1. The Witchery takes place in the mid-nineteenth century. Does Herculine seem a product of that era, or do her experiences seem more timeless?
   
   
2. In what ways did the lives of the characters seem familiar to you, given they are living in the nineteenth century? In what ways were they unfamiliar? What do you think you would like most (and least) if you lived at the same period?
   
   
3. The trilogy brings together both the magical and the mundane. Discuss.
   
   
4. Who are some of the more colorful and vividly drawn secondary characters in The Witchery, or the trilogy? What do they add to the overall impression of the book? How do they affect Herculine?
   
   
5. How are characters revealed physically? For example, what do the physical traits of both Herculine and Diblis tell us about who they are and what roles they may play as the novel develops? What about Calixto and Queverdo Brù?
   
   
6. Discuss Herculine's relationship to the sea. Metaphorically, what might the sea "mean"? How does travel affect all the characters, and the novel in general?
   
   
7. How does Queverdo Brù's search for the Philosopher's Stone fit into the tradition of "quest" literature (think: Frodo and friends searching for "the one ring")? What role does Herculine play in this quest? What is the symbolism of the Stone? What does Brù sacrifice in his pursuit of it?
   
   
8. What makes Diblis and Queverdo Brù compelling antagonists in The Witchery? What purpose(s) do they serve in the story? What do they reveal to the reader about Calixto and Herculine?
   
   
9. To what degree is Herculine culpable in the death of Diblis? Compare her role in the fate of Queverdo Brù to that of Calixto. Are there extenuating circumstances which mitigate the guilt of either Herculine or Calixto, or both of them?
   
   
10. How does the setting of The Witchery - Florida, Havana, Key West -- influence the characters and/or plot of the novel? Which setting rang most true for you, which least? Why? Which would you most like to visit, which least?
    
    
11. In The Book of Shadows, Sebastiana d'Azur tells Herculine, "Though we may be peripheral, we are not insignificant." How does this comment color Herculine's later adventures? Though an outsider, how does she live "significantly"? What changes does she effect in her world, and the world at large?
    
    
12. Where does Herculine's sense of justice come from, and how would you characterize her methods of meting out justice throughout the novel?
    
    
13. Throughout the trilogy, and in The Witchery in particular, Herculine makes reference to the works of great writers, especially Shakespeare. What is the effect of this? Does it enhance the novel? How does it reveal Herculine's character, or foreshadow elements of the plot?
    
    
14. Reese incorporates history into his fiction more than most writers. Discuss. Does the fact that the books are meant to be Herculine's "testimony" - her Book of Shadows -- affect the way you perceive the historical aspects of her story?
    
    
15. Describe the emotions Herculine experiences as she reads Sebastiana's Book of Shadows? As she escapes from Cuba and heads toward the keys? Which scene, or scenes, affected you most profoundly?