kkreads's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a good debut novel with a diverse set of characters and extra witchy vibes. The plot picked up as the book went on, and I raced through the last few chapters. I enjoyed the seamless inclusion of queer characters. Because there were so many POVs, some of the character development was rushed, and I especially would have liked more from Jailah. I originally thought this was a standalone though, so I look forward to how things progress in book 2!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Religious bigotry and Self harm
kingrosereads's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
A witchy teen book set in Florida at a magic school. There’s four badass witches and a curse.
The books follows four witches and two “mundanes” as they set to break their town’s hundred year curse. The curse causes an annual “Haunting” where supernatural wolves awaken and spend two moon cycles killing witches and mundanes alike. Our young witches and their mundane friends set out to end the curse once and for all. But with everyone keeping secrets and centuries of animosity between witches and mundanes, can they trust each other and come together to defeat the true evil in their town?
I really enjoyed this book and hope there’ll be another set in this universe. I really liked the magic system and the characters were written well. It feels like we’ve only scratched the surface with this world and these characters though! I was happy to see BIPOC witches just basking in their Witchery while still recognizing that POC have additional struggles. I was disappointed that this was advertised as lgbtqia+ when only one character was identified as queer (it wasn’t specified if she was gay/bi/pan/etc) and she just has a really problematic ex, and there’s also a side character that was non-binary.
I was also disappointed that the build up had inconsistent pacing and the climax and resolution felt rushed.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I REALLY want more! Not at all bad for a debut!
The books follows four witches and two “mundanes” as they set to break their town’s hundred year curse. The curse causes an annual “Haunting” where supernatural wolves awaken and spend two moon cycles killing witches and mundanes alike. Our young witches and their mundane friends set out to end the curse once and for all. But with everyone keeping secrets and centuries of animosity between witches and mundanes, can they trust each other and come together to defeat the true evil in their town?
I really enjoyed this book and hope there’ll be another set in this universe. I really liked the magic system and the characters were written well. It feels like we’ve only scratched the surface with this world and these characters though! I was happy to see BIPOC witches just basking in their Witchery while still recognizing that POC have additional struggles. I was disappointed that this was advertised as lgbtqia+ when only one character was identified as queer (it wasn’t specified if she was gay/bi/pan/etc) and she just has a really problematic ex, and there’s also a side character that was non-binary.
I was also disappointed that the build up had inconsistent pacing and the climax and resolution felt rushed.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I REALLY want more! Not at all bad for a debut!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Blood
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, and Death
caseythereader's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Gore, Animal death, Blood, Self harm, Death of parent, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, Injury/injury detail, and Violence
karina_dreamsinwords's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Wow. I was absolutely bewitched by The Witchery from beginning to end! Filled with dark magic, enchanting prose, and the baddest witch squad in town- this book delivered not only the fantastical but a dash of horror as well.
If you are searching for your next witchy read for spooky season, PICK THIS UP IMMEDIATELY!!
If you are searching for your next witchy read for spooky season, PICK THIS UP IMMEDIATELY!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Death of parent, Religious bigotry, and Self harm
Minor: Racism
karcitis's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Car accident, Emotional abuse, Injury/injury detail, Death, Religious bigotry, Mass/school shootings, Genocide, Drug use, Child death, Self harm, and Murder
Minor: Bullying, Death of parent, Addiction, Classism, Animal death, Alcohol, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, and Confinement
amberinpieces's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/injury detail, and Gore
Moderate: Self harm, Grief, Religious bigotry, Body horror, and Car accident
Minor: Racism, Child death, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Toxic relationship
bookstarbri's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
What I loved about this story, I REALLY loved. Iris, Thalia, and Mathew were the stars of this for me. Anytime it was their chapter POVs, I was at an all time high. If I could've stayed with them the whole time, I think it would've been a solid 5 stars. I also really loved the central mystery. I was really interested in the wolves and how they were connected to the witches. I also think Iris might be one of my favorite characters of all time. I adore her. Honestly, I'd read an entire book on her and Mathew doing necromancy stuff together and give it an immediate 5 stars.
I see some people saying there were too many POVs. There were 6 and while that is more than I read in most books (especially at this shorter length), I didn't mind that and it actually made sense to me for it to be set up that way! I think my issue was that I just didn't like the other characters as much or they didn't feel as fleshed out as the aforementioned three. Where Iris, Thalia, and Mathew were more likable and had more interesting backstories, Logan, Trent, and Jailah needed a little bit more. I liked Jailah, but we just didn't get as much from her. Logan kind of faltered for me about halfway through. Also, I really wanted Logan and Jailah to be romantically linked and idk why I thought they would be but I'm really disappointed it didn't go in that direction bc Jail's girlfriend sucks.
What I mainly didn't love was the pacing was really odd sometimes. A lot of time passed in this that didn't feel like needed to pass? I think the stakes would've felt higher if the Hunting Season was shorter. Since it was drawn out for months, it just didn't feel all that important sometimes ().
Those gripes are relatively moderate and I honestly don't think I'd have them if this book was a series/duology. I TRULY hope it is because it ends with a lot of questions and, frankly, I want to dive even further into this world. It *feels* like a first book in a series and I DESPERATELY want answers. Even with my little complaints, I really enjoyed this and I want more from this author! I have to commend S. Isabelle on the rep too. It was so nice to have so many Black characters in a book :') it made my little Black girl heart SOAR. Black girls with wands and magic is all I've ever wanted. This book was so fun and dark and such a cool take on witches!
