A Resistance of Witches is a historical fantasy with an original approach. Lydia is a great FMC, the world-building is exemplary, period feel authentic to WW2, and the explosive opening delivered intrigue in spades.
I found the pacing patchy in parts of the second half of this novel, but I very much liked that the plot wasn’t predictable and kept me guessing. The romance didn’t quite deliver - mainly because it was so short that blink and you’ll miss it - and I’d have enjoyed more of this; and a little more heart in general. But the writing is good and in the main I enjoyed this book and recommend it to those wanting a historical, witchy read.

Historical fantasy done right! Creative world, engaging characters (shoutout to Lydia ), and just enough backstory to keep you hooked. And let’s be real… crushing Nazis never gets old.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

I really enjoyed this book - I wasn't sure what to expect as I rarely like non-medieval fantasy but the whole world really worked for me. I was hooked by the story and read the book in a single day just because I needed to know what happened. If you like WW2 historical fiction (which I don't normally) and you like fantasy then would really recommend - it would be the perfect magic-filled autumn read :)

A really great plot, that just didn't deliver in the way I was hoping. I'm sure loads will love it, but it was hard work for me.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This will definitely find its readers, and I'm glad that it has - but unfortunately this wasn't for me.

I had high expectations that sadly weren't met. The premise is brilliant, opening in a critical point in history when the war efforts are not going to plan and Britain's secret witch population are put forward to help win against the Nazis. It had so much potential to be something really innovative and unique, but fell flat on the execution.

It has a great opening, introducing this flavour of witchcraft and the structure of the coven and with an exciting battle early on. Clearly a lot of effort had gone into crafting the coven and how magic works in this alternate history, giving witches different powers and roles within their society. Great! But then two of the three characters she cares about are killed (with very little time for us to get to know them and feel the loss) and she ends up on an unsanctioned solo mission.

As others have mentioned, I'd envisioned more of the coven working together throughout the book - that's what makes witches so powerful! - but instead Lydia is quite isolated. The resistance fighters she ends up working with are interesting, with their own stories to tell, but it seemed a little overwrought how quickly and easily they came to take her witchcraft at face value and follow her badly conceived plans. (They're also a little box-ticky, giving us a love interest, person of colour, someone jewish, and someone queer in just two easy characters.)

I hate to be so negative, but it's a real shame that something with such great potential ended up feeling quite derivative and two-dimensional.

2.5* rounded up.

I had high expectations for A Resistance of Witches, the premise was definitely intriguing. But somewhere along the way, it fell a bit flat for me. The characters didn’t quite connect, and there was something missing in the emotional depth or storytelling that kept me from being fully pulled in. A great concept, but I wish it had been executed with a bit more heart.

I love when history meets the fantasy element,and this boom delivered just this ! It took me a while to get in to the book,but at the end i loved the plot , the characters and how well done was the balance between world building characters development!

Initially, I thought ‘A Resistance of Witches’ by Morgan Ryan would be right up my alley—witchcraft, WW2, fighting Nazis? Yes, please. But I came away from this feeling a bit disappointed.

Plot-wise, it’s an alright story, but it didn’t amaze or wow me in any way. I had imagined a coven of witches using magic and espionage to fight back against the Nazis, in the front lines or amongst their ranks—but it seems all that happened off-screen at the very start.

Instead we follow Lydia as she tries to track down a magic book that Hitler wants to use to end the war in his favour. It’s an immersive, powerful, and evil book, but it’s not explained why it was not under lock and key before the war broke out if it was that well known for its power. She ends up in a race to get to the book against a coven of Aryan Nazi witches, all while trying to figure out who betrayed her own coven, resulting in the murder of her friend and high priestess/teacher.

Ultimately the plot twist on who betrayed them wasn’t surprising. When only one person is being named the culprit and is being shoved down our throats at every opportunity, then it quickly becomes obvious they’re going to be a red herring.

Our other two main characters don’t feel ingrained in the story, and it wouldn’t have mattered that much if they were written out, as it honestly REALLY feels like they are only there for ticking the representation box.

Henry is of Haitian descent, and he can talk to ghosts—but apart from a few occasions where he gets the ghosts to possess people to solve a problem, he doesn’t add anything much to the plot (he’s Lydia’s love interest for half a page at most).

Rebecca honestly is mostly just in the story because she has a car and can drive. She’s Jewish and gay, but this is barely touched on. She’s aware of the horror of concentration camps and has seen the treatment of Jews firsthand, but this gets glossed over so quickly, and the end result is she comes across as so unattached and unaffected by all of this. She's part of the French resistance, but again, we barely see her doing any resistance activities.

