This was a compelling read. For a story based on a subject of such global significance as an unstable atmosphere, it was remarkably intimate and tender-hearted. I loved the way it stayed true to Clara's personal experience and focused on connection between people and care for nature.

Clara was a sympathetic character, and I kept wanting to comfort her, give her therapy, and surround her with empathic adults who would help her as the girl she was as well as the everwitch. The further along I read the closer I felt to her, and the more I hoped for her to find a happy resolution. Sang is endlessly adorable, and the relationship between them sweet and believable. And I am certain readers to come will be creating personal aesthetics based on which seasonal witch they would be!

This book will stay with me for a very long time I think..

Beautifully done.

I love the cover so much. And the way this is done in seasons is awesome. The writing is beautiful. But I just couldn't connect to the characters or care enough for the story itself. This was definitely a me problem and not the book. I just never can get into books like these.

In this standalone fantasy, Clara is a witch, and in this world, witches battle climate change. This was an AMAZING and relevant premise to today's world, and yet was still fantastically done. This is a coming of age story as Clara comes into her powers and learns to trust herself. The world building left me a bit disappointed, as I wanted to learn more and more about it. Knowing it’s a standalone made this aspect even more disappointing as I won't have a chance to learn more about it later. The characters were the shining star of this book. Well developed, realistic, and just super lovable. I was nearly immediately invested in every character I met, especially Clara and Sang. Overall, wonderful book, wish there were more :(

I think that I enjoyed this book a little more than I should have. Not a bad thing, just a surprise for me. I enjoy YA and I think that when I saw this book I was thinking that it could be good, and then I read a review that mentioned and "botany boy" and I was sad and then I started reading it I was pretty happy. I mean, the bulk of the book deals with Clara dealing with her feelings and her mistakes and control, etc. Basically, she is a version of Elsa from Frozen but rather than concealing her power, Clara lets it go, to an extent, and doesn't know how to deal with it until she is shown the way through trust and risk.

The Nature of Witches is, at its heart, a coming of age story. Clara discovers who she is. She does this with her power, her relationships, and through time. The context of the book is pretty cool and the idea that witches work with "shaders" or basic humans is a neat idea. I suspect that if there is a sequel Griffin will explore that a bit more (I hope she would). I totally recommend this book for anyone who is into witches, YA and coming of age. It's a good read, and while it does get a little redundant it is definitely worth the effort.

I know that The Nature of Witches is a "standalone fantasy," but I deeply want it to be the first of a hundred books set in this world, which sucked me in from the very beginning. Did I tell all of my classes about this book as I was reading it? Yes. Did I then try to figure out what kind of magic I and all of my friends would have? Totally. I read this book the way I used to read Tamora Pierce as a kid: lightning fast and with total emotional commitment to the characters.

In a world wracked by climate change (so, ours?), witches are born with one of four kinds of seasonal magic, which they use to stabilize the weather. Witches are generally limited in the kind of magic they can wield, but Clara, an "Everwitch" connected to all four seasons, possesses an immense power that offers hope for calming the increasingly turbulent weather at the same time that it sometimes targets and kills the people she loves most. Clara's grief over the pain her magic has caused wars with her desire to learn to control it, and she partners with a spring witch named Sang to attempt to discover the secrets to her unique power. Spoiler alert: they're into each other, and it's very cute.

While the magical tropes are familiar (school full of witches, main character expected to save the world, etc.), there are elements of The Nature of Witches that feel very much of the moment. The focus on climate change, yes, but also the way that Griffin talks about love. The relationship between Clara and Sang has inevitable moments of conflict, but I was struck by the focus on mutual support and consent. These two people care about each other, and they act like they do even when they disagree (I want to pass out YA books with healthy teen relationships like candy at a parade). Also, Clara is bi, but her angst is not about who she loves, it's about the danger and enormity of loving anyone at all. I don't know that I read a single book with a bi main character as a young person, and I would have loved to read this one.

I will order this book for my classroom as soon as it's available, and I will recommend it to all of my magic-loving students. Here's to hoping Griffin decides to write in this world a little bit longer.

"The Nature of Witches" is a book you will not want to put down. The author has created a world where witches and non-witches (Shaders) co-exist, but the Shaders have pushed the witches, who have the ability to control the weather and alter the environment, to use their powers to allow humans to populate and cultivate areas of the world that should have been left uninhabited by humans. This activity has led to extreme weather events (think Global Warming/Climate Change) that the witches cannot control. Moreover, the witches' powers are tied to the seasons, with winter, spring, summer, and autumn witches. During your season, your powers as a witch are at their greatest. However, during the other three seasons, your powers are greatly diminished. This has become quite problematic because not only are extreme weather events occurring more often, but out-of-season events, such as tornadoes in winter or blizzards in summer are occurring. The out-of-season witches are using their powers to try to stop these events, but because their powers are weak, they are depleting themselves and dying at an alarming rate.

