Over at Tor.com I talk about five books containing traces of witches, specifically some magnificent works by Margo Lanagan, Juliet Marillier, Tanith Lee, Diana L. Paxson, and Emma Donoghue. Note: Seahearts was published as The Brides of Rollrock Island in the US.
Witches come in all shapes and sizes, ages, races, abilities and skills. The thing they have in common? Whether they’re ‘white’ or ‘black’, they excite fear because they’re powerful; they’re not obedient or biddable. A wicked witch is kind of boring, however, so when I wrote Of Sorrow and Such I wanted Patience to be someone who’s neither entirely good nor evil, but a human being in full. Following on from that idea, here are some witches who are more than the cardboard cut-outs you put on your house for Halloween.
The rest is here.