ELEMENTAL WITCHES!
(Thanks Net galley for the ARC)

I picked this book up as filler between books. This book cured my reading slump.
It starts strong, referencing recent events, not events that only a select few know, but rather ones that made global news. My breath hitched when Australia was mentioned.

The concept of elemental witches was expertly handled, it didn’t feel cheapened but rather a logical outlook on the situation.
One point I would like to make about the publication, more distinct separation between the different seasons and the chapters, but that is a formatting comment not one for the author.

By the end of the book, I was reaching for the internet hunting if there was a sequel before I remembered this was an ARC


https://www.instagram.com/p/CNl-FNdrz0g/

This was a strong debut book and I loved the powerful descriptive writing. It was interesting to have the themes of trust (in yourself and with others) intertwined with the issue of climate change. It was special to experience Clara's growth over the course of the book.

Well, I think I have a new insta-buy author!

I absolutely love stories about witches so when I saw the description of The Nature of Witches, I had a pretty good feeling I would love it...and it did not disappoint! The story is so unique and intriguing!

Clara is in training to master her magic as an Everwitch, which means she naturally changes with the seasons. Not only her magic changes, but the way she feels and how she perceives the world changes as well.
I was able to connect to Clara and really felt her pain and her happiness...and, for me, that's a sign of great writing. The story is set up around each season and comes full circle so the pacing is quick, making for an easier read. Now, don't mistake "easier" for "lighter" as this book will rip your heart open if you let it.

This story is one of love and longing all while Clara finds herself through her magic. It really is a wonderful tale all-around and I highly recommend diving into it!

And, I would really love to be able to control my own mini thunderstorm in my palm...justsayin' :)


Huge thank you to Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley for the e-arc to read and review honestly.

I enjoyed this book and liked the concept of modern day witches with power tied to the different seasons. The commentary on the environmental issues, the suspense of Clara learning to use her powers without hurting anyone else, and the little bit of sweet romance thrown in made for a good combination. The characters were developed fairly well, and the story moved along at a good pace. While I found Clara to be a bit annoying at times--cutting others out of her life in order to protect them without giving the person in question a choice in the matter--I tried to remind myself that she was after all a teenager, still trying to find her way in the world. Sang was by far my favorite character. I was drawn to his kindness, his patience, and his skill with plants.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

I thought the premise of this book was good. Combining weather and the supernatural isn't something i'd really considered before, so it was an interesting take. I loved the growth of the main character in both her craft and as a person.

I think my favorite thing about this book is that even though it deals in a supernatural theme, there are very human elements at play that drive the narrative and make this book strong.

A romantic witchy read full of magic and whimsy. This is a stand alone fantasy YA novel about a young witch named Clara who has mixed feelings about her powers and pushes against who she naturally is. In this world witches control the atmosphere and the weather with their powers, and are designated different seasons from which their magic naturally originates from. The atmosphere is falling apart and Clara must stand up and be part of trying to save the atmosphere as she also falls unexpectedly in love.

This novel is separated by the different seasons. Beautiful descriptions and quotes accompany each of these. The prose is also stunning. Nature lovers will enjoy these aspects.

The magic system was very easy to understand (which I appreciated) but also very unique. I have never read a novel like it before. It was a very creative concept. Those new to fantasy will find the magic system and concepts easy to grasp.

The romance is quite sweet but not too sickly. I did find myself myself wanting a bit more from the relationship though. It did feel like it could have been deepened or elaborated on in some ways.

Overall this was a wonderful debut novel and I look forward to reading further work by Rachel Griffin.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with a free eARC of this book.

A well written book full of magic and an interesting take on real world issues. I enjoyed the writing style and I am look forward to more by this author!

I am not typically a big fan of contemporary fantasy or the magical boarding school trope, however The Nature of Witches defied the odds and stole my heart. This book is the witchy, activist YA fantasy of my dreams! Rachel Griffin's debut novel is a must-read for fans of young adult fantasy.

First and foremost, I adore the way that Griffin chooses to tackle the issue of climate change in this story. I mean witches who use their powers to keep the atmosphere in balance? I'm so in. But I also really loved how this book did not sugar coat the issues or invent some imaginary magical solution to a real-world problem. Readers will walk away from this book thinking about their own impact on the health of our planet which I love. 

Griffin writes with the beautiful simplicity of Adrienne Young's Fable duology. The stories themselves are very different, however something about the writing style and storycraft is similar. Their worlds are enveloping and unique without being overly complex or convoluted. Readers of Griffin and Young will latch onto characters quickly and be invested in both the external plot and the internal character arcs. Both authors create atmospheric worlds and perfectly paced plots that make their books unputdownable.

