The Witches of New York: A Novel (Ami McKay's Witches, #1)

by Ami McKay

Julia Whelan (Narrator)

Those averse to magic need not apply...

1880

Witches Adelaide Thom and Eleanor St Clair have opened a tea shop in Manhattan specialising in cures, palmistry and potions.

When an enchanting woman called Beatrice joins the witches as an apprentice, she soon proves indispensable, but her new life is marred by strange occurrences.

She sees things no one else can see. She hears voices no one else can hear. Has she been touched by magic or is she simply losing her mind?

Amidst the witches' tug-of-war over how best to nurture her gifts, Beatrice disappears. But was it by choice or by force? In a time when women were corseted, confined and committed for merely speaking their minds, is anyone really safe?

• ISBN10: 0062681826
• ISBN13: 9780062681829
• Publish Date: 11 July 2017 (first published 19 May 2016)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc
• Imprint: HarperAudio
• Edition: Unabridged edition
• Format: Audiobook (MP3)
• Duration: 14 hours and 22 minutes
• Language: English

Reviews

[kimbacaffeinate]

Caffeinated Aspects:

• In a nut shell, this is the story of two witches helping a new witch find her place in the world during a highly religious, dangerous time in America. Eleanor St. Clair and Adelaide Thom own a Tea shop and welcome Beatrice Dunn into their home. She is a powerful young untrained witch.



• The tea shop was delightful and catered to women's needs. I loved that it was run by women for women. McKay used the store setting to highlight the climate for women during this period, and it felt natural and enlightening.



• Paranormal elements from ghosts to talking birds will delight listeners. McKay breathes life into these elements allowing readers to believe in magic, ghosts and more. The witches are aided by a talking Raven and a mischievous pair of Dearlies.



• Richly detailed with spells, lore, and witchcraft.



• McKay is to be commended for the research that is evident as the reader finds themselves amongst the good people of 1880 NY. Her depictions of the streets, townsfolk, climate, and dangers were outstanding. Atmospheric and beautifully crafted McKay pulls you into the tale and its characters.



• THE WITCHES OF NEW YORK weaves suspense, mystery, and magical realism into a believable tale. Steeped with religious overtones, we have a vigilante removing sinners and those practicing witchcraft or possessed of demons from this earth.



• The characters themselves are all unique, quirky and memorable. I enjoyed the banter amongst them and felt as if I were with them in the dark shop.



• Religion, oppression, prejudice and women's rights are all woven into the tale and offer plenty of discussion for those looking for a book club read/listen.



• Julia Whelan narrated and does a splendid job of capturing the female narratives, ominous tones, and ghostly entities.



• The ending wrapped up nicely, but the door was left open with a little suspenseful thread. I would definitely revisit these characters and story.

Decaffeinated Aspects:

• While I loved all the gritty details surrounding life in 1880 and the attention to witchcraft and its history, at times it slowed the pace down making listening difficult. I think had I read this, setting it down and picking it back up wouldn't have made it feel cumbersome at times.



• There were a few threads and characters I felt could have been eliminated from the tale. They did not further the plot and this would have made for better pacing.



• The audio lacks some of the rich details the print copy delivers. Newspaper clippings, drawings, and spells.

Audiobook provided by the publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[wyvernfriend]

Occasionally a slog but it was an interesting read. Sometimes vered into academic exploration of the uses of Witch as a condemnatory word about women who don't fit rigid societal boundries.