The Once and Future Witches: The spellbinding bestseller

4.5 stars"Magic is the difference between what you have and what you need"What we need is this book! What a wonderful read.A book which is just right for these sometimes dark and trying times.A story of 3 sisters and a bond which survives betrayal, misunderstanding, fear, violence and even death itself. A tale of that which is lost but which can still be found. A tale of an ancient evil which must be contained.In an alternate America of 1893, the city of New Salem is still beholden to those ancient prejudices which devalue the wisdom of women and the rights of working and coloured people. It is a Gilded Age, but one where magic is real, and feared by those who rule with an iron fist. A world of Inquisitors and Pinkertons where the rulers still yearn to burn witches where they find them.The three Eastwood sisters are the heart and soul of this story. Each has made their solitary way to New Salem, fleeing the wrath of their father. The eldest, bookish Bella works in a library. Pregnant Agnes toils long hours in a mill. The youngest, June is a fugitive on the run from the law. They are drawn together after long separation when Bella unwittingly conjures the Lost Tower of Avalon into brief existence by reciting doggerel from the margins of a reference book.Bella's 'accident' throws the sisters together in a fight for the ages and they aim to bring witchcraft back to its rightful place. All they need is the will, the ways and the words.

To my mother and grandmothers and all the women they burned before us.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 three Eastwood sisters join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten 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 must 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.I loved, loved, loved this book. It's old magic, folk lore, fairytales and hope rolled into one.Firstly, this book is long. Like epic long. Its split into 5 parts and actually feels like each part is the author giving us that bit more each time rather than end and go onto a book two. And I loved that. It's a powerful story of women / witches rising up and deserves that.The start is slower, a 'getting to know the three sisters'. Each chapter is a different sisters POV almost. But its worth it.Juniper - the angry, headstrong feisty one.Belladonna - The quiet bookish one.Agnes - The one who sets herself apart to avoid hurt.But I just love how these three sisters grow and change to become so much more.This book is a brilliant woven tale of old magic. Women wanting more and rising above the shackles of the world. Its rebellion and witches and what we could be.As the book continues the author weaves a darker aspect into the story and I literally had no idea where or how this book would end.The ending, broke me. Quite literally. And not wanting to give too much away, was soul shattering.If you love the tales of old witch magic, of women recognising their power and rising above the limitations the world sets on them, then I highly recommend this book.

Here we find ourselves in an alternate America, the year is 1893 and we are in New Salem. Witchcraft has been banished, and women are fighting for the vote, and into this city walks the youngest Eastwood sister, who soon stumbles upon her two elder siblings. These are three women who still follow the old ways and were brought up to a degree by their witch granny. It is not long before a dark tower suddenly appears and then disappears in New Salem, witchcraft is once again seen, and women are fighting for their rights and to overturn the patriarchy.As a piece of escapism this is certainly okay, but the story does suffer, because at times I felt a certain amount of déjà vu as a number of scenes and situations have been done so many times before in other novels. This of course does make this oh so predictable and so you can I suppose feel a bit of comfort in reading something that you know how everything will pan out, although on the other hand that does make this quite forgettable so I doubt many will remember it that well after they have finished it. The characters as such have no real depth, just showing enough to make them feel like they are there, so this is definitely not a book where you feel they are still living their lives after you close the cover.So, you really end up with something that is certainly okay, but that is nothing more, and its witchcraft aspect, where just seemingly nursery rhymes and sayings from folktales contain magic spells is a bit far-fetched, also that the mayor of New Salem is using magic himself to control the city without anyone seeming to see it is also a bit ludicrous, because he obviously does not have everyone in his thrall. This is the problem with something like this, with things that you may just about get away with in films coming to a crash in books, simply because reading takes longer, and you have the chance to actually think about what you are reading, although nowadays I do worry in that there is a number of people who may be able to read the words on a page, but never really comprehend what they are reading. Do not expect anything great with this then, it is just another rather average book, with nothing that will get you sitting up and taking notice.

Oh I loved this book so much. I fell in love with all the Eastwood girls. The mix of witchcraft, sufferagcy and everyday lives was truly magical. The idea that all women are witches at heart and have the power within to do anything they put their minds to is a powerful message.Absolutely brilliant book.