The Once and Future Witches
"A gorgeous and thrilling paean to the ferocious power of women. The characters live, bleed, and roar. "―Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - Winner of the British Fantasy Award for Best Fantasy Novel - Named One of the Best Books of the Year by NPR Books - Barnes and Noble - BookPage In the late 1800s, three sisters use witchcraft to change the course of history in this powerful novel of magic, family, and the suffragette movement. In 1893, there's no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman wants any measure of power, she must find it at the ballot box. But when the Eastwood sisters―James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna―join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten words and ways that might turn the women's movement into the witch's movement. Stalked by shadows and sickness, hunted by forces who will not suffer a witch to vote―and perhaps not even to live―the sisters will need to delve into the oldest magics, draw new alliances, and heal the bond between them if they want to survive. There's no such thing as witches. But there will be. An homage to the indomitable power and persistence of women, The Once and Future Witches reimagines stories of revolution, motherhood, and women's suffrage--the lost ways are calling. Praise for The Once and Future Witches: "A glorious escape into a world where witchcraft has dwindled to a memory of women's magic, and three wild, sundered sisters hold the key to bring it back...A tale that will sweep you away."―Yangsze Choo, New York Times bestselling author "This book is an amazing bit of spellcraft and resistance so needed in our times, and a reminder that secret words and ways can never be truly and properly lost, as long as there are tongues to speak them and ears to listen."―P. Djèlí Clark, author The Black God's Drum For more from Alix E. Harrow, check out The Ten Thousand Doors of January.
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Community Reviews
Oh this book. I could not get into it. Where is takes me a couple days to read a book, this one took weeks. I was determined not to DNF it though. I would have given it 1-2 stars but the last 3rd of the book finally picked up and redeemed itself a little bit. Though the most pivotal scene in the whole book with Juniper was actually told too quickly and without the same attention to detail as the rest of the book. So right when we need some detail, we didn't get it! grrr. So a 4 star read. Won't read again.
Oh how I loved this one! What a fantastic intersection of fairy tales and folklore, the suffragist movement, magic, and most importantly, women’s ongoing fight for equality. Harrow does an excellent job of bringing women’s issues to light within the context of the story as well as highlighting them in such a way that is completely relevant to this day, without being overly forceful or repetitive.
If I had to pick on one tiny thing, it would be that Juniper’s dialogue sometimes does not seem period-appropriate in the way that Bella and Agnes’ is…but it did make me laugh at points so was not terribly distracting from the story as a whole :)
If I had to pick on one tiny thing, it would be that Juniper’s dialogue sometimes does not seem period-appropriate in the way that Bella and Agnes’ is…but it did make me laugh at points so was not terribly distracting from the story as a whole :)
I found this novel very hard to get through and not very well written. I did like the time period and the closeness of the sisters and women in the novel. I enjoyed the idea of women/witch fairy tales and the Grimm Sisters and showing secrets and spells and lessons within these feminist fairy tales. It was a long read and I felt it dragged on. Just my opinion.
"I guess something rose from my ashes, after all. Makes me wonder if maybe those phoenix stories were never really about birds in the first place."
Witches are long gone from the cities and towns - wiped away by fire and those who felt threatened by women with power of their own. Many years later, James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna, the Eastwood sisters, find themselves in New Salem, a city seemingly on the brink of...something. When Juniper sets her sights on joining the suffragist movement, only to realize their goals are not enough for her, the Eastwood sisters set in motion a movement of their own. Witches might not exist - but they will. All they need is the words, the ways, and the will.
This is one of those stories that's so beautifully written that I could tell I'd needed to pace myself. Separated for years, the Eastwood sisters have finally found one another again, as if by fate, or perhaps by magic. A tale of love in many forms, I was mesmerized. When I finally turned the last page my emotions were all over, I felt wrung out yet happy. Proud. The world-building was incredible and the use of the rhymes and songs - many I remember from my childhood - was perfection.
When I find a good standalone fantasy novel I feel like screaming from the rooftops, but since I can't do that, I'll scream here instead! Though it's a long story, and may take some patience, if you choose to pick up this book, I hope it's as magical for you as it was for me.
Witches are long gone from the cities and towns - wiped away by fire and those who felt threatened by women with power of their own. Many years later, James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna, the Eastwood sisters, find themselves in New Salem, a city seemingly on the brink of...something. When Juniper sets her sights on joining the suffragist movement, only to realize their goals are not enough for her, the Eastwood sisters set in motion a movement of their own. Witches might not exist - but they will. All they need is the words, the ways, and the will.
This is one of those stories that's so beautifully written that I could tell I'd needed to pace myself. Separated for years, the Eastwood sisters have finally found one another again, as if by fate, or perhaps by magic. A tale of love in many forms, I was mesmerized. When I finally turned the last page my emotions were all over, I felt wrung out yet happy. Proud. The world-building was incredible and the use of the rhymes and songs - many I remember from my childhood - was perfection.
When I find a good standalone fantasy novel I feel like screaming from the rooftops, but since I can't do that, I'll scream here instead! Though it's a long story, and may take some patience, if you choose to pick up this book, I hope it's as magical for you as it was for me.
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