A quick solve could have been Lydia recovering the book and realising that some of the spells are from other cultures and languages, which results in her seeking out Henry to help decipher it, and Rebecca could have put her French resistance skills to good use to help them find the book and slow down the Nazis (like lock picking, making homemade bombs, sending secret messages, etc.), all while trying to avoid the Gestapo hunting down Jews in the area.

3 out of 5 stars - It was okay, but I wouldn't recommend it or reread it.

[This review is based on NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion]

WWII is not going well for Britain and Churchill … Hitler is garnering the aid of the occult and a coven … a British coven steps forward to offer their services to curtail Germany’s advance and to prevent Hitler from obtaining a particular grimoire. Well-paced, excellent and engaging characters and witchly skills that many of us would desire! I am torn between Traveller and a Force. Another good holiday read.

The prologue and first few chapters really gripped me and I struggled to put the book down initially. Not sure if it's just my mood reader tendencies or the slower pace the book takes once Lydia lands in France, but I struggled to stay gripped from this point and have put the book to one side for now.

The book is written incredibly well and you can really feel how much research has gone into it in terms of the history and WW2. The witches and magic are a great addition to the plot and very well fleshed out.

DNF (for now) at 25%. I am currently craving something more high fantasy so will definitely be back to finish this once I've satisfied that need.

I went into A Resistance of Witches by Morgan Ryan with high expectations. The premise really grabbed me — secret magic woven into the fabric of World War II, an underground academy of witches, and a young woman thrown into a high-stakes mission that could alter the course of history. The blurb had all the makings of a dark, gritty, spellbinding historical fantasy, and I was excited to dive in.

The beginning delivered exactly that. Lydia Polk is introduced as a strong, curious, and slightly reluctant heroine, which I always enjoy. Her recruitment into this hidden magical war effort felt believable, grounded in an alternate reality that doesn’t push too far from real-world history — at least at first. Churchill as a figurehead in the magical resistance? Mysterious academies training witches to resist fascist forces? It all worked for me. The opening chapters were immersive, well-paced, and promised a clever, shadowy story set against the backdrop of a world on fire.

But then the narrative shifted gears — and not in a way that worked for me personally. Once Lydia is dropped into occupied France to locate the Grimoire Bellum, the story dives headfirst into a more fantastical tone that didn’t quite align with the grounded set-up. The idea of Hitler seeking an ancient magical text to win the war isn’t necessarily far-fetched in a fantasy novel, but it was the execution that felt too jarring. The historical realism gave way to increasingly surreal magical elements, and I found myself less emotionally invested the deeper we ventured into that territory.

It’s not that I dislike fantasy — far from it. But in this case, the balance between historical detail and magical worldbuilding started to feel uneven. The stakes remained high on paper, but I felt somewhat disconnected from them in practice. Some of the emotional beats and character moments didn’t land as strongly as I hoped, and I think part of that was due to the pacing. The middle section of the book felt like it lost momentum, weighed down by exposition and lore rather than tension and character development.

That said, the final chapters picked things up again. The ending was strong and brought back some of the urgency and moral complexity from the first act. There’s definitely a sense that this world has more stories to tell, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this turns into a larger series. The groundwork is there — and for readers who enjoy magical resistance narratives and wartime espionage with a fantastical twist, there’s a lot to appreciate.

For me, though, this might not be a series I return to. While I loved the concept and the initial atmosphere, the story’s trajectory veered too far from what I hoped it would be. Still, I can see this working really well for readers who enjoy historical fantasy that leans more into the magical than the historical — especially those who enjoy morally grey missions, ancient artifacts, and witchcraft woven into real-world conflicts.

Oh my gosh this is just brilliant! WW2 with witches, a sentient book with evil intent and a smattering of Haitian magic. Had me at ´Mr Churchill - the witches of Britain are at your service’. Love it!

I had an honestly good time with this, I likely the historical fantasy I thought it was very creative and engaged with the era and setting. I like the main characters, although naturally Lydia got a lot more development than the other two.
I think there was just enough world building and backstory to make the story make sense, without overwhelming me with logic and explanations I would naturally want to unpick.
What can I say, crushing Nazis is always entertaining.
Thanks as always to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. I want to state upfront that I did DNF this book at 85% after I realised that this book was just holding my attention and I was struggling to continue.

Based on the synopsis it sounded like it had everything I look for in a book, however I just did not get on with the characters.

Whilst the idea of a hidden society of witches helping to protect allies during world war 2 sounded intriguing, the character of Lydia frustrated me and I could not keep going.

