Toil and Trouble: 15 Tales of Women and Witchcraft

‘’Scorn the witch. Fear the witch. Burn the witch.’’

If we substitute the word ‘’witch’’ with the word ‘’woman’’, we will be able to understand the reasons and motives behind the terrible witch-hunts that left another bloody mark in History. The complexity of women’s psyche, the direct, unbreakable contact, and bonding with Nature, the innate strength to survive, the resilience, the passion, the intelligence. Witches or not, men have always gazed upon women as a possession. If she cannot be ‘’obtained’’, if she resists then she has a mind of her own. How dare she? She must be dancing with demons and lying with Satan. Fundamentalism and society have long found a way to justify the wrongs committed by show more men.

This beautiful collection contains stories of young witches from different eras and nationalities. Focusing on the themes of revenge and injustice, these tales are told through the eyes of young women who try to cope with their gift, their heritage and their feelings in communities that are unable to understand and to accept. Naturally, not every story is a gem and there are some that are too YA influenced for my taste but this is a collection that has a lot to offer to the reader regardless of age or gender.

Starsong by Tehlor Kay Mejia: A teenage astrologer who uses social media to draw charts and chase her demons away. Beautiful writing, interesting debate between science and magic.

Afterbirth by Andrea Cremer: A story of a birth going horribly wrong for a woman who was a midwife and a healer, set during the era of the Witch Trials. One of the finest stories in the collection.

The Heart In Her Hands by Tess Sharpe: A young witch goes against the will of the Elders in order to remain with her true soulmate. I can’t say I enjoyed this story. It seemed too naive and copy-pasted from teenage films.

Death In The Sawtooths by Lindsay Smith: In a city echoing New Orleans, in a community of witches and warlocks, a young woman serving the Lady of Death accepts the confessions of the dead in a macabre role of the Last Messenger. This was a story that started exceptionally well but lost focus and quality along the way. Still, it was very atmospheric and memorable if you overlook the naive, mundane, unnecessary use of certain supernatural creatures that seem to be fashionable because of that atrocious ‘’Walking Dead’’ (or whatever it’s called…) thing.

The Truth About Queenie by Brandy Colbert: Teenage sentimental problems mixed with racial issues may sound interesting to many readers but not to me. Add cliche dialogue and a predictable, cringe-worthy plot and this easily becomes an ugly piece of writing judged by my personal standards.

The Moonapple Menagerie by Shveta Thakrar: Moonlight and Indian culture is a beautiful combination but the dialogue in this one was jarringly irritating.

The Legend of Stone Mary by Robin Talley: A story whose roots go back to the Civil War era. A tale of witches, witch-hunters and a frightening statue. But for the silly love plot, it would have been marvelous.

The One Who Stayed by Nova Ren Suma: This story read like a predictable, ridiculous horror film about cruel teenagers with a little bit of ghost revenge to add another cliche in the mixture. No…

Divine Are The Stars by Zenaida Córdova: A story of family, loyalty, magic, and faith mixed with elements of the Mexican culture. Extremely well-written and atmospheric.

‘’I just want to bite a hole in the world. I wish I could stop smiling at things I hate. Sometimes I wish I never learned.’’

Daughters of Baba Yaga by Brenna Yovanoff: A story of a powerful witch-girl of Russian heritage. A haunting setting and one of the finest moments in the collection.
P.S. I adored the references on Nikola Tesla.

‘’The moon is full, and even the stars are scared of me.’’

The Well Witch by Kate Hart: ‘’But she would leave a light on like she’d promised. If she had to burn the whole thing down.’’
This story is so perfect it deserves its own novel. Elsa is a one-of-a-kind character in a tale of ruthless men during the Reconstruction era. A water witch, love, bravery and Comanche traditions. My favourite story in the collection.

Beware of Girls With Crooked Mouths by Jessica Spotswood: A witch family from Scotland, each girl dedicated to an element. But the daughters don’t live long except for one. Only one will survive. The witches go mad. They murder their sisters as the Book commands. And they have obeyed for hundreds of years. Now a young witch has decided they must defy the tradition. A brilliant story possibly set in the Regency era.