I see some people saying there were too many POVs. There were 6 and while that is more than I read in most books (especially at this shorter length), I didn't mind that and it actually made sense to me for it to be set up that way! I think my issue was that I just didn't like the other characters as much or they didn't feel as fleshed out as the aforementioned three. Where Iris, Thalia, and Mathew were more likable and had more interesting backstories, Logan, Trent, and Jailah needed a little bit more. I liked Jailah, but we just didn't get as much from her. Logan kind of faltered for me about halfway through. Also, I really wanted Logan and Jailah to be romantically linked and idk why I thought they would be but I'm really disappointed it didn't go in that direction bc Jail's girlfriend sucks.
What I mainly didn't love was the pacing was really odd sometimes. A lot of time passed in this that didn't feel like needed to pass? I think the stakes would've felt higher if the Hunting Season was shorter. Since it was drawn out for months, it just didn't feel all that important sometimes (
Spoiler
they even go on winter break and stop speaking for like a month at one point and that felt really unnecessaryThose gripes are relatively moderate and I honestly don't think I'd have them if this book was a series/duology. I TRULY hope it is because it ends with a lot of questions and, frankly, I want to dive even further into this world. It *feels* like a first book in a series and I DESPERATELY want answers. Even with my little complaints, I really enjoyed this and I want more from this author! I have to commend S. Isabelle on the rep too. It was so nice to have so many Black characters in a book :') it made my little Black girl heart SOAR. Black girls with wands and magic is all I've ever wanted. This book was so fun and dark and such a cool take on witches!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Self harm
Moderate: Blood and Death
venetiana's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This was A Ride, I loved it! Although I'll be very sad if there isn't a follow-up ;)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Body horror, Blood, Injury/injury detail, and Death
Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, Murder, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Classism, Self harm, Stalking, Abandonment, Car accident, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Gore, Grief, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Murder, and Suicide
abookwanderer's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
In The Witchery by S. Isabelle—a young adult fantasy debut about a unique squad of witches at a magical school in Florida—we follow four young witches and their mundane friends as they work together to protect their fellow classmates and townsfolk from the annual Haunting Season and attempt to uncover the cure to the curse. Isabelle has created an impressive world with the coolest of rules and the coolest cast of characters.
I was first introduced to this book when it showed up as an ARC (advanced readers copy) in my spring book subscription box from The Strand Bookstore. I loved the cover, and the synopsis that made the book sound like a perfect blend of The Raven Cycle series and Harry Potter—but diverse! I was even more excited when iReadYA sent me a finished copy along with a set of character cards, which helped me get to know the large cast of characters quickly while I read. (I'll be passing along my ARC copy to one lucky blog reader!)
Immediately, the reader is introduced to Logan, a “baby witch”, new to the school and her powers. She’s been taken in by The Red Three: Iris, a deathwitch; Thalia, a greenwitch; and Jailah, a leader in the Junior Witchery Council. The reader joins the group on Halloween night with a kind of unofficial initiation of Logan into their circle. As the book progresses, we get each girls’ back story and how they all came together. Isabelle did an impressive job of weaving the present and past together, keeping the story fresh and exciting.
The large cast of characters does make the story a bit hard to follow in the beginning, so I recommend taking notes (or have the character cards with pictures and descriptions on the back close by!) until you learn everyone. It helped me to follow along more quickly and enhanced my reading experience even more. This is not a book to read when you can’t devote your full attention. Each detail is important and rewarding, and the book deserves complete immersion.
There’s a little bit of everything here for any fantasy fan: a well-established world, a mystery to be solved, magical cursed wolves, and even some romance. I especially loved the diversity of The Witchery. The representation within the large cast only enhanced the story and made it richer and more charming. Now that the world is established, my fingers are crossed that there will be a book two. If you’re a seasonal reader, The Witchery is perfect for the fall. It’s definitely one I would love to reread someday, as well. And please, someone develop an adaptation!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to iReadYA for providing me with a copy.
Check out my reviews and playlists at A Book Wanderer
I was first introduced to this book when it showed up as an ARC (advanced readers copy) in my spring book subscription box from The Strand Bookstore. I loved the cover, and the synopsis that made the book sound like a perfect blend of The Raven Cycle series and Harry Potter—but diverse! I was even more excited when iReadYA sent me a finished copy along with a set of character cards, which helped me get to know the large cast of characters quickly while I read. (I'll be passing along my ARC copy to one lucky blog reader!)
Immediately, the reader is introduced to Logan, a “baby witch”, new to the school and her powers. She’s been taken in by The Red Three: Iris, a deathwitch; Thalia, a greenwitch; and Jailah, a leader in the Junior Witchery Council. The reader joins the group on Halloween night with a kind of unofficial initiation of Logan into their circle. As the book progresses, we get each girls’ back story and how they all came together. Isabelle did an impressive job of weaving the present and past together, keeping the story fresh and exciting.
The large cast of characters does make the story a bit hard to follow in the beginning, so I recommend taking notes (or have the character cards with pictures and descriptions on the back close by!) until you learn everyone. It helped me to follow along more quickly and enhanced my reading experience even more. This is not a book to read when you can’t devote your full attention. Each detail is important and rewarding, and the book deserves complete immersion.
There’s a little bit of everything here for any fantasy fan: a well-established world, a mystery to be solved, magical cursed wolves, and even some romance. I especially loved the diversity of The Witchery. The representation within the large cast only enhanced the story and made it richer and more charming. Now that the world is established, my fingers are crossed that there will be a book two. If you’re a seasonal reader, The Witchery is perfect for the fall. It’s definitely one I would love to reread someday, as well. And please, someone develop an adaptation!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to iReadYA for providing me with a copy.
Check out my reviews and playlists at A Book Wanderer
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Death of parent, Blood, Self harm, Gore, and Body horror