Top 5 Tuesday || Witches

Which witch belongs at the top of the list?

Really, it’s a tough question to answer, especially when I scoured my shelf for witches and came up with an embarrassingly low crop. I sure love writing about witches, but I guess I haven’t read about as many as I thought!

Today’s post covers my absolute favorites of them, though, all thanks to Meeghan @ Meeghan Reads! She’s setting the T5T prompts these days, and she’s doing an outstanding job!

Iseult from the Witchlands Series by Susan Dennard

ISEULT DET MIDENZI, LOVE OF MY LIFE, YOU ARE THE QUEEN OF THIS LIST.

Ahem.

Seriously, though, Iseult is one of my favorite characters of all time. Her resilience is a delight, and her personal anxieties about her witchery make me want to give her a hug and a warm mug of tea and a chance to sit and breathe. She’s got so much going on, including probably saving all of the Witchlands!

I love her so much, you guys. 🥺

 

The Grays from The Lost Coast by Amy Rose Capetta

How could I not include the Grays in this post? They’re a group of queer teen witches whose bond is stronger than anything the California redwoods can throw at them. I fell in love with them from the moment they hit the page, and they’ll always hold a soft spot in my heart thanks to their queer witchy goodness!

 

Alex from Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova

Alex is here, she’s queer, and she’s going to learn to master her powers as a bruja to save her family! I love a good reluctant hero, and Alex fits that to a T. More than that, though, she cares so deeply for her loved ones, and her journey, both physical and emotional, through Labyrinth Lost is an outstanding one. I have to reread this so soon I can finally get to the rest of the Brooklyn Brujas series!

 

Sophie Hatter from Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Whether we’re talking about Book!Sophie or Movie!Sophie, Sophie Hatter is the backbone of Howl’s Moving Castle, and a witch who just doesn’t call herself a witch. Unusual for witches, I know, but pay attention to the way she bosses hats and cleaning supplies and other things around! Maybe she’s not the Witch of the Wastes, but she has a subtle magic of her own.

And she’s got the stubbornness to keep Howl and Calcifer in line. Sophie’s the best witch of them all, obviously!

 

Harper Carlisle from The Devouring Gray Series by Christine Lynn Herman

Strictly speaking, The Devouring Gray doesn’t have witches. It has families with certain types of magic at their disposal. That said, I’ve included Harper Carlisle among the witches in this post because her powers are AMAZING and UNSETTLING in equal measure. Plus, she’s got some seriously pent-up anger to deal with, which is always interesting in witchy characters. What better way to invite serious consequences, after all?

 

So, did I whittle down my list of witches wisely? Or do you think I’ve missed some very important witches along the way? Let’s chat!