At a Glance

Title: The Age of Witches

Author: Louisa Morgan

Expected Publication: April 7, 2020 by Redhook

Page: 448

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Witches

Goodreads Rating: 3.76 out of 5

My Rating: ★★★★

Synopsis

“In 1692, Bridget Bishop was hanged as a witch. Two hundred years later, her legacy lives on in the scions of two very different lines: one dedicated to using their powers to heal and help women in need; the other, determined to grasp power for themselves by whatever means necessary.
This clash will play out in the fate of Annis, a young woman in Gilded Age New York who finds herself a pawn in the family struggle for supremacy. She’ll need to claim her own power to save herself-and resist succumbing to the darkness that threatens to overcome them all.”

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My Thoughts

Raise your hand if you love a good magic book! Me, I do! I love all stories about witches and magic especially when the magic is more feeling and emotion than just wand waving.

Morgan has crafted a beautiful narrative about witches in the Gilded Age of New York. The depth of characters combinded with the significant world building is fabulous.

While the story follows the view point of three separate Bishop witches, I found myself drawn to Annis. Annis, is a rebelliously independent 18 year old women. She has wanted for nothing and could very well be a socialite, however she prefers the company of her horses and dreads a future of being a wife. She is ambitious and before her time. She fights for what she wants, which since she is from a wealthy family works for her. With a kind heart and a thirst for learning she greatly appealed to my.

When her step-mother, Frances, the second Bishop witch aims for Annis to marry a title in London, Annis must overcome the magic Frances will use to get her way. Our third Bishop witch, is Annis’ estranged aunt Harriet. Harriet knows how far Frances will go to get her way, and she is determined to bring Annis under her wing to keep her safe.

Honestly, it does not take much except a solid plot line and a flushed out magic system for me to enjoy a ‘magic’ story. A heavy romance plot can seriously hinder my judgement though, as I prefer them to be side stories and not consume the entirety of the plot line. While marrying Annis off is the reason Frances becomes the villain, it’s not the only reason. Morgan does a great job of giving Frances depth to make every action she takes wholly realistic. Regardless, the romance aspect is a side plot. It does not feel forced or fake. There were no ‘love at first sight’ reactions, which I can appreciate. Makes for a much more believable and enjoyable story line.

On the topic of magic systems though, I really enjoyed how ‘Magic’ was more about inner emotions and raw energies from the earth. Instead of being you typical cauldron brewing women, the Bishop witches are more in line with what a pharmacist does today. The magic is build around the use of herbalism rather than a force of power. They tend to offer remedies, often made only from local herbs than curses or spells. It’s an interesting take on how magic functions, but it really works within this narrative.

Overall, I loved the book. I loved Morgan’s writing style and I could honestly go with reading a couple more within this universe. Which I will actually probably pick up her first book about witches, A Secret History of Witches this summer. My only compliant about this book, is that the ending felt a little drawn out. There was one point I thought the story was going to end, and it just kept going. Granted, once I read what else was to come, it tied together nicely but maybe splitting it into two separate books would have been ideal.

This book comes out April 7th! If you think you’d like to read this book, get your copy HERE!

I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on The Age of Witches. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof_books. Huge thank you to Redhook and Netgallery for my advanced copy

About the Author

Louise Marley is an award-winning writer of fantasy and science fiction. As Louisa Morgan, she writes historical and mainstream novels. She currently lives in the Pacific Northwest.

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