‘’As I thought of these things, I caught la Virgen in the corner of my vision. Beneath Her blue veil, She cast her eyes to the church floor. But Her lips held a small smile, as though She will always see the love we carry in our hearts long before we understand it to be there.’’

Love Spell by Anna-Marie McLemore: A story rich in Mexican traditions. A tale of a strange love between two seemingly opposing worlds. Beautiful and moving.

The Gherin Girls by Emery Lord: A story of sisterly love, abuse, and isolation set during the fall equinox. The problem is that the writing was so naive, so dull that I just didn’t care.

Why They Watch Us Burn by Elizabeth May: An alternative USA where rape victims become outcasts, looked upon as temptresses who provoked ‘’honest’’ men. They have to be taken away, otherwise, they will contaminate the ‘’purity’’ of the society. Although atmospheric and haunting at parts, I felt that this context has been overused to death and I don’t believe that its remarks on religion added anything innovative. A story clearly inspired by Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and the awful, ridiculously Hollywood-esque TV series that tried (in vain) to bring an excellent book to life. A mediocre story, in my opinion.

It was lovely to read each writer’s favourite literary witch and I was excited to see that Morgan Le Fay was the most popular choice.

My two complaints are the occasional teenage writing that echoed TV series, films and possibly books devoid of quality and substance, and the emphasis on sex as a form of emancipation. I don’t agree with the ones who view this as an exploration of sexual identity. This isn’t how it’s done. In my opinion, sex and sexual preferences do not make us rebels or emancipated, feisty and independent. Our personality, intelligence, and intellectuality do that. Sex has nothing to do with who we are as people. However, I definitely appreciated the diversity and honesty of the themes in the stories. I wish certain tales had made better use of such strong elements.

Apart from these issues, this is a collection to be read by all. And if I ever have a daughter, I will definitely include this book in my recommended reading list to her.

‘’My witch is furious and ferocious. She doesn’t grant wishes. But if you do what she says and treat her right, she just might help you. In the stories, there’s always a catch, though, right? The catch is this - her way of helping is HER way. Sometimes the way she helps you is by raining fire on all your enemies.’’

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com show less

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Teen for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited when I saw I got approved for this, since I love everything dealing with witches! There was a part of me that was hoping a lot of the witches portrayed would not fall into any of usual stereotypes we see in the media. Thankfully this anthology exceeded my expectations quite a lot!

The diversity throughout the anthology is what truly made me adore this book. Every single story is so different from the last. Whether it be from the world building, the cultures portrayed, the way in which each character uses their powers and how that molds their daily lives.

One of the things that was a very pleasant surprise was the amount of show more LGBT representation throughout the anthology. I had seen a few others mention this, but I had thought it was maybe part of one or two of the stories. By the time I finished the book I was just so overjoyed to have read about so many queer characters! The character's sexuality was always portrayed in a positive light and brought up in very casual ways, which also made me very happy. It was never added in for shock value, or to make the characters seem lesser.

Some of the topics covered in the anthology are very heavy, a few character's deal with sexual assault in two different stories. Nothing explicit is described, but it is there and can be uncomfortable to read through. So I feel I really need to add that into this review as a slight warning, since I know a lot of people may not want to read about that.

There were a few parts that I felt where just too slow, I had a hard time getting through those stories which is why I only rate it at four stars. Despite those few slower reads, the rest of the anthology is amazing. The plots are engaging and so many of them left me wanting more! I would love to read full length books on so many of these characters and their worlds, I wanted to know more of them and what would happen next in their lives. At the end of the day not only is this a very entertaining read, it is also a very empowering one. Seeing all these strong characters overcoming so much and just being their unique selves was really inspiring. show less

