Quality Rating: Three Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Four Stars
I did enjoy The Once and Future Witches, but there were just some things that stopped me from really being able to fully invest in it. The atmosphere was a bit offbeat, the pacing was a bit messy, and honestly, the metaphors and intentions of rewriting history were a bit... naïve, for want of a better word.

When I started, I really wasn't into it just because the book took so long to get in the swing of it. However, at around 30% things suddenly starting becoming really interesting and exciting - I'm pretty sure because Harrow started giving each of the three sisters their own storyline and struggles. That character drama was way more enjoyable and compelling than the exposition at the beginning (and honestly the tangle of things that started erupting towards the end). The plot itself is kind of convoluted, predictable, and obsessed with making references to fairytales, classic novels and historical figures (all of which are fiddled with to make sure women are at the centre of everything, but more on that later). While I like it and what it's trying to do with the whole Suffragette movement, the politics of witchery and matriarchy as an idea, it actually takes itself (in its magical-slash-historical landscape) a bit too seriously for a fantasy novel like this, lays it on too thick, and consequently actually comes across a bit silly.

I really like a lot of the little world twists in here (renaming famous authors as women etc) but when you combine it with a Suffragette movement very similar to ours, it comes across as naïve - it misunderstands some of the reasons women needed a movement in the first place. If female authors were the leading authors in this world, and female historical figures were remembered, etcetera, then the landscape of gender issues would be very different to what is demonstrated here: it's taking the consequences of our world's lack of recognition of women's work and plonking it on the end of a world that doesn't seem to have those same issues. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there would still be gender issues, but I don't feel like any thought has gone into how it would differ. And in a book trying to make statements and metaphors about that kind of politics, it's harder to buy into. I want to love it so much but there's this childishness to it. Which is mostly fine until you do the really unpleasant, dark stuff that the book just doesn't feel mature enough to tackle.

The diversity between the sisters is great, but there wasn't a sense of balance of them as an ensemble; there were points when it felt like Juniper was obviously the protagonist, but then Agnes or Bella would interject and kind of shift tension rather than continue it from another perspective. I will also say that, sure, while you have a handful of Black characters and very briefly touch upon the intersectional issues of feminism with them - it's very very brief, when actually even the story admits that their role in what this story is trying to be is monumental; we just don't really get to see it. All in all, I will praise the representation in this book, but I think it's a real shame that a lot of it is only mentioned rather than being explored. (Even the lesbian relationship I, personally, think was kind of glossed over, though arguably all of the deep details of everyone's own experiences is glossed over in favour of the over-complicated plot).

While I acknowledge my review focuses on some of the problems I had with the book, I did genuinely enjoy reading The Once and Future Witches. It was fun, sparky, and refreshing in a Disney only-while-you're-watching-it way. Ultimately, for me, it comes down to a really cool concept that ended up being more about the ideas than the execution of them. Worth the read, but I think it could've been done better.

I loved this - I hadn't previously read any of Alix E. Harrow's work, so I went in having no idea what to expect (making it a wonderful surprise).
I'm a big fan of stories about sisters, and this was no exception - I loved the Eastwood's dynamic. I also enjoyed the side characters - they all had a defined personality, even if there were a few who I would have liked to have seen developed more.
The writing is beautiful - it flows well and paints a picture vividly, without being overly waffly.
Whilst the book doesn't have the fastest moving plot, especially at first, I felt completely immersed in this world - and shed a few tears at the end.

Really enjoyed this book! Loved the setting, the world building and the characters. The prose was by far my favourite part of the book, thought evoking imagery, beautifully paced sentence structure and filled with female rage, which happens to be one of my favourite things. More of my review can be found in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfnfG7pGJMU at the 7:43 minute mark. Thank you for the opportunity to read this early.

"Aren't you tired yet? Of being cast down and cast aside? Of making do with crumbs when once we wore crowns?"

When I read the premise of this book, I knew it would be good, what with witches, women's rights and the fight against oppression.
The story is set in 1890's America and follows the three Eastwood sisters: James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth and Beatrice Belladonna. The wild one, Juniper, is the youngest of the three and runs away from the only home she has ever known. When she arrives in the city of New Salem, she encounters the Suffragists and joins their campaign for the right to vote. Agnes is the brave one, who has closed off her heart and refuses to care for anyone, lest it be used against her. And Bella is the wise one, and the eldest of the sisters. She is most comfortable surrounded by books and works at the college library. Having not seen each other in seven years, the sisters are reunited and decide to bring about the return of witching.

