That story, which takes place in 1893 in a world where witchcraft is real but largely extinct, follows three witch sisters: James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna (they loosely adhere to the archetypes of the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone, although Harrow somewhat undermines this). But they do click, and the shaky footing upon which the book begins stabilizes into a strong story as it enters its endgame. The Once and Future Witches is the picture of the painting-the scope is a shade too small, lacking crucial context, and the stakes and the characters don’t quite click until late in the novel. You feel like you can’t fully appreciate it without seeing it in person, but you can still recognize the artistry. The picture isn’t great: the painting isn’t fully in frame, and it’s slightly out-of-focus. Imagine someone goes to an art museum and takes a picture of a remarkable painting. Her follow-up, The Once and Future Witches, doesn’t quite capture the same magic-but calling it a sophomore slump doesn’t give it enough credit. Harrow’s debut, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, made it clear that she was a writer to watch. I received an ARC of The Once and Future Witches from Redhook Books in exchange for an honest review.Īlix E.
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