Taken as a child to the Isle of Apples, Morgana quickly discovers powers that outshine those of the other priestesses. As she grows into her abilities, she is drawn into Arthur’s war against the Saxons, her prophetic visions guiding her decisions even as they weigh heavily on her conscience. Bound by her vow to aid and protect the True King, Morgana must navigate both political intrigue and dark magical forces, knowing that each choice she makes could alter the fate of those she cares for and the kingdom she wants to protect.

Morgan’s writing is richly poetic and descriptive, often lingering on the details of setting and mysticism. These moments may slow the pacing, but they also immerse the reader in the enchantment and danger of this world, making its beauty and peril feel vivid and real. The novel unfolds with a patient rhythm, gradually expanding from the insular Isle to the wider stage of kingdoms and conflicts, all while keeping Morgana’s inner struggles at its core.

The characters themselves provide the novel’s strongest anchor. Morgana emerges as powerful yet isolated, burdened by both her gifts and her devotion to Arthur. Arthur, noble and resolute as a ruler, proves dangerously blind to the betrayals closest to him. Alongside them is Braithe, Morgana’s quiet but steadfast companion, whose loyalty draws her into the heart of political schemes she never sought. Together, these figures embody themes of sacrifice, friendship, and the tension between personal desire and greater duty.

The Faerie Morgana stands out among Arthurian retellings in its compassionate reimagining of a woman too often vilified in legend. By centering Morgana’s humanity, specifically her doubts, her loyalties, and her capacity for both strength and tenderness, the novel reframes her not as a schemer in the shadows but as a guardian, leader, and friend.

Immersive, moving, and resonant, The Faerie Morgana breathes new life into an old story. It celebrates the power of devotion and sacrifice while offering a poignant reminder that sometimes the greatest threats come not from distant enemies, but from those closest to us.

The Faerie Morgana is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.

Will you be picking up The Faerie Morgana? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis

In this atmospheric and bewitching novel, Louisa Morgan reimagines the story of Morgan Le Fay, one of the most enigmatic and powerful women in Arthurian legend.
 
To the other priestesses of the Nine, a powerful council at the Lady’s Temple, Morgana is haughty and arrogant as she performs feats of magic no human should be capable of. Rumors start that she must be a fearsome fae.
 
To King Arthur, Morgana is a trusted and devoted advisor, but his court is wary of her and her prodigious talent at divination. But his wife sees Morgana as a rival and a malevolent witch.
 
To Braithe, Morgana’s faithful acolyte, she is simply the most powerful priestess Camelot has seen.
 
Morgana doesn’t know why she’s so different from everyone else, and she doesn’t much care. But when she aids Arthur to ascend the throne before his time, she sets off a series of events that will change everything Morgana believes about her power.

The post Review: The Faerie Morgana by Louisa Morgan appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

We chat with Louisa Morgan all about her latest release The Great Witch of Brittany, along with writing, book recommendations, and more!

Hi, Louisa! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Hi! I’m a mom, a yogini, a dog lover, and a writer, not always in that order. The first half of my like (started at the age of five) I was a professional singer, both folk and classical. The second half (so far) I’ve been granted the great blessing of a second artistic career, and I’m so grateful. I love writing books. And I love—and am often surprised—that there are readers for them! Not sure very many folks get this lucky.

How has the first month of 2022 been for you?

It’s been busy! With a new book coming out, there have been lots of people to talk to, interviews to do, plans to make. Also, my familiar, Oscar, has needed some physical therapy, so that’s kept me occupied. He’s my constant companion, and I need him in optimum health! I’m also getting used to the spectacular but icy North Idaho weather. Brrrrrrr.

When did you first discover your love for writing?

I was an avid reader from a young age, and because I’m used to doing the things I love, writing came naturally, in its time. I always intended to write, and then my musical life dominated, but here I am! To me, writing is very like performing. I love having an audience, and I love polishing my performance—my novel—to the highest sheen I can.

Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!

Smoky, the Story of a Horse.  Will James was the author. My father, a horse lover, gave the book to me when I was very young (an early reader) and I probably read it twenty times before my teens. Even today, the voice of that novel is inspiring, genuine, flowing, a distinctively Western but absolutely readable narrative. The book is facing me from my bookcase right now, with my dad’s inscription.

Your new novel, The Great Witch of Brittany, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Biography of a working witch.

What can readers expect?

They can expect to get to know the ancestress of the Orchière witches they met in A Secret History of Witches. I hope they love her as much as I do.

Where did the inspiration for The Great Witch of Brittany come from?

This inspiration was a first for me! A number of readers asked about the first Ursule, wanting to know her story. I loved discovering it, and as so often happens when I develop a character, I miss her! She is the embodiment of the powerful women I have known and loved.

Can you tell us a bit about the challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?

