A Resistance of Witches is a tension-filled historical fantasy perfect for fans of the HMRC series. I liked Lydia Polk and her commitment to the sisterhood she was a strong protagonist. Henry was another favourite I'd love to see more from him if this were to continue as a series. I did feel it leaned into a YA read sometimes but that didn't affect enjoyment in reading.

Witches? Check. WWII? Check. A high-stakes hunt for an ancient magical book while Nazis lurk and secret covens brew tea and rebellion? I was in before I even hit page one.
This book absolutely enchanted me. The worldbuilding is so seamless, the pacing relentless in the best way, and the characters—oh, the characters. Lydia Polk is everything I love in a witch heroine: stubborn, underestimated, and willing to burn it all down for what’s right. Add in Rebecca (a French resistance fighter with bite) and Henry (ghost-seeing historian with soft boy vibes), and you've got a trio I’d follow into any war.
Morgan Ryan writes with the kind of confidence that makes you forget this is a debut. She blends history and fantasy so naturally, I honestly had to remind myself this wasn’t based on a true story. And don’t even get me started on the emotional gut-punches—yes, I cried. More than once. Yes, I’m recommending this to everyone who will listen. If you're looking for a book that gives you magic, mayhem, feminist fire, and the feeling that the pen might just be mightier and witchier than the sword, this is it.I'm not saying I'd sell my soul for a sequel… but I'd definitely consider a binding spell.

A Resistance of Witches takes place during WWII as Lydia Polk is chosen to work under Isadora Goode, the Grand Mistress of the Royal Academy of Witches. Prime Minister Winston Churchill has requested the witches of Britain to join the war effort. Lydia has to track down magical relics to stop the Nazi’s getting them including an ancient book that Hitler craves.

This was written well and I think this is made for a very specific audience and I’m not necessarily part of that. I liked the beginning with the Prime Minister mostly because that reminded me of the Doctor Who episode when Churchill requests the Doctor’s help. This was fine but I didn’t find it to be very engaging.

There is a lot going on in this story—some of it based on real people and events. *ahem* I would have liked to see more build-up as to why. Why were the witches now being called in? Why was she at the academy? Why did it matter? Who was she? Also the system of magic matters. Is this made up? Being in England, an influence of true folkways would have been good. Neither Gardnerian nor Alexandrian Wicca existed yet. I also did not quite get the use of Tarot section names other than being tied to the occult and witchcraft.

Fans of Juno Dawson's HMRC series will love this piece of second world war alternate history where witches battle to prevent Hitler from possessing the most powerful and evil book of spells ever known. It has a strong flavour of Indiana Jones to it and a real sense of danger and the occult. The characters are interesting and rounded and you are drawn into the hidden world of magic and witch politics. I hope there will be a follow up!

If harry Potter witches mixed with nazis. YA territory for me, didn't get it. All a bit weird, I'll pass.

London, 1943: Lydia is a 19 year old witch, second-hand to the grand mistress of the British witches who offer Churchill the aid of the academy against Hitler. Lydia must use her skill as a projectionist to track a grimoire of war capable of mass murder before it falls into Nazi hands.

In France, Rebecca is a member of the resistance in a precarious position as a woman rebel with a traumatic past.
Then we have Henry, a black man who is an art curator who is like a gentle teddy bear - oh, and he can see ghosts.

I think this had the potential to be veer into questionable territory. Whilst I did occasionally get the ick and cringe at the euphemisms and the ‘Heil Hitlers’, I think it was managed well.

I do think so much could have been done with the Nazi invasion and propaganda and camps, but I guess this book would have had to be a lot darker and longer to incorporate that.

<b>“You talk as if we were still in the Middle Ages. The world has changed, Vivian.”
“Has it?” Vivian’s tone was mocking. “Show me a world that does not hate a powerful woman, and I’ll show you a world without men.”
</b>
Lydia is hardheaded, and honest to a fault. She refuses to give in to anyone when she knows she is right even when it would save her a heck of a lot of trouble.
Rebecca is badass and does not give her trust easily.

There were a few conveniences for the plot where explanations were along the lines of ‘this is how it works, accept it’.

I didn’t feel any of the emotional beats, probably because this was so fast-paced and more focused on Lydia and her quest rather than character connections.

<b>It sounded so logical, so reasonable. It sounded like peace, if peace meant the destruction of anyone who would dare stand against you.</b>

I flew through this as it reminded me of the witchy books I read as a pre-teen.
(ThreadNeedle by Cari Thomas).

Physical arc gifted by Transworld Books.

