By Alisha Megan D’Silva and Siân Topping
There are many characters in fantasy that readers crave to return to again and again. Characters forged in fire and characters forced to burn in it. In the long history of fantasy, women have most often been found in the latter category. The physical manifestation of a hero’s traumatic past, the one-dimensional extra, the wretched woman plaguing the plot’s chance at fairytale-like resolve. Women have been contorted into any manner of narrative tool, and if a woman is lucky enough to have found herself with power equal to that of the male hero, it almost always comes with a price.
Witches are perhaps the most prominent example of such a phenomenon. Vilified for their power and made hideous as recompense, witches exist to defy socially accepted standards of femininity. However, as more and more female authors begin to claim their place at fantasy’s forefront, women with power (witches included) have taken their agency back – with diverse results. Be it by rewriting histories, building new realities or re-imagining stories previously told.
A brilliant example of such a book is Madeline Miller’s Circe. A feminist retelling of Greek myths from the perspective of the nominal witch, Circe is a modern re-imagining of a character that refuses to be quieted. Yes, she’s magic. But her power isn’t born from that alone. Though well-known names such as Odysseus may be found, and familiar roles still played, Circe is undoubtedly a story apart. As though they are tales lost to time, Miller reveals the history of Circe, her life, her journey and her home in lyrical prose. Circe exults in the feminine, healing and empowering mode of being your truest self and loving it. It questions the models from which power is given and received in a man’s world and delights in subverting it. Just as a witch was made to do.
An alternative look into this form of representation can be found in Naomi Alderman’s The Power. This intriguing book takes the nature of power imbalance and makes it brutally tangible. Alderman’s world is as recognisable as our own, except for one change. Teenage girls have found they can produce electricity inside themselves and, as such, can kill with a touch. In this instance, female power becomes world-altering. Its force for change is written as being so overwhelming it succeeds in surpassing histories of cultural norms and beliefs. Where Circe takes power and creates a refuge, Alderman’s power begins and ends in destruction – a way of holding up a damning mirror to our world.
Witches of Ash and Ruin by E. Latimer combines murder mystery, mental health themes and LGBTQIA+ representation while showcasing female empowerment. This modern fantasy with a Celtic twist follows Dayna Walsh as she tries to deal with her somatic OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) and an estranged parent while also being outed as a bisexual in a conservative town in Ireland. And if all those weren’t enough, a series of ritualistic murders forces rival covens together. In a battle against witches and gods, Dayna and Meiner must succeed – or face deadly consequences. This novel highlights female strength and self-acceptance as Dayna deals with societal prejudice and mental health struggles. It also demonstrates that women are stronger together, especially when fighting against common enemies.
While it may have fantasy elements, Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cates (the first in the ‘Magical Bakery Mystery’ series) is not your traditional fantasy. It’s more of a cosy mystery. Katie Lightfoot, a talented baker, moves to Savannah, Georgia, to help her aunt and uncle who have just opened a bakery called Honeybee Bakery. Soon, Katie discovers she has latent magical abilities similar to her aunt and her coven. However, when a customer dies unexpectedly, Katie is drawn to solving the crime using her newfound powers. Cates brings a traditional twist to witchcraft, where witches use recipes and herbs instead of spells. Katie is a strong witch who learns to use her powers and balance her normal life while also solving a mystery.
The Once and Future Witch by Alix E. Harrow takes readers back to an alternate 1893, following the life of the three estranged Eastwood sisters who reunite in New Salem and turn the suffrage movement into a witch movement. Fighting for freedom and their rights, these three sisters must join forces and reconcile if they ever want to come out victorious and alive. This novel celebrates feminism and sisterhood, blending feminist themes with historical fantasy. The sisters need to tap into their family traditions, use old spells and rely on familial bonds if they ever hope to win the fight. Though it contains some trigger warnings, it was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards for Favourite Fantasy in 2020.