Books of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Six Beautiful Witchy Reads

“To make women learned and foxes tame has the same effect - to make them more cunning” ~ King James VI of Scotland and I of England

It started off with The Worst Witch, this bookish obsession of mine. Miss Cackle’s Academy, where you were given kittens in assembly and broomstick lessons were on the timetable, was so much more appealing than my boring run-of-the-mill primary school. I longed for my cat to come to school with me and to be able to brew an invisibility potion. Then in my tweens, I read Mist Over Pendle by Robert Neill, a fictionalised account of the lead up to the Lancashire witch trials. It’s more historical fiction than fantasy, but it made a great impression on me at the time. Since then, my love for books about witches has continued and like my early reading, this encompasses both pure fantasy through to historical fiction. Aside from the escapism that a magical school or world offers, I enjoy the fact witches are often self-reliant and can carve their own destinies. The fact that they can choose to use their skills to help or harm is also fascinating and I like to understand what sends someone off on the path to good or evil and if the path to evil can be redeemed. In historical fiction terms, I’m saddened by those who were marked as witches; women on the fringes of society, women of independent means or thought all targeted by witch hunters and sacrificed by scared neighbours or friends. Again, I’m interested in the psychology of those who chose justice over saving themselves. In this article, I thought I’d give you a round-up of recent reads with themes of magic or witchcraft that might appeal to a variety of ages.

For YA readers, Witch by Finbar Hawkins is set in 17th Century England at the time of the Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins. Evey and Dill watch from the woods as their mother is murdered by a band of men calling themselves witch hunters. Daughters of a true witch, Evey is intent on using her power to avenge her mother’s death and Dill hopes to use her magic for healing. The tables turn as the hunters become the hunted and there is an almighty showdown at the end of the book. Evey is a complex character and watching her struggle to decide how to use her power makes for an interesting dynamic. For readers of middle-grade fantasy-fiction (and that includes me!) there are two stand-out magical reads from 2021 that I’d love to recommend. Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston had me beaming from ear to ear with pure joy. When Amari’s brother Quinton goes missing, Amari needs to open her own investigation as all official channels have dried up or given up. When she receives an invitation to train at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she moves a step closer to finding out what happened to Quinton. Stuffed with weredragons, talking lifts and underwater trains, this was a completely transportive and enjoyable read that dealt with themes of equity and discrimination in an approachable and meaningful way. The Hatmakers by Tamzin Merchant is another book to add to your burgeoning magical pile. An imagined 18th Century London is divided into Guilds. Cordelia is the youngest of the Hatmakers, the Guild that creates hats to give their wearers whatever it is that they need; courage, confidence or calm. Menacing ingredients that might be used for nefarious purposes are locked away as part of an agreement with all the Guilds despite their age-old rivalry. When Cordelia’s father and his ship, The Jolly Bonnet, are wrecked at sea, Cordelia doesn’t believe that he has drowned and sets off to find him. A swash-buckling adventure with a heroine full of heart, The Hatmakers deserves a place on your bookshelf.

For adult readers, Her Kind by Niamh Boyce was published in 2019 and is set in Kilkenny, Ireland in 1324 in the lead up to the Kilkenny witch trials. Dame Alice Kytler owns the allegiance of her town and most of its wealth. She takes in the daughter of a childhood friend and names her Petronella, giving her a new identity and a new job as a servant. When Alice, independent in terms of finances and spirit, captures the attention of the jealous and misogynistic Bishop, her fall from grace is short and sharp. I loved this historical fiction novel for its setting in 14th Century Ireland, a place and time I know little about and also the well-drawn characters of Alice and the odious Bishop. Cunning Women by Elizabeth Lee takes us back to 17th Century England. Set in Lancashire eight years after the infamous Pendle witch trials, Sarah Haworth’s mother is trying to make a meagre living selling cures and curses to the villages of the small fishing village where they live. Although she is marked as a witch by a birth mark on her neck, Sarah wants to choose a different life. She falls in love with Daniel, the son of a local farmer, but their fledging relationship needs to withstand the division seeded by the new village magistrate. Cunning Women is more historical fiction with elements of magical realism than fantasy, but for a debut novel, Elizabeth Lee deftly weaves together multiple viewpoints whilst simultaneously ratcheting up the tension. Finally, Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner is a witchy-themed book with a difference. First published in 1926, Lolly, or Laura Willowes, is a “maiden aunt” one of Edwardian society’s social pariahs. After years spent living in her brother’s smallest guest room at the beck and call of his family, she makes a sudden and unexpected decision to move to the country to a little village called Great Mop. When her new-found independence is threatened, Lolly makes a deal with the devil and becomes a witch leading to one of my all time favourite witchy quotes:

“One doesn't become a witch to run around being harmful, or to run around being helpful either, a district visitor on a broomstick. It’s to escape all that - to have a life of one’s own, not an existence doled out to you by others”

So perhaps by thinking around choosing to harm or heal is a little reductive, maybe being a witch is all about carving out your own destiny! Let me know your favourite books featuring witches and witchcraft, comments are open below.