The Few

by Cathy McSporran

Throughout the Second World War, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill employed and consulted witches. This little-known historical fact provides the inspiration for Cathy McSporran’s outstanding fantasy novel The Few.

Maggie is an ordinary teenager living on the South East Coast of England. Helping out during the evacuation of Dunkirk, it becomes apparent that she and her younger brother Colin may have supernatural powers.

Soon both are taken to London and recruited into a special group tasked with fighting the Gothi, a coven of 12 German teenage witches, hell-bent on crushing British resistence. As the Battle of Britain rages, Maggie meets and falls in love with Polish Spitfire pilot Michal. Will she be able to keep Michal safe? Will she, Colin and their friends manage to fight the overwhelming occult forces of the Nazi witches channelling the power of the ancient Aryan goddess Freya?

The Few, Book One in a new series, is a gripping epic fusing supernatural fantasy and Second World War historical fiction.

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism

350 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 2015

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A combination of witchcraft/fantasy and WW2 combat makes this an explosive and entertaining read!
The blurb says 'Inspired by the remarkable true story of Winston Churchill's witches'
Yes please - let's have some of that!

I loved the story of all the witches on both sides and I also loved the battle segments which were carried out by fighter pilots.


The story holds together pretty well and delivers on excitement.

There are a few holes in the story and a couple of annoying characters (the 'Mother' has issues and the daughter is stubborn to her detriment) but overall a fast-paced and fascinating read!

[MsAprilVincent · Rating 3 out of 5]

So ... Winston Churchill was a witch?
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Maggie and her brother Colin are recruited to be part of a team of teen witches (top that) (get it?) to battle a group of German teen witches who are bent on invading England during World War II.
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Of course, with a premise like that, I was on board immediately. The build up is slow, and some of the tension seemed forced. Also, there's enough going on in this book, what with Dunkirk and daily bombings and, you know, WITCHERY, but McSporran adds an undeveloped and uninspiring romance; its only function is to tie the witches to fighter pilots, something that was already achieved since they're AT WAR.
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Even so, this is a fun book and I'd recommend it to teens who like fantasy but you want them to read beyond Cassandra Clare.

[Iain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, a totally unique take on World War Two where a group of British kids with access to ancient magic take on a particularly nasty group of Nazis. There are so many layers to this story, from the hideous racial spin the Nazis put on the source of their magic, through the historical connections between ancient magic and modern geography and civic planning, to Churchill incorporating magic into the SOE, the fore-runner of the SAS: there's more than enough in this world to warrant a sequel / series - and one is strongly hinted at. But at heart it's the moving story of young people trying to make sense of their lives in an upside-down world and finding solace in their friends when the adults who are supposed to protect them fail completely to do so.

[E Vikander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sixteen year old Maggie and her 10 year old brother, Colin, stow away on their father's boat as he rescues soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk. During an attack from a Stuka bomber, their father is thrown overboard. Maggie's surprising, special powers saves them from further attack. Maggie and Colin are witches; they use their talents to keep their English hometown safe against a band of Nazi gothi (evil necromancers). McSporran draws from World War II and English history, as well as Norse mythology, in this tale of good versus evil. Especially enjoyable are the air battles, which put me on the edge of my seat. The Few is a delightful fantasy that was fun to read. Perfect for middle and high schoolers as well.

[Sara Royall]

This book has a rather innovative take on World War II: there are teenagers with magical abilities fighting the war on both sides. The British side includes Maggie, her little brother Colin, Alice, and Vince, who are introduced to their abilities by Maggie’s mother, who works for Winston Churchill. The German side includes Lise, who embodies the goddess Freya, and twelve Gothi. Along the way, there’s a bit of romance, including sex, though not in detail. For younger readers, there is some language as well as the aforementioned sex. All in all, I really enjoyed this book, and eagerly await the second installment of the series! I absolutely would recommend it to high school students, or junior high students who are mature readers.

[Emma Ludlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

***RECEIVED FROM GOODREADS GIVEAWAY***

This has to be one of the most original war novels I've read. Using the context of the Battle of Britain the author takes us into a world of magic that is so clever. I first picked the book up thinking this can't be a decent mix and how on earth can you pull this off? But it was so good, the characters were well written and you really hated the "baddies". I couldn't put it down.

[Acacia Irving · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will be reviewing this on my channel. Oh Cathy you did it again!