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I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers witchy books and wonderful readers with whom to discuss them!  Yes, this does mean some months I feel a little more Anne Shirley and others I feel a bit more Louise le Blanc, and October is definitely the latter.  Regardless of which way you’re leaning towards this October, YOU are invited to join us for Virtual Book Club on Friday, October 22, at 7:30 p.m. to talk about Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow.  But, we can only discuss it with you, if you sign up here to get an invitation.

Dear readers, there are few things I enjoy more than digging into a YA witchy book and finding the word “exsanguinated” or some other derivation of the word!  Morbid?  Maybe, but you all know we’ve studied a bit of French around here, so anything that reminds me of that, and the last line of La Marseillaise brings me great joy, and yes, is a bit grotesque.  Just don’t get too excited though, you have to wait a while for that word. 😉

Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart is a fantastical, complex tale of Aicya, a land where two different sects of matriarchal witches have been fighting for power among themselves and trying to keep their neighbors at bay for time immemorial.  As our tale begins, there is a bit of a rebellion growing among the sect in power, and the sect who isn’t in power has some ideas as well.  We have two narrators we follow throughout the story, one in each sect, both who could have great power, if only they survive and land on top.  There is a lot of world building needed to set up this complex magical and political system and history, but Smart uses her narrators and her story to do the heavy lifting and it’s really gorgeous.  

The narrators of Witches Steeped in Gold both have a lot of growing to do, but since this is book one of (at least!?) two, I’m not confident in saying we have a hero’s epic, although it’s possible at this point, or somewhat of a coming of age tale, but I don’t think we’re going to cover enough time, even with the second book, for that to be the case, at least in the traditional sense.  Both narrators are young and have a lot to learn about themselves and the world around them.  The supporting cast is interesting and complex, and the writing style is engaging.  

I’m giving Witches Steeped in Gold 3.5 stars and rounding up to 4 with a caveat for you – I read this book during a week where I was very distracted by life, so I think I’m not giving it full credit and I’m very interested in Ashley’s comments, even though she also had a lot going on during this read.  I definitely need a reread before the second installment comes out in June 2022.  While this is a debut novel, Smart has a story to tell and she’s ready for us!  I’m very much looking forward to seeing how she grows as she keeps writing books *crosses fingers*.  

What’s a title that you read during a busy time and would like to revisit?

~Nikki 

Ciannon Smart wrote in her acknowledgments: “As soon as I knew books were written by people, it was the only thing I wanted to do.” Nikki said above that Smart has a story to tell us, and probably has many more after the story of the witch tribes of Xaymaca comes to an end. She was born in England, is of Jamaican heritage, and grew up surrounded by brothers. Besides writing, she reads, paints, and plays piano. It is obvious that fantasy is her favorite genre because her world building is so very deep and complex. I would be very surprised if Smart’s books do not win numerous awards in the future. Witches Steeped in Gold was published in April 2021, so there’s quite a bit of time for it to be included on some best of lists.

Nikki is also right in that we both read this book during a busy time at home and work, and so I was distracted at times in the world building, wishing for a little more background or explanation at a time when all I needed to do was read a few more chapters and the thing I was craving would be satisfied. Nikki mentioned to me when she started reading it that some of the reviews she skimmed stated something akin to “the world is so confusing.” It did take me to 25-30% to truly get a grip on the world’s structure and be able to then get into the story for the characters and action rather than trying to figure out the geography in which everything was found – both physical geography of the land (islands based on Jamaica and the Caribbean) and the magical and political structure that is set upon the island and how they are intertwined. I was certainly hooked into wanting to know more from chapter 2, but it did take time to allow the story to unfold and all my questions to be answered. AND THEN there are surprises at the end that I was so here for and I’m going to say nothing because you need to read it to get it, but book 2 is highly anticipated for my TBR.

Besides the seemingly slow world building – it’s really not, but I’m impatient as regards everything – there did seem at times that I needed a little more ‘showing not telling’ during conversations. I did have a little trouble gauging the emotional reaction or even what a response implied during conversation until the narrator gave us that information several paragraphs down. I had trouble imagining the character’s facial reactions or tone of voice. I found myself re-reading things to see if I had missed something crucial, and then it would get explained later. So I feel like that process could have been handled better. It did not help that I was very distracted while reading Witches Steeped in Gold, and so I didn’t have a lot of time to focus on the book – I did read it in fits and starts and that could have exacerbated this perceived problem.

Overall, I highly recommend this debut fantasy YA novel, and I wait with great antici…pation for Smart’s sophomore novel. I am going to give Witches Steeped in Gold 3.5 stars but I can’t round up to 4 like I normally do. I’m hoping that when I re-read before number two is released in 2022, I will have a different experience because I will know what to expect, though overall this book about literal Black Girl Magic is electrifying.

~Ashley

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