The only exception to the rule that witches are strongest during their season and weak during the other three seasons is the very rare occurrence of an Everwitch. At the Eastern School of Solar Magic in Pennsylvania is Clara Densmore, the first Everwitch in two hundred years. The problem is that Clara is not nearly as powerful as she should be and her control of her magic is not nearly as good as it should be. Her magic is attracted to those she cares most about, which has caused the death of her parents and her best friend, and has resulted in both the school and Clara isolating herself from the other students except for group training or events. Clara's fear about her own powers and the ramifications of her powers has stifled her progress. However, with the circumstances for both witches and Shaders getting worse, it is imperative for Clara to overcome her fear, realize her full powers, and control them. "The Nature of Witches" details the efforts of Clara and others to help her calm her fear and discover the full extent of her powers. Through her training, especially with Sang, a botany student from the Western School of Solar Magic, who has the ability to calm others, and who was brought to the Eastern School by his mentor/advisor (Mr. Burrows), under false pretenses, precisely because of this calming ability; the extreme test situations utilized by Mr. Burrows; a copy of the memoirs of Alice Hall, the last Everwitch; and confrontations with Paige, fellow witch and former girlfriend, Clara is forced to come to grips with her power and her relationship with/attitude towards her magic and in the process she discovers important things about herself, and just as significantly, she discovers an unknown ability of the Everwitch that will be game-changing/life-saving. The characters are great, especially Clara and Sang. There is plenty of action. There are some rather humorous moments, but also some rather poignant moments. The story grabs you and doesn't let go. If you are like me, once you start, you will not want to stop until the story ends.

I received a copy of the e-book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

THE NATURE OF WITCHES is one of my favorite books of 2021! As I tweeted to the author, anything with witches in it... I'm sold! The characterizations were so well written. The journey of Clara... wow. The premise is very atmospheric in nature. Witches whose magic is tied to nature.... classic. AND these witches are the one who have maintained the planet???? YES! Everwitches... magic.... oh my, I loved it. An easy 5 star rating!!!!!

An entertaining read with a new take on magic and witches.
Clara is special. In her last year of school, she lives quietly in a cabin by herself rather than the four dorms. Each dorm full of witches that have a special type of magic that is at strength during their season: spring, summer, autumn, winter. But Clara is an Ever. Actually THE Ever. The only witch in centuries to have powers of each season during that time of year. The problem is with her power comes danger, as her magic lashes out at those she loves the most. Can she learn to harness her power to help save the world from the increasing disasters it’s facing, and to explore what her feelings for the handsome new student on campus? Read to find out!

Rachel Griffin's "The Nature of Witches" is timely and creatively written. It ushers in a world of unspoken heroes who are striving to lend a balancing hand using their seasonal powers to counteract the damages being done to the earth by Shaders who take what they want from the Earth without giving thought to the damage it causes to its climate.

Clara, an Ever Witch, has the potential to save lives and the world's climate, if she can learn to accept and control her powers. That same power to save can also destroy and Clara has to decide if using her powers is worth the sacrifice of loss of human lives and loves that she has experienced.

"The Nature of Witches" is a testament to challenging and overcoming fears set in a world that is too close to our own climate changing weather reality. The diversity of the characters and their interactions are masterfully written and I could not stop reading this book.

Here's hoping there is a sequel in the works and that Season Witches really do exist. But just maybe we already have them. They're us and we can improve our own world if we truly believe in our own power and work together..

Elemental witches battling climate change? Yes, please! The magic system was so unique and watching our "chosen one" grow was such a fantastic experience. The Nature of Witches had me hooked from the first page and I cannot recommend it enough.

Rachel Griffin has created a believable world where witches help control the weather. Each witch is born with power that stems from one particular season. Clara is an Everwitch, the first witch in a couple hundred years to be born with the power of all four seasons. The problem is that her power is too volatile and has been the cause of losing too many people she loves. Clara must decide if she wants to embrace her power and help save our world or if she wants to give up her power and live a life without magic. The Nature of Witches is a perfectly blended story of magic, love and nature. Once you start reading, you will not be able to put this book down.