I did enjoy the growth of Lydia’s mother, but I found the stories development quite predictable within the first few chapters.

Overall, this book was not for me, however I think some readers may enjoy this if they are more invested in historical fiction than fantasy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book has the perfect blend of heart and high stakes moments that keeps you invested in Lydia's story from the very beginning.
Covering themes of motherhood, found family and self-discovery; A Resistance of Witches follows Lydia Polk as she races against time to stop Nazi Germany getting hold of a book of powerful dark magic, that could bring about the end of the world in the wrong hands.

I loved the characters' development and the portrayal of the developing relationships as the story unfolds. I particularly enjoyed reading of Lydia's evolving relationship with her mother, Evelyn. This story had some truly horrifying moments, and some heartbreaking ones. I really enjoyed the magic system in this book, and how each witches' different strengths and power were used to support the war effort.
I loved every part of this book and would highly recommend it for any fans of books where historical fiction and fantasy combine.

An excellent debut novel from Morgan Ryan, I will absolutely read more from this author.

I was completely blown away by this book! I was expecting an enjoyable historical fantasy, and what I got was so much richer and more brilliant than I could have imagined.

The book has an easy hook: a secret society of witches get involved in the war effort! And while that is strictly true, the war acts as a backdrop for a jam-packed and powerful adventure, with plenty to say at its heart.

I cannot overstate how much I love all three of the main characters. They could so easily have been reduced to archetypes, but instead they were all nuanced, layered, and instantly had you rooting for them. They felt so fully human and present that you couldn’t help but be aware of their weaknesses, and as the book progressed and they were each pushed to their limits, there was that lingering doubt and dread that they wouldn’t quite manage to do what they needed to. Ryan writes with such subtlety, giving us just enough information to have a fully-formed vision of them, without overloading us with information.

As the story reached its climax, I was particularly struck by modern-day factions and division among feminism. The witches themselves are divided as to whose cause they should throw their weight behind, and it was easy to see parallels with modern politics, without the metaphor becoming too heavy-handed. It gave the final few chapters a gravitas that I think they might not have otherwise have had, and laid out a very clear message to those who side with oppressors in the name of their own self-interest.

I really hope this book has all the success it deserves – and I will shout about it from the rooftops until it does!

I received a free copy for an honest review.

I have zoomed through this in less than 24h, it had bewitched me, what else to say.

Love the historical backdrop of this novel, but even more i loved how action packed it was. This is a story that will have you hooked from page one and it's a ride you'll not want to miss!
Brilliant characters, well.conected to historical facts, enough drama to keep even the most demanding reader happy.

I would.love to go back and see how academy is in the future!

A Resistance of Witches - Morgan Ryan due for publication 17/7/25

Its always a bit worrying when you read a debut novel as you don't want to dash an authors hopes if you really don't like it. Well no worries with this one I loved it. I could not put it down.

Lydia a young witch is charged with finding a magical book of spells that could stop Hitler winning World War II. If it ends up in Nazi hands supported by evil witches then no chance anyone is getting out of this alive. She joins forces with Rebecca a resistance fighter in France and Henry an Art historian (who sees ghosts) hiding treasures from the Nazis to get the book and save the day. Not as easy as it sounds and pretty gruesome along the way.

The main characters were drawn really well and I was rooting for Lydia to turn the tide of war around. What a great read and I so hope this is not a one off and Lydia and Henry have more adventures in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley for a preview copy.

*Four and a half stars.*

This is a ‘just one more chapter’ kind of book. I loved it and couldn’t bear to put it down. I absolutely love magical realism, especially if it involves witches so this was right up my street.

The history of WW2 was woven into the story well and the concept is fantastic. I could absolutely imagine Hitler and Churchill recruiting witches to help them win the war. The plot pacing and twists were excellent and I liked the magic. There is no faffing about with the drama starting almost immediately. I did suss one of the big twists but it didn’t detract from the story for me. Henry and his gifts added an extra layer to the story which was quite unique.

This does feel a little YA in places but I didn’t mind it at all. If you liked the HMRC or Threadneedle series then you will love this. I highly recommend.

Synopsis in comments. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for sending me an early copy of the book for my review. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

I really enjoyed this book! A blend of historical fiction and fantasy is always a win for me but I was surprised at how excellent this one was. The characters felt so real and the relationships between the main character and the women in her life were really beautiful (and horrible in places, no spoilers). The action was tense and exciting and there were moments of real heartbreak where I shed more than a few tears. Can’t wait to read anything else the author writes. Truly great!