In The Once and Future Witches, Alix E. Harrow takes readers back to 1893 New Salem, where witches are no more than whispers and nursery rhymes. Yet beneath the polished veneer of progress, three estranged sisters are about to rewrite history. With lyrical prose, feminist fire, and a touch of ancient magic, Harrow crafts a tale that’s part historical fantasy, part political fable, and entirely spellbinding.
The story follows the Eastwood sisters James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna who reunite after years of bitterness and loss. Each sister embodies a distinct archetype: the maiden, the mother, and the crone. Together, they become the driving force behind a movement that blurs the line between witchcraft and women’s rights. What begins as a fight for the vote transforms into a fight for survival, justice, and the reclamation of forgotten power.
Harrow’s writing is lush and evocative, her sentences glowing with old-world rhythm and quiet rage. She captures the suffragist struggle with unflinching honesty, then layers it with enchantment and myth. Beneath the folklore and fiery speeches lies a story about sisterhood the kind that bruises and heals, burns and redeems. The sisters’ journey to reconcile with each other mirrors the collective awakening of women demanding to be seen, heard, and remembered.
Still, The Once and Future Witches isn’t without its flaws. Some readers found the pacing uneven, especially when the narrative drifted away from the sisters’ shared moments. Others felt the story occasionally lost focus under the weight of its own worldbuilding and dense prose. For those who prefer a leaner, faster plot, Harrow’s deliberate storytelling might test patience.
Yet, what the novel may lack in momentum, it more than compensates with heart and purpose. Its commentary on oppression, gender, and solidarity resonates deeply, echoing both the past and the present. When Harrow writes about the power of stories how they survive in whispers, songs, and the hands of women she reminds us that magic is as much memory as rebellion.
Ultimately, The Once and Future Witches is not just about witches; it’s about women finding their voices in a world that fears them. It’s about the courage to gather, to rise, and to cast a spell of change that cannot be undone.
A powerful, lyrical, and fiercely feminist tale that will linger long after the last page.
Verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. A gorgeously written story for readers who love historical fantasy, sisterhood, and the quiet revolution of women who refuse to disappear.
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