Thank you to NetGalley for an E-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I don’t usually read stories about witches, so I started reading with no expectations, The Nature of Witches is a well written debut novel by Rachel Griffin, It was entertaining and while it is not my usual genre I like to read, I found myself speeding through to find out what was going to happen.

The Nature of Witches takes place in a world where witches are tied to the seasons and help control the climate. Clara is a very rare Ever, who has powers from all seasons. People are counting on her to help save the world with her unique powers, but she is not confident in her talents because she has hurt loved ones in the past.

The concept was unique and the plot was involving. Magical realism is not really what I enjoy reading, but this was pretty good.

Witches, elemental magic and the changing of the seasons did a whole lot of nothing for me.

“The Nature of Witches” follows Clara, the lone witch tied to each season, as she struggles to own her power and use it to combat the unpredictable weather following the death of her friend. When it all becomes too much her teachers give her a tutor and hope she can end the year better than it began.

I had never been so bored in my entire life while reading a book!

I love any sort of witch book and the concept of the seasons being split amongst the students with them being in control of as well as embodying personality traits of their season seemed like room for a lot of fun unfortunately our main character Clara was so dull I couldn’t keep my eyes open.

She’s dealing with the death of her friend as a result of her misfiring gifts, a death that repeated to us over and over on the off chance we have forgotten, and since then she has too much fear to fully embrace her talents which is fine. That being said she does nothing really to try and change anything? She talks a lot about putting herself into these situations to improve and then quits halfway through which was so frustrating to read over and over again.

I don’t know I feel like had we reworked Clara a bit or even spent less time on her and more on the world building itself I might have been able to squeeze out a three star but I spent more time checking my progress than actually caring about how her story ended.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

I loved this a whole lot! The world the author built, the characters, the writing. I flew through this book because it was just great.

*zombie-like groaning*

I am in agony. Pure, blissful agony.

Hopefully, I will be able to be somewhat coherent, but uh… no promises. I will do my best, though. So, there I was, living my life, my heart free from the beauty and suffering that is The Nature of Witches, when the book all but catapulted itself into my life. And, oh boy, was I unprepared.

I mean… I did my due diligence before I started reading–to an extent. I scanned the synopsis, read the reviews that were available, but nowhere did it say, This book will break your heart, put it back together, but you’ll never be the same again. Because first of all, the synopsis did not do any justice for what lies under the cover. I thought I’d be able to read this casually, no-strings-attached, and get this review out after I finished Odin’s Child (so sorry, OC, I promise I will get to you next!) Spoiler alert: nope, I drop-kicked that book as fast as I picked up this one (again… so sorry).

At this point, you may be wondering, What makes TNOW so special? Excellent question! And while I do feel adequately prepared to give you a 5 hour PowerPoint Presentation on why you need this book and why you need it now, I will settle for a short and sweet review in my usual rambling style. *awkward laugh*

So!

I feel like I should get this out of the way now, but Clara is a queer queen and I *clap* am *clap* here *clap* for *clap* it *claps myself out the window*. I was definitely getting pan vibes from her, which definitely fits the summer passion thing, but if I’m wrong, be sure to let me know! Some of you may be disappointed about *panics in spoilers* the thing with Paige, but personally, I think Clara and Sang are utterly perfect for each other and I will keep singing this tune until I’m blue in the face. (Though I must say, *certain* scenes with Paige and Clara did get me right in the feels.)

*ahem* Moving on! If you’ve read the other reviews, you’ll probably already be aware that the underlying current/ problem of this book is something we have to deal with everyday. It affects all of us and it only gets worse over time.

Climate change.

And Griffin weaves this heavy topic with the countless other threads, resulting in a beautiful tapestry of interconnecting stories. The narrative never comes across as preachy, and the topic doesn’t dominate the other subplots, but you know it’s there.

*consults notes* Clara is a rare, all-powerful Everwitch, the first of her kind in almost two centuries. What makes her so powerful? Normal witches harness the power of one season; they can experience the full, no-holds-barred brunt of their power for three months out of the year. The other nine months? They are almost a shadow of their on-season selves. Clara, on the other hand, changes with the seasons; she never has an off-season. And my sun, reading about how she harnesses the power of each season throughout the year is reason enough to read the book in my opinion.

“Autumn magic rises up inside me, its melancholic song pouring from my fingers and into the space in front of me, building up the wind as it goes.”

*shivers* The catch? Surely one can’t have limitless power without someone paying the consequences. Unfortunately, in Clara’s case, that “someone” is anyone whom is lucky (or unlucky, depending how you look at it) enough to be on the receiving end of her love. That is why, when we are introduced to her at the beginning of the book, she is ready–more than ready–to sever her connection to the sun and give up that which makes Clara, Clara. Until, that is, she meets a handsome spring witch by the name of Sang Park *gets emotional*.

