Tag witches

The cover image depicts a person in blue, purple, and gold finery, turned in one direction with eyes closed and hands extending in the other direction.

Witch King by Martha Wells

Kristen B. Leave a comment
The cover image depicts a person in blue, purple, and gold finery, turned in one direction with eyes closed and hands extending in the other direction.

by Kristen B.

He’s not just a demon, he’s THE demon. And honestly, Kaiisteron is one of my favorite characters from the past year. Maybe not quite in possession of “a heart of gold,” he nonetheless loves his friends and tries to do right in the world.

Witch King by Martha Wells opens with Kai returning to consciousness, confused and worried about being disembodied – basically a ghost. It’s a disorienting start to a mystery full of politics and betrayal, as we have to figure out what’s going on along with the demon. He immediately resolves the need for a body (and revenge) and goes looking for his best friend, Ziede. She is a Witch who can no longer sense her wife, Tahren – a nearly immortal being who switched sides in the last war. Kai and Ziede, along with an abandoned orphan and other people picked up along the way, immediately set out to find Tahren and figure out what has happened in the year they were imprisoned.

From that point on, the novel intersperses the current timeline with the story of how all these powerful people met each other and changed the world. They were part of a rebellion, upending the power-hungry Hierarchs who were conquering the world. As usual, Martha Wells provides world building that’s miles deep and centuries long. This world feels real and lived in, so the stakes matter. Except that the full, entire stakes are not crystal clear until past and present come together in a surprising, satisfying ending with plenty of twists and turns.

This book definitely rewards a second read. The first time through I was more concerned with figuring out who was who and what was happening. Wells throws you into the deep end and slowly parcels out clues and details. The stakes are so much higher than a missing spouse or a betrayed friendship. The second time, I could appreciate the sheer genius of how the two timelines fit together and inform each other. Once again, Kaiisteron’s actions and his loyalty to the man who saved him changes the fate of his world. I hope Wells writes more in this world, but this is a fantastic standalone as is.

Kristen B. is a devoted bookworm lucky enough to work as the graphic designer for HCLS. She likes to read, stitch, dance, and watch baseball in season (but not all at the same time).

A blue cover shows a large white house on a hill. Accents in yellow include a sliver moon, a woman on broom, a car, and the shirt on a man holding a pile of books.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

jescapunk 2 Comments
A blue cover shows a large white house on a hill. Accents in yellow include a sliver moon, a woman on broom, a car, and the shirt on a man holding a pile of books.

by JP Landolt

When I was four years old, I told my brother that I was a 5,000-year-old witch. For nearly every Halloween thereafter, I was a witch. My truest form. As a child, every book I chose was unusually supernatural. A little dark. A little different. A lot like me. Indeed, this little Guamanian girl’s house was strewn with interesting reading material. Little did I know my witchy fascination would stick with me well into adulthood. When I say I was delighted to find that “witchy” books were gaining popularity among my (now adult) peers, you understand I was beyond ecstatic!    

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna is cozy, sweet, and a lovely listen. Samara MacLaren’s voice perfectly conveys a romanticized, present-day UK filled with worldly, contemporary witches. We follow Mika Moon, an orphaned witch from India who was brought to the UK and raised by Primrose. Primrose is a strict (regional manager type) witch who believes witches must live by the rules or risk persecution, or worse still – death. The most important of these rules dictates, “Alone is how we survive.”  

Mika is the very embodiment of this forced loneliness. Cursed from birth (like all witches), she is motherless, untethered, and yearning for family. A loveless, rootless existence is complicated by the necessity to live with magic in the world without being discovered. Her story demonstrates how witches experience the same kind of childhood trauma, feelings of insecurity, and a need for belonging much like any mere mortal.