Like all short story collections (even from my favourite authors), not all of the tales collected here resonated strongly with me, but I hvae to say that I fully enjoyed reading this collection. Each story explored a different aspect of witchcraft, from the Hispanic bruja to the Salemers, exploring magical lore, spell craft, and ultimately the inate female collection to magic and what it means to be a woman. Many of the stories are challenging, treading themes of sexuality, mistrust, miseducation, and spirituality as seen from the eyes of "victims," but that speaks strongle to what witches (and women in general) have faces thoughout history. Even with the often sad stories and occasional lack of triumphs the feeling I was left with by show more the finale was determination. Determination to continue on being true to myself, my beliefs, and fighting for the rightness in the world. Women an power, after all, it's only a manner of channeling it. show less

This book was... spectacular. What even are words?? I adored this. I mean okay, some of the stories were certainly better than others, but overall? Wow.

My average rating for this (if I mathed right, which who knows tbh) was 3.6 stars, but I enjoyed it as a whole enough to round up to four stars.
(Also bc they're short stories none of them felt like a huge waste of time, even if I disliked them, soooo... that's nice.)

STARSONG
4.5 stars

Um, I loved this?? So much?? It was just so CUTE! I mean queer witches. When am I not here for queer witches?? (Never, that's when).

Also Luna was such a great character! Even in this like 20 page long story she had SUCH a well developed character. And you know, I adored her. Clearly.

I also loved Mari. (And show more like... she was a mood. A queer teenager who was completely not buying into astrology)(Even if in this case it was legitimate...)(I'm a skeptic okay?)

My only complaint about this was just that I wanted MORE. And not just in a "it was amazing and I loved them" way. Like that TOO, but it just felt a little too unresolved for my liking.

AFTERBIRTH
2 stars

This was deathly boring.

The characters were flat and the plot was uninteresting and maybe I've just read too much historical fiction but I just DIDN'T CARE.

(Also there wasn't enough magic. But if I'd cared about anything else in the story I wouldn't have minded.)

THE HEART IN HER HANDS
5 stars

Hello? 911? I'd like to report a robbery? This story stole my heart and it refuses to give it back.

I'm convinced this story was perfect. It didn't have a single flaw. Not one.

From the first line I was in love, and that feeling just intensified the more I read. It was funny, it was beautifully written, and it had the most wonderful characters.

Also the concept of this story was amazing. You know those soulmate AUs that are all over Tumblr? This is one of those, except it's extremely heteronormative and Bettina is Not Having It.

The Heart in Her Hands is about a girl who makes her own destiny. It's also very queer and very cute and very funny.

Basically, it's perfection.

DEATH IN THE SAWTOOTHS
3 stars

This was fun and murderous and not entirely memorable.

I enjoyed it. It was cool. The world was interesting. I was pretty invested while reading it.

It just... didn't leave a lasting impression on me.

THE TRUTH ABOUT QUEENIE
3 stars

This one was... weird. It was a really strange mix of light and angsty and really dark and it just... didn't quite work for me?

It was pretty well written, the characters were decent, I ENJOYED myself. But it wasn't amazing, and something felt a little off to me.

THE MOONAPPLE MENAGERIE
3 stars

OKAY I HAVE SOME FEELINGS ABOUT THIS ONE. I was very excited to read this. A theatre production gone off the rails?? SIGN ME UP.

But I... didn't love it. Largely because they were all idiots and I couldn't genuinely believe they'd been putting on plays for years. Look I don't have super high standards. I've been in some shows that were... a bit of a mess behind the scenes. But the theatre kid in me was screaming at these idiots because genuinely how was it THAT much of a mess??

Look I've preformed with a dozen eight year olds. I know what a messy but (barely) presentable theatre production looks like from behind the scenes. And it's about twelve times more put together than this.

I genuinely couldn't even suspend belief enough to buy that these dumbasses had put on three successful productions in the past. Sorry but it's true.

Also the whole story made no sense. Just saying.

(It gets three stars because it was beautifully written and also because no matter how much I yell about it I will always love anything to do with theatre.)

THE LEGEND OF STONE MARY
4.5 stars

This was... I don't even know. I can't quite put into words WHY I loved this one so much, but I definitely did.

