The Witches Who Went to War: The Real History Behind Her Darkest Hour

When I started writing Her Darkest Hour, I wasn’t just inspired by the idea of witches in wartime—I was captivated by the real, historical belief that magic could be used to defend Britain.

In researching the book, I discovered a lineage of magical resistance stretching back centuries. In 1588, when the Spanish Armada threatened England, tales emerged of magical circles cast to summon storms. During the Napoleonic Wars, rural communities quietly turned to cunning folk—herbalists, charmers, and wise women—to protect them from invasion.

But perhaps most fascinating of all is the rumour that during WWII, a group of witches gathered in the New Forest to perform a ritual known as the Cone of Power. Their aim? To stop Hitler from setting foot on British soil. It sounds like folklore—but it’s part of Britain’s strange, often forgotten magical undercurrent. The war wasn’t just fought on beaches and battlefields. It was fought, too, in glades and gardens, by those who believed the spiritual realm had a part to play.

That hidden history became the beating heart of Her Darkest Hour. Eliza Maclean, a young Scottish witch, is drawn from her quiet life on the Isle of Mull into a war she never expected to fight. Recruited by MI5, she finds herself hunting a German spy in Cambridge—but with magic, not guns.

I wanted to honour both the women who stepped into wartime roles and the lesser-known stories of those who used ancient knowledge to protect what they loved. Eliza’s magic is not flashy or cinematic—it’s rooted in emotion, empathy, and intuition. And that, perhaps, is what made it so powerful.

In the end, this book is a tribute to the quiet guardians of our past—those who lit candles, traced symbols, whispered prayers to old gods, and believed, fiercely, in their country’s protection.

What if those rituals worked?

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy discovering Eliza’s journey in Her Darkest Hour.

Suzy Henderson
Author of Her Darkest Hour
#HerDarkestHour #HistoricalFantasy #WartimeWitches

Magic, Espionage, and the Quiet Rebellion of Eliza Maclean

Not all heroes charge into battle. Some slip through shadows, keeping secrets even from the ones they love.

When I began writing Her Darkest Hour, I knew I wanted to tell the story of a young woman who was more powerful than anyone realised—including herself. Eliza Maclean leaves the windswept wilds of the Isle of Mull to stay with her cousin in Cambridge, grieving the loss of her grandmother and the quiet life she’s left behind. But Eliza has always held a secret close to her heart: she is a witch.

Her story unfolds in the liminal spaces between worlds—between peace and war, tradition and modernity, silence and defiance. And when MI5 recruits her to help root out a German spy, she discovers that her magic might be the most powerful weapon she owns.

Eliza’s strength isn’t loud. It’s not the kind that makes headlines. Like many women during the Second World War, she steps up without fanfare. The same skills once dismissed—intuition, empathy, spiritual insight—become invaluable tools in the fight against the enemy.

I wanted to write a different kind of wartime heroine. One who doesn’t fit the mould. Eliza’s magic is quiet, emotional, deeply connected to the earth and her ancestors. And yet, it gives her an edge in a world dominated by codes, secrets, and betrayal.

The title Her Darkest Hour is both a nod to the wartime phrase and a reflection of Eliza’s personal journey. She must choose between hiding what she is and embracing it—even if it means risking everything.

If you love stories about strong but subtle heroines, old magic meeting modern war, and the power of believing in yourself even when the world doesn’t, I hope you’ll enjoy Eliza’s story as much as I loved writing it.

With warm wishes,
Suzy Henderson
#HerDarkestHour #WartimeMagic #HistoricalFantasy