Mika seeks connection so desperately that she creates an alter-ego (and a humble online following) where she “pretends” to be a witch concocting magical teas in her cauldron for all to see and enjoy. A safe and clever way to hide in plain sight. She is soon sought out by a group of characters inhabiting Nowhere House seeking a real witch to care for three young witches. She finds herself at the doorstep of Nowhere House interviewing to be a live-in tutor and her life is turned upside-down yet again, but in the best way. Shenanigans ensue, as can only be expected with young girls and spellcraft. The staff at Nowhere House only add to the story’s magic.

This story is brimming with magic, love, and found family. There’s an honest vulnerability that weaves through Mika’s character. You can’t help but see the gilded glitter of magic swirling in the landscape and the witches. You can’t help but be mesmerized by the lure of magic and the desire to control what is sometimes uncontrollable. And you can’t help but to empathize with Mika’s unrealized grief or cheer on her personal growth. My goodness, also to wish the brooding librarian to give her a kiss! Heavens!  

If anything, this book proves that magic not only lives in everyday places, but the most powerful magic wants to be used just as much as each of us deserves and wants to be loved. Read this book and embrace all the good there is in life, love – and feel magic again.  

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna is available an e-book and e-audiobook. There’s a bit of a wait, but it’s worth it.

JP has worked for HCLS since 2006. She enjoys gallivanting, Jollibee, and all the halo-halo she can eat.

A scrolling banner that reads The Once and Future Witches weaves among roses and greenery, along with a pair of silver scissors, a red snake, and a blackbird

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

Kristen B. 1 Comment
A scrolling banner that reads The Once and Future Witches weaves among roses and greenery, along with a pair of silver scissors, a red snake, and a blackbird

by Kristen B.

Once upon a time, there were three sisters. I love a story about three sisters, probably because I am one. The Once and Future Witches grabbed my attention right away with Bella, Agnes, and James Juniper Eastwood. Bella is the bookish, rule following oldest (hello, yes, it’s me), followed by the fiercely independent Agnes who guards her heart, then the rebel, wild child June. They were separated from each other and their home in Crow County before the book opens but are unexpectedly reunited in New Salem as the story begins with a dramatic rally.

This wonderful, rich, layered novel closely weaves together many elements, including witching, suffrage, civil rights, and nursery rhymes. Witchcraft is forbidden, even if every woman knows a spell or two for domestic tasks and other “unimportant” business. It used to be more. Except women became too powerful (in whose eyes?), and the witch hunters burned down Old Salem. Since that time, the Way of Avalon, with its last Three witches, has been lost. Until all three Eastwood sisters were pulled into the town square by a strange spell that called the black tower of Avalon, briefly, into being above them.

This launches the Eastwoods into forming the Sisters of Avalon, a secret society of women who want to reclaim witching. By pooling knowledge and handed down stories, the sum becomes greater than its parts. They begin to piece together not just more power than any single woman had on her own, but what was lost when Old Salem burned. Each chapter begins with a small spell, mostly based on old nursery rhymes or superstitious sayings, along with the ingredients to make it work. Every spell needs the words, the way, and, most importantly, the WILL. None of the women in this book lack willpower, that’s for sure.

The sisters also have messy personal lives that compound the larger story. Agnes, who works in a mill, is unmarried and pregnant, and she chooses to raise the next generation of Eastwood women. Bella falls in love with a nosy newspaper-woman, who has keeps an interesting set of secrets within the Black community of New Cairo. This slow-burn romance lends an unexpected joyful note to the proceedings. And Juniper, well, she has her own murderous secrets and lonely heartaches.

Inevitably, the Eastwood sisters and the Sisters of Avalon cross the Powers That Be and all seems lost. But, not put too fine a point on it, where’s there’s a Will, there’s a Way. The end absolutely delivers on the promise of that first meeting in St. George’s Square. One of the things I appreciated about this novel was the villain, who is entirely, unapologetically villainous. Not many stories have such a defined antagonist these days, and it made the final showdown more meaningful.

