2019: The Year of the (Fictional) Witch

 Hi guys!

So after going through my 2019 TBR recently, I noticed a lot of the books I’m excited for have something in common – so many of them are witchy, magical books and I’m so here for this! I absolutely love witchy books as, not only do I find they’re usually really unique in their magic styles as well as managing to stick to traditional witch lore, they’re always just such empowering books.

I’m really looking forward to all of these books so thought I’d share – if they aren’t on your radar already, they definitely should be. I’ve been lucky enough to read two of these already and will hopefully be preordering the rest!

The first three books I’m talking about include teenage covens, disbelieving locals, mysteries and small town mindsets. I’ve already read The Near Witch and fell in love with it’s spooky atmosphere, and am so excited to read the other two!

These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling (28th May)
Hannah’s an elemental witch living in Salem, but being caught using her powers can lead to her using them. She spends most of her time avoiding her ex girlfriend and selling witchy memorabilia to tourists, keeping a low profile. That is, until signs of deadly blood magic begin appearing all over Salem, and only Hannah and her ex Veronica can work out who’s doing it. Hannah’s running out of time as the attacks get deadlier, and she must juggle saving the town with impressing the new girl, Morgan.

The Near Witch by V. E. Schwab (out now!)
The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children. If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company. There are no strangers in the town of Near. Lexi has known these truths her whole life; that is, until a stranger turns up in town, just as children mysteriously start to disappear from their beds in the night, and Lexi begins to wonder if the Near Witch is more than simply a scary story…

The Furies by Katie Lowe (2nd May)
After an accident involving her dad and sister, Violet joins a private girls school with a history of being the site of 17th century witch trials. Violet is invited to join a study group with Robin, Grace, Alex and Annabel, the art teacher. The girls soon start to believe that they can harness magic, however, when the body of a long disappeared girl is discovered, Violet begins to wonder who she can trust in the secret society.

These next three, I had to link together: three books by Irish authors, all with twins as the main characters, dark secrets and hidden, all too realistic monsters. I finished Other Words for Smoke last week and it’s already become a firm favourite. 

Perfectly Preventable Deaths by Deirdre Sullivan (30th May)
Twins Madeline and Catlin move to Ballyfran, an isolated town where teenage girls have been known to go missing in the surrounding mountains. As distance grows between them and Madeline begins to understand her witchcraft, she also discovers that the area is full of supernatural predators who have been gathering together for generations. When Catlin falls into danger, Madeline must decide what she is willing to become to save her sister.

Other Words for Smoke by Sarah Maria Griffin (2nd April)
During a rough time at home, twins Mae and Rossa go to stay with their Aunt Rita and her teenage ward, Bevan, in rural Ireland. Over the summer, they learn that nothing in Rita’s house is as it seems – a great Aunt versed in tarot and magic, a talking cat, and a dark power living within the walls who feeds off emotion and has enthralled Bevan, always requiring more from her. A dark tale of obsession and what people would do for love.

All the Bad Apples by Moïra Fowley-Doyle (1st August)
When Deena’s sister, Mandy, disappears and is presumed dead, Deena refuses to accept it. Then the letters from Mandy start to arrive – claiming that the bad luck passed down through their family is actually a curse placed upon them, a curse which Mandy is determined to find the roots of. Now, Deena must find Mandy, and together they will heal or destroy their family’s past.

The final three books are more about magic than witches; they feature epic quests, women outcast from their societies for being seen as too powerful, and magical kingdoms from Eastern Europe to fictional libraries. 

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson (4th June)
Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s great libraries, Elisabeth has always known sorcerers are evil. She dreams of becoming a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from the grimoires that inhabit the library and can transform into monsters when provoked. When someone sabotages the library and it’s most dangerous grimoire is released, Elisabeth is blamed and she’s forced to seek help from sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn. As their alliance grows, Elisabeth discovers that she has powers she never knew of.

Through the White Wood by Jessica Leake (9th April)
Katya has been outcast from her village due to her power to freeze anything she touches. When she loses control of her powers, she is banished to the palace of Prince Sasha of Kiev. Katya is shocked to discover he also has a hidden power – the ability to summon fire. Together, they must learn more about their powers to stop the army organising outside the walls of Kiev.

The Wise and the Wicked by Rebecca Podos (28th May)
Ruby has always believed that the stories of her female ancestors being forced to flee their home in Russia due to their powers over death were just folktales. The only power remaining to them is the ability to see a vision of who they will be when they die. However, when Ruby’s great Aunt Polina dies, her death did not match her vision. When Ruby begins to hope for a different future and looks deeper into her family’s history, she learns that nothing comes without a price.

I hope you enjoyed this list and have found some new books to look forward to? What are your most anticipated releases for 2019? (bonus points if they’re also about witches or magic!)

love,
Becky