I think in a way it was nostalgic? It very much had the vibe of a lot of the books I grew up reading, only a little more mature, and also gay.

It read a bit more like something written in the 70s/80s/90s (which was easier to get my hands on as a child who only bought used books), only not wildly offensive.

It's not the sort of thing I typically gravitate to anymore, but it was sort of nice.

It was also very much your typical fantasy story about witches and curse and all that good stuff. Which can get old, but something about this just felt... fresh.

I don't know if I'm getting my feelings across very well, but to sum it up... this story was both very nostalgic and also very fresh and new, and I completely adored it.

THE ONE WHO STAYED
5 stars

This story was stunning. It was dark and sad and hopeful and beautiful and I loved it. I don't know that I have the words to adequately review this.

All the stories in this book were about magic, but this one? This one felt like it was woven from magic itself.

It was a story of the power of girls and the power of survivors. It was horrifying and heartbreaking, but most importantly it was hopeful. No matter how bleak it was, it left me with a seed of hope.

(TW: rape)

DIVINE ARE THE STARS
2 stars

There wasn't anything wrong with this story per se, it just didn't work for me. I didn't care. The magic made just enough sense that I can't really criticize it, but not enough for me to really get it either. The characters were fine. The plot was fine. Everything was fine.

But the whole time I just felt so... detached.

DAUGHTERS OF BABA YAGA
4 stars

This was badass and vengeful and weird and I am here for it. Also it was just fun.

THE WELL WITCH
4 stars

I don't know why I loved this. I genuinely have no clue. But whatever it was, something about this story just grabbed my attention and wouldn't let go. I had to put it down in the middle of this story, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I was so ridiculously invested, and it was just... so good.

I guess I just love reading historical fiction about girls who are just like "fuck the rules, I'm gonna go be badass and do what I want"

BEWARE OF GIRLS WITH CROOKED MOUTHS
2 stars

This had so much potential. But quite frankly, I don't think it worked as a short story. I think as a full length novel, with everything more fleshed out, following all three girls, for a longer period of time and with slightly more closure, this could have been amazing.

But it wasn't. It was a poorly fleshed out short story, following the least interesting of the three sisters, and it was incredibly open ended.

Which is too bad. I think I really could've loved this one.

LOVE SPELL
3 stars

What is it about Anna-Marie McLemore's writing that makes me both love it and hate it at the same time?

This was objectively good, I just... don't think her writing style works for me. It's beautiful, but I simply don't care enough.

THE GHERIN GIRLS
5 stars

This legit made me tear up. All three of these girls were so beautifully fleshed out, each with their own interesting histories and struggles and I just adored them.

And while I loved the magic, it was also so subtle, because the real focus of this story was the incredibly moving and personal story of these sisters.

It was so incredibly beautiful and I just don't even have words.

Also again QUEER WITCHES. I love how many queer witches were in this anthology!

(TW: emotionally abusive relationship)

WHY THEY WATCH US BURN
5 stars

Why They Watch Us Burn was fiercely feminist and horrifyingly believable.

It's set in a near future America where women are being condemned as witches for daring to speak up, for being "too much" or "not enough", for nothing more than trying to live their lives in a way that the men don't like.

It's a horrible story, but it's a masterpiece. It has so many good points, so many political parallels, and also so much female power.

Part of me would have liked the magic to be more prevalent, but I also understand why it wasn't - how subtle it was only served to make the story even more believable.

I loved this story with all my heart. It truly is a masterpiece.

(TW: rape)

OVERALL?

Read this book. These stories are feminist and empowering. They're magical and beautiful. They're funny and unique. They're so so good. Please read them. show less

This honestly took me over a year to fully complete reading. Yikes! It actually had to do with the formatting of the eBook version, which was absolutely awful when it transferred to my Kindle. There were so many weird breaks in the sentences and words. Then there were the weird lack of breaks between some paragraphs that drove me mental. So to say, I continually put off reading the anthology after reading through a couple pages or stories. In the end, I grabbed a copy from my work and set about, FINALLY, finishing this one.

