The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

Read Time: 3 Minutes

I love a fun book title, so when I saw “The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches” by Sangu Mandanna, one quick skim of the blurb later and I knew I wanted to give it a try! It was a like a big, warm, witchy hug from a found family of sweet misfits. Cozy and delightful and deeply emotional at the same time, this was a wonderful story.

The story follows Mika Moon, a witch who lives alone and mostly keeps to herself. The witching world has rules which boil down to keeping your magic hidden from everyone, and not being around other witches more than one day every few months. It’s said that too much magic gathering in one place can cause problems, so Primrose, the witch in charge of the region, enforces this.

Mika has lived a heartbreakingly lonely life, with nobody ever fully loving her or trusting her, or with whom she could form long-term bonds. When she has opened up, she’s been lied to, used, and manipulated before needing to move on.

After her online antics catch the notice of a group of people who are the caretakers of three young witches – Rosetta, Terracotta and Altamira. Their adoptive mother is an archaeologist, hence the names. The group recruits Mika to be a tutor to help the girls learn to control their magic. The three girls are an anomaly to Mika because they’re being raised together (against the known rules), yet she yearns for the connection of like-minded people.

The life she finds herself in is filled with chaos, love and an assortment of oddballs. A grumpy, scowly librarian, a retired actor, a married couple who handle the running of the house, and of course the three curious and irrepressible young witches living sheltered lives sequestered away from anyone who might discover the truth.

The story is a cozy slow-burn that’s heartfelt, silly in places, but also sincere. The magic is typical witch stuff like making potions (mostly in the form of teas) and handwaving to cast some spells. There’s a very light romance brewing, not so much that this would be described as a romance novel, but more to give the characters depth

The sweet tone of the book is sprinkled with the occasional f-bomb, so if you’re not a fan of that sort of language, it does crop up here and there. It’s contemporary though so fits with the characters. Mika herself is endlessly likeable as she’s always trying to improve the lives of those around her. The story does deal with themes of abandonment, betrayal, found family, and belonging,

Narration-wise, Samara MacLaren brings just the right tone to the performance. Mika’s warmth and vulnerability come through beautifully, and the cast of characters each feels distinct. There’s a gentle playfulness in her delivery that fits the tone of the story perfectly. I didn’t notice any production issues, just a clean, clear, and nicely paced reading.

Overall, this was a delightfully fun story filled with witches and magic, choosing joy, and allowing in a little vulnerability to help knock down those emotional walls we so often put up, and doesn’t gloss over the difficulty in overcoming this. It’s a slow burn, a little sappy at time but not overly so, heartfelt, and quietly funny in the way good comfort books often are. I’d revisit in a heartbeat!

Overall, this was a delightfully fun story filled with witches and magic, choosing joy, allowing in vulnerability to help knock down those emotional walls we so often put up, and doesn’t gloss over the difficulty in overcoming this. It’s a slow burn, a little sappy at time but not overly so, heartfelt, and quietly funny in the way good comfort books often are. I’d revisit in a heartbeat!

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