the book progressed, my worries weren’t realised. James, our romantic interest, is a solid character. He was depth and growth in his character, as well as a lot of building of himself as a character outside of the love interest.

Arguably, a criticism could be that the book seems to continue further than one would expect. This could take the weight out of the climax and slow the pace down afterwards. However, I would also point out that this story wasn’t particularly about magic and the consequences of it. It was about the people involved in the story. Continuing past where you would expect the story to end allows their story arcs to complete with more satisfaction than otherwise.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Age of Witches. It was a beautifully written story with great reflections on womanhood and family and the choices we make. I adored Louisa Morgan’s writing and I’d be interested in reading more of her books, as well as more in this world.

If you are interested in character led fiction, or if you enjoy historical and fantastical plot lines, I think you will really enjoy reading The Age of Witches.

I was looking forward to reading this as I am a fan of all things witchy, and I really enjoyed it.

It tells the story of a line of witches, one branch who use their skills to help others, and one who use the dark side of magic.

At the centre of our story is Annis, a young wealthy woman whose stepmother has, and is, using her dark skills to gain her better social status and increase her wealth. On the other side is her distant cousin who is trying to protect her.

I found the characters in this book to be really well thought out, and I felt connected to all of them. The storyline is well thought out and written and felt very realistic. I’d certainly recommend this book to anyone!

My thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the advance copy.

The Age of Witches opens with the death of Bridget Byshop in Salem in 1692. Accused of witchcraft by those who have turned against her, Bridget vows to continue her gifts through her ancestors - her good magic through her daughter Mary, and her dark magic or maleficia through her daughter Christian.

In 1890, Harriet Bishop is one of the last descendants of Mary. She uses her gifts as a herbalist to cure ailments, and she also possesses "the knowing", a gift of foresight. Only she and young Annis Allington remain to carry on Mary's line. Of Christian's, all that remains is Frances, Annis' stepmother. Frances has everything she wants in life - but the maleficia has taken over. She is determined to take Annis overseas and marry her off long before Harriet ever has the chance to tell Annis who she really is and what she can do.

This started off so strong - I see Salem, I read. I loved the thought of two different types of magic being carried down through two bloodlines. I liked Harriet a lot, I also really liked how Annis wasn't a typical "girl" of the time - she pushed boundaries, she trampled all over stereotypes, and she was headstrong. The main storyline itself was interesting, I was really invested in seeing what would happen with Annis and Frances overseas.

Unfortunately for me, that's where it slowed down a little - and that's partly my own fault, because when it changed pace halfway through I expected it to continue to build until it came to a huge climax, because that's the type of book I'm so used to reading, and I shouldn't have done that. This really isn't about huge dramatic events, it's moreso about Harriet and Annis and how they grow and learn as people. It's YA Historical fiction at its finest - the writing is beautiful, the setting is lovely, the side characters like Velma and Grace leap off the page - but for me this was just a little too slow. It was almost 450 pages and by around 75% I just felt like there really wasn't anywhere else for the story to go.

Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to a digital copy via Netgalley.

I thought the concept of this book was very interesting and I liked the plot a lot. The story follows two branches of a family descended from a single woman. Both branches of the family have inherited her magic but only one inherited her rage, leading those descendants to use their abilities to gain power rather than to heal. I liked the different representations of witchcraft in the novel and the notion that it is a person's choices that affect their power, rather than their power affecting their choices. The plot itself is great but I did think that the first half of the book was rather slow. I just wanted more to happen but I really needed to work to get through the first half of the book. The pace did increase in the second half of the novel though and I found myself enjoying the book a lot once the action started to pick up.

I really enjoyed the shifting point of view, where each chapter focused on a specific character, and it was one of my favourite aspects of the book. It really suited the novel's concept as it follows two branches of the same family who are on diverging paths. I didn't really connect to any of the characters - despite the dedicated chapters to each main character - but I did like the narrative style.

Overall, I enjoyed the book.

The Age of Witches by Louisa Morgan.

This book is really well written, I thoroughly enjoy how Louisa writes about witches. You can tell she has a particular interest in the topic and does it proud. I love the historical side of this novel, I felt as if I was reading something that could have been true (if witches were really a thing).

Having different points of views brought depth to the story, it was interesting reading from differing character perspectives. Particularly as you are following characters that use magic for good, helping others in Harriett's case, and dark magic created by Frances. That is something I feel lacks in some stories.

If you like historical fantasy, then I think this book would be good for you.

I have received an electronic copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
I am not going to lie I have not finished this book, but I would still like to say what I thought while reading.