Each sister tells their story, which allows the reader an insight into their thoughts and motivations. I found I related with each of them in different ways, although I think Agnes was my favourite. All of them, however, were strong, determined and filled with so much anger that it made me feel a fierce hatred towards their father and every other man who had wronged them.

I loved the slow burn romance experienced by both Agnes and Bella. Both sisters deserved people who loved them, and Cleo and August are therefore perfect for them. The Daughters of Tituba were fascinating and I loved that slaves had built a network of tunnels under the city, so that they, and their descendants could always escape.

"But tonight, beneath the Rose Moon of June, they are witches. They are crones and maidens, villains and temptresses, and all the stories belong to them."

The lyrical prose throughout this book is beautifully written and creates a world that is mystical, but steeped in enough truth to be believable. Each setting was perfectly easy to picture, from Old Salem to New Cairo. Harrow is an amazing author and I look forward to reading more of her work in future.

I would say that it could be little difficult to keep track of the Sisters of Avalon and where they all came from. Sometimes I would have to search back and check whether they were mill girls or suffragists etc. The book was also quite slow to start and I spent longer reading Part 1 than the remaining four parts put together. Overall though, it was a fantastic read which I would highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

I loved this book so much! A brilliant story of witches, sisters, suffragettes. This book has everything.

Three sisters, witchcraft and stories. Another beautiful and unique book from Alix Harrow. The writing itself is so lyrical and magical and the characters are strong and well-drawn. This story is all about empowerment, magic and sisterhood. There's a sinister element woven besides the quirky use of fairy tales and rhym. The story has plenty of twists in the plot and an unusual ending. Highly recommended.

WOW!
I'll start by saying that I didn't think this book could get me so passionate about it.
In The once and future witches there are many themes covered, including family, friendship and sisterhood, but as you can also understand from the title, magic.
After a long distance, the sisters reunite again in New Salem.
Juniper, wild and angry, ready to take revenge on those who would take it out on them.
Agnes, he'd rather stay out of everything.
And finally, Beatrice, a quiet girl who prefers to be on her own and not get caught up in compromising situations.
The whole novel screams "girl power" and it's something I loved so much.
There is no lack of twists and turns, suffering and amour. As well as delicate themes such as domestic violence, female oppression and LGBTQ+ themes.
In all this I have not told you that the book is set in the 1800s, so I would like to emphasize the relevance of the themes.
One thing that I noticed about this book is how much more the narrated part prevailed over the dialogues, but that's not why it bored me. On the contrary...
There are narratives from each sister, narratives rich in content and diverse among them.
But now let's go back to talking a bit about the magic inside the book.
The author, through various subterfuges, always manages to characterize and give shape to what magic represents.
I recommend this book for its peculiarity, I think I've never read anything like it.
Congrats to the author!

The Once and Future Witches is the story of three sisters in 1893: Juniper, Agnes and Bella, who each separately escape their abusive father, and later reunite in New Salem – drawn together by a vision of a mysterious tower. The cause of the suffragettes inspires them to find a way to empower women by bringing back the forgotten words and ways that were lost when the last witches were burned in Old Salem.

Historically, of course, strong independent women have frequently been accused of witchcraft and I loved the idea of the suffragettes being actual witches. This story is not only a fast-paced, thrilling battle between supernatural forces, it is also a richly layered fantasy in which magic is woven into the syntax of rhymes, proverbs and fairy tales, as well as a sensitive delving into the deep currents of the relationships between sisters. An exquisitely crafted and intensely moving book.

This book is so rich and lushily written that I found it difficult to consume in one sitting. I loved every word of this book and what they meant. This book is absolute perfection for people who love their books to be stuffed with fables, witchcraft, feminism, sisterhood, stories, spells and fairytales with a little bit of romance.

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow sounded right up my street when I first heard of it, but I didn't realise just how incredible it was going to be!

In a world where magic is all but gone, where the witches of the past were burned, where witchcraft is illegal, with women only knowing small, harmless spells, shared down the generations through stories and nursery rhymes, where women have next to no rights... the Eastwood sisters James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna have not seen each other or had any contact for the past seven years, due to an abusive father and overwhelming betrayal. Juniper is running to somewhere new, trying to escape; Agnes is a millworker, working long hours, keeping everyone at a distance; Bella is a librarian, books and words more a home to her than the room she lives in. All in New Salem. On the night of the Spring Equinox 1893, the three meet again when they are all inexplicably drawn to St. George's Square, where the Women's Association are holding a rally, trying to draw more women to their cause. Out of nowhere, a tower, surrounded by roses and ivy, appears in the square, with the wrong constellations in the night sky. Despite the past, the sudden appearance and disappearance of this tower is the catalyst that bring the Eastwood sisters back together, striving for a new life, a better life, for women, a life where women are witches, and as powerful as they once were. Witch those small, harmless spells, they join the suffrage movement, founding the Sisters of Avalon, recruiting like-minded women, who will fight with their magic to bring about change. But there are those who will do all they can to keep women underfoot, controlled and obedient, and magic all but stamped out. When shadows are alive, a sickness is spreading, and witch burnings are still a very real threat, the Eastwood sisters and their fellow Sisters must find a way to bring back magic, before they themselves are found.

Oh my god, The Once and Future Witches is just epic! It's quite a long story, but so much happens! It's just amazing! It's alternate history where witches of the fantasy kind did once exist, and were strong and powerful, until the patriarchy took over and witches were burned into practically inexistence. The quote, "We are the granddaughters of the witches you couldn't burn," definitely applies to the Eastwood sisters. While they all have their own stories, their own histories, the betrayals and hurt between them, they all have a white hot flame in their souls. They are past accepting the lives they are given, they are expected to live, the way the patriarchy wants them to be small and quiet and subservient. Powerless. Controlled. Together, the flame they each have becomes a burning, blazing fire!

The story is told from each sister's perspective. The youngest at 17, Juniper is the angriest. She is wild and reckless, and can't - won't - sit back and do nothing. The middle sister at 22, Agnes is the most careful, the fiercest. She is pregnant, an unmarried soon-to-be mother - a scandal - but she will do absolutely whatever it takes to keep her baby safe, and woe betide anyone who dares even think of hurting the little life growing inside her. The eldest at 24, Bella is the quietest, the more reserved and nervous, the one the world has forced into hiding - and hiding from - a part of her that is integral to who she is, but the smartest, whose ideas and note-taking and research they all depend on. None of these women are perfect, but they're all amazing. I related to them all, but I also saw aspects of myself in them. I fell in love with all three of them.

The magic in this book is so familar. There are three parts to magic: the ways, the words, and the will. Each spell requires ways, certain items - herbs, animal teeth, hair, chalk, etc. - and emotion, words to said to cast the spell, and the will to make it happen. Witching, as it's called in the book, is described as a conversation with the red heartbeat of magic, which I think is just gorgeous. While it's fantasy magic, it's clearly inspired by traditional magic. Mama Mags, the Eastwood sisters' grandmother, was clearly a Wise Woman, with herbs drying in her house, jars full of innumerable things, a witch garden. The witch ways are all things us real witches might use. The Maiden, Mother and Crone archetypes are integral to this story, which just made my heart sing.

Stories and nursery rhymes also play a huge part. The ways and words have been hidden in plain sight within them. There are so many fairy tales - or witch-tales, as they're called in The Once and Future Witches - and nursery rhymes that you'll know, though have been changed to not only suit this particular story, but to also make them feminist retellings - because some of the stories are retold in full throughout. What I absolutely loved was how these stories are also possible histories, in a round about way, and how witches were in every one. Most male characters in our stories are female in witch-tales. Almost all female characters are witches, or alluded to being witches; they're referred to, most often, as the Maiden and the Crone. Not all witches are wicked, and perhaps those that are had a reason to be, or their wickedness isn't what it first seemed. And the authors of these stories, in this alternate history, are female: the Brothers Grimm are the Sisters Grimm, Charles Perrault is Charlotte Perrault, Andrew Lang is Andrea Lang, and they're folklorists. I bloody loved this whole aspect, how feminist it is, but also the whimsy of it, the words and ways for spells contained in stories for children. I just love it!

