A Resistance of Witches
A Novel
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4.4 • 28 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
AN INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER
RESISTANCE IS MAGIC
“War II meets A Discovery of Witches…I raced through this one.” —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Briar Club
“Historical fantasy at its absolute best.” —Alexis Henderson author of The Year of the Witching and An Academy for Liars
As World War II rages around her, a witch abandoned by her coven must journey to find a book of unspeakable power before it lands in Nazi hands
Stubborn, plain-spoken and from an unimpressive family, Lydia Polk never expected to be accepted into the Royal Academy of Witches. Now, with Hitler’s army rampaging across Europe, the witches of Britain have joined the war effort, and Lydia is key to the cause: she must use her magic to track down magical relics before Hitler and his sycophants can. When a Nazi witch infiltrates the Academy with heart-breaking consequences, the coven is left shaken, exposed and divided. The elder British witches have no interest in further loss of coven life in service of a government that has forced them into hiding for decades, no matter the consequences to the world. But with the discovery of the Grimorium Bellum, an ancient book that leaves a trail of death and destruction wherever it goes, Lydia knows her mission has never been more urgent.
Alone and woefully outnumbered, Lydia makes her way to the heart of occupied France, where she finds allies in Rebecca Gagne—a fierce French resistance fighter chockful of secrets—and Henry Boudreaux—a handsome Haitian-American art historian with a little magic of his own. Together, they traverse the country, stalked by the natural and supernatural alike, in search of the grimoire. But, as Lydia soon discovers, finding the book is only half the battle—the Grimorium Bellum has a dark agenda all its own. Lydia must subdue it before the Witches of the Third Reich can use it—but she’ll have to survive the book herself, first.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Ryan's ambitious debut fantasy traverses WWII-era England, France, and Bavaria while juggling plotlines about the struggle against Hitler, mother-daughter drama, and a witch's coming-of-age. Though Britain has previously brutally suppressed its population of witches, when Winston Churchill calls for them to join the war effort, determined young Lydia Park and her mentor, Isadora, Grand Mistress of the Royal Academy of Witches, respond. After an intruding Nazi witch slashes Isadora's throat, a traumatized Lydia goes against the orders of the witches council to undertake a dangerous mission that could turn the tide of the war, traveling to France to find and destroy an ancient and powerful book of battle magic, the Grimorium Bellum. Along the way, she meets African American art historian Henry and Jewish Resistance fighter Rebecca, and together they battle a Nazi coven for the book. Gradually Lydia also comes to value her own mother, cherish her new friends, and recognize deceit in her mentors. Some loose narrative ends and a kitchen-sink approach to the magic system make the plot feel somewhat overcrowded. Still, Ryan keeps up a headlong pace and provides plenty of details for history buffs. This is a promising start.
Customer Reviews
Amazing read!!
A beautifully written emotional rollercoaster! I couldn’t put this down, it is so unique and captivating. I highly recommend, particularly to anyone who’s interested in historical fiction!
Lovely witchy read…
Discovery of witches, Harry Potter, Outlander all of my favorites wrapped into one. Please read this fantastic novel.