Must-Read Liter-Witch-Ure

From classics to current titles, 23 winning witchy tales

Witches in literature have evolved over time. While their earliest roles in folklore and fairy tales were often villainous (or perhaps just weird!), more recent stories featuring witches portray magical women as protagonists. Some readers interpret this as a positive shift—a move away from the outdated notion that women with power are inherently evil. This roundup of liter-witch-ure includes a variety of witchy representations and range from old to new.

Coven classics

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Baum's series offers more robust storylines for his witches—both good and evil— than the 1939 film. And Gregory Maguire's Wicked (coming out soon as a major motion picture!) recasts Baum's Wicked Witch of the West as the green-skinned Elphaba, a would-be hero who is generally mistreated and misunderstood.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis

In this children's classic, four adventurous siblings—Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy—step through a wardrobe door and into the world of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of Jadis, the White Witch. She is the ultimate wicked witch: beautiful, powerful, and cruel.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

Set in 1687, this Newbery Medal-winning middle-grade novel centers on a sixteen-year-old girl who has recently emigrated from Barbados to colonial Connecticut. As she struggles to adapt to her new home, she faces prejudice and accusations of witchcraft.

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

One hot spring, the devil arrives in Moscow, accompanied by a retinue that includes a beautiful naked witch and an immense talking black cat with a fondness for chess and vodka. This Russian classic is described as an audacious revision of the stories of Faust and Pontius.

Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya

Antonio Marez is six years old when Ultima comes to stay with his family in New Mexico. She is a curandera, one who cures with herbs and magic. Under her wise wing, Tony will probe the family ties that bind and rend him, and he will discover himself in the magical secrets of the pagan past.

I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Condé

This wild and entertaining novel builds on the true story of the West Indian slave Tituba, who was accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts, arrested in 1692, and forgotten in jail for two years. Condé imagines her as an "epic heroine" arrested for using sorcery to heal the family who enslaved her.

Enchanting all-time faves

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

For more than two hundred years, the Owens women have been blamed for everything that has gone wrong in their Massachusetts town. While their elderly aunts seemed to encourage the whispers of witchery, Gillian and Sally just wanted to escape. But the bonds they share will bring them back—as if by magic.

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Experience the mystical saga of the great Arthurian legend through the eyes of the women of Camelot: The devout Gwenhwyfar, Arthur's Queen; Vivane, High priestess of Avalon and the Lady of the Lake; And above all, the enchantress Morgaine, possessor of the sight and fated to bring ruin upon them all.

Circe by Madeline Miller

This rich reimagining flips the script on the formidable sorceress of The Odyssey. Banished because of her powers, Circe becomes the creator of her own world. It's an intoxicating epic of family rivalry, palace intrigue, love and loss, as well as a celebration of indomitable female strength in a man's world.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

The first in a trilogy, this medieval fairy tale casts an irresistible spell. Vasya is a young girl living on the edge of a deep, dark Russian forest. When her stepmother alienates the spirits who protect their home and village, Vasya must call upon dangerous gifts she has long concealed to protect her family from a growing evil.

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

This YA fantasy centers on twelve-year-old Sunny Swazue, struggling to find her place after her family moves from America to Nigeria. Her features are African, but she's albino. She's a terrific athlete, but can't go out into the sun to play soccer. Then she discovers something amazing—her magical powers.

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Norway, 1617: Twenty-year-old Maren stands on the craggy coast, watching as a sudden storm kills all forty of the village's men. For the women left behind, survival means learning to fish and hunt. But their independence strikes some as suspicious and soon a menacing man arrives to root out alleged witchcraft.

The Black God's Drums by P. Djèlí Clark

In an alternate New Orleans caught in the tangle of the American Civil War, the wall-scaling girl named Creeper hopes to find a place aboard the airship Midnight Robber. But Creeper has a secret: Oya, the African orisha of the wind and storms, speaks inside her head, and may have her own ulterior motivations.

Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett

What could be easier than preventing a servant girl from marrying a prince, especially for three clever witches? Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick face more than they bargained for when they journey to the distant city of Genua in this delightful installment in the beloved middle-grade Discworld series.

Exciting new witch lit

The Change by Kirstin Miller

Big Little Lies meets The Witches of Eastwick in this knife-sharp revenge fantasy about three very different women discovering that their midlife changes have brought unexpected powers. When police refuse to follow up on the murder of a teenage girl, Jo, Nessa, and Harriet take matters into their own hands.

Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson

At the dawn of their adolescence, four young girls—Helena, Leonie, Niamh, and Elle—take an oath to join a covert coven established by Queen Elizabeth I. Now, decades later, their paths have diverged. But when the HMRC falls under threat, the four friends must decide where their loyalties lie.

Witches of Brooklyn by Sophie Escabasse

Effie's aunts are weird. Like, really, really, really weird. The secretly-magic kind of weird and that makes Effie wonder . . . does this mean she can do magic, too? Life in Brooklyn takes a strange twist for Effie as she learns more about her family and herself in this effervescent middle-grade graphic novel, the first in a series.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

As one of the few witches in modern-day Britain, the orphaned Mika Moon follows the rules and lives a quiet, isolated life. When a message arrives asking her to come and mentor three young witches, she finds she can't resist the chance to connect with others of her kind, even though it may invite peril.

The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec

Angrboda's story begins where many witches' tales end: with a burning. Injured and powerless, and she flees into a remote forest where she falls in love with the legendary trickster Loki. But as Angrboda slowly recovers her prophetic powers, she learns that her blissful life—and possibly all of existence—is in danger.

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese

This novel imagines the origin story behind The Scarlet Letter. Abandoned by her husband just days after arriving in Salem from Scotland, Isobel Gamble meets a young Nathaniel Hawthorne. Instantly drawn to one another, they are a muse and a dark storyteller; the enchanter and the enchanted. But which is which?

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova

After their mystical matriarch passes, Orquídea Divina's family is left with more questions than answers. Perfect for fans of Alice Hoffman, Isabel Allende, and Sarah Addison Allen, this novel tells the story of a family searching for the buried secrets that seem to be threatening their very lives.

Conjure Women by Afia Atakora

Spanning eras and generations, this sweeping story brings the South before and after the Civil War vividly to life. Miss May Belle and her daughter Rue, share a gift for healing—and for the conjuring of curses. The secrets and bonds they share with their master's daughter Varina come to a head as war begins.

The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin

For centuries, witches have maintained the climate, but now their control is faltering as the atmosphere becomes more erratic; the storms, more destructive. All hope lies with Clara, a once-in-a-generation witch whose magic is tied to the seasons. This YA fantasy is perfect for fans of Shea Ernshaw and Taylor Swift.

Find your perfect witchy read here and let us know if we've missed any of your favorites.

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon