All families have drama, but these three terrific novels prove that families of witches really know how to brew up some trouble. Stop in to the Hoboken Public Library today and borrow them for a spell!
A Secret History of Witches
by Louise Morgan
Each section in the novel, A Secret History of Witches, focuses on a different witch in a long lineage starting in 1821 and going forward in time to 1937. Although the women are witches, to me there is less a focus on the supernatural than on the relationship between mothers and daughters as well as the ways in which women who have attempted to wield power have been discriminated against and threatened through the ages. This novel will appeal to those who enjoy historical fiction generally and not just fans of fantasy. Sometimes the characters can lack distinction in multigenerational sagas, but I found in this work each of the women was unique in her motivations and her relationship with her supernatural talents. Although I enjoyed seeing the varied histories of the Orchiere family, I enjoyed the last section focusing on Veronica and her efforts during the War to be my favorite. Louisa Morgan is the pseudonym of Louise Marley who has also written historical fiction under the name Cate Campbell as well as fantasy works under the name Toby Bishop.
Daughters of the Storm
by Kim Wilkins
In Daughters of the Storm, a novel infused with magic, the focus is not on mother/daughter relationships but on the relationship between 5 very different sisters. Bluebell is a fierce warrior, Ash is just learning her full magical abilities, Ivy is vain and selfish, Ivy’s twin Willow is a religious zealot of a new religion, and Rose is carrying on a secret affair after being forced into an arranged marriage with a man she doesn’t love. They must work together to save their ill father, a king, who has been cursed by a powerful spell. Their step brother wants to stop them and have the kingdom for himself. If you are a fan of Game of Thrones check out this fantasy saga which also has political maneuvering and familial drama a plenty. This is the first in a new series. The next book in the series Sisters of the Fire is scheduled to be published in the USA in January 2019 and is set 4 years after the events in Daughters of the Storm. Wilkins is one of my favorite author’s and you can read more about her other novels in a previous blog post.
The Rules of Magic
Alice Hoffman
Over a decade after Hoffman’s bestselling novel Practical Magic about two sister witches, comes the prequel, The Rules of Magic, which focuses on an earlier generation of the Owens family. If you liked the quirky aunts, Jet and Franny, from the original novel then you will enjoy getting to see them in their youth at the beginning of the 60’s when youth rebellion is raging and they must try to escape their family curse along with their brother Vincent. All three learn that love is impossible to hide from. Although it is hard to top the magic of her earlier work, I still enjoyed the novel. I relished the plot of the previous work more, but I found this work to be more mature in its characterization; Jet, Franny, and Vincent seemed more fully developed. Besides print, you can also borrow an ebook or digital audiobook version of the novel from eLibraryNJ or eBCCLS. You can also read my previous post about some of Hoffman’s other novels.
Written by
Aimee Harris
Head of Reference
Hoboken Library Staff Picks 