In Alexis Powell's eerie short story collection A Coven of Witches, witches from different time periods and cultures cavort with, and conspire against, hapless humans. These twenty stories feature an array of witches inspired by folkloric figures and deities; they have plot twists and ambiguous endings that reflect ambivalence toward witches in global storytelling traditions. In "Stitched," a seamstress modeled on Baba Yaga steals children's dreams and sews them into magical garments for adults. In "Gone Hog Wild," a substitute teacher transforms unruly children into pigs in the same way that Circe transformed Odysseus's men. Hecate and Marie Laveau appear as helpers herein, and a Krampus-evocative witch, Frau Perchta, tortures a naughty child. Children star in the stories as both protagonists and antagonists, as victims and tricksters, who are caught up in magical conflicts that alter their lives forever. Some stories are without clear resolutions, leaning into the spooky ambiguity that surrounds witches; they resist delivering straightforward verdicts on whether witches are good or evil. Visceral details, as of the stench of a sea witch's rotting corpse and a girl's skin itching and inflamed as she turns to stone under a witch's curse, result in vivid turns.

Enchanting illustrations accompany each story, highlighting uncanny moments of contact between the magical and mundane worlds. An owl perched on human hands instead of claws provides the visual for "A Warning on Wings," a story revolving around La Lechuza, a Mexican shapeshifting witch who helps children in need, but who is also a feared and ambiguous figure. And following each story, a description of the mythological or folkloric witch that served as inspiration is included--a novel, educational touch. In the imaginative short story collection A Coven of Witches , witches from folklore are fleshed out in fresh settings.