The Southern Sorority of Superstitious Witches
In this spellbinding Southern Gothic novel, three women weave together old Southern folklore and magic to fight sexism and educational discrimination in post–Civil War Alabama, perfect for fans of Hester Fox and Louisa Morgan.
When Lucille, Catherine, and Victoria are invited to participate in a trial semester for women at Alabama's most prestigious university, they each have their own reasons for accepting. Lucille wants freedom from both her father's control and reminders of her traitorous first love. Catherine wants to escape an arranged marriage meant to halt her attraction to women. And Victoria wants to run from the guilt that haunts her after the death of one of her fellow mill girls.
The trial semester will determine whether or not women across the state will be allowed to attend other universities. But the enrolled women quickly learn that success is not guaranteed, and some of their male cohorts are determined to see them fail. When the men's pranks go too far Lucille, Catherine, and Victoria form a coven under the guise of a sorority and call upon witchcraft steeped in the traditions of Southern folklore to fight back.
As they gather their fellow witches, they discover there is something darker at work at the university, a force that is determined to expel all the women at the university, and they'll need all the allies they can get if they want to succeed.
For fans of Witchcraft for Wayward Girls and Weyward, this historical speculative novel explores the darker side of human nature and the ways in which women navigate—and survive—oppressive, male-dominated societies.
- Pages
- 352
- First published
- October 6, 2026
- Edition
- Ebook
Reviews
Finished September 2, 2026
I loved the atmosphere of this book. The Southern Gothic, witchy vibes perfectly complemented the book’s main themes of women’s rights and injustice. I really enjoyed the characters and appreciated how several of their stories wove together. The development of the main characters also felt natural and well-paced. I liked the magic system, too. It was a different take on witchcraft and one I haven’t come across before, which made it particularly interesting. The most infuriating part (rightfully so) was the injustices carried out against women. I know this is a work of fiction, but there were moments when it was genuinely difficult to keep reading, knowing that the misogyny, racism and transphobia portrayed in the story are things that still happen today. I thought Ortiz did an excellent job of portraying these issues and making them feel confronting. My rating was a solid 3.75/4 stars until we reached the conclusion. And then... I struggled. It felt like a very “and everybody clapped” moment. Everything was wrapped up in a way that I could hardly believe was actually happening. I’m still in disbelief, and I think this is ultimately what ruined the book for me. I know I keep repeating myself, but I understand that this is a work of fiction. However, the town square scene felt too far-fetched for the story I had been reading up until that point. It just didn’t feel believable within the world that had been built. Unfortunately, because of that, I can only give this 3/5. A great and impactful story, let down by a cheesy ending.