There were personal challenges, as so often happens to all of us. And as I was writing in the year 2021, I had the same challenges and difficulties we all did, created by the pandemic. It has been a hard time for everyone. A friend said the other day that she didn’t see how I could write in the midst of such a difficult year, but the truth is that my work saved me. Turning to the past, meeting a character I cared about so much, developing her story, these were all things that took me out of myself. I won’t pretend it was easy, but as my wonderful mother said, “One foot in front of the other.” That maxim works for both writing and life.

Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

There were many, but I think the one that surprised me the most, and which I loved making happen, was the return of Remy, the farmer Ursule worked with for many years, toward the end of the book. He was a goodhearted man in a world where many men were cruel to Ursule, and I remember him fondly.

What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?

Worst: Write fast. (I have an entire presentation I give at workshops debunking this.)

Best: Dramatize, don’t narrate. (I know we all hear this all the time, but when I get stuck, it’s the principle I return to. I could expound on this at length!)

What’s next for you?

I’m writing a new novel, not a witchy one, but a ghost story. I hope the readers will enjoy something different! I’m also already contemplating another witch book, set in the time of Eleanor of Aquitaine—working on developing that. The witch element will be a little bit different, I think.

Lastly, do you have any 2022 book recommendations for our readers?

Don’t miss The Violence, by Delilah Dawson, if you can tolerate a dash of horror in your narrative! I had the privilege of reading it in manuscript, and I loved it. I also loved a book that came out in 2020, and is now available in paperback. It’s You Let Me In, by Camilla Bruce. Oddly enough, since I don’t read much horror, it also has strong horror elements, but an absolutely fabulous mystery and an unreliable narrator I envy. Very well done. Another book I was lucky to read in manuscript is a literary novel, but I’m not sure it comes out until early 2023. It’s No Two Persons, by the wonderful writer Erica Bauermeister. When it arrives, don’t miss it!

Will you be picking up The Great Witch of Brittany? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Louisa Morgan, Author of ‘The Great Witch of Brittany’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below what you are excited to read!

Famous Men Who Never Lived by K. Chess
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

For readers of Station Eleven and Exit West, Famous Men Who Never Lived explores the effects of displacement on our identities, the communities that come together through circumstance, and the power of art to save us.

New Suns by Nisi Shawl
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color showcases emerging and seasoned writers of many races telling stories filled with shocking delights, powerful visions of the familiar made strange. Between this book’s covers burn tales of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and their indefinable overlappings. These are authors aware of our many possible pasts and futures, authors freed of stereotypes and clichés, ready to dazzle you with their daring genius.

The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the Hugo Award­­-winning author of The Stars Are Legion comes a brand-new science fiction thriller about a futuristic war. A worthy successor to classic stories like Downbelow Station, Starship Troopers, and The Forever War, The Light Brigade is award-winning author Kameron Hurley’s gritty time-bending take on the future of war.

Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Perfect for fans of RED QUEEN and UPROOTED, Crystal Smith’s debut novel, BLOODLEAF, is an imaginative retelling of the Grimm Fairy tale “The Goose Girl” that takes a ghostly mystery and sets it inside an epic fantasy world.

The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From award-winning author G. Willow Wilson, The Bird King is an epic journey set during the reign of the last sultan in the Iberian peninsula at the height of the Spanish Inquisition.

The Women’s War by Jenna Glass
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In a high fantasy feminist epic, a revolutionary spell gives women the ability to control their own fertility—with consequences that rock their patriarchal society to its core.

To Best The Boys by Mary Weber
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Perfect for fans of The Scorpio Races and Caraval, To Best the Boys is a new fantasy novel from the beloved and bestselling author of the Storm Siren trilogy, Mary Weber.

The Perfect Assassin by K.A. Doore
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A novice assassin is on the hunt for someone killing their own in K. A. Doore’s The Perfect Assassin, a breakout high fantasy beginning the Chronicles of Ghadid series.

Beware The Night by Jessika Fleck
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Ancestral Night by Elizabeth Bear
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A space salvager and her partner make the discovery of a lifetime that just might change the universe in this wild, big-ideas space opera from multi award-winning author Elizabeth Bear.

The Fever King by Victoria Lee
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In the former United States, sixteen-year-old Noam Álvaro wakes up in a hospital bed, the sole survivor of the viral magic that killed his family and made him a technopath. His ability to control technology attracts the attention of the minister of defense and thrusts him into the magical elite of the nation of Carolinia.

The Witch’s Kind by Louisa Morgan
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the author of A Secret History of Witches comes an absorbing tale of love, sacrifice, family ties, and magic, set in the Pacific Northwest in the aftermath of World War II — perfect for fans of Practical Magic, The Witch’s Daughter, and A Discovery of Witches. 

What book are you excited to read this month? Tell us in the comments below!

The post March Book Releases: Fantasy + Sci-Fi appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

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.

The post Review: A Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan appeared first on The Nerd Daily.