"Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women and Witchcraft" edited by Tess Sharpe and Jessica Spotswood

History tells us women accused of witchcraft were often outsiders: educated, independent, unmarried, unwilling to fall in line with traditional societal expectations.

Bold. Powerful. Rebellious.

From good witches to bad witches, to witches who are a bit of both, this is an anthology of diverse witchy tales from a collection of diverse, feminist authors. The collective strength of women working together - magically or mundanely - has long frightened society, to the point that women's rights are challenged, legislated against, and denied all over the world. Toil & Trouble delves deep into the truly diverse mythology of witchcraft from many cultures and points of view.

*ARC provided by NetGalley and Harlequin Teen in exchange for an honest review*

As always, I'm going to do my best to give you my spoiler free (or minimal spoiler) opinions. I want to talk a bit about the collection as a whole before diving into each story individually. I have very mixed feelings about anthologies and this is only the second one I've read. On one hand, I love the variety of stories and how I get a taste of the work of so many authors. On the other, each story I like feels like it's over too quickly and I often feel unsatisfied.

I just think I'm not a short story person. But if you like them, this is a fantastic collection. Even if you aren't big on short stories, it's still enjoyable.

Star Song by Tehlor Kay Mejia 
★★★★

Two words: gay witches!

I will basically read anything that involves f/f romance or fantasy. So naturally queer witches are definitely on the list of things I love most in books. That totally sold me on this story. It also features  a wonderful discussion of magic coexisting with science.

My only complaint is that it left me really wishing there was more.

Afterbirth by Andrea Cremer
★★★

This had the makings of a story I'd really like since I do love a classic Puritans and witches story. But this one just fell flat for me. It was fine, but it just didn't stand out as anything special for me. It's what is expected for a witch story.

The Heart in Her Hands by Tess Sharpe
★★★★★

This was one of my favorites! I'm not going to say much about it because I think the surprise was the best part of the story. Just know it's amazing and that now I need to go read everything I can by Tess Sharpe.

Death in the Sawtooths by Lindsay Smith
★★★.75

I really enjoyed this story! It was unique and interesting, but a bit rushed. It really deserved to be expanded into a full novel because I want more of the world and the characters. It was good, but I felt like it was missing something.

The Truth About Queenie by Brandy Colbert 
★★★★

I'm a big fan of Brandy Colbert's Little & Lion (which I highly recommend) so I was really excited about this story. It definitely delivered. I loved Queenie and watching her struggle with unrequited love is so relatable. It was a truly excellent story.

The Moonapple Menagerie by Shveta Thakrar 
★★

This one just missed the mark for me. I liked the diversity of the cast of characters and Shalini's struggle with anxiety is so real. However, the overall tone felt rather childish and like it didn't exactly fit.

The Legend of Stone Mary by Robin Talley 
★★★★★

I really enjoy Robin Talley's storytelling and characters. Plus, more gay witches! And it's gay witches in the 1970s! This was just fantastic and it makes me want to read more by this author.

TW: bullying and death

The One Who Stayed by Nova Ren Suma 
★★★★★

This story heavily features potentially triggering content so be very careful if you're a sensitive reader. That content makes it a bit hard to read at first because the subject matter is heavy. It was so well written and interesting and feminist. This story is a powerful one and I very much enjoyed it.

TW: sexual assault, rape, child molestation

Divinie are the Stars by Zoraida Cordova
★★★.5

This story was interesting and reminded me a lot of the first one with the theme of listening to the stars. It just wasn't my favorite.

Daughters of Baba Yaga by Brenna Yovanoff
★★★★

I was a little bit nervous going into this story because, as a little kid, I was absolutely terrified of Baba Yaga. Luckily, she's only mentioned because that is one scary witch. Despite the initial hesitance, this was a fantastic story. There aren't a ton of stories about Eastern European folklore and I loved a story of witchcraft based on Baba Yaga.

Plus, who doesn't love a good story of a vengeful witch?

Beware of Girls with Crooked Mouths by Jessica Spotswood
★★★★★

Another one of my favorite stories in this collection. Features a classic past, but with the lovely addition of normalized same-sex relationships. Plus, Jessica Spotswood does witches so well that I need to go read her other books.

Love Spell by Anna-Marie McLemore
★★★

This story just wasn't for me. It features a lot of Catholic themes and after years of being not Catholic at a Catholic school, it just rubs me the wrong way. While it wasn't my cup of tea, it may be someone else's and McLemore's writing is still excellent.

The Gherin Girls by Emery Lord
★★★★★

Queer witches and positive family relationships? I'm such a fan. This one features beautiful sibling relationships and small magic that still makes a big difference. It was a really sweet story and another one I absolutely loved.

TW: abusive relationships

Why They Watch Us Burn by Elizabeth May
★★★★★ 

OH. MY. GOODNESS. Elizabeth May has a new fan in me. This story blew me away. The world left me wanting more but not in a way that made the story feel lacking. The characters were fascinating. The writing was great. I loved how feminist this story was and some of the quotes in it are unbelievably brilliant.

TW: sexual assault

This anthology really delivered on the gay witches and did also provided black and latinx representation. I can't speak to the accuracy of the POC rep because I am not a person of color, but I believe they're all ownvoices stories so I'm assuming they're good.

So many of these stories were absolutely fantastic and it was overall a fantastic collection of stories . Many featured strong feminist themes and I really enjoyed this anthology even if short story collections are not my favorite thing.

Overall Rating: 4.5stars