Book Summary and Reviews of A Circle of Uncommon Witches by Paige Crutcher

Book Summary

A witch generationally cursed to never find true love sets out to break the spell cast on her family, and must team up with the last person who wants to help her – the witch who set the curse in the first place.

Doreen MacKinnon is doomed to die of a broken heart - if she can't break the centuries old curse placed on her family.

Three hundred years ago, Ambrose MacDonald, a powerful male witch, fell in love with a MacKinnon. And when the MacKinnon witches forbade him from seeing his love, by secretly hiding her away, he retaliated by cursing the family and its future generations to never find love. But it wasn't without a cost. Now, Ambrose is imprisoned by those same witches, trapped in a tempest and doomed to outlive everyone he has ever loved.

But Doreen isn't like the other MacKinnon witches. As the 13th generation of the MacKinnon line, Doreen is one of the most powerful witches in centuries… and one of the loneliest. So when she discovers where Ambrose has been trapped, she releases him to help her break the curse, once and for all. Ambrose agrees to help, but with his own motive: vengeance. He plans to use her as bait to enact his revenge on her family.

Together, they enter a series of trials, which take them to a castle in Scotland, off a cliff, and into a world beyond their wildest dreams. As they work together, sparks start to fly, but soon Doreen must choose how far she is willing to go to break the curse, and what she's willing to sacrifice.

Paige Crutcher's A Circle of Uncommon Witches is a story of adventure, romance, and destiny, that asks: is true love worth the cost?

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. A Circle of Uncommon Witches tells the story of curses, witches, and magic. What was your favorite piece of family lore, myth, or tradition that was mentioned in the story?
2. As a mimic, Doreen is able to duplicate any spell, and as a creator, Margot is capable of crafting any charm from thought. If you were a witch, what kind of magic would you want to practice? What spells would you want to cast?
3. How did being abandoned by her mother affect Doreen throughout her life? Can you point to moments in the story where this was evident?
4. The MacKinnon women imprisoned Ambrose for three hundred years because he cursed them to never experience true love. Were either of their actions justified? Do you think Ambrose should have ...