All good and every author took a different twist on the story of witches, most of them are of young women some are of perception of a person as a witch without any real witchcraft and some are of out-and-out witchcraft and magic. My favourite was probably Lindsay Smiths' Death in the Sawtooths but I didn't not like any of them, there were a few in which the point was a little over-pointy but overall I gobbled these down.
First up was Starsong by Tehlor Kay Mejia about an astrologer meeting an astronomer. Interesting read
Afterbirth by Andrea Robertson really did evoke some of the stress of the witch hunts and how women struggled to keep knowledge alive.
The Heart in her Hands by Tess Sharpe is the story of choice versus fate and wanting your own path.
Death in the Sawtooths by Lindsay Smith sees a necromancer investigate some deaths and I would read more set in this world
The Truth about Queenie by Brandy Colbert about healing and magic and love and learning to let go sometimes and to accept that sometimes things go wrong.
The Moonapple Menagerie by Shveta Thakrar is about a magical play and inclusion
The Legend of Stone Mary by Robin Talley is an urban legend meeting a wronged woman story. Quite strong.
The One who Stayed by Nova Ren Suma is a story of generational assault and anger and while short is very strong.
Divine are the stars by Zoraida Córdova is a story about inheritance and assumptions of what people are due, it's also about learning to accept yourself.
Daughters of Baba Yaga by Brenna Yavanoff is a story set in high school about two girls claiming their power.
The Well Witch by Kate Hart is about a woman surviving against some men who want to sieze her space and how they underestimate her.
Beware of girls with crooked mouths by Jessica Spotswood is about sisterhood and decisions made when magic and visions are involved.
Love Spell by Anna-Marie McLemore is about love and choice
The Gherin Girls by Emery Lord is a story that echoes some of the more magical realism stories and the witchcraft is on the surface but the sisterly love is the backbone of this one.
Why they watch us Burn by Elizabeth May was another strong story about a near future where girls suspected of witchcraft are used and abused in work camps and what happens when they band together.
Overall I thought this was a strong collection with some very good reads in it. ( )

Good short story collection with woc (in this case, witches of color) and queer rep in many of the stories. ( )

Toil and Trouble is a collection of 15 stories, and there is definitely something for everyone. The common thread throughout the anthology is magic and the women who wield it, but the women and the magic they use varies greatly from story to story. Some worlds are fully magical, complete with mystical creatures, and some are worlds exactly like our own, where magic is hiding in plain sight. Some of the women are masters of their craft, while others are struggling to use powers that they didn't know they had.
This collection is full of stories of women taking back control, taking power over their own destinies, finding love in fate or in taking back your world from fate. The characters are very diverse and represent different cultures, sexual orientations, social classes, and religious backgrounds.
As is the case with an anthology like, some stories were definitely better than others. Some were just so incredibly slow or had unlikeable characters, which felt like it took away from the book overall, but I still recommend for the good stories ( )

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Teen for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited when I saw I got approved for this, since I love everything dealing with witches! There was a part of me that was hoping a lot of the witches portrayed would not fall into any of usual stereotypes we see in the media. Thankfully this anthology exceeded my expectations quite a lot!

The diversity throughout the anthology is what truly made me adore this book. Every single story is so different from the last. Whether it be from the world building, the cultures portrayed, the way in which each character uses their powers and how that molds their daily lives.

One of the things that was a very pleasant surprise was the amount of LGBT representation throughout the anthology. I had seen a few others mention this, but I had thought it was maybe part of one or two of the stories. By the time I finished the book I was just so overjoyed to have read about so many queer characters! The character's sexuality was always portrayed in a positive light and brought up in very casual ways, which also made me very happy. It was never added in for shock value, or to make the characters seem lesser.

Some of the topics covered in the anthology are very heavy, a few character's deal with sexual assault in two different stories. Nothing explicit is described, but it is there and can be uncomfortable to read through. So I feel I really need to add that into this review as a slight warning, since I know a lot of people may not want to read about that.

There were a few parts that I felt where just too slow, I had a hard time getting through those stories which is why I only rate it at four stars. Despite those few slower reads, the rest of the anthology is amazing. The plots are engaging and so many of them left me wanting more! I would love to read full length books on so many of these characters and their worlds, I wanted to know more of them and what would happen next in their lives. At the end of the day not only is this a very entertaining read, it is also a very empowering one. Seeing all these strong characters overcoming so much and just being their unique selves was really inspiring. ( )

Like all short story collections (even from my favourite authors), not all of the tales collected here resonated strongly with me, but I hvae to say that I fully enjoyed reading this collection. Each story explored a different aspect of witchcraft, from the Hispanic bruja to the Salemers, exploring magical lore, spell craft, and ultimately the inate female collection to magic and what it means to be a woman. Many of the stories are challenging, treading themes of sexuality, mistrust, miseducation, and spirituality as seen from the eyes of "victims," but that speaks strongle to what witches (and women in general) have faces thoughout history. Even with the often sad stories and occasional lack of triumphs the feeling I was left with by the finale was determination. Determination to continue on being true to myself, my beliefs, and fighting for the rightness in the world. Women an power, after all, it's only a manner of channeling it. ( )