Before we get into the fantasy, let’s deal with the reality: Sarah Avery’s book Tales From Rugosa Coven is an excellent description of what life is like in a Wiccan group. There’s the sense of family, the balancing of work and biological family and coven-mates, the bickering and the sharing, the interaction of Wiccans with other Neopagan traditions, the predictable (and often tiring) reaction of non-pagans to Wicca, and the greatest challenge of all: scheduling the date of the next ritual. If you want to learn what it’s like to be in a Wiccan group, it’s here.
The only fantasy here is that none of the characters forget their lines in the middle of a ritual. Oh yeah, and there’s an Egyptian spirit and the Jersey Devil and an Atlantean.
In addition to the insider’s view of Wicca and the fun of the fantasy, the three novellas are entertaining stories. Each one is told from the viewpoint of a different member of Rugosa Coven, showing how they deal with challenges both fantastic and mundane in the context of being a part of a Wiccan group.
Wicca: check. Fantasy: check. Entertaining: check. Skinny-dipping: check. It’s all there! On the basis of being the most complete work of fiction I’ve read this year, I highly recommend Tales from Rugosa Coven.
The above is a reprint of my review of the book on Amazon.