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A review by onthesamepage
The Book of Witches by Jonathan Strahan
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I always find rating and reviewing anthologies difficult, because there's such a variety in quality when you're dealing with 28 different stories. I picked this up because I recognized quite a few of the authors—some I've read from before and enjoyed, others that have books on my TBR. Overall, I really enjoyed the project, and the focus on diverse representation and depictions of witches.
Standouts:
Good Spells by Ken Liu (5⭐)
This was my first work by the author, and I definitely need to pick up more, because this was fantastic.
What Dreams May Come by C.L. Clark (5⭐)
This had great pacing and emotional impact, which I think is really hard to do in short stories.
So Spake the Mirrorwitch by Premee Mohamed (5⭐)
The writing and premise were excellent, and I loved the twist. Mohamed is definitely an author whose shorter works I really appreciate.
Witchfires by E. Lily Yu (5⭐)
Really strong story about the persecution of anyone who is seen as "other", and how easy it is to start literal witchhunts.
John Hollowback and the Witch by Amal El-Mohtar (5⭐)
I loved the premise of this, but also everything it had to say about entitled men/incels.
I always find rating and reviewing anthologies difficult, because there's such a variety in quality when you're dealing with 28 different stories. I picked this up because I recognized quite a few of the authors—some I've read from before and enjoyed, others that have books on my TBR. Overall, I really enjoyed the project, and the focus on diverse representation and depictions of witches.
Standouts:
Good Spells by Ken Liu (5⭐)
This was my first work by the author, and I definitely need to pick up more, because this was fantastic.
What Dreams May Come by C.L. Clark (5⭐)
This had great pacing and emotional impact, which I think is really hard to do in short stories.
So Spake the Mirrorwitch by Premee Mohamed (5⭐)
The writing and premise were excellent, and I loved the twist. Mohamed is definitely an author whose shorter works I really appreciate.
Witchfires by E. Lily Yu (5⭐)
Really strong story about the persecution of anyone who is seen as "other", and how easy it is to start literal witchhunts.
John Hollowback and the Witch by Amal El-Mohtar (5⭐)
I loved the premise of this, but also everything it had to say about entitled men/incels.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, and Murder