The Witches of Moonshyne Manor
By Bianca Marais
Published August 23, 2022
★★★★☆
A sisterhood of octogenarian witches must work together to save their home from an angry mob - but first they must reconcile decades after a magical heist goes wrong. However, a bargain is struck by one of the sisters, and a sinister game is at play as vengeance and protecting a family legacy takes hold.
Help comes from the most unlikely place in the form of Persephone, a TikToker keen on drumming up support for the group with her online presence. Can they overcome their obstacles and save the manor?
This was such a fun and heartfelt read - and such a great introduction on the eve of spooky season! If you know me (and you might by now), I live for anything and everything witchy and I have tons of fun reading different takes on witchcraft and what that looks like in fiction.
This book. THIS BOOK! It was filled with raw emotion, bittersweet memories, and a good sprinkle of hilarity. There were several times I caught myself chuckling at the antics of the characters. You'd have to ask my book bestie how many snapshots she received with some witty quotes or raunchy witchy recipes. It was amazing.
First off, the women in this story are so strong. Despite being at the tail end of their lives, their warmth and effervescence for each other is clearly evident. They are funny, heartwarming, and very human. They epitomize the found family trope, and as a witch that is unattached from my roots, it especially hit home for me as I try to find and create my own family. Each sister is an individual with their own things that make them tick. It was such a neat experience living with them through this book, and observing their carnal search for self-love and acceptance.
This book is wholly feminist - but not in the "we hate all men" way. Marais brings together the idea that there is a certain power in the female presence, and that we can stand strong together. The sense of sisterhood, and the inclusion of a younger progeny, is such a touching way to mirror the current world, where it takes a village to survive most days.
The writing was very well done. Descriptive. Witty. Hilarious. You really feel as though you're stepping alongside the women as they face their trials. It has amazing representation - both LGBT and POC diversity is included. It's feminist. Fierce. Moving.
I do wish we got to see more involvement from Persephone and her TikTok endeavors, as she feels like a bit of an afterthought. Also, I did find at times that it was confusing to follow which witch's POV I was reading from.
Overall, it's such a good read. I wouldn't necessarily coin it as a "rom-com", as the romance aspect is fairly minor; however, the comedic factor is top-notch!
This would be a good book who enjoys reading a coming-of-age story (but make it opposite) or commonly indulges in the found family trope. There are some tense scenes, and definitely some sexually explicit scenes, so read at your own risk.
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