A Resistance of Witches - by Morgan Ryan (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Stubborn, plain-spoken and from an unimpressive family, Lydia Polk never expected to be accepted into the Royal Academy of Witches. Eight years later, 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-known to be obsessively seeking the artifacts himself-and his sycophants can. Then a Nazi witch infiltrates the Academy with heart-breaking consequences, leaving the coven 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-one the Nazi coven is desperate to get their hands on-Lydia's 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 Grimorium Bellum is only half the battle: the book has a dark agenda of 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"--

Book Synopsis

"Historical fantasy at its absolute best." --Alexis Henderson author of The Year of the Witching

"A witchy war-time delight!" --Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Briar Club

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.

Review Quotes

"With fascinating worldbuilding set against a rich and thoroughly researched moment in history, this debut novel is nothing short of wildly entertaining; it's an excellent choice for anyone looking to dip their toes into historical fiction or fantasy, and its urgent pace will have readers in a white-knuckle grip from start to finish. An exciting, fast-paced blend of historical fiction, spy drama, fantasy, and romance." --Kirkus, *starred revew*

"Morgan Ryan's historical fantasy debut is World War II meets A Discovery of Witches...I raced through this one--A Resistance of Witches is a witchy war-time delight!" --Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Briar Club

"Enchanting, immersive, and beautifully written. A Resistance of Witches is historical fantasy at its absolute best." --Alexis Henderson author of The Year of the Witching and An Academy for Liars

"Like a witch casting a spell, debut author Morgan Ryan spins a complex tapestry of history and fantasy as she sets in motion a twisty, thrilling story that expertly plunges the reader into the world of Britain's Royal Academy of Witches in the midst of World War II...An expertly woven story of fate, witchcraft, and war that will both thrill you and tug at your heartstrings, A Resistance of Witches is an enchanting and pulse-pounding debut." --Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau

"This is a wonderful, sometimes terrifying, always exciting tale of courage and devotion and honor, and heart-rending sacrifices made for a great cause. Morgan Ryan has deftly explored the breadth of the power of the craft, for good and for ill. I feel sure every lover of witch literature will be enchanted." --Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches

About the Author

Morgan Ryan is the author of stories born from a lifelong love of magic, a fixation on historical minutiae that borders on the obsessive, and a tendency to fall down rabbit-holes. She was raised in a family of writers in upstate New York, and received her degree in theatre performance from Northeastern University. She now lives in Chicago with her husband. A Resistance of Witches is her first novel.