The Witch's Kind by Louisa Morgan

The Witch's Kind

by Louisa Morgan

From the author of A Secret History of Witches comes a new standalone novel set in the same world: an absorbing tale of love, sacrifice, family ties, and magic, set in the US in the aftermath of World War II. Perfect for fans of A Discovery of Witches, Outlander and Nora Roberts.

Barrie Anne Blythe and her Aunt Charlotte have always known that the other residents of their small coastal community find them peculiar - two women living alone on the outskirts of town. It is the price of concealing their strange and dangerous family secret.

But two events threaten to upend their lives for ever. The first is the arrival of a mysterious abandoned baby with a hint of power like their own. The second is the sudden reappearance of Barrie Anne's long-lost husband - who is not quite the man she thought she married.

Together, Barrie Anne and Charlotte must decide how far they are willing to go to protect themselves - and the child they think of as their own - from suspicious neighbours, the government and even their own family . . .


Praise for Louisa Morgan:

'A deeply satisfying and magical work of great craft' Carol Goodman, author of Incubus

'Deftly captures the greatest magic of all: the love between mothers and daughters'
Jordanna Max Brodsky

'Completely engrossing and hard to put down' Bibliosanctum

'Enthralling . . . Deeply moving and richly conceived' Kay Kenyon

'I loved it. A beautiful generational tale, reminiscent of Practical Magic . . . Grounded and real, painful and hopeful at the same time' Laure Eve

'Epic in scope and heartbreakingly tender . . . Recommended for fans of Nora Roberts' Booklist


Novels by Louisa Morgan:
A Secret History of Witches
The Witch's Kind
The Age of Witches

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

4 of 5 stars

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I received a copy of The Witch’s Kind through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Witch’s Kind is the latest novel by Louisa Morgan. It’s a light paranormal novel, with lots of lush details and a casual buildup. It’s very relaxing of a read, while still having plenty of interesting things going on in the world around the main characters. It’s described as being perfect for fans of Practical Magic, and having read the book, I couldn’t agree more.
Barrie Anne is a capable woman; she survived the war, has been left alone, and will not tolerate the idea of moving away. She’s content with what she has now. That contentment isn’t lost when an unexpected event changes everything for her. If anything, it gave her a new reason to fight.
This novel lightly touches on paranormal beings and events, but it reads very much like a women’s fiction novel. It’s introspective and empowering, and has a lot of heart to it. The paranormal events and creatures are discussed openly though, just with a casual ease of taking it all in stride.



Warnings: This warning is very much also a spoiler, so consider yourself warned. Barrie Anne lost her baby boy shortly after he was born. The trauma carries with her for the whole book, though it is more obvious at some points than others.
The Witch’s Kind was such a relaxing and engrossing read. I know those two sound like they would contradict one another, but they truly don’t. It’s delightfully written, with lots of details and no sense of rushing whatsoever.
I mentioned earlier that this book was described as being perfect for Practical Magic, and it’s true. The tones are remarkably similar, so I believe that if you enjoyed one, you’ll love the other. And that’s coming from an adoring fan of Practical Magic.
The paranormal elements add to the story, rather than detracting. Barrie and her aunt take everything thrown at them in stride, which only further shows what they’re capable of handling. It also proves just how interesting these women really are.
The novel keeps jumping between two points in time. One is the past (but only by a few years), and the other the present. I personally enjoyed the moments in the present more, though I understand that the past was setting up for the current set of events (naturally). I felt that the present flowed much more smoothly, and I was more invested in the events occurring in that timeline.
Barrie was easily my favorite character in the novel, second possibly only to Willow. There was something…more about that dog that I would love to know. I likely never will, and I’m okay with that. But she certainly caught my attention and my curiosity.
I loved how relaxing and quirky this novel was. Its tone was so shockingly soothing – even when something dramatic was occurring on the pages. It was like the book equivalent of a hug. It’s not every day that I come across a book that feels that way, so you can believe that I appreciated it.
I haven’t read any of Louisa Morgan’s other novels, but after this experience I’m going to have to check them out. I hope they’re just as detailed and enjoyable as this novel was.


For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 18 March, 2019: Finished reading
  • 18 March, 2019: Reviewed