This book was a really unique take on witches and the magic-system was fantastic. Griffin did an excellent job of introducing the reader to this world and how the witches' magic worked. I wasn't left with any questions (other than the questions that the characters themselves didn't have answers to) and I really appreciated that it was not the standard witchy story. Griffin really made it her own way and created a magic system that perfectly served the purposes she wanted to accomplish in this book. 

As I was reading this book, I found myself stopped in my tracks by a few lines that were just so lovely and impactful that I had to write them down and ponder them. Griffin has a knack for creating poignant moments for both her characters and her readers. Some of these moments were profound truths written lyrical prose and some were heart-stoppingly cinematic scenes that I desperately need to see brought to life on screen. 

I cannot write a full review of TNOW without talking about Sang. It was incredibly moving to read this story knowing that part of Griffin's inspiration for the book was the love that her husband has shown her and what she has learned from him. I really loved Sang's character and what he represented for Clara. He felt like the quintessential perfect book boyfriend, maybe a little unrealistically perfect: intelligent, artistic, encouraging.

For me, the weakest element of the story was Clara's relationship with her parents and how their death affected her. We knew it happened, but we never heard much about it or learned much about her relationship with them before they died. Personally, I feel like that would leave more of an emotional scar. Yes, Clara is affected by her trauma and loss but we mostly hear about her best friend and not her parents. 

The overall story was so lovely that it is so easy to forgive minor things like that in favor of appreciating the big picture that Griffin has painted. I highly recommend giving this book a read. I preordered a signed, personalized copy of the hardback and cannot wait until it arrives on my doorstep in June.

“Y𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚗𝚒𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚛𝚞𝚙𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝’𝚜 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚖𝚢 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎.”
First of all the imagery in this book is next level! Clearly Rachel Griffin is a great writer. Emotion pours off of these pages. I love that magic follows the seasons. And that the reader gets to experience what each season means. You’re dropped into the world right away (I kept checking to make sure this wasn’t the second book in a series!) so it took me a bit to get my footing. But wow once I did was this book GOOD! You know me, I love a good YA urban fantasy.
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I would recommend reading when it comes out - pub date is June 1, 2021! Thanks to NetGalley & SOURCEBOOKS Fire for this ARC!

This book was a fun fresh take on a unique magic system! It involves witches maintaining the earths climate and what happens when the climate starts to falter and the magic cannot continue to control it.

Each witch is tied to a specific season except for Clara, who is tied to all seasons. Her magic is considered rare and much stronger, so when the climate becomes erratic, it is only her who can help stabilize the weather before it destroys the world around her.

A witch named Sang is sent to help train her, and she ends up falling hard for him. Clara is terrified she will only hurt him like the other people in her life that she loved, and the only answer is to either learn to control her magic or lose her powers completely.

—-

I did really enjoy the whole idea of this story. I mean, it had witches, nature and a love story! Amazing!

Clara gave off some Harry Potterish vibes to me; No parents, kind of feels sorry for herself, the ones she loves get hurt and she withdraws into herself to avoid hurting others... Not that that part was a negative but I just didn’t find myself connected to Clara like the other characters. Sang was my personal favorite. Sweet and caring and I definitely took a liking to him. I also enjoyed the feistiness of Paige. Without getting into spoiler territory, I quite liked the romance and heartbreak that happened in the book and the direction it took.

All in all I did like this story. The parts that were more of a miss for me were mostly when Clara was actually using her powers. I wish I could elaborate more but I just didn’t feel into how the magic actually worked?

That being said, I think it was a good debut and I would definitely consider reading more from this author in the future. The writing flowed well, there was some great character development and the plot was super cool!

I give this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Pure magic! I absolutely loved this beautiful story and would love a continuation! At the end I was definitely wanting more. I can't wait to read more from this author!

Witches have maintained the climate for centuries. The book focuses on a girl called Clara. Each witch at birth is assigned that season which influences their magic. Their power is only available throughout that season. Clara is an Everwitch. Her power changes throughout the seasons matching which ever season they are currently in. As she grows up, Clara notices that each time she feels a strong connection to someone that person inevitably ends up dying. One spring, she falls for a guy, Sang. She then has a choice to make... her power, her happiness, her duty or the people that she loves.

Clara is an extremely likeable character. You really feel her emotions. She tries her hardest to protect the ones she loves even if it means hurting herself. She is stubborn and strong-willed which is something I appreciate.

