If the Golden Girls and the Witches of Eastwick took a crash course in smashing the patriarchy, the resulting story would read like The Witches of Moonshyne Manor. Marais' (after If You Want to Make God Laugh, 2019) spins a tale of elderly, twenty-first century witches fighting to save their beloved, enchanted manor from a bank foreclosure. Queenie, Tabitha, Ivy, Ursula, and Jezebel are awaiting the imminent return of their sister Ruby from a long and mysterious prison sentence and hope that Ruby's return will save Moonshyne Manor from destruction and subsequent development into a "Men's World" amusement complex. The book is chock full of amusing moments, clever reveals, and endearing characters, and Marais regales the reader with the tale of the sisters' fight to rescue their magical home, with help from feminist teenage TikToker Persephone. The Witches of Moonshyne Manor is resonant and relevant in its exploration of gender expression, race and racial justice, and age and aging, all with central characters full of wit, heart, and magical secrets.

Marais (Hum If You Don't Know the Words) entwines feminism and magic in this occasionally goofy contemporary fantasy about a coven of octogenarian witches who are targeted by men who want to turn their manor house into a recreation center called "Men's World." Everything changed for the coven 33 years earlier, when a magical heist gone wrong left one of their number unable to leave the manor and landed another in prison. Now all are past their prime and barely scraping by. Due to missed payments, they're on the brink of losing Moonshyne Manor, where they live and make magical booze that keeps the men of Critchley Hackle docile (and therefore less prone to witch hunts). When the townsmen arrive in an angry mob, it's only the intervention of the mayor's teenage daughter, Persephone, that prevents the early demolition of the manor. With the deadline for making up missed payments fast approaching--and another, darker consequence on the horizon--the witches must relocate the loot from that long-ago heist or lose everything. Nothing here is subtle, but Marais reins in the jokey exaggeration at just the right moments, punctuating the plot with genuine tenderness. With an abundance of sisterhood, witchcraft, and hijinks, this is sure to draw readers in. Agent: Cecilia Lyra, P.S. Literary. (Aug.)

The Sisterhood has lived at Moonshyne Manor and Distillery for over 80 years. Ivy is the keeper of plants and preparer of elixirs (with witchy recipes included). Tabitha is the animal whisperer. Ursula reads the future. Jezebel casts seduction spells. Queenie is magical with inventions. Ruby has shape-shifting and transitioning powers. Although the magic of these irreverent octogenarians is fraying around the edges, they still love their uniqueness. But all is not well, and Ruby has been gone for 33 years, leaving her sisters on the night of a disaster. The others have longed for her return, but they also need her to lead them to the treasure stolen right before she went away. That is the only thing that will prevent foreclosure of the manor. When Ruby arrives their reunion is anything but magical, and they must confess old secrets if they want to save the Sisterhood. VERDICT Marais's (If You Want to Make God Laugh) latest is a quirky Golden Girls with wands that explores women's empowerment, friendship, and loyalty and addresses racial equality, identity, and gender fluidity. A timely, fun modern-day fable about women who refuse to conform.--K.L. Romo