There's discussion on how witching itself isn't wicked, rather that it's down to the witch and her ways, which I feel touches on the conversation around "white magic" and "black magic"(which has horrible racial undertones), and how magic itself is neautral. There's also the discussion of how witching - the ways and the words particularly - are different in different cultures. Black people have their own way of witching, as do Native American people. It's not all the same - and it's not all available for everyone (read: white people). There's a point where Juniper gets a little frustrated that Gertrude, a Native American member of the Sisters of Avalon, won't share the witch-ways and words she knows, and Gertrude kindly but firmly tells her that not all ways are hers, which touches on cultural appropriation. This all speaks to real witchcraft.



Which leads me to how diverse this story is. Juniper is disabled; she injured her foot in a fire years ago, and it's left her with a permanent limp and the need of a staff. And while it's not outright stated, it's strongly alluded to that she could be asexual. There are two gay women, Bella and Cleo - there is a gorgeous slow burn romance between Bella and Cleo that is just so beautiful! - and two women who if not specifically gay, are at least not straight - one of whom is also trans. Cleo and the Daughters of Tituba are Black, and as I've mentioned there are Native American characters, too. I should point out that what is considered racist language today is used - Black people are "colored" and Native Americans are "Indians" - but it's appropriate to the time the story is set, and never used derogatively. This book does feature racism and homophobia, as well as the obvious misogyny, but almost never from the protagonists (there's one moment where Juniper admits to feeling uncomfortable about Bella and Cleo's relationship, but Agnes gives her a talking to, and she gets over it). All forms of bigotry in this book - and there is a fair amount given the time it's set - are very clearly not ok both in the minds of the protagonists, and how the story is told. I'm massively privileged, so could be wrong, but I feel it's all dealt with, with respect.



I also really loved the real history in this book. The American suffrage movement, and exactly what life was like for women before they got the vote, the oppression they suffered. But also the discussion of witch trials. This is a fantasy story with fantasy magic, but it acknowledges the very real witch hunts and witch trials of the past - and because of what the Sisters of Avalon are doing, the fact that witchcraft is illegal, and who is in charge, it brings them to the present day of the story. Harrow does not shy away from the terrible things accussed witches suffered. We see the beatings, the torture, the witch trial, and the burning of witches. Very real history is present in this alternate history historical fantasy. The mysogyny, racism, homophobia of the time is bad enough, but the witch hunt/trial makes for an incredibly horrific story. Your blood will boil, you will be raging - but you'll also be inspired and empowered by the fight of these women who won't give up, who refuse to be subjugated. The Once and Future Witches is an unbelievably powerful novel.

This review is already so long, and I've barely scratched the surface. The Once and Future Witches is an incredibly epic story where so much happens, with so much action and danger, with strong themes of power and agency and sisterhood. It's gripping, exciting, and enraging. It's full of hope and passion and strength and love. It's just brilliantly fantastic, and I can't recommend it enough.

Thank you to Orbit via NetGalley for the eProof.

Trigger/Content Warnings: This book features a (vague) sex scene; a description of an open wound; birth; abortion; mention of stillbirth; ableism; racism; homophobia; transphobia; an abusive, homophobic conversion school/prison; child abuse - physical violence; sexual assault; an angry, violent crowd; violence against women; torture; use of scold's/witch's bridles; a witch trial; discussion of burning witches, with descriptive detail.

I absolutely loved The Ten Thousand Doors of January, so was thrilled to hear about a new book from this author - and I was not disappointed! Witchcraft, suffragists, and three sisters who are so richly detailed and alive on the page that I was captivated immediately. It’s a powerful and wild sort of a book, and portrays black, queer and trans characters in a non-tokenistic way whilst also acknowledging the hardships faced by these marginalised groups in a deft and skilful way. Loved loved loved this.

The Once and Future Witches is a tale of family, friendship, sisterhood, and magic in the days where the Salem witch trials still burn fresh in the minds of men and women.

Through happenstance or magical intervention, June and her sisters are brought together in New Salem after fractious years apart. Juniper, chased to New Salem by the death of their father, is angry and wild and ready for revenge against those who strike out against witches. Agnes, still bitter after a believed betrayal by her sister, just wants to keep out of trouble, lest she's betrayed again. And Beatrice (Bella), a quiet librarian convinced of her own shame and sin, just so happens to stumble across a children's rhyme that could help bring power to the worn-down women of the 1800s.

Harrow fills this book with so much feminine power, it's impossible not to fall in love with the characters and the story. Through her own twists and turns on what we know of 1800s America, she paints a vivid tapestry of powerlessness and power, loss and love, suffering and triumph. The pace of the book is perfectly balanced, every component tied to the next so elegantly that I devoured this book without realising how much of the story I had consumed.

The narratives of each sister and the community they form are rich and diverse. Harrow discusses domestic violence, the oppression of women, the oppression of POC, the oppression of the LGBTQ+ community, and though this book is set in the 1800s, it's impossible not to see those correlations in our daily lives now.

And let's not forget the magic. Harrow's interpretation of spells and witchcraft is--wait for it--bewitching. I love the use of children's tales, of the incorporation of secrets, whispered from woman to woman under the nose of men who believe them to be powerless. I also love the mythology she builds, the twist on the fairytales we know and love, and how those stories have been corrupted by the generations that followed, how each person warps the story for their own need.

This book was like nothing I've ever read before and I absolutely loved every second of it. I can't wait to read more from Alix Harrow.

I am genuinely grateful for every ARC that I get to read and although I wasn't really into this book I still don't want to give it a negative review.
The author is a very talented and beautiful writer, the way she tells her stories is breathtaking and you can tell she puts alot of time and effort into fleshing out her characters. The story is very character driven, and I'm more of a plot driving kinda girl. These books are just a little too slow for me, but if you love getting to know a character inside out then this author is for you. This is not a bad book, I just think I am the wrong audience.

I adored The Ten Thousand Doors of January so I was beyond thrilled to get an e-ARC of this to review and it did not disappoint. In fact it went and exceeded all my expectations, became the best book I've read this year and if I could grant it more than 5 stars I would do that.

This is the story of three sisters. Three women. Three witches. Juniper, Agnes and Beatrice are women at a time when to be a woman is to be diminished, made smaller, forced to fit into a box that suits the men in power in society. Women's suffrage is on the horizon, but these women, Juniper in particular at first, refuse to be small and polite. They refuse to ask nicely for the vote, folding themselves into palatable shapes to achieve even a tiny measure of equality. They want power, they want agency, they want the world to see and acknowledge who they truly are. And be afraid.

Rage and fury run throughout this book, it made me want to light a match and burn the whole system down. It's a story of sisters and betrayal, hurt and love, sacrifice and power. It's beautifully written and lyrically compelling, and the characters take root in your heart and stay there. But it's also a burning raging feminist manifesto, urging women not to think small, not to twist and turn and jump through the hoops men set on the way to equality. It celebrates female power, the power of the maiden, the power of the mother and the power of the crone. It highlights the disparity between what women are "supposed to be" and what women truly are: powerful and angry and strong and brave and cunning and loving and a million other messy difficult brilliant things.

It's a furious beautiful tour de force and I think it must be impossible to read it and feel nothing. I loved it.

Thank you thank you thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. My review is my own and not influenced by others.

Not long ago I read The Ten Thousand Doors of January, so I was curious about this new book written by the same author Alix E. Harrow.
Harraw has a unique writing style which I think many people will like. However it just didn’t work for me. This is the reason why I couldn’t get into the story.

I'm a huge fan of Alix E Harrow! I think Alix's writing style is so unique, and really beautiful. I couldn't wait to read this so was so pleased to receive the review copy. I devoured the book in just a couple of sittings, just couldn't put this one down. The story is really atmospheric, and the lyrical prose makes it. Some books just take you into another world, and this one does so very successfully. Perfect reading for scary lockdown times! Really enjoyed it and would recommend to fans of The Ten Thousands Doors of January.

Thank you again to Little, Brown Book Group UK and Netgalley for an e-ARC of this book.

This is one of my many “unpopular opinion” reviews, This book will go under the category “it was me, not you”.

Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this one and I couldn’t connect with the story. What was clear to me, from the beginning, is that The Once and Future Witches is a completely different beast from Harrow’s previous work – The Ten Thousand Doors of January - which I really enjoyed.

While in this novel, Harrow maintains her lyrical and unique writing style. She turns to way darker topics, such as domestic violence, sexism and stories of women fighting for their freedom and equality. I felt it had less fluidity and sometimes I struggled to keep paying attention to the plot. The first three chapters are a great introduction to the story and characters, each one of them written from each sister’s perspective. After the three sisters reunite, there is a continuous jump of POVs and sometimes it just gets chaotic, leaving out details about side characters and for some reason I struggled to follow.

I really enjoyed something slightly different to my normal read, a good old witch, magic and the unknown, brilliant read.

This isn't my usual type of book but boy was it good,
Set in the late 1800's - The Once and Future Witches tells the tale of three sisters who all leave their home in mysterious circumstances - their reasons begin to unravel slowly throughout the story - the tale also intertwines with the suffragette movement in America.
As the title states - the sisters are witches - each with varying levels of power - and their power comes to light when a mysterious tower appears in the town square.
Without divulging too much of the plot, the story covers new and old Salem and it also unravels certain fairy tales.

It was very well written, with lots of rich characters and settings - instantly transporting you to another plane.

A great novel from Alix E Harrow - I look forward to reading more.

It isn’t fair to any of the other books being published in 2020 that they have to compete with this book. ‘The Once and Future Witches’ is one of my favourite books of all time. Reading it is like being immersed of a bath of magic and witchcraft, hopes and dreams, power and joy. Alix E Harrow wields words like a master sculptor creating their piece de resistance. There’s nothing I can say to adequately sum up how incredible the experience of reading this is, other than it ignites your soul with the fire of all those who have been wronged for wanting to be more than they are.

Once upon a time, there were three sisters. Beatrice Belladonna Eastwood was the eldest sister, the Crone, banished from her home only to find a new one in the New Salem College Library. Agnes Amarantha Eastwood was the middle sister, the brave one, the Mother, holding a punishing job in the mill where she could avoid having to care about anyone else. James Juniper Eastwood was the youngest, the Maiden, a firecracker of a girl who burned with the injustice of the world and wouldn’t rest until it burnt down and a new one arose in its place. These three sisters were lost – to each other, to their purpose, to themselves – but they would find each other again, and the world would tremble with the power of the three united.

Bella was the character I empathised with the most – the planner, the reader, most at home amongst her books and research. Given a problem she went to the library and worked. Bella loved her sisters fiercely but also tempered them, soothing Juniper’s more bloodthirsty elements and prodding Agnes into action when she faltered. Bella would never be the spokesperson, the radical thinker, the ideas generator – but she would always be there giving the ideas roots and branches, turning them from abstract dreams into tangible, inevitable reality. No plan would get anywhere without a Bella.

Agnes was the beating heart of the trio – at first cautious, careful, burned one too many times, but later the fierce, clawed figure of a mother protecting her cubs. Juniper saw Agnes as a coward, but really Agnes was the brave one – the one not afraid to say no when everyone else insisted she say yes. I understood Agnes less than the others, but then I’m not a mother – I don’t know what it’s like to hold another life in your hand that you value so much more than your own.

Juniper was all thorny branches and tangled thickets and bloody, scraped knees. Juniper was what happened to a dog kicked one too many times that suddenly scented weakness in its owner. Juniper didn’t know words like restraint, or forgiveness, or subtlety – she answered every question with a fist and a curse hissed under her breath. She was not the swooning Maiden of your fairytales. I loved Juniper – loved how fierce she was, how determined, how she never apologised or thought but simply rushed in with no thought of the consequences. The world would be a very different place with a few more Juniper’s in it.

The plot is excellent, twisting like smoke, but the three sisters are by far the most important part. This book is moulded on the strength of their characters and the sheer beauty of Alix E Harrow’s writing. The fact that the plot is so clever is merely the cherry on top (and the little references and similarities to The Ten Thousand Doors of January an extra little garnish).

Read this book. Listen to the story of the three sisters and let them speak to your soul. Maybe these words will be the ones you need to spark the will and the way, and change your life for the better.