A Resistance of Witches, Morgan Ryan (Review by Shanna Thornsbury)
Rating: 4.0/5 Stars
Set against the gritty, desperate backdrop of World War II, this debut historical fantasy offers a thrilling blend of espionage, magic, and dark secrets. With a fast-moving plot and a unique magical system, the novel delivers a compelling journey that’s both emotionally grounded and richly imaginative.
Lydia Polk, our unlikely heroine, is everything you want in a wartime witch—stubborn, sharp-tongued, and brimming with untapped power. Her humble roots and outsider status make her an underdog worth rooting for, especially as she’s thrown into a high-stakes mission: to recover the Grimorium Bellum, a deadly ancient grimoire, before it falls into the hands of Hitler’s witchy inner circle.
The narrative shines when exploring the fractured world of British witchcraft—especially the fraught politics of the coven itself and between the coven and the government that once suppressed them. The tension between duty and survival adds real emotional weight to Lydia’s mission, especially after a devastating betrayal from within the coven at Royal Academy (where up and coming witches are trained).
As Lydia heads into Nazi-occupied France, the story picks up momentum. Her companions—Rebecca, a steely resistance fighter, and Henry, a Haitian-American scholar with a quiet strength—are excellent additions. Their chemistry feels genuine, and their camaraderie is one of the novel’s emotional high points. I enjoyed hearing their backstories and thought it added a layer of depth to the story. The magic system is grounded yet mysterious, and the worldbuilding strikes a solid balance between historical detail and fantastical flair. Readers who enjoy secret histories and witch lore will be especially hooked. That said, the pacing occasionally stumbles and some of the book’s darker magical elements could have been developed further to maximize tension.
Still, the Grimorium Bellum itself is a standout—an artifact with an eerie, almost sentient presence that turns the second half of the book into something akin to a psychological thriller. Watching Lydia confront not only Nazi sorcerers but also the seductive power of the book itself adds complexity to her character arc.
While not flawless, this debut is a strong entry in the historical fantasy genre. With evocative prose, a high-stakes plot, and a protagonist who’s easy to root for, it casts a memorable spell.