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booksandbongs's reviews
155 reviews
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
4.25
“Or perhaps for all of them: for the little girls thrown in cellars and the grown women sent to workhouses, the mothers who shouldn’t have died, and the witches who shouldn’t have burned. For all the women punished merely for wanting what they shouldn’t.”
The Once and Future Witches is a historical fantasy that follows the story of three sisters in New Salem as they join the suffragette movement in an attempt to bring back the magic of witches.
The historical and political aspects of the story really stood out to me - you can definitely see what Harrow is passionate about. The subtle queer romance was a nice element and I like that Harrow touched on how difficult it was to be queer during that time period.
I loved the concept of the magic system and the idea that it isn’t blood or fate that enables one to be a witch — it is just words discovered through sharing knowledge and comparing notes. Community IS power.
Harrow’s writing is beautiful, but there is a tone of justified feminist anger that is moving and electrifying to the story. The characters are flawed and deal with real trauma as well as face serious sacrifices.
My biggest critique of this one is the pacing is a bit slow - I tend to prefer a slower pace but I think in a few areas the details bogged down the story.
I love the intersection of magic and politics along with the themes in this book. I’m so glad my friend @chapterchasers recommended this one to me! If you love witches, women’s rights, and magic - give this one a read!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️