This wicked anthology consists of thirteen stories by thirteen wonderful authors. I always give props to those who can write a short story, let alone get me so emotionally invested in such few words. Each story had show more one element in common: magic.

I’m going to give a short synopsis of each story, and any of them with an asterisk (*) by them were one of my favorites!

Starsong
A sixteen year-old bruja trying to make up for the poor choices she made growing up. She uses social media a lot as a way to show off her magic. Essentially, a doubter messages her and they begin a meaningful bout of messages which become flirty and cute.

***Afterbirth
Historical fiction, set in New England in the seventeenth century. A midwife is accused of being a witch after saving a stillborn child. The midwife gives her apprentice her book of “spells and healing,” passed down for generations. Told via past and future events (before and during the trial.)

The Heart in Her Hands
Dealing with soulmates. Despite having a different soulmate, a young woman fights to stay with her girlfriend, even though in doing so, her gift of healing is taken away for defying her coven.

*** Death in the Sawtooths
A servant of Xosia, the Lady of Death, who is a medical examiner with the power to lay souls to rest. Although the town spurs her for her gifts–or curse, according to them–they end up seeking her out for help. This one had a True Blood vibe to it!

The Truth About Queenie
African-American witch in love with her best friend, a pro-skateboarder. She ends up saving her friend’s girlfriend after almost killing her.

The Moonapple Menagerie
I honestly cannot tell you what this one was about because I do not remember it. Except that it had something to do with a play?

*** Legend of Stone Mary
Descendant of a famous witch in town, which the town never lets her forget. There is a memorial statue of the witch. Desperate for friendship, the young woman goes out on Halloween with a group of people to see the statute, and winds up changing the town’s perception of her and her family.

The One Who Stayed
Narrated by a group, waiting for the one person who seeks them out and stays. Trigger warnings. Dark

Divine are the Stars
A story about family and greed, including magical realism. Very neat!

Daughters of the Baba Yaga
Unfortunately, another one I do not remember.

***The Well Witch
Damn, this one was one of my absolute FAVORITES. Historical fiction. A young witch living in BFE, Texas with the only oasis for miles. Three men on horses wind up at her home looking for shelter. This one is wicked. Trust me!

Beware of Girls with Crooked Mouths
Interesting and crazy. Three sisters in a line of witches where only one will survive until old age because they will eventually turn against one another. The eldest sister has a vision of all three surviving, but at what cost to the bond and love they share?

***Love Spell
A bruja who lives with her grandmother. Although witches are not welcome in town, the folk come to them for spells and assistance. She goes to Mass, even though she is shunned by being there, and falls in love with an alcolyte despite the fear that they can never truly live together in peace.

Gherin Girls
Unfortunately, another one I cannot recall.

***Why They Watch Us Burn
Holy hell on Earth, I think this one was the best for me. And I would ABSOLUTELY read an entire novel based upon this story. Very dystopian. Women get removed from society and sent to camps (where they essentially stay until death) because of either being too strong or accusing someone of sexual assault. This one was amazing, and it made me think it was inspired by Margaret Atwood. I loved it.

Until we meet again, Readers!

