AGATHA HARKNESS

In 1691, Agatha Harkness is part of a Salem, Massachusetts, coven, but while the others prepare tinctures and practice healing spells, she’s pursuing the Darkhold, a powerful spellbook that grants witches the power to do “well, anything.”

Fellow witch Martha also wants it, and when they face off, the Darkhold just within reach, Martha flees through a magical portal, taking it with her. Agatha, who’s hundreds of years old, follows, finding herself inhabiting the body of a teenager at a private, ethnically diverse boarding school in the Salem of 2025. Living as Alice Harvey, Agatha (who reads white) is unable to access all of her magic, though she can use some spells to help her navigate classes and ingratiate herself with a secret student-led coven. For a woman who normally shies away from close contact, could friendship with this openly affectionate group be the key to succeeding in her quest? The narrative is unclear on the distinction between “big magic” and the powers Agatha can utilize in the modern world. Shepard makes Agatha, who’s an extremely (and justifiably) confident personality on a quest for more power, come across as sympathetic, and readers are likely to largely forget about the vast age difference between her and her new classmates. Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will enjoy reuniting with Agatha (and spotting cameos by other characters) in this action-packed story.

Entertaining in its spectacle and appealingly irreverent voice.