The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a charming and cozy fantasy romance by Sangu Mandanna. The ebook version is 368 pages.
Witches in Britain live by certain rules, passed down for generations. It is believed that they are only safe when they are not around other witches, hiding their power from non-magical folk. Mika Moon runs a witchy aesthetic Instagram account, not expecting anyone to take it seriously. However, one day she receives a message asking her to travel to a remote and mysterious house to teach three preteen witches how to control their magic.
This was one of those books that feels like a warm hug. It was whimsical and delightful, with easy to digest yet lyrical prose. The cover is really cute, and what initially pulled me in. This was my first book from Mandanna, but I’m absolutely going to read more from her. This was her adult debut; she’s written YA and middle grade books previously.
Mika was a golden ray of sunshine among rainclouds, and on top of that she has an adorable dog! I loved all of the side characters here too, especially the dynamics between the three young witches. The full cast is wonderfully diverse, and there are a handful of queer characters. Each character has their own very distinctive personality. The world feels fleshed out and lived-in. I was all-in for the love story here, very quickly, though theirs is more of a slow burn.
I could have eaten this book up in one sitting, but it was so charming that I only allowed myself to read a bit at a time, as a treat. After I finished, I immediately went to my favorite indie bookstore to buy myself a copy–I just know this is going to be one of my favorite cozy re-reads.
We need more heartwarming stories in the world. Especially those with good humor, a sweet romance, and some mystery. If you enjoyed The House on the Cerulean Sea or Good Omens, you should give this book a try!
Tropes in this book include: grumpy sunshine, forced proximity, slow burn, found family
CW: discussion of past traumas
Special thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for providing an ebook galley of this book for me to review. All opinions contained herein are my own.
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