Written by Jess Magee
This book follows five generations of witches, showing the magic passed down from mother to daughter and tells the story of the struggles the family face trying to keep their lifestyle and craft a secret.
I was so excited when I heard about this book as magic and history are just such a perfect pairing and I was ready to become obsessed with this story. However, I was left feeling somewhat unenthralled as if I was missing something. Although the writing style was solid and what I would expect of a published author, there was no spark for me. I didn’t feel as if I wanted to read and, to be honest, I didn’t care what happened to the characters.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I loved how independent these women were. They were badass and powerful, but they were also unlikable. Everyone except the grandmother did not seem to have a mind of their own and seemed to come under the category of rude and just plain annoying. Once the grandmother passed away, I really stop caring about what would happen next. I was looking forward to a story about all-powerful, gender role breaking women, but as the story went on they began to fall right back into their gender roles.
You would think with the reversion to gender roles the historical aspect would be centre stage. Sadly, this does not seem to be the case. The story misses so many opportunities to really delve into the historical background of these time periods and really compare and contrast the changes that society would’ve been going through. I have no doubt that the author did a lot of research when writing this book, but I would’ve loved for her to incorporate it more into the actual plot.
Another major problem I had was the actual structure. There are many time hops throughout, but there is no real way of telling the difference except for the chapter title. There wasn’t a massive contrast between the different generations and if there were no names throughout I honestly wouldn’t be able to tell which generation was speaking. I had to keep turning back to remember which generation I was reading about, which really takes you away from the flow of the story.
Overall, this was such a great idea and I think with a bit more time, it would’ve been a real winner. However, the characters and the structure make it very hard for me to love this book. I think if I wasn’t reviewing this, I would’ve put it down after 100 pages. If you love anything involving magi,c and witches, then maybe give this book a go. But if you are picking a historical fiction book, I would stay away from this one.
Have you read A Secret History of Witches? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
An ancient and dangerous power is being handed down from mother to daughter through some of the most consequential historic events of the last two centuries.
After Grandmére Ursule gives her life to save her tribe, her magic seems to die with her. Even so, her family keeps the Old Faith, practicing the spells and rites that have been handed from mother to daughter for generations. Until one day, Ursule’s young granddaughter steps into the circle, and magic flows anew.
From early 19th century Brittany to London during the Second World War, five generations of witches fight the battles of their time, deciding how far they are willing to go to protect their family, their heritage, and ultimately, all of our futures.
