We’re back again to feature some new and not-so-new witches that simply provoke us as readers, and we’re doing it to once again celebrate Anne Rice and her posthumously launched series with AMC.

So, let’s begin with a Mayfair witch, although not the one you’d expect.

Suzanne Mayfair, the original witch of the Mayfair clan that made a deal with the demon, Lasher, tying her family to him and ultimately forming their fate and family legacy. We see her folly and death in The Lives of the Mayfair Witches trilogy.

Circe, the daughter of Helios and Perse, doesn’t fit in on Olympia and is banished to live in exile. Trying to find her place among the humans, she discovers her own power via witchcraft, transforming “rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.” Circe finds herself pitted against terrible odds to keep her child safe, becoming a fierce protector who must decide where she belongs.

Evie from Sea Witch is a young witch who must hide her powers from a town that would rather see her dead than openly accept her help. But she’s best friends with the prince, sharing the terrible grief of losing their friend, Anna, to the water. When Anna returns, Evie harnesses her magic to save the people she loves, but the cost creates a powerful creation story of the well-known Disney character, Ursula.

Rachel Morgan, a white witch and bounty hunter, is fiercely independent and lacks trust in others—to her own detriment most of the time. Darkness tempts her as she struggles to keep her friends, and herself, alive. How black can her soul get before she stops protecting those she loves? The seventeenth book in the Hollows Series was released in 2022. It’s an excellent great long-running series with lots of action, romance, and angst.

The trio from Nettle and Bone. Although Marra may not consider herself a witch, she performs impossible, magical feats on her quest to save her sister from the tyrannical prince/king. Her companions, the dust witch with the demon-possessed chicken and her own fairy godmother, make for great examples of what it means to be a strong woman and a witch. The three of them are hilariously brave and competent when they’re allowed to be who they are.

Delila Bard from A Darker Shade of Magic, a magician—another word for a witch–and thief discovers a piece of forbidden magic from a parallel London when she steals from the ambassador between the worlds. She has an uncanny talent for magic when her world is devoid of it. And she intends on using it to keep her freedom.

Vivienne Jones from The Ex Hex nurses her broken heart “with vodka, weepy music, bubble baths…and a curse on the horrible boyfriend.” Mischief ensues when they crash back together. Toss in some ghosts, murderous toys, a little beggar kitty, and more serious consequences of her silly hexes than she thought. She must take on her own curse to save her town and the potential rekindling of her scorned love.

Ning from A Magic Steeped in Poison, lost her mother, a great Shennong-shi, or a master in the art of tea-making, to a poisoned cup of tea. Ning is focused on saving her little sister from the same poison by competing to be the kingdom’s next greatest Shennong-shi. She’s competent, kind, humble, and tries her best, so it’s super hard not to root for her. Within the highly-strenuous action, Ning is coming of age, out on her own for the first time in a big world, she must learn to navigate the class system and who to trust.

Mika Moon from The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, is a thirty-something Indian woman and one of the few witches left in Britain. A charming character, full of wit, slowly reveals herself as lonely. She keeps her head down and her powers a secret, except with her online persona, where she publicly pretends to be a witch. Mika was alone in discovering her magic until others find her. On her journey, she must discover who she is and overcome her trauma in her own rebellious and relatable way.

Miss Charlotte Pettifer from The League of Gentlewomen Witches is a powerful witch obsessed with Jane Austen, but she has no time for feelings. Her character begins as cold, rigid, and inflexible, but it hides her social anxiety and desire for freedom. Practical as ever, when she’s distracted by one of her enemies—a pirate and thief—her solution is to sleep with him and get him out of her system. In fact, it’s her duty. 

This character is more witch adjacent, but I thought it would be fun to include her anyway. Viv from Legends and Lattes is a “battle-weary orc” that wants to put her violent past behind her to start a coffee shop. Her action-packed past makes a great juxtaposition for her new life as a business owner. As she builds new allies, Viv discovers the importance of friendship, community, and love. Most importantly, Viv has the strength to adapt to new challenges and step out of her comfort zone, which allows her to stop seeing every stranger she meets as a possible foe.

If you’re anything like us, you love a strong, magic-wielding woman who’s not afraid to fight for what she thinks is right. Better yet, they’ve become iconic representations of power that are complicated and mysterious because they also, ultimately, are representations of what is expected of women—in all our wondrous variety.

Got a favorite witchy character you’d love to share with us? Tell us about them in the comments below!