“You are the most magnificently disruptive thing that’s ever entered my life.”

Seriously, though, every time this man opens his mouth to say anything, I’m already like, “Get me the tissues and some ice cream because my heart is going through the wringer already and he’s literally just breathing.” (But in all honesty, I did cry on more than one occasion.) Never in all my life have I ever wished so much that I could read just a little part of a book in a different perspective. And yet, I found myself fervently hoping that, in just the next chapter, I would be able to see the world through Sang’s eyes.

I mean… you’ll probably be able to guess his thoughts because he’s not the–erm–most secretive person, but still. I want his words in his exact word order as they come into his head and I need it yesterday. (Please.)

Before I wrap up this review with the stats and my rating, I want to quickly mention how much Griffin’s writing made me just… love the earth. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest (southwest Washington, to be exact) and let me tell you, the descriptions of the changing seasons, the weather–the sights, the smells, the bite of the winter wind, the unrelenting gaze of the sun in summer–everything was just so perfect. I’ve been living in a big city for the past four (almost five years) and that one description of the smell of the earth after rainfall was enough to get me a bit misty-eyed.

(And also, her writing style? Stunning. Gorgeous. Sometimes I re-read certain passages just because I wanted to soak up her words.)

So… the stats:

Feels: So many. If you’re not a sentimental pansy like me, you can probably get away without breaking down in tears, but if you are more on the sensitive side, I’d recommend at least one tissue.

Funnies: Sang is a humorous queen and I love him all the more for it.

Re-readability: Oh, you know I’m going to have to pick up a physical copy of this book, so, yeah. Definitely.

Cuteness: It’s pretty much all Sang and Nox, so 11/10.

My rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
(And she deserves it!)

Thank you to NetGalley for an E-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Ok, wow. This book was a total wonderful surprise!
When I started reading I was worried it was going to be a thinly veiled attempt to talk about climate change (and climate change is a big part of the story, but it doesn’t get too preachy and I appreciate the way it’s infused throughout the story) but by the end of the first “season” I was hooked.
The characters are vivid, the romance well done, and the setting is so well put together. The plot is interesting and captivating as well, without being too predictable! I was crying by the end (in a good way), and might even be tempted to read it again, even though I’m not a big re-reader, It’s a wonderful stand-alone that’s a cross between Carry On by Rainbow Rowell and Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw. Highly recommend giving it a try if you enjoyed either of those books.

I'm definitely going to be in the minority of readers with my opinions on this book but, for what it's worth, I did try to enjoy this.

I think magical witches connected to a season and weather is a really interesting concept. But urban fantasy is not my genre, so I can't help but feel that this story could have improved had it been true fantasy. Setting this in modern day America threw me off and gave the story a vibe I thought was odd. I understand that this serves as a message regarding climate change, which is applicable to today, but I think that message could have been just as effective without it being urban fantasy.

Also, the MC really started to get on my nerves. There are a couple of characters who call her out on her bratty behaviour, so I appreciated that, but man. I wanted to strangle her throughout most of the book and homicidal thoughts are never a good sign.

So maybe I just wasn't invested in this from the beginning. I think the idea and message is actually really cool, but I unfortunately just didn't quite like the execution of it.

I knew I wanted to read this book just based on the description, and it did not disappoint! A book about self-acceptance and companionship, mixed with nature magic, The Nature of Witches was fun and well-paced. I often skip reading descriptions (of scenery, architecture, etc), but I found myself reading them in this book.

The writing in this one was awesome and the story was unique but it was hard for me to connect with the mc. I definitely recommend this for a different story though.

I really had no idea what to expect from The Nature of Witches, but I loved how Griffin brilliantly took on climate change. There is more than a small touch of reality in this fantasy book, as humans use and abuse the planet until witches are no longer able to control the weather. All hopes are pinned on Clara, because she is a rare Everwitch whose magic is connected to every season. Because Clara hasn't learned to control her powerful magic, she has lost several loved ones when her magic turned destructive. Understandably scarred by those losses, she is struggling with embracing her power or abandoning it altogether.

My heart went out to Clara and how truly alone and isolated she was while trying to learn how to control her magic. Her love for the environment, the sun and for her power is obvious, but she is so torn up and afraid of losing anyone else. I enjoyed being in this world where the witches truly loved their seasons and cared for the environment and climate. I loved watching Clara blossom after meeting Sang and become strong enough to make her own decision regarding her future. Great book!