Founder: Elias Harlow Ancestor: As yet unknown Affinities: Record-keeping and tea at the perfect temperature Demesne: Harlow House, a very lovely, very normal colonial in a very lovely, very normal residential neighborhood—because we can’t all live in sweeping manors and glamorously decrepit mansions, can we? Holding: Tomes & Omens, an indie bookstore specializing in rare books, occult treatises, and the occasional bestseller
Founder: Margarita Avramov, also known as the Dread Lady Avramov Ancestor: Baba Yaga (yes, the Slavic-witch-hag-with-achicken-footed-shack Baba Yaga; will this be a problem for you?) Affinities: Necromancy and divination Demesne: The Bitters, a rambling Victorian mansion that backs up to the extremely haunted Witch Woods—often considered an informal extension of Avramov territory, by those with enough common sense not to go traipsing in there after nightfall Holding: The Arcane Emporium, an occult megastore and adjoining haunted house, affectionately referred to as Ye Witchy Walmart by the spicier Avramovs
Founder: Alastair Thorn Ancestor: Powerful Druidic lineage in Ireland Affinities: Healing and nature-based green magic Demesne: Honeycake Cottage, an ivy-strewn English Tudor like a fancy hobbit-hole writ very large Holding: Honeycake Orchards, which include not just your standard fruit trees, but also a magical hedge maze and an enchanted, musical sunflower field with a penchant for angsty alternative rock
Founder: Caelia Blackmoore Ancestor: Morgan le Fay, the famed Arthurian sorceress Affinities: Elemental magic and illusion glamours Demesne: Tintagel estate, a Downton-Abbeyesque manor surrounded by far too many acres of land Holding: Castle Camelot, an elaborate (and elaborately cheesy) indoor-outdoor Renn Faire featuring immersive entertainment, jousting, and themed restaurants
INGREDIENTS 1 . 5 oz b o u r b o n wh i s key . 5 oz b ran d y b as e d oran ge l iquer 1 oz m apl e sy r u p 2 tab l e s poo n s pu m pki n pu rée 1 d as h wal n u t b i tte rs Ros e m ar y s pr i g o r c i n a m m o n st i c k, for gar n i s h Opt i o n al : Fo ol ’s G ol d Pris m Powd e r f rom Fan c y Sprin k les
STEPS
1. Co m b i n e t h e b o u r b o n , o ran ge l i q u e u r, m apl e syru p, pu m pk i n pu rée , an d b i t ters i n a co c ktai l s h ake r fi l l e d wi t h i ce .
2. Sh ake we l l an d d o u b l e stra in t h ro u gh a fi n e m e s h stra in er i nto a c h i l l e d o l d -fas h i on ed gl ass (o r any c h i l l e d pu m pk i n -s h ape d re ce pt a c le) fi l l e d wi t h f re s h i ce .
3. St i r i n s o m e Fo ol ’s G ol d Pr i s m Powd e r for a gl i t terin g fl ou r i s h , i f d e s i re d .
4. Gar n i s h wi t h ros e m ar y s prig o r c i n n am on st i c k, s e r ve, a n d e n j oy.
“IT WAS RICHLY CREAMY B U T N O T AT A L L C L OY I N G , W I T H NOTES OF BOURBON AND MAPLE BITTERS AND ONLY A HINT OF SWEET P U M P K I N P I E .”
1.
At t h e ve r y b e gi n n in g of t h e bo o k , wh en Em my retu rn s to Th i st l e G rove , s h e d is m iss ivel y refers to t h e town’s m a gic a l b e au ty as “s o d am n extra”—a n d h er own m a gic less l ife in C h i c ago as re al , t he l ife s h e’s c h os en fo r h ers el f. D o yo u b e l i eve Em my ’s va l u e j u dgm ents a bo u t eit h er pla ce? D o you t h i n k s h e b e l i eves t h em h ers el f ?
2.
Wh e n s h e fi rst co mes h o m e, Em my is a l itt le s u rpris ed by h e r m ot h e r ’s b l u nt n ess in t h eir in it ia l co nvers at io n . Sh e t h e n com pare s h e r fa m i l y’s a rm s-len gt h style of relat in g to e ac h ot h e r to t h e very d ifferent bo n ds t h at exist b etwe e n t h e Av ram ovs , Th o rn s , a n d Bla c k m o o res . Wh ic h of t h e s e re l at i o n s h i p styles rem in ds yo u t h e m ost of yo u r own fam i l y ?
