Harrow smashes it with her world-building and characters in this one. The Witch sister, their witchy rhymes and the atmospheric magic flows into the plot beautifully. And a feminist angle to the tale is the cherry on top. I think this book might just be better than Harrow's first-which I loved too!

The Once and Future Witches is a weird one! It's pacing ebbs and flows, and the story feels much bigger than it's ~500 pages - as such, it isn't a story which pounces on you and refuses to release you, instead it's insidious and slowly, slowly crawls under your skin.

I did t finish this one. It has great potential, and I really wanted to love it, but after trying twice I decided its just not for me.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc of this book, I also purchased a pysical edition and a copy of the audiobook for myself.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this one. I was expecting there to be more magic in this story and I was left disappointed.

I also did not connect to the story and the writing was incredibly flowery to me which I do not like. This, combined with a really slow story left me disappointed. I think that if this book had been shorter, it would have worked better as the story would have moved along quicker.

I had great expectations for this novel, as 'The Ten Thousand Doors of January' is one of my all time favorites. But this book was completely different from the previous book, so I would suggest that you read this book with an open mind. The cover is just soooo stunning (just like the previous book by the author) and sets the tone for the story.

'The Once and Future Witches' is an empowering story following the three Eastwood sisters -Juniper, Agnes, and Beatrice as they struggle for reclaiming not only women's rights but also witches' rights. The Eastwood sisters had separated a long time ago due to some misunderstandings. They are brought together by fate to reclaim magic feared by the people and to win the struggle against misogynic forces.

The writing was amazing, as if the words were woven together with threads of magic and emotions. Each chapter began with a spell (slightly warped and darkened versions of well known nursery rhymes). I loved the way short, twisted versions of fairytales were included. The setting of New Salem, 1890's was mystical, eerie, dark and gives off just the right vibes for the story. The character development was great too. Each of the Eastwood sisters were unique and as different as people could be. Even the side characters were of great significance. I also loved the relationship building between the Eastwood sisters. I too have an elder sister, and although I love her, she drives me crazy, so I found their relationship very relatable.

The only flaw that I felt was that the pace was slow, and at times dead slow. The author may have done this to let the readers take in events, but it did not sit well with me. Towards the seconds part of the novel, the story turned more interesting, so after that point, the story and pace were complementing each other. And the ending was EPIC and was worth it!

I highly recommend this novel to everyone, especially for people who love fantasy or historical fiction and those who are looking for a powerful feministic read, to make you feel inspired and empowered.

I thank NetGalley and Orbit Books for giving me this wonderful opportunity to read and review this unforgettable novel. I also thank Alix E. Harrow for again writing such a beautiful, promising story to the world!

#TheOnceAndFutureWitches caused me to miss some sleep- I couldn’t stop reading it!

Three sisters are reunited in New Salem in 1893, and the bonds they thought were lost still tie them together. Each left their home because of their abusive father, and each still bears their own scars from childhood. Agnes is pregnant and unwed, Bella is a librarian who fights to resist her forbidden desires for other women, and Juniper is on the run- hunted for suspected murder & witchcraft. Each woman needs to find the power within to win against the forces of misogyny and the fear people hold against magic.

This feminist tale, has bite, magic and love at its heart. The evil Gideon Hill is a true villain. I really enjoyed the fairytales that are interspersed with the main story pms and I wished that I could be part of the magic.

I really loved this book and would recommend it. Thanks to #NetGalley & the publisher for my free advance copy in return for an unbiased review.

I apologise I did not get to this one. I did however purchase and finished copy and will review on Goodreads as soon as I complete.

- DNF @50% -

It's 1893 and it is not a good time to be a woman - they don't have the right to vote and their magic has been reduced to small, useful spells which are nothing like the powerful witching that was once around.
The Eastwood sisters have grown apart and are living different lives, but James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth and Beatrice Belladonna find themselves drawn back together and seeking the power of the old witching.
However, there are forces at work that intend to stop them.
Will the sisters triumph?

Having enjoyed the author's previous novel, I was excited to read this one, especially as the time period and the magic intrigued me. Unfortunately, I ended up being disappointed.
The sisters were fairly interesting protagonists and they were very different from one another. While Agnes was my favourite, I'm not left with overly strong feelings about any of the characters.
The setting of New Salem didn't feel very fleshed out to me and I would have liked some more information/detail about it.
My main issue with the book was that it was far too long. I don't mind character-focused books when I love the characters and enjoy the plot and setting, but in this case I found the storyline almost achingly slow and the other aspects of the book were not enough to save it. I read over two hundred pages of this book and it could quite easily have been cut in half given how little actually happened.
I liked that nursery rhymes were used as spells and the fairy tales that were included throughout the book.
I might have another go at reading this at some point, but on this occasion I couldn't bring myself to pick up the book to read more and decided to DNF it.

I can definitely see other people enjoying this book, but, unfortunately, this wasn't for me.

I adore books about witchcraft and The Once and Future Witches is a book that practically sings with magic from the very first page. I lost some serious sleep over this book as I had to really force myself to put it down and go to bed.

The Once and Future Witches is a story of three women not so much pushing through the boundaries placed on them by gender, race and sexuality, but more burning those boundaries to ash, a story of empowerment and of women claiming their place in the world.

There is a lot to love about this book, and in fact I could wax lyrical about it for hours if nobody stopped me, but I will attempt to contain myself to my particular highlights here. One of these was the rhymes and witch-tales that are interspersed through the book, familiar, yet not, as Perrault, Lang and the Grimms are reimagined as women. I loved each of the Eastwood sisters for different reasons, although bookish Beatrice won a particular place in my heart. In contrast, Gideon Hill is an antagonist to make your skin crawl and give you goosebumps.

