A Resistance of Witches

A Novel

Morgan Ryan

$62.95

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English

Viking
15 July 2025

Fantasy; Historical fiction; Second World War; Feminism & feminist theory; Fantasy

RESISTANCE IS MAGIC

“War II meets A Discovery of Witches…I raced through this one.” —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Briar Club

“Historical fantasy at its absolute best.” —Alexis Henderson author of The Year of the Witching and An Academy for Liars

As World War II rages around her, a witch abandoned by her coven must journey to find a book of unspeakable power before it lands in Nazi hands

Stubborn, plain-spoken and from an unimpressive family, Lydia Polk never expected to be accepted into the Royal Academy of Witches. Now, with Hitler’s army rampaging across Europe, the witches of Britain have joined the war effort, and Lydia is key to the cause: she must use her magic to track down magical relics before Hitler and his sycophants can. When a Nazi witch infiltrates the Academy with heart-breaking consequences, the coven is left shaken, exposed and divided. The elder British witches have no interest in further loss of coven life in service of a government that has forced them into hiding for decades, no matter the consequences to the world. But with the discovery of the Grimorium Bellum, an ancient book that leaves a trail of death and destruction wherever it goes, Lydia knows her mission has never been more urgent.

Alone and woefully outnumbered, Lydia makes her way to the heart of occupied France, where she finds allies in Rebecca Gagne—a fierce French resistance fighter chockful of secrets—and Henry Boudreaux—a handsome Haitian-American art historian with a little magic of his own. Together, they traverse the country, stalked by the natural and supernatural alike, in search of the grimoire. But, as Lydia soon discovers, finding the book is only half the battle—the Grimorium Bellum has a dark agenda all its own. Lydia must subdue it before the Witches of the Third Reich can use it—but she’ll have to survive the book herself, first.

By: Morgan Ryan
Imprint: Viking
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 236mm, Width: 160mm, Spine: 35mm
Weight: 550g
ISBN: 9780593831960
ISBN 10: 0593831969
Pages: 416
Publication Date: 15 July 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Morgan Ryan is the author of stories born from a lifelong love of magic, a fixation on historical minutiae that borders on the obsessive, and a tendency to fall down rabbit-holes. She was raised in a family of writers in upstate New York, and received her degree in theatre performance from Northeastern University. She now lives in Chicago with her husband. A Resistance of Witches is her first novel.

Reviews for A Resistance of Witches: A Novel

""Morgan Ryan's historical fantasy debut is World War II meets A Discovery of Witches…I raced through this one—A Resistance of Witches is a witchy war-time delight!"" —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Briar Club “Enchanting, immersive, and beautifully written. A Resistance of Witches is historical fantasy at its absolute best.” —Alexis Henderson author of The Year of the Witching and An Academy for Liars ""Like a witch casting a spell, debut author Morgan Ryan spins a complex tapestry of history and fantasy as she sets in motion a twisty, thrilling story that expertly plunges the reader into the world of Britain's Royal Academy of Witches in the midst of World War II…An expertly woven story of fate, witchcraft, and war that will both thrill you and tug at your heartstrings, A Resistance of Witches is an enchanting and pulse-pounding debut."" —Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau ""This is a wonderful, sometimes terrifying, always exciting tale of courage and devotion and honor, and heart-rending sacrifices made for a great cause. Morgan Ryan has deftly explored the breadth of the power of the craft, for good and for ill. I feel sure every lover of witch literature will be enchanted."" —Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches