The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow

I was looking for something to read in October with the right vibe and when I found The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow, I thought it would be perfect. I've already read her most recent novel, The Starling House, and enjoyed it. Plus it has witches in the title. It is a New York Times Bestseller, on Amazon's list of Best Books of 2020, and winner of the 2021 British Fantasy Award, as well as a finalist for 2020 Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Awards. It deals with death and animal death, child abuse, physical, physical and emotional abuse, sexism, racism, torture, forced institutionalization, kidnapping, grief, abortion, lesbophobia, fire, abandonment, injury and murder, pregnancy, and classism.

It has been years since James Juniper Eastwood saw her two sisters as they abandoned her at their home in the country with their father. They never even looked back and Juniper doesn't care if she sees them again ever. At least, that's what she tells herself as she arrives in New Salem - on the run from the law. She's shocked when she is reunited with not one, but both of her sisters within an hour of getting off the train, at a Suffragette rally in which a tower showed up out of thin air! Bella, who does not believe that she has anything of worth to offer to the world, and Agnes, who believes that to love people is to open yourself up to nothing but pain. But together, they can mend the wounds that they've caused each other and themselves and possibly, bring back an ancient magic that the world has all but forgotten.

This book was wonderful. My only real detraction was the pace, which did feel a little slow at times. The sisters are so well thought out. Each one has their own very unique personality, complete with positive attributes, shortcomings, and motivations. There is a nice cast of secondary characters that feel just as unique and likeable (or not likeable at all). The setting was very well laid out and really encapsulating. The ending was good, although not what I would have preferred. But the best of all was the magic system. A real homage to the quiet strength and perseverance of women, I loved watching as the sisters would find wise words hidden in children's rhymes, old wives' tales, or wisdom passed down from mother to daughter. A wonderful blending of the fantastical with real life. Plus, I'm a sucker for a book with a familiar - I think mine would be a fox.

I'm giving The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow 4.5 stars out of 5. I really enjoyed it, more so than I did Starling House. I'm excited to read Alix E Harrow's debut novel, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, which will be going on my TBR list right away.

For more from Alix E Harrow, check out https://alixeharrow.wixsite.com/author

Pairs well with cabbage and ham stew and having a cat that predicts election results.

There are SO many fantastic quotes in this book, but I'm going to limit myself:

"...who keeps muttering about chaining themselves to public buildings like the English ladies did. Juniper doesn't understand what this is supposed to achieve, but she admires the spirit of it and likes Electa very much."

"but she should have known no man ever loved a woman's strength - they only love the place where it runs out. The love a strong will finally broken, a straight spine bent."

Review of Starling House by Alix E Harrow