The first chapter was amazing, intense, it fought my attention and was promising. I felt like this book might be something, however, quickly after it took back from the level of intensity and excitement. I did mind it because it became a bit boring. I know you have to introduce all the characters and it might be that I am just I'll at the time when reading this, however I found it lacking that initial fire it promised.
The writing style was okay really. At times I felt like it was hard to follow and that it didn't flow as well as it could have. However, it wasn't bad.

The characters were likeable and somewhat interesting.
I honestly think I would have liked this book if I read it when not I'll. However,the publication date is soon so I dont have time to wait to heal.

This was the perfect book for me. It had everything in that I love: strong female characters (especially in a time period when they were expected to be seen and not heard), historical setting (Victorian London & New York), witches, magical realism and a happy but realistic ending.

It was un-put-downable and very easy to read. It is written beautifully. The characters are likeable and realistic with flaws. Their magic is natural and developed into the more enchanted. Harriet is a herbalist, Frances practices maleficia (dark magic) and Annis is discovering her strengths. Annis was my favourite character, refusing to conform to the stereotypes that were forced on a young lady of her birthright.

Full review https://bexcapades.com/2020/04/21/age-of-witches-review/

This is my first book by Louisa Morgan and I was drawn in by the plot summary, as it sounded good I thought I would like it, I was wrong, I didn’t like it , I loved it, I was addicted to the story, I was entranced this is such a well written, researched book , you feel like you’ve gone back in time. I loved the parallels of magic in this and power/money today, how some use for good and humanitarian reasons, while others solely for gain and selfish reasons. I also enjoyed the coming of age, the family relationships, the focus on three strong women. Beautifully written and just a wonderful read.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

This book surprised me. I was sure I would enjoy it, but I underestimated just how much. The themes of coming of age, witchcraft, romance, and family are blended perfectly into "The Age of Witches" in a historical setting (New York and England). The plot is a simple idea that is written beautifully. Definitely a comfort read.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advance copy to review. This review is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

I loved this book from start to finish. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about three headstrong, female protagonists who were all completely different from one another.

Harriet uses magic to protect. Frances uses magic for selfish gain. Annis seems ahead of her time and knows what she wants.

All of them have an important role to play in the story and do that well.
It’s quite difficult for me to review without too many spoilers but it was a great read and very well written.
My only minor negative was that I wasn’t really a fan of how it ended. It just seemed to wrap up so quickly and I didn’t quite buy-in to Annis’ change of attitude. All-in-all, I loved it.

Thank you to Louisa Morgan, NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group/Orbit for the ARC!

This was such an enjoyable novel. It had all of my favourite ingredients: historical fiction set in the Victorian era, witchcraft, botany/herbology, the bond that can exist between humans and horses, strong female characters, issues of female agency, and a love story without the romance. Absolutely ideal! I was initially drawn to this novel by the cover (isn’t it divine?) but I am pleased to say that the story itself more than lives up to its adornment.

‘Witch should be a beautiful word, signifying wisdom and knowledge and discipline, but it isn’t used that way. It’s been made an insult, implying evil, causing fear. The word has been perverted.’

There are many layers to this story, making it incredibly engrossing and perfect if you’re looking for a novel to truly get lost in. Like I mentioned above, it’s set during the Victorian era, but split between England and New York’s Gilded Age. The story begins as a battle between two witches who are cousins but practice very different types of magic. One is determined to secure a marriage for her step-daughter and has no adverse feelings about using the dark arts to do so, even if it is against her step-daughter’s will. The other is determined to stop her, to protect her niece and the unsuspecting young man who has become an unfortunate pawn in this battle. When the battle does play out to a rather stunning conclusion, it occurs earlier in the novel than I expected but leads the story into a whole new, and quite engrossing, territory. There is really so much more to this story than what is conveyed via the blurb.

‘Annis, hairbrush in her hand, knelt before a lively fire in the small parlor to dry her hair. James found her there and held out his hand for the brush. “Allow me,” he said. Startled, Annis gave him the hairbrush and bent her head. With patient hands he untangled the strands of damp hair and began to brush. It was an oddly intimate experience, the heat of the fire against her scalp, the firm, slow strokes of the hairbrush, the occasional grazing of her cheek by James’s long fingers. Annis’s breathing quickened, and her heart beat a little faster at his nearness.’

Issues of female agency are examined under several different lights: organised marriage against one’s will, servitude, the exercising of a husband’s ‘right’ to institutionalise his wife; along with many and varied instances of morality and the balance of power within relationships, both conjugal and familial. This is a novel where the author has taken a theme and then really dug in deep into her era and the societal issues that were present within it. There is an overall supernatural story arc, but it acts as the glue to bind everything else together quite brilliantly. The Age of Witches is one novel that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.



Thanks is extended to Hachette UK for providing me with a NetGalley review copy of The Age of Witches.