A Resistance of Witches

August 1st 2025 and I finished reading ‘A Resistance of Witches’ by Morgan Ryan.

It’s a cooler Summer day, a preview of Fall 2025, after a rainstorm rattled Long Island last night. Going to the gym this morning felt like I was stepping out into Autumn! The feeling of the Fall months which brings upon the feeling of the time of the Witch.

I purchased and started reading this book on 7/26/25. My friend and I traveled to a new bookstore since I was gifted a gift card to this new place for my birthday. I went right to the table which held this book and the cover was begging me to see what in the world the book was about.

WW2…Witches…yeah? I walked around and came back to this book and I decided to buy it. I learned this book came out in July 2025 and I had no idea!

Immediately, 13 pages in, I was hooked.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

This was a great read! Easy. Engaging. The Magic system was great and reminded me of AHS: COVEN. The witches’ abilities were reflexive in terms of singular powers while spells and rituals required concentration.

I enjoyed the main character, Lydia, but really…my favorite character was her mother! Evelyn.

Evelyn preferred to brew potions with her extensive knowledge about herbs. She had a passion for the Divination Arts: reading tea leaves and her time-worn tarot cards. The audience learns later in the novel that Evelyn was a Force - a rare user of a power that mirrors Mind Control…the Force states a command and the victim has no choice but to follow.

Evelyn never attended the Academy. She was a Natural, Proficient user of Witchcraft and she had to deal with Lydia’s warped perceptions since Lydia decided to attend the Academy.

We see Evelyn exquisitely read Lydia’s cards with precision. Then there was an exciting scene where Evelyn shows the audience the extent of her Force skills. That was one of my favorite parts!

Witches in the Academy deem Evelyn’s divination skills as less than even though the Academy seems to honor those who are Seers. So Divination Tool users aren’t as valued as those with the Sight and PSYCHISM without tools? I can see why though.

Lydia learns to value her mother, value her craft, and realizes her warped perceptions.

Unfortunately Evelyn died, but she went out with a FORCE.

This read through was exceptionally laced with Synchronicities in my life. There are some which I won’t share in the entry though.

The Craft of PSYCHISM.

Then there’s the male lead character, Henry, who has Mediumistic skills. We see him communicating with Spirits and it was a great fictional depiction of mediumship in all of its exaggerations.

A fine book and I don’t regret taking the time to read this!

It’s funny, while going about my day today in between finishing this book…I started to once again overthink my skills. “How does it work?!” Just ruminating on the HOW, then I got an answer…well, how does the Mind work? How does Consciousness work? Exactly…no clue…no idea…it just does and it just is what it is. An Extension of Self and the Physical Senses.

If you made it this far…I spoiled a lot of the book, but I warned you! Well, actually, there’s a bunch I didn’t spoil!

What a great read at the perfect time in my life.

Cheers!