Her love interest, Sang. You really feel the love he has for others. For a love interest, he is extremely sensitive. He isn’t one of your typical ‘male leads’ you find in other books. This makes for a refreshing change.

The book is relatively fast paced. It is easy to understand and digest. I didn’t once get confused with what is going on. Witchy books aren’t normally my thing but this one definitely held my attention.

Throughout the book I was willing for Clara to succeed. To find a way to keep her power and protect the ones she loves the most. Does this happen? I am afraid you’ll have to read the book to find out 😜

So I loved this book so much more than I thought I would. I loved the love story in it, I loved the magic system, the only gripe I have is the lazy worldbuilding. We don't really see anything of the world outside of the school, I felt like it could've been built up a lot better, there was no feeling of history in this.. But I read it one day, so it define held my attention. This is definitely a contemporary urban fantasy, don't let the cover fool you into thinking it's anything else.

But if you love The Magicians or Motherland: Fort Salem, you'll really enjoy this book.

Honestly, I was so happy when I finished this book. It seemed too preachy about climate change, which I know is a serious issue, but I felt like this book took it too far. I found Clara to be an unlikable main character and couldn't help but roll my eyes at her every few pages. Overall, I disliked this book.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for my copy of The Nature of Witches. I loved this book for so many reasons. I’m always hunting for books about witches, and this is definitely one of my favorites. Rachel Griffin writes so beautifully that you can’t help but fall in love with the characters she creates. I would highly recommend this book!

I’m constantly on the hunt for captivating witchy stories, and this is definitely one to read. I would compare this book to those written by Paula Braxton, Laurie Forest, or V.E. Shwab (three of my favorite!) and perfect for a younger audience.

This is a beautiful coming of age story, where traumas and persistent self-doubt haunt the main character, Clara. With a fantastical spin on climate change and how the magic of our fellow witches can help maintain our Earth’s energy, you’re in for it!! 5 stars all around.

This was definitely one of my favorite reads of the year so far. It was so beautifully written and the messages throughout this book were impactful. The magic and nature connection was well developed and fed my nature loving soul. I don’t often read urban fantasy, but I throughly enjoyed it!

***spoilers below***



Clara’s struggle with feeling the need to isolate herself and not be allowed to care about people safely really hit me deeply. I related to that feeling as someone who is living with some debilitating chronic illnesses. It sometimes feels like the closer I get to people, the more they have to suffer by watching me suffer. So I really felt the pain of her pushing people away to keep them safe.

Overall, this was a 5 star read for me, and I can’t wait to read future books from this author!

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our library collection and recommended it to students.

What an enchanted story, this feels unique, modern witches dealing with climate change.

Clara studies in a magic school, but she lives apart from her classmates, she is not like them, each witch is stronger in a season, they have powers granted by their birth season, but not Clara, she is an Ever, a witch who has an affinity with all seasons.

Clara lives in eternal fear of hurting someone, accidents have occurred in her past and blames herself for them. She has decided to be apart from everyone and instead of trying to use her magic and understand it, she tries to make it less. But Clara has people around her who support her and believe in her power, even though she hates it and wants to get rid of her power.

This is a descriptive story and with lots of inner thoughts, two of my favorite writing styles, The chapters are divided by seasons with little epigraphs, I loved them, I will write down some on my journal. I really liked the descriptions, especially those referring to nature, each change of season you feel on your skin, the frozen cold of winter, or the soft breeze of spring.

The magic system, its very original, each witch are stronger in their season, but with the unpredictable climate change everyone must learn to fight outside their season, specially Clara, she needs learn to control her magic and above all, trust in herself. .

Im happy how Clara grows emotionally and begins to trust, as it is a novel written in the first person, you can get to know her better and empathize with her. She has a good support system, of the secondary characters Sang was my favorite, he is calm and stable.

It was a great read, its about Clara grow up, its slow pacing, emotional driven, beautiful nature descriptions.
All the things that I love.

This was an absolutely beautiful and evocative story about witches who are tied to the magic of the season of their birth. Each season of witches is gifted with stronger powers and a unique set of abilities that manifest during their season each year...all except one. Clara is the first Everwitch in a few hundred years and with her gift comes a strong and awful power. A power she believes will isolate her her entire life, terrified of the magic that is supposed to make her great because of the dangerous ties that magic has made to everyone she’s ever loved.

Going through the seasons with Clara was such a wonderful journey. It broke my heart, made me cry and the ending was an absolutely beautiful and perfect conclusion. This was one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read so far this year and I highly recommend to everyone.