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Book Summary and Reviews of The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

The Once and Future Witches

by Alix E. Harrow

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  • Oct 2020, 528 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

In the late 1800s, three sisters use witchcraft to change the course of history in a Hugo award-winning author's powerful novel of magic amid 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.

For more from Alix E. Harrow, check out The Ten Thousand Doors of January.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"This novel cleverly connects the dots between the suffragist movement of the past to the Me Too movement of today. Compelling, exhilarating, and magical, The Once and Future Witches is a must-read." - Booklist (starred review)

"The worldbuilding is richly detailed, inclusive, and enchanting, while still honoring the harsher history of civil rights and resistance. Drawn from folklore and history, Harrow's lyrical prose immerses readers in a story of power and secrets that is not easily forgotten." - Library Journal (starred review)

"Harrow's sophomore novel is a love letter to folklore and the rebellious women of history...the racial and gender politics are oversimplified as the focus remains tightly on the sisters. Still, their path to empowerment is entertaining, and Harrow's world is gleefully referential; folklore and history enthusiasts will have a feast." - Publishers Weekly

"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, NYT bestselling author of Night Tiger and The Ghost Bride

"A gorgeous and thrilling paean to the ferocious power of women. The characters live, bleed, and roar. I adore them, and long for witchcraft to awaken in all of us. Harrow makes it feel possible, and even likely." - Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author

"A radiant masterpiece of pure storytelling magic! Meet the Eastwood Sisters and prepare to take the best book vacation you will have in a long time." - Gwendolyn Womack, USA Today bestselling author of The Fortune Teller

This information about The Once and Future Witches was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Write your own reviewwrite your own review

Victoria

Fantastic!
Many many thanks to Redhook and Netgalley for providing the advance reader copy! This book was fantastic. It centers on three estranged sisters who are (as you might have guessed) witches. The book combines alternative history and touches on suffrage, labor rights, gender, and more. I’m just in love with this book and sorry it’s over. Put this on your to-read list for fall, I highly recommend it.

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Author Information

Alix E. Harrow

Alix E. Harrow is an ex-historian with lots of opinions and excessive library fines, currently living in Kentucky with her husband and their semi-feral children. She won a Hugo for her short fiction, and has been nominated for the Nebula, Locus, and World Fantasy awards.

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