Cheers,
Talia x

Thank you to NetGalley for this review copy! show less

All good and every author took a different twist on the story of witches, most of them are of young women some are of perception of a person as a witch without any real witchcraft and some are of out-and-out witchcraft and magic. My favourite was probably Lindsay Smiths' Death in the Sawtooths but I didn't not like any of them, there were a few in which the point was a little over-pointy but overall I gobbled these down.
First up was Starsong by Tehlor Kay Mejia about an astrologer meeting an astronomer. Interesting read
Afterbirth by Andrea Robertson really did evoke some of the stress of the witch hunts and how women struggled to keep knowledge alive.
The Heart in her Hands by Tess Sharpe is the story of choice versus fate and wanting show more your own path.
Death in the Sawtooths by Lindsay Smith sees a necromancer investigate some deaths and I would read more set in this world
The Truth about Queenie by Brandy Colbert about healing and magic and love and learning to let go sometimes and to accept that sometimes things go wrong.
The Moonapple Menagerie by Shveta Thakrar is about a magical play and inclusion
The Legend of Stone Mary by Robin Talley is an urban legend meeting a wronged woman story. Quite strong.
The One who Stayed by Nova Ren Suma is a story of generational assault and anger and while short is very strong.
Divine are the stars by Zoraida Córdova is a story about inheritance and assumptions of what people are due, it's also about learning to accept yourself.
Daughters of Baba Yaga by Brenna Yavanoff is a story set in high school about two girls claiming their power.
The Well Witch by Kate Hart is about a woman surviving against some men who want to sieze her space and how they underestimate her.
Beware of girls with crooked mouths by Jessica Spotswood is about sisterhood and decisions made when magic and visions are involved.
Love Spell by Anna-Marie McLemore is about love and choice
The Gherin Girls by Emery Lord is a story that echoes some of the more magical realism stories and the witchcraft is on the surface but the sisterly love is the backbone of this one.
Why they watch us Burn by Elizabeth May was another strong story about a near future where girls suspected of witchcraft are used and abused in work camps and what happens when they band together.
Overall I thought this was a strong collection with some very good reads in it. show less

In this young adult anthology, editors Jessica Spotswood and Tess Sharpe celebrate the witchy wisdom and power of women. The collected stories cover a broad range of history and fantastical locations and include lighthearted tales as well as deadly serious ones.

Any short story collection is going to be a bit uneven but I truly enjoyed the vast majority of these. I would like to read novels based on some of these characters and I will be seeking out longer works by some of these authors. I appreciated that the writers are a culturally-diverse group and their characters reflect that. I also liked that some characters are LGBTQIA+. Representation matters.

After listening to this collection, I can’t say that narrator Amy McFadden is my show more favorite reader but she did read the stories capably. A lot of the stories blended together because her tone was so similar throughout. She did read with appropriate accents, which sounded fine to my untrained ear, but a lot of stories felt like they were being told by a snarky teen, which wasn’t necessarily accurate. The end of one story and the beginning of the next blurred together as well, which seems like a flaw (as I see it) of the production, not her. Just a few more seconds of silence would have clued me in that I had reached the ending.

Speaking of endings… I am okay with ambiguous endings. I won’t claim to be a huge fan but if I see a purpose, I’ll roll with it. Some of the stories seemed to stop for no apparent reason. That drives me crazy.

I recommend this for readers who enjoy short stories, women’s issues, and representation. When I look back on my Halloween reads, male authors always dominate the list. I enjoyed including a group of talented women this year, especially since they focused on important issues as well.

This is a good place to stop reading this review, but I always feel compelled to review each story as well. Here goes:

“Starsong” by Tehlor Kay Mejia–3 stars–I might have enjoyed this more in print. This was one of the stories that came across as snarky largely because of the narrator. Luna is sixteen and she almost died recently from a bad mixture of pills and alcohol. She’s finding her way forward with the help of her powers and the stars. She’s lonely though–until she meets @futureNASAqueen on Instagram and they begin discussing their mutual love of, but wildly different approaches to, the stars.

“Afterbirth” by Andrea Cremer–3 Stars–Cremer is one of two authors from this collection whom I’ve read previously (Nightshade). This wasn’t my favorite story although it largely felt all too real. Deliverance is an apprentice midwife. Her mentor, Miriam Ley, is on trial for witchcraft after a mother dies in childbirth and a snooping busybody, concerned neighbor reports that the child she gave birth to was really a devil.

“The Heart in Her Hands” by Tess Sharpe–4 Stars–I would like to read more about this world. Bettina Clarke is from a family of witches who are each gifted with a mark on their skin when they meet their soul mates. Bettina isn’t content to let someone else decide her fate so she fights every way she can. I really liked her and Auggie, her best friend.