I fell headlong into this story and was glad I picked it up over a long weekend where I didn’t feel guilty about losing an afternoon or two. It’s a long one, at 500+ pages, but I enjoyed spending the time with the Eastwood sisters, their friends, and their lovers. A brief review doesn’t really do the entirety of the story justice, but I don’t want to spoil the enjoyment of how the Eastwood Three – Maiden, Mother, and Crone – reclaim all that is rightfully theirs.

This title is available in print, e-book, and e-audiobook. You’ll have to wait for the electronic copies, but the physical book is ready to borrow.

In a diamond inset, with a rural background image, the main character appears in a piked jump with blue robes flying and a conical hat with a tassel perched on her blonde hair.

Witch Hat Atelier

Sarah C 1 Comment
Cat lies next to a copy of Witch Hat Atelier and other manga books. Cover shoes a young girl with blonde hair with blue witch robes flying around her, wearing a large conical hat with a tassel.

by Eliana, a teen volunteer at Savage Branch

Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama boasts magnificent artwork, a lively world, and a complex cast of characters. It is classified as shounen (for teen boys) but is friendly for all demographics. The adult cast also actively works to protect and care for the child cast, something seldom seen in shounen and young adult media due to the limitations adults can sometimes pose in a story. Shirahama typically frames her arcs across two volumes, so I suggest reading two at a time.

In Volume 1, our main character, Coco, is the daughter of a seamstress out in the countryside. The people of this world use inventions made by witches – such as a spring of water that cleans itself after every use or cobblestone pathways that glow when you step on them – in their day to day lives. Having seen all of these inventions, Coco wishes dearly for magic.

After a series of unfortunate events, Coco is orphaned and initiated as a student of Qifrey’s atelier. Volume 1 follows Coco’s initiation and journey into the magical world.

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE GIRLS
Coco is the main character. She is also unfamiliar with much of the magical community, its history, and its customs. From a technical standpoint, Coco is a vehicle what allows the mangaka to explain her world. We learn about the setting as Coco does. From a narrative standpoint, Coco’s newness to the world around her means that she brings fresh ideas and solutions to the table. Since she knows only a handful of basic spells, she must use them creatively. One early example is her solution to the first test, retrieving a rare herb from the top of a series of floating mountains.

Aggot is a ambitious student. She practices day in and day out. Aggot shares a workspace with Coco and feels that Coco has not earned her place at the atelier. As a matter of fact, it is Aggot who hurries an unprepared Coco into the first test. Aggot often overexerts herself due to pride. However, Aggot’s technical expertise tempers Coco’s more experimental ideas. Since Aggot has the most understanding of magic she is able to assist Coco in implementing a solution without collateral damage.

Richeh is a taciturn and sleepy young girl. She is aloof and only draws spells she enjoys. Richeh has a favorite hiding place filled with glowing ribbons. I personally relate to Richeh the most, but since she does not take much of an active role in volume one, I will refrain from discussing her in depth.

Tetia is a cheerful young lady with curly twintails. She is the most welcoming to Coco when she first arrives. Tetia believes happiness comes in twos. When she grows up, Tetia hopes to be someone who can bring happiness to many people. This does not mean that Tetia is one-note either. Tetia does get angry, but she is also a genuinely kind and empathetic person. It is Tetia’s wish to provide happiness and comfort that leads to the solution to the conflict in the second arc of volume one.

ON THE SETTING
The story largely takes place in a rural/pastoral community. It is earlier than the typical fantasy story, so it is a refreshing change of scenery. Additionally, the casting method of magic is unique. Spells are not cast by way of incantation or ritual but with drawing sigils in a very specific ink.

Two main factions operate within the setting. The Knights Moralis are the enforcers of the magical community. In the past, when magic was common knowledge, people used it to their own ends and caused grevious harm. Nowadays, magic is kept secret from the public. Any and all magic that changes the human body or the natural world is forbidden. Any member of the community suspected of casting forbidden spells will have their memory erased. It is illegal for witches to cover their faces. The Brimmed Caps are opposed to the Knights Moralis. They believe that the Knights have gone too far in restricting knowledge. Healing spells, after all, are among the forbidden spells.