The Once and Future Witches The spellbinding bestseller

It need a moment to get there but it's catching and really good. I love that it shows woman can do anything and magic is not just like you think it is.

What a beautifully woven story around sisterhood, witchcraft and women's rights. It took me a few chapters to get into the story of Bella, Agnes and Juniper, the three sisters that find each other after years of absence and betrayal. But once their story unfolds, once they do their magic to face the imbalance of power in the year of 1893, I could not resist their charm anymore (pun intended). What I love is that each character is described with their flaws and good sides, their very layered personalities and that the world building ist introduced in a way that we, the readers, do not get lost. Would I have shortened the story a bit? Yes, but that's about the only critique that I have. Well deserved 4,5/5 stars.

It took me way longer to finish this book than it should have. Once started, I did not feel compelled to pick it up again, but once I did, I read for hours on end – or at least as long as time allowed me to. And each time I regretted having left it untouched for as long as I did. Juniper, Amaranth, and Belladonna are three sisters, pulled apart by their past (and father) and drawn back together by destiny and witching. Together, some more motivated and eager than others, they set out to rid New Salem of the injustice against women and the overt fear of all kinds of witchcraft. But nothing is ever easy and everything comes in threes: sisters, witches, catastrophes, ... There are many social issues packed into this story, ranging from racial to women's rights, and – obviously – discrimination. I found myself furious with the injustice many times, mirrored in the fiery anger of Juniper. What was really lovely were the stories and "fairy tales" strewn into the book, told by Belladonna or even antagonist Gideon Hill. Nursery rhymes, stories, and sayings appear all over the book, easily recognizable but also very different and just a tad more magical. At times, I was a bit annoyed by how certain topics were pushed on you. Also, in the end, things turned a bit too cheesy for my taste, but there is a lot of open and overt but also hidden representation in this book regarding race and heritage, sexual orientation and gender, disability, and personality.

I read the book in one night, because it's really, really interesting and impossible to put down! It's definitely one of my favourite books and has now a special place in my heart.