Book Review: A Circle of Uncommon Witches by Paige Crutcher

A fast-paced witchy tale of sisterhood, spells, and story chaos—fun to start, a little lost in the middle, but full of charm.

Paige Crutcher’s A Circle of Uncommon Witches has all the makings of a charming magical adventure—witchy sisterhood, high-stakes spells, and a world brimming with enchantment. It’s a story that hooks you right from the start with a fast-paced opening, but somewhere along the way, it loses a bit of its magic. Find out why I gave the book 3/5 stars and read my review below.

What is the book about?

Doreen MacKinnon is doomed to die of a broken heart – if she can’t break the centuries-old curse placed on her family.

Three hundred years ago, Ambrose MacDonald, a powerful male witch, fell in love with a MacKinnon. And when the MacKinnon witches forbade him from seeing his love, by secretly hiding her away, he retaliated by cursing the family and its future generations to never find love. But it wasn’t without a cost. Now, Ambrose is imprisoned by those same witches, trapped in a tempest and doomed to outlive everyone he has ever loved.

But Doreen isn’t like the other MacKinnon witches. As the 13th generation of the MacKinnon line, Doreen is one of the most powerful witches in centuries… and one of the loneliest. So when she discovers where Ambrose has been trapped, she releases him to help her break the curse, once and for all. Ambrose agrees to help, but with his own motive: vengeance. He plans to use her as bait to enact his revenge on her family.

Together, they enter a series of trials, which take them to a castle in Scotland, off a cliff, and into a world beyond their wildest dreams. As they work together, sparks start to fly, but soon Doreen must choose how far she is willing to go to break the curse, and what she’s willing to sacrifice.

My thoughts:

At its heart, this book is about the powerful bond between a group of extraordinary women. The relationships between the witches were easily my favorite part—I loved how they interacted, supported each other, and brought a sense of warmth and humor to the story. Crutcher does a fantastic job crafting characters that feel alive, and I could absolutely see this story adapted into a fun, whimsical movie one day.

That said, while I started off fully invested, the middle section got a little chaotic. The pacing, which felt exhilarating at first, started moving almost too quickly, making it hard to stay grounded in the plot. There were moments where it felt like too much story was packed into too little space, and I found myself wishing for just a little more breathing room.

Even though this wasn’t my favorite from Crutcher, I still really enjoy her writing style and world-building. She has a knack for crafting stories that feel like stepping into a magical daydream, and I’m definitely looking forward to exploring more of her work.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader’s copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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