The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

 

Ms. Harrow writes novels that are strong magic, and this might be the most powerful thing of hers I've read, heady and hefty--never more so than when it's at its most understated. There are obvious metaphors and echoes and reflections and connections of and with the real world, here; there will be those who see this as a strongly political novel (and I wouldn't be inclined to disagree with them). The language is persistently beautiful, and after a bit of a rough start things  come together then tighten into a spiral that leads to an ending with weight.