Some books just demand to be held as a physical print book and the e-book is just not enough. This is one such book, and I highly recommend buying the hardcover. I just know this is a book that I will be rereading and guarding with my life as a treasured possession.

This arc was provided by Orbit, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

The Once and Future Witches is the story of the three Eastwood sisters - James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna - once lost and now found.

It's a complex story not only about sisterhood, it follows the sisters especially Juniper as she reclaims women's rights along with witches' rights. In a time where witches are burned at the pyre and witching is but a few nursery rhymes, Juniper remembers her grandmother's teachings and longs to leave the shadows they are all subjected to.

The sisters had been separated years passed by circumstances and misunderstandings, and one night they are reunited by fate itself. Juniper wants to be loud and seen, whilst Agnes and Bella want to live their quiet lives.

My favorite part was, without a doubt, the magic itself - the rhymes, the components to it, and how it was shared. Each chapter has a spell in its header and an explanation, and it made the reading experience more special.

However, what drew me to this book was the promise of a family story, of these sisters' relationship and it did fulfill the promise, but there seemed to be a disconnect between the characters and myself as the reader. I enjoyed what I read but I wanted more from these characters and their reunion, their apologies. Considering the ending, I felt nothing toward the sisters or their goals with the suffragette movement. I think the writing needed to be more compelling in reaching the reader's feelings.

Similarly, the beginning of a chapter or a division within the chapter had the same structure so the writing and the sentences felt repetitive.

I do think I had a good experience with this book and with the author, I'm intrigued to see what Harrow will write in the future.

This book for me was a little hard to get into but after the first few chapters I was hooked.
I loved the way that nursery rhymes and fairy tales that we all grew up hearing have been woven into the threads of this story. It brought back the memories of being a little girl who sat in wonder imagining a world filled with towers,gingerbread houses and the dangers of spinning wheels.


There were parts of this story that I felt dragged on a little more than needed and the burning of ancient books was traumatic enough that I am not sure I'll be able to sleep for at least a week ! * a moment of silence for the lost books*

Over all this is a wonderful story that shows the power that all women hold. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I really didn't enjoy this book. I found the writing and plot too predictable. I enjoyed the premise behind this story and the characters, but the writing really put me off. I have also heard mixed reviews about this book, and didn't want to stumble through on the off-chance it would pick up after a couple of chapters.

What a treat this book is.
I didn't know much about it going in and it didn't disappoint.
I've always been a fan of sister stories but this was altogether better than any other one.
Eastwood sisters have their differences and that makes their relationship all the better. The ups and the downs, the falling outs..
It's a hard tale to read but throw in a bit of magic and it becomes impossible to put down.
Absolutely loved it and would read it again

It took me a while to get into this book, definitely a slow burner. Worth it to get to know the characters individually and an epic conclusion!

Alix Harrow can do no wrong, I loved The Once and Future Witches just as much as Ten Thousand Doors of January, Beautiful, lyrical and engaging writing, I can not wait to see what they do next.

I loved Harrow's debut, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, so I was super excited to read The Once and Future Witches and it did NOT disappoint! Extraordinary world-building, well-rounded characters, all the references to fairytales and nursery rhymes from my own childhood, the bond - both figurative and literal - between the Eastwood Sisters, the romances!, the Familiars!! : this was a book I didn't want to end.

Additionally the way Harrow reflected our modern world, the issues that divide us and the realities faced by so many minorities make this an important and thought provoking read. Highly recommended!

Really phenomenal fantasy!! The links to fairy-tales and stories, and the subversion of male-led narratives, made this a tonic to read. And each character was perfectly developed with the added bonus of a queer romance to die for! Will definitely recommend.

Witches, suffragettes, and Alix E. Harrow are all the ingredients needed for the fantastical feminist read we all deserve!

Thanks to #NetGalley, the publisher Orbit, and the author Alix E Harrow for providing me with a digital copy of #TheOnceandFutureWitches in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced in any way. This book should really be 4.5 stars the only the thing that stopped me rating it 5 stars was I felt at the start the pacing was a little slow but that being said I loved this book and it comes highly recommended.

This is a powerhouse of a feminist fantasy. I read and loved Alix E. Harrow’s debut, ‘The Ten Thousand Doors of January’ back in 2019 but where that had wondrous escapism, ‘The Once and Future Witches’ has fangs and claws.

Artfully drawing on the history of witch trials and the suffragette movement, Harrow has crafted an alternate version of history that speaks to the endurace, resourcefulness and power of women. This is a book full of subtle (and not so subtle) witchy workings, magical towers, fantastical libraries and it will definitely appeal to anyone with an appetite for magical realism but they’re really just window dressing for a far more powerful story. This book is about the ways in which patriarchal systems have actively oppressed, silenced and censored women. It’s about the lessons passed from mother to daughter, the sacrifices the former are willing to make for the latter, the power of sisterhood and the ways in which ‘the system’ responds when it feels threatened by progress.

You could say it felt very timely.

I love that Harrow doesn’t shy away from interrogating whiteness in her novels and there’s a clear acknowledgment of the problematic nature of white feminism, as well as the existence of racism and classism within feminist movements. That being said, I will note that, despite the importance of a diverse cast of female characters to the story, three white women do ultimately remain its figureheads and it’s their perspectives that drive the narrative forwards.

As with her debut, there’s a beautiful fairytale lyricism to her writing (at times, quite literally which you’ll understand if you read it), the pace is fairly languid but enioyably so and the characters really sing. I love how distinct the three main characters feel from one another, despite being sisters and having experienced significant shared trauma and I think she does a great job of fleshing out other characters as well, even those that don’t necessarily get a great deal of page time.

Overall, a really enjoyable read.