Twenty original short tales inspired by witchy women from history, mythology, and world folklore. "Magic," the author writes, "is everywhere you dare to look, and sometimes the dark wood is the most fun place to be." Proving herself equally adept at crafting tales that will leave readers hiding under their beds at night or only slightly discomfited, even amused, Powell offers entries that draw mostly upon European sources, but also include figures from places like Ancient Egypt and Mesoamerica. Some of her characterizations are sympathetic; in "Gone Hog Wild," for example, a substitute teacher follows the lead of the Odyssey's Circe by turning an out-of-control class of fifth graders into swine. On the other hand, her riff on Baba Yaga is a dream collector who pokes needles into the foreheads of sleeping children. In "Night Train," an entry based on tales of a seven-headed Kazakh blood drinker, young Emir meets a witch sporting the torn-off face of his little brother, Mo, concealed beneath her hat. As the author cogently argues in her introduction, accused witches were those stigmatized for belonging to "vulnerable groups like women, people of color, those with disabilities, and those with any other differences." Brief contextual notes follow each story.

From the glow-in-the-dark cover on, Vidal's lurid depictions of body parts, creepy creatures, and shadowy human figures add suitably eldritch notes. Gross and funny bits provide occasional relief, but deliciously terrifying overall.