Nazis and witches, what a combination the blurb pulled me towards this book and it lived up to my expectations.
This is a novel which mixes magic and reality in a very satisfactory way. We meet a young witch who attends a witch Academy and is approached to go undercover in occupied France to recover a magical book which has the potential to end World War II.
The book trips along at a fair pace there’s some very exciting scenes where the main character is running from the enemy. The naturalistic sections of this novel are believable real and compelling.

At the same time there is the element of a hidden Witch Academy in the middle of London, where witches meet and make spells. This is highly visual and I couldn’t help but feel this would make a great movie. I love the way that the academy was hidden behind the front of a florist shop.

The other has a clear easily read prose style the book was a very enjoyable read
I particularly enjoyed some of the written descriptions in the novel. I loved this sentence for example.
“men have power at the moment they enter the world women have to make her own”” so very true then as now
Although they are witches, the human characteristics of the main characters are well described and they feel like real people.

I read an early copy of the novel on NetGalley UK in return for an unbiased review. The book is published in the UK on the 17th of July 2025 by Random house UK, Transworld publishers
This review will appear on NetGalley UK, Goodreads, StoryGraph, and my book blog bionicSarahSbooks.wordpress.com
After publication, it will also appear on Amazon UK and Waterstones

I love a witchy book, but I had a particularly good time with this one. It felt quite unique. I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This book takes place in the Second World War and we have a coven of British witches who are assisting with the war effort. This isn’t a decision loved by all members though and some of the witches believe they should stay out of it to keep their existence secret. Our main character Lydia is apprenticed to their leader and poised to one day succeed her. She is assisting in locating and recovering magical artefacts to stop their enemies from getting to them first since they are exploring the occult.

A particular mission sees Lydia travelling to France to obtain a magical grimoire that has been hidden by people trying to secure art in a chateau from the Louvre. Here she will meet and work with two companions to evade her enemies and try to achieve her task.

The blending of witches in this historical setting was brilliantly done. It never felt jarring or over the top, just so effortlessly natural. I was so impressed with the subtle world building and the way this time and place was realised. The story felt so perfectly described within this world too. It was really cleverly done.

The character work here was also excellent. We see three different perspectives, all with their own histories and challenges and how they can for a common goal. The enemy and villains are clear and concerning with a strong sense of jeopardy throughout. I also loved the relationship between Lydia and her mum and how this grew in the story.

This is definitely a book I will be recommending.

I confess to never having read a novel of this genre, and now know why: I don’t believe in or have any interest in, the supernatural or occult, nor witches and their magic. Many a time I considered giving up, but there was that inevitable pull of curiosity to see it conclude. The synopsis looked a promising read, based at the time of WW2, but sadly this was no more than just a passing glimpse. England and Germany at war, but the outcome depends on which witches coven is the strongest and the power of the crusty old book “The Book of War”.

The characters were an eclectic mix, the story bold and at times mentally challenging before being turned into ash. Sadly, this novel was too far removed from reality but I imagine it might be popular with fans of Rowling’s novels.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Though not a fan of Churchill as a whole (if yk yk), I loved this take on WW2 and Britains witches moving to help defend their country. The act of defending Britain in itself has the witch community divided but with a growing coven of witches for the third reich, ultimately something needs to be done.

Throughout this we see magic from all sorts of cultures, from British witch history to the German witches based off of tales of old and even a Haitian character whos family history is steeped in phantoms and vodou history. Connections are central in this story, from a slow burn romance, to familial connections and even found family in friends through shared traumas. Half the magic i found was set in motherly love and i loved the narrative this brought of love and intention in actions made.

Our conclusion almost killed me off as the betrayal within the plot was both brutal and completely unexpected. A story like this that had me hooked enough to read it in one day will stay with me for a long time, but the twist will have me none stop thinking about this for a while.

This is a fantastic, beautifully written story historical fantasy about a coven of witches who support Churchill during WW2 to stop Nazi witches from getting hold of a dark magical book. Internal politics at the witches academy complicate matters and the story is a fight for good over evil.

Lydia Polk, is such a fantastic main character and I loved the journey she went on from trainee at the academy of witches to coming into her power and fighting to save the coven and ordinary people. I also really loved the other characters; Rebecca, the French resistance fighter and Henry, who had mystical powers of his own. The relationship between the 3 friends to help each other in wartime was well crafted and really magical (no pun intended) The theme of sisterhood and mother & daughters was also beautifully wrought throughout the book; I really enjoyed the feminist unity in life & death.
The historical fiction parts about the French resistance against Nazi occupation were superb; tense, suspenseful and full of emotion and action. I was so emotionally invested in their survival. The twists and peril kept me gripped and I cried big fat sobs towards the end.

My only hope is that this turns into a series as I’d love to read more Lydia Polk stories and be in that world again!

Thanks to the author, NetGalley & Penguin Viking for the ARC to review.

‘1940, and war rages across Europe. The future looks bleak. But now, emerging from the shadows, the Royal Academy of Witches offers its help. And so it is tasked with finding an ancient artefact that, were it to fall into Nazi hands, would help Hitler fulfil his twisted Aryan dream . . .’

I read this book to get out of my comfort zone and embrace other genres, and this was a great fit. I was hooked on the premise before I started to read, but didn’t expect to enjoy it as much. We follow Lydia Polk, a young witch at the Royal Academy of Witches, who, after watching her mentor die, is tasked with finding an ancient grimoire before the Nazis do. I loved the characters of Rebecca and Henry, and would love more of Rebecca’s story in particular.

Unbelievable debut novel and a great foray for me into fantasy! Thanks to @netgally for an ARC for an honest review

🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thank you to the publishers for sending me a copy!

This was a really atmospheric and captivating read, following three unlikely people trying to stop Nazi witches from getting their hands of a grimoire that would help them win the war, and destroy the world.
With its twists and turns, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat and wondering who to truly trust; I will say that I loved the characterisation of Lydia and Rebecca, it was Henry the handsome Haitian-American that really interested me most and would love a sequel following him and what he would be up to after this daring-do!

Full of heartbreak, courage and gumption, I highly recommend this book if you're just getting into historical fiction or want a little something different to escape into.

Lydia, a strong-willed 19 yo, is finding her place in the world, and WW2 has broken.
She teams up with Rebecca and Henry and together they fight Nazi (witches).
Interesting concept and characters.
The writing is good too. The ending and the pacing were slightly less favourable for me.
Overall, a good read, not a basic YA read or a clunky debut, a genuinely good read.
3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to this early. Review has been posted on Waterstones and Goodreads.

War torn England, witches and Churchill…

This was a fantastic story. Witches, World War 2, Nazi's, Churchill. This was an alt. history story at its finest, there was enough history, enough 'what if' that you could almost believe it.

I was a little worried at times we would meet the man himself, but I'm relieved we didn't. The story would have fallen flat if it had actually gone to Berlin, but instead we stayed with the witches. It is their story after all.

And its about family, about blood, about love. Magic is in all of that, and it's wonderful.

There were a couple of loose ends at the end, a couple of things that were never explained that I would have loved to have known. What actually happened to 'villain'? Their fate was debated but we never actually saw what happened to them. What did our characters do in the last two years? A time skip after such a dramatic moment was a little frustrating, although at the same time it had to happen because the story needed to end in the time it did. But not knowing those things stopped it from being a five star.

Now I'm going to go hug my mum.

Wow did this book hit. I absolutely loved it and fantasy historical fiction is definitely one of my new favourite genres. Right from start of the first page, I knew it would be a win and one I’d love and look forward to returning back to.

Loved the characters, loved the plot, just loved it all. It had the same feel as some of my favourite books of all time and I was solidly hanging from every page.

Settling down with a cup of tea, my kindle and a bundle of blankets - it was honestly perfection. This author is certainly one to look out for!

Gripping, inventive, and brimming with heart, A Resistance of Witches by Morgan Ryan weaves magic into the darkest chapter of human history with effortless skill. Set against the backdrop of World War II, this historical fantasy debut delivers a truly spellbinding adventure, one that captures both the thrill of the hunt and the deep emotional stakes involved.

Lydia Polk, once an unremarkable girl from a modest family, is now a witch of the Royal Academy, tasked with locating powerful magical relics before they fall into Nazi hands. When a devastating betrayal shakes the Academy to its core, Lydia is left to pursue the deadly Grimorium Bellum largely alone. Her journey into occupied France introduces her to unforgettable allies: the fiery resistance fighter Rebecca Gagne and the charming Haitian-American art historian Henry Boudreaux, both as layered and compelling as Lydia herself.

Morgan Ryan’s writing is a real triumph. The pacing is expertly handled, with tension rising steadily but never feeling forced. The atmosphere is thick with menace, yet the moments of hope and camaraderie shine through, adding real emotional weight. The magic system feels organic to the world, seamlessly integrated into the fabric of wartime Europe rather than sitting on top of it.

Lydia’s fear, courage, and growing strength are portrayed through action rather than exposition. Every choice she makes, every risk she takes, adds to a portrait of a woman fighting not just evil forces but the prejudice and distrust of the very country she seeks to protect.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

This book totally grabbed me with its witchy World War II premise. Imagine a secret coven working behind the scenes with Churchill! The writing kept me hooked, and I even got a little choked up at the end. Definitely a fun, magical escape, and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction with a twist. It's a solid four stars from me!