Review: The Book of Witches, edited by Jonathan Strahan (Harper Voyage)

The Book of Witches is a huge anthology, jam-packed full of wonderful prose and poetry from a diverse range of writers, lovingly edited by Jonathan Strahan. The quality of writing does not wain throughout, but here the following really stood out to me:

The collection opens with a moving poem, Seed of Power, by Linda D. Addison. It made me feel powerful, but also made me cry, and I think the work really sets the tone for the anthology.

The first story, What I Remember of Oresha Moon Dragon Devahrata, by P. Djeli Clark, was another amazing entry. A traveling witch, a curious young girl, a giant “champion”. Clark built a world so quickly, and I did not want to leave.

I was hugely impressed by Kathleen Jennings’s 2020 novel, Flyaway, so I knew I’d love her story, Catechism for Those Who Would Find Witches, written as a pamphlet about witches, that seems to be speaking directly to the reader.

I’ve been meaning to read Alaya Dawn Johnson for a while, and her story, The Witch is Not the Monster, definitely encouraged me to do this asap. A haint, a storm, generations of witches. Eco-horror. I absolutely loved it.

I am an unflinching Cassandra Khaw fan, and her story, Met Swallow, did not disappoint. A dying girl exchanges her dying body for a living fox.

The Nine Jars of Nukulu, by Tobi Ogundiran, is a tale in which a girl encounters a man in her dreams with the reflection of a panther, which leads her to discover the truth about her mother’s death. Another incredibly rich story.

Premee Mohamed continues to impress with So Spake the Mirrorwitch, where some witch hunters find themselves deservingly trapped in a living nightmare.

In the story, Her Ravenous Waters, by Andrea Stewart, a dead woman becomes indebted to a sea witch who “saved” her after her abusive husband drowned her. Again, a work of incredibly rich and engaging writing.

It’s always a pleasure to read new work by Angela Slatter. In her story Through the Woods, Due West, three young men have some strange encounters while trekking through a forest.

The ending of Night Riding by Usman T. Malik is one of the most horrifically entertaining things I’ve ever read.

E. Lily Yu captures horror and beauty perfectly in Witch Fires, a story of modern-day witch hunts and a portable crematorium.

I am so excited to seek out other work by Miyuki Jane Pinckard and Emily Y. Teng, two new (to me) writers. Pinckard’s story The Academy of Oracular Magic is about a trans girl destined for greatness, attending a prestigious magic school. Teng’s story, The Cost of Doing Business, takes place in a strange factory, which has an on-site witch to deal with injuries.When it becomes clear what the factory is, the story just opens up so wonderfully. I loved this so much.

But my absolute favorite story came last, from the remarkably intelligent writer Amal El-Mohtar. John Hollowback is a story of betrayal, forgiveness, and resentment. When the titular Hollowback visits a witch to fix his affliction, the reason for his literally hollow back unravels. This one also made me cry; it’s such a gorgeous story.

And these are just the highlights! This is such a strong collection, showing the many facets of witchcraft. And I really hope people discover their new favorite writer in this anthology.

The Book of Witches is released on August 1st, 2023. Place your pre-orders at your favorite indie bookstore!

Huge thanks to Harper Voyage for the ARC!