The Traitor to the Crown series by C.C. Finlay opens in 1775. Proctor Brown is an ordinary young man working the family farm in New England, determined to defend the rights of the colonies as a member of the local militia. But magic is in his blood and a chance encounter with an arrogant British officer bearing magic of his own catapults Proctor into the adventure of a lifetime. The three books in the series (Patriot Witch, Spell for the Revolution, and Demon Redcoat) trace Proctor’s involvement with another young patriot Deborah Walcott with the gift of magic, George Washington, and a secret society of evil witches (the Covenant) that has been pulling the strings of European history for centuries. The battles of the American Revolution are the stage-dressing of a much more fundamental war between the witches of the Covenant and the witches of the colonies who are determined to wrest control from the hands of the Covenant and grant real freedom to the peoples of North America and Europe.

Real events in American and European history are incorporated into the series, making the novels a fascinating exploration of how those events might have influenced, or been influenced by, magic and witchcraft. (Proctor’s style of doing magic, drawing on verses of the Bible, is an intriguing exploration of the relationship between magic and religion.) I urge you to add these books to your “wish list!”