A Secret History of Witches

I tried - I really did. I *genuinely* wanted to like this book - it even passed my personal "75 Page Test" - if it holds me for the first 75 pages I stick with it. The reviews were largely glowing. As a Modern Pagan Witch I was roped in by descriptions of the author weaving in contemporary concepts of the Wheel of the Year, the Goddess and references to tie-ins with Dion Fortune's The Magical Battle for Britain. The sample rhymed spells calling on the Goddess included in promotional material sounded fabulous. But after an initially intriguing and filled-with-possibilities start, this was ultimately plodding, painful to read and the characters were flat and one-dimensional. I found many of the main characters difficult to like and some even unlikable - Ursule the Second made me want to jump off a Cornish sea-cliff! The "mother-daughter" relationship sales-pitch by many reviewers left me scratching my head - if this is what the "love between mothers and daughters" is all about, I'm thankful I missed all the dysfunction in real life! I can't say the same after having read A Secret History of Witches. Trust your intuition if you're on the fence about whether to read this book or not - there's more genuine magic in that than in Grandmere Ursule's crystal.

It took a long time for me to get into this book. The story begins in the early 1800's with a family of witches and follows their line up to the 1940's. Although I understand what the author was trying to do, the majority of the book felt like one long list of names. There were many characters, but they were all underdeveloped. And, it was frustrating to get interested in one witch's story, only to have it end abruptly, and then skip ahead fifteen years. I did not really enjoy this book until I got to the last character, Veronica. Here, the book stopped skipping ahead and actually told a story. Also, for a book titled, "A Secret History of Witches", I would have liked to have learned more about the actual history of their craft. Where did the characters get their power? Why did they have magic, but not other people? Why did some daughters inherit the gift, but not others? Why did they know so little about their own craft, even in the beginning? I did really enjoy Veronica's story and the work she did with her power. I would have liked to have seen that with the previous generations. Overall, it was a good book, but not my favorite.

This novel was a struggle from beginning to end. I felt I had to finish it because I purchased it, it was that unenjoyable. Absolutely no depth. I honestly don’t even see the point in the story. A line of 5 witches? Ok. But that’s it!!!! Unimaginative, boring, I cannot believe it was nearly 500 pages. I hate leaving negative reviews, but this book was beyond disappointing.

I very much enjoyed reading this book. It is very pagan friendly, and incorporates and alternative history and the spirit of the Magickal Battle of Britain, though it is not descriptive of the true events of it. (See:  The Magical Battle of Britain . I love the stories like this and  Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell: A Novel  where magic is used for good in times of war.This story is not at all complicated, and quite easy to read as a simple pleasure. It has strong female characters who are hereditary witches. This is the story of a lineage of mothers and daughters through time, and their use of magic in attaining their life's ambitions. The stories center around family, love, and children, and occasionally fortune. The individual women's tales should resonate with all women. The book has chapters, but it is perhaps easier to put down as each new generations' tale emerges.The book does draw on ritual aspects of modern neopaganism and Wicca, as well as, in some sense, Wicca's own very real historical fiction. Woven through the story are topics such as the wheel of the year, with very simple explanations of those days' rituals, and basic circle casting and scrying. At times the women in the stories are raised Christian, and the story is very Christian friendly overall, though there are some fundamentalist witch hunters who are much feared, for good reason.It is not lewd, though very brief sexual situations are mentioned in a romantic way, and it is never explicit. The language is very mild and in general, the values are love and faithfulness to it, observance of the wheel of the year, and family and loyalty. There's also a strong thread of love and respect for animals and their well being, and love of the earth and planting/gardening.If you enjoy this story, especially the tales of Gypsies practicing the craft in secret in the early- mid 21st century, you might also like  Diary of a Witch . As I was reading "A Secret History of Witches" I found myself often remembering how I enjoyed that book, too.

Once you read past the second generation, you have finished the book. Each generation is the same story line. I sat reading thinking, ""Oh let me guess, she gets pregnant out of wedlock and it is a girl and oh wow she is a witch." That pretty much sums it up. After the 2nd generation it is a boring, repeat story line caught up in in a spinning, gerbil's wheel.

I love witch stories. This one begins in Brittany, 1821. It traces five generations of powerful mothers and daughters whose magic is both dangerous and extraordinary. The Orchierses fight to keep the old ways alive with uncanny spells and rites. When World War II breaks out, magic is needed more than ever. This is a very unique story, exciting and captivating. It will definitely entertain you. It may also entice you to discover your own witching gifts!

I quite enjoyed this book, which is a bit of light reading nonsense , until the section on Veronique.The author, American I presume by the terrible spellings, postulates that the late Queen Mother was a witch, based on the evidence that one of her family was burned as a witch for what was clearly political reasons.It is well known that both the late Queen Mother and Prince Charles are Druids. Whatever!It really, really stretches the bounds of fiction to suggest, even if she were a sister of the craft, that the Queen Mother would share highly confidential info on D Day in this way, just plain ridiculous!There was a New Forest Coven, which according to Doreen Valente made spells to repelled the German invaders, and Aliester Crowley did engage in secret war work.Of course the female protagonists right through the novel are stunningly beautiful, sweet natured, clever, and succeed at all they touch, but that's why we all escape into novelsI had hoped that Veronique would work with the Forest coven, disappointing ending, with a cliffhanger no doubt for the next book.

I really quite enjoyed this book about witches and their geneology, until I reached the Book of Veronica. This book started off all right but a bit sudo upper classy and definately how the other half lived, which was fine. Veronica a bit too good to be true, but readable. THEN when it came to Veronica meeting Queen Elizabeth (the queen mother) at the start of WWII and saying that Queen Elizabeth was a witch, I stopped reading this book. I thought it was going too far and I was disasppointed but the the author is American and I suppose she thought she could get away with it. Sorry! but if it had been a British author, writing the President of the USA was a warlock, I don't think the Americans would be best please.

A lengthy novel that follows the lives of the Orchiere family, a family of Romani gypsies who flee France in fear of being burnt as witches.One life follows another each with its own deep secrets, dreams and aspirations. Each faces up to a personal dilemma, some with more success than others.Starting in 1821 when the family flee from Brittany and following the daughters as they mature and grow into their powers. Not all will make the right choice but each will pass on the spark that brings the scrying stone to life to the next. They will face the choices they made and live hard lives often fearful of discovery.I really enjoyed the book but I felt it lacked a vital something.. it needed just a little spark somewhere to lift it into 5*'s. The end felt a little flat.. which was a shame because it's just so close to the next level.

What I really enjoyed about this book was the slightly unconventional timeline of the story. It follows the same family of witches from 19th century Brittany, to WWII era England, tracking the adversity they faced in preserving their craft and traditions. Thoroughly engaging from start to finish, with well developed, strong female characters that you can't help but be moved by. If you enjoyed 'A Discovery of Witches' by Celia Harkness or Paula Brackston's 'The Winter Witch' then you'll love this. Don't expect wildly dramatic magic, this is a more subtle sort, it is more about the human story and the relationships between the women of the Orchiere line.

Utterly spellbinding. Historical story of a generation's of a family who are connected by a Crystal. In each generation one female member of the family can access the Crystal and magic. Some use it for good and some for evil. Very enjoyable unusual read.