Book Description
Setting
Set in 1893, this witch tale is more modern than most. It intersects the time period when women were trying to get the right to vote. The juxtaposition of women increasing their political power while letting go of the witchy ways (being able to heal with herbs etc.) creates an interesting dynamic.
Characters
The book uses three points of views, three sisters. Each comes into the town in their own way and time. The characters are quite distinct and correlate with the “Maiden, Mother and Crone,” according to age. At first, the characters purposefully avoid each other, and it takes time for the reader to understand what was broken between them.
Plot
The plot ostensibly focuses around women trying to achieve power through getting the vote. The sisters unite with the local suffrage movement in different ways. Throughout the book, there is a dark force that works against the women’s movement. The darkness seems political in nature at first, but, like every part of this book, eventually you discover there is an element of magic as well.
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An Editor’s Book Review
Character Development
There are three main characters in this book, which means that the point of view changes on a regular basis. Some authors do this seamlessly; other authors don’t. I think Alix E. Harrow is a master of point of view changes. Despite the number of characters, I thought the POV was typically where the action was (where the reader wants to be).
Each of the three sisters was very easy to distinguish from the other. Even if you didn’t read the page heading, you could tell within sentences who was speaking. I liked how their traits tied back to childhood experiences that each remembered differently. It showed how memory can define who we are.
Pacing
A book with three character perspectives can start out a bit slow. There’s a lot of information for a reader to digest. Despite the slower pacing at the beginning, there were plots twists that added a sense of urgency and drew readers through the slower places.
This book actually had such a climactic middle that I was confused as to where the author was going to go from there. But I enjoyed how the mini-climaxes through the book kept the pace very brisk.
Writing Style
I’ve loved Alix E. Harrow’s writing style since reading Ten Thousand Doors of January in 2020. To me, it’s melodic without being fussy or full of archaic words. Some may find it a bit too descriptive or a bit slow.