The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
Mika Moon has spent her life following the first rule of witches: keep your head down, stay apart from other witches, and never let anyone see what you can do. Orphaned young and raised to be alone, she films tongue-in-cheek "witch" videos online as a private joke — until one of them draws a very real invitation. She is asked to come to Nowhere House, a rambling English estate, to tutor three young witches whose untrained magic is beginning to slip out of control.
Against every rule she's lived by, Mika accepts, and finds at Nowhere House something she never expected: not just three lonely, powerful children who need her, but a whole ramshackle found family of caretakers who have gathered to protect them. Chief among them is Jamie, the household's prickly, fiercely protective librarian, who wants Mika gone almost as much as the children want her to stay.
Sangu Mandanna's The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a warm, cozy fantasy romance about belonging. Charming and low-stakes in the best way, it's a story about the families we build, the walls we lower, and the courage it takes to finally let yourself be wanted.
A solitary 31-year-old witch, orphaned in India and raised in England, hired to secretly tutor three young witches at Nowhere House.
Nowhere House's prickly, fiercely protective librarian, and Mika's love interest.
The eldest of the three young witches at Nowhere House, aged ten and spirited.
The middle of the three young witches at Nowhere House, aged eight and rebellious.
The youngest of the three young witches at Nowhere House, aged seven and sweet-natured.
No. It is a standalone novel with a complete, self-contained ending, and there is no sequel. Sangu Mandanna's later adult novels — including A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon — are separate standalone books set in their own worlds, not continuations of Mika's story, so you can start and finish this one on its own.
It has not won a major book prize. It was a finalist in the Fantasy category of the 2022 Goodreads Choice Awards, and it received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews on publication.
The audiobook is narrated by Samara MacLaren and runs approximately 10 hours. It was published by Penguin Random House Audio on 23 August 2022, the same day as the print edition.