What is it with books about witches and their otherworldly ability to captivate our imaginations?
Is it the fun idea of brewing potions over a cauldron with a familiar lurking nearby? Or the allure of casting powerful spells under a full moon? Or, if you’re like me, is it that you grew up in the Charmed era and now look for books where women have power and aren’t afraid to use it?
Whatever the draw is, witches in literature are clearly a force to be reckoned with. From quirky paranormal romances (Motherducking Magic) to nonfiction books about witches (A Delusion of Satan), magic mixes with the mundane in this genre-spanning list of the best books about witches for adults.
1. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
I’m kicking off this list with the magical source material for the hit 1990s fantasy rom-com featuring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman.
The Owens women have spent the last 200 years shouldering the blame for everything that goes wrong in their small town. The latest generation of Owens sisters are determined to avoid this and want to blend into “normal” society, despite the fact that their mysterious powers continue to gain strength. However, as hard as they try, they can’t seem to escape their witchy heritage and the responsibilities that come with it.
2. Motherducking Magic by Michelle Fox
Magical mayhem abounds in this series starter that boasts a unique storyline along with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. Things go from bad to worse for bounty hunter witch Sylvie when her latest assignment, a werewolf thief, skips bail. Things go from worse to worst when she’s accused of secretly aiding and abetting said werewolf in stealing a powerful relic.
There’s more than meets the eye in Fox’s ducking-good urban fantasy adventure that will leave you begging for a sequel, which, luckily, is already available here.
3. Slewfoot by Brom
Dip your toes into the dark arts with Brom’s masterful blend of horror, historical fiction, and folklore. With his signature brooding style, Brom grips readers from the outset in this bewitching tale of a young girl who crosses paths with a supernatural entity.
After Abitha’s husband mysteriously dies, she’s left powerless and alone in the oppressive confines of a 17th century Puritan colony. When the walls of the overtly patriarchal community threaten to suffocate her spirit, she’s drawn into a dangerous dance with an ancient spirit. Is he friend or foe? A harbinger of salvation or despair?
Filled with atmospheric suspense, Slewfoot has it all, from love and beauty to violence, revenge, and gore.
4. The Witches of Moonshyne Manor by Bianca Marais
A modern coven of feisty octogenarian witches will stop at nothing to save their beloved Moonshyne Manor from being torn down. Not only do they need to come up with their overdue mortgage money, they’ll also need to face a formidable foe hellbent on tearing apart their coven.
This is a Golden Girls meets Practical Magic mashup that celebrates found family, strong women, and the magic of aging.
5. After the Forest by Kell Woods
Woods’ fantasy retelling of “Hansel and Gretel” follows the wayward children 20 years after their deadly run-in with the cannibalistic forest witch.
Although the pair escaped with their lives, both are now living with severe trauma and struggling to make ends meet. To keep them afloat, Greta bakes and sells the most sumptuous gingerbread in all the land. But its unearthly goodness raises suspicion, sparking whispers of witchcraft.
Woods’ stunning debut, brimming with real-life German history, nicely complements the original Brothers Grimm fairy tale.
6. The Necromancer’s House by Christopher Buehlman
In this extraordinarily imaginative novel, Buehlman takes classic horror and turns it upside down (if you thought Baba Yaga couldn’t get any scarier, think again).
Andrew is a magus living in a house of terrors that’s as much a main character as any other in the book. Thirty years ago, Andrew stole a wealth of magic from the Soviet Union. He thought he got away with it, but now the demons of his past are back — and they want revenge.
7. The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox
Nearly 200 years after the Salem witch trials, the Montrose family suffers a great scandal and must flee to their summer estate for a fresh start. As the three daughters struggle to adapt to their new reality, strange happenings trail in the wake of middle daughter Lydia.
Fox’s atmospheric debut is an expertly written gothic mystery blended with a bit of unexpected romance and understated magic.
8. The Last of the Moon Girls by Barbara Davis
Creative director, successful perfumer, and … mystical healer? Lizzy never wanted to carry on the nine generation-strong legacy of her family’s Moon Girl Farm, but the death of her beloved grandmother draws her back home. Lizzy can’t resist the chance to investigate a cold case murder and clear the cloud of suspicion that tarnished her grandmother’s reputation.
The Last of the Moon Girls has a little bit of everything for those looking for a witchy read: Family drama, historical fiction, murder mystery, magic, and second-chance romance.
9. Night of the Witch by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis
After witch hunters brutally decimate her coven, Fritzi, one of the few survivors, sets out on a quest for vengeance. She doesn’t expect to end up on the same team as Otto, the second-in-command of the very same unit that attacked her family.
But all is not as it seems. Otto’s been hiding in plain sight from his enemies, waiting for the perfect moment to take his revenge against the monsters that burned his mother alive at the stake. Fritzi and Otto will have to learn to trust each other in this thrilling entry to the Witch and Hunter series.
10. Big Little Spells by Hazel Beck
Beck combines delicious romance, a compelling plot, and cozy, witchy vibes in the follow-up to Small Town, Big Magic.
It’s Rebekah’s turn to step into the spotlight as she returns to St. Cyprian after a 10-year exile to reunite with her friends and family. However, as she reckons with the mistakes of her past, she finds herself clashing with the authoritarian Joywood Coven who would just as soon see her eliminated.
11. Wolf’s Witch by Lisa Kessler
In the first book of Kessler’s Salem Pack series, a wolf and a witch join forces to figure out the source of dark magic. Wolves and witches don’t mingle in Kessler’s world, so Zeke and Ruby are initially suspicious of one another. Soon, however, their feelings grow warmer, as does the danger they’re in.
Kessler’s paranormal romances are action-packed and sexy, and Wolf’s Witch is no exception.
12. The Crucible by Arthur Miller
In Miller’s classic 1953 play, hysteria engulfs the small town of Salem as rumors and accusations of witchcraft fly throughout the community. The Crucible, which is based on the real events of the 17th-century Salem witch trials, continues to serve as a cautionary tale against the dangers of baseless witch hunts, literally and figuratively.
13. A Delusion of Satan by Frances Hill
Nonfiction books about witches are equally, if not more, fascinating and horrific than their fictional counterparts. Hill shines a light on a dark, shameful period of American history that was fueled by religious fervor and misogyny and culminated in the deaths of 20 people.
From the first “fits” of Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Parris to the social, psychological, and political factors behind the hysteria, Hill provides a deep dive into the infamous Salem witch trials.
14. Six Women of Salem by Marilynne K. Roach
Like Hill, Roach takes a closer look at the true events of the Salem witch trials. But, rather than recounting a broad overview, the Massachusetts historian’s book takes a microcosmic approach by meticulously researching the lives of six women involved and the effects the trials had on their lives.
Through a humanizing lens, Roach not only brings these women to life but also underscores the relevance of this terrifying chapter in history, highlighting how fearmongering and moral panic put real lives at risk.
Ready to start reading these books? Sign up for a free 30 day trial to Everand, your home for stories and knowledge with millions of ebooks, audiobooks, podcasts, magazines, newspapers, sheet music, and so much more.