“Death In The Sawtooths” by Lindsay Smith–4 Stars–Possibly my favorite story of the collection. I’d like a novel and maybe even a series about Mattie, a witch who prepares the dead for burial and helps them settle their unfinished business. She’s never really fit in with the other, more glamorous witches, and they bullied her mercilessly in school. She finds out that witches who have followed in her footsteps haven’t been treated any better but they aren’t as accepting of the pecking order.

“The Truth about Queenie” by Brandy Colbert–3 Stars–This one had a bit too much…troubled teen love?… for my taste. Others will like it more than I did. Queenie is a witch but she has only explored her powers one time previously with disastrous consequences. When her famous best friend (who she’s secretly in love with) asks her to use her powers for a good cause, she’s afraid that she won’t be able to help.

“The Moonapple Menagerie” by Shveta Thakrar–3 Stars–This is a pretty little fantasy about a group of shape-shifting witches putting on a play. Shalini is supposed to be writing the play but she has a terrible case of writer’s block and self-doubt. There’s a message here about asking for help when you need it but mostly it just felt like a sweet little romp through a pretty fantasy world.

“The Legend of Stone Mary” by Robin Talley–4 Stars–Wendy’s family of women has a reputation as witches, stemming from an incident that occurred at the end of the Civil War. Wendy’s great-great something supposedly cursed the town. The curse has died down but now that Wendy is visiting the statue the town erected in an attempt to appease “Stone Mary’s” spirit, it feels like the curse may be coming back stronger than ever. I liked the small town mythos here and Wendy’s complicated friendship with Karen.

“The One Who Stayed” by Nova Ren Suns–This one is hard to rate. I personally didn’t care for it but it’s a powerful piece that’s going to linger with me. It will be a trigger for some readers. A group of women (Witches?Ghosts? I was never clear) watch as a young teen is preyed upon and relive the memory of another girl in a similar situation the year before.

“Divine Are The Stars” by Zoraida Córdova–3 Stars–I was interested enough in the world that this family of witches inhabit but I’ve already largely forgotten it. The elderly matriarch has summoned everyone to her home for their inheritance but the family does not find what they expected.

“Daughters of Baba Yaga” by Brenna Yovanoff–4 Stars–Ms. Yovanoff is the second author whose work I’m familiar with in this group (The Replacement). Stony, a teen from an immigrant family, knows life in America is hard for anyone who is even slightly different. Harmony, a girl who thinks they’re both witches, befriends her. Harmony believes in using her powers for good. Stony, on the other hand, believes in justice.

“The Well Witch” by Kate Hart–4 Stars–This is another strong contender for my favorite story of the collection. Elsa is a water witch living in an oasis of her mother’s creation in the dry Texas plains. Trouble comes to her door in the form of three drifters, apparent deserters from the armies of the Civil War. I admired her for her resilience and reliance only on herself.

“Beware of Girls with Crooked Mouths” by Jessica Spotswood–4 Stars–This felt like a smaller piece of a family saga and I would like to read that saga. There can only be one matriarch in each generation of women in the Campbell family. Jo has a vision that she thinks will allow her and her sisters to avoid the fatal fate of their forebears.

“Love Spell” by Anna-Marie McLemore–4 Stars–I liked this story for its belief in love against the odds. A young woman is learning the art of healing broken hearts from her tía. Even though they’re women of faith, the local priest refuses them Communion, calling them brujas. But un acólito notices the young woman and begins serving them Communion in their home on Sunday afternoons.

“The Gherin Girls” by Emery Lord–4 Stars–I enjoyed this story but, given its superficial similarity to both Practical Magic and Garden Spells, that’s to be expected. I love that the sisters are so wholeheartedly on each other’s side, no questions asked. Middle sister Rosie has been out of a slyly abusive relationship for about a year when she runs into her ex and feels her world collapsing around her. I would like to read more about The Gherin Girls.

“Why They Watch Us Burn” by Elizabeth May–This is another difficult one to rate. I personally didn’t love it but it’s a truly powerful allegory about women who’ve been preyed upon by men and then crucified in the court of public opinion. show less