3.
D o yo u t h i n k Em my tru l y co m es h o m e o n l y bec a u s e of t h e pu l l of trad i t i o n and t h e im press ive pa renta l gu i l t trip— o r i s t h e tr u t h m o re co m pl ic ated ?
4.
T h e fa m i l i e s h ave d ra m a t i c a l l y d i f fe re n t m a g i c a l a b i l i t i e s : t h e T h o r n s a re g re e n - m a g i c h e a l e rs , t h e Bla c k m o o re s s h owy i l l u s i on i sts , t h e Avra m ovs d ivin ers a n d n ec ro m a n cers wi t h o n e foot on eit h er s ide of t h e vei l, t h e Ha rlows re cord ke e pe rs wh os e tea is a l ways t h e perfec t tem peratu re. Wh os e m agi c wo u l d yo u m ost l i ke to h ave? An d lea st ?
5.
Ove r t h e cou rs e of t h e bo o k , Em my experien ces a lot of gu i l t for t h e way s h e i ntera c ted wit h h er best frien d L in den a n d h e r pare nts af te r s h e left town . Given t h e c irc u m sta n ces , d o you t h i n k Em my d id wro n g by t h os e s h e left beh in d ? Wo u l d yo u h ave b e haved a ny d ifferent l y?
6.
Wh at d o yo u t h i n k of Em my’s experien ce wit h bein g t h e A r b i te r, an d t h e m a gic of t h e m a nt le? D o yo u t h in k yo u wou l d e n j oy b e i n g im m ers ed in s u c h intoxic at in g power, o r d oe s t h e i d e a m ake yo u u n ea sy?
7.
W h a t d o yo u t h i n k o f E l i a s H a r l o w ’s d e c i s i o n n ot t o s h are wi t h h i s yo u n ger des cen da nts t h e m a gic a l ro le t h e Har l ows pl ay i n Th i st le Grove? Wo u ld yo u h ave do n e t h in gs d i f fe re nt l y i n h i s s ho es ?
8.
Wo u l d yo u rat h e r b e a Vic to r of t h e Ga u nt let, o r, l i ke Em my’s fam i l y, t h e voi ce of Th ist le Grove? How do yo u t h in k Em my wi l l com b i n e h e r two ro les ? How m ight t h ey co m plem ent o r confl i c t wi t h e ach ot h er?
9.
A l l t h i n gs co n s i d e red, do yo u t h in k Em my’s relat io n s h ip wi t h Garet h was t h e wo rst t h in g to h a ppen in h er l ife— o r poss i b l y, t h e best ? How m ight h er l ife h ave lo o ked ot h e r wi s e , h ad t h e ro m a n ce between t h em n ever h a ppen ed ?
10. Why d o you t h i n k Tal ia c h os e to cede h er Wreat h to Em my? D o yo u t h i n k t h i s wa s t h e right dec is io n o n h er pa rt ? How d o yo u t h i n k Tal i a’s m ot h er, Elen a Avra m ov, feels a bo u t h er d au ghte r ’s co u rs e of a c t io n?
11. Emmy
a n d h e r co u s i n D e l i l a h h ave a co m p l i c a t e d re l at i on s h i p. D o yo u t h in k o n e of t h em is m o re at fa u l t t h a n t h e ot h e r ? D o yo u h ave a ny s im i la rl y fra u ght relat io n s h ips i n yo u r l i fe?
12. D o yo u t h i n k i t ’s l i kel y t h at Em my wi ll s pen d m u c h t im e in C h i c ago i n t h e f u ture? How do yo u t h in k s h e a n d Ta l ia wi ll n av i gate s pl i tt i n g t h eir t im e between Th ist le Grove a n d t h e c i ty ?
13. If you co u l d v i s i t j u st o n e of t h e Th ist le Grove ven u es d e s c r i b e d i n t h e b o o k— co n s ider t h e Ho n eyc a ke Orc h a rds , Th e Bi tte rs , Cast l e Ca m elot, L a d y’s L a ke, Tinta gel, a n d To m e s & Om e n s to get yo u sta rted—wh at wo u ld it be, a n d why ?