In the crowded world of cozy fantasy, Sangu Mandanna’s The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches has become a warm hug in book form. But while TikTok’s #BookTok dominates English-speaking discussions, a quieter, perhaps more fitting, community has embraced this tale of found family and isolation: the VKontakte (VK) fandom.
Western fans often overlook VK, but for Russian-speaking readers, it is the ultimate hub for fan communities. Dedicated public pages (паблики) and private groups dedicated to "Уютное фэнтези" (Cozy Fantasy) have seen a surge in membership over the last two years, with Irregular Witches as a crown jewel. very secret society of irregular witches vk
If you manage to breach the velvet rope of the "Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches" VK groups, here is what awaits you. This isn't your average book club. Finding Magic in the Margins: Why "The Very
If you know the book, you know the premise: Mika Moon, a solitary witch, must hide her magic while secretly yearning for connection. It is no surprise, then, that a novel about finding a secret society within a hostile world has found a second home on VK—a platform often perceived as mysterious, sprawling, and deeply communal to those on the inside. Hozier (for the sad, ancient witch vibes) Aurora
The VK ecosystem, with its robust suite of features—from long-form blog posts (Zametki) to image sharing, polls, and voice chats—allows fans to engage with the novel in deeply immersive ways. Fan art depicting the sunny, chaotic kitchen of Nowhere House or the ethereal glow of spellwork is widely circulated alongside quotes about loneliness and belonging. The platform’s "wall" posts often pose questions like, "Which Irregular Witch are you?" or "What would your cozy magic be?" transforming passive reading into active, shared introspection. Furthermore, the Russian translation of the book (and its vibrant fan-created subtitles for related video content) has allowed a vast audience to claim the story as their own, discussing its nuances in a linguistic and cultural space distinct from English-dominated platforms like Twitter or TikTok.
"If you fail, you are ignored," says Koldunya_North. "If you ask too many questions or seem like a 'tourist,' you are blocked. But if you pass, you are given access to the 'Library'."
Structure and Membership