Coming from a long line of murderous witches hasn't exactly been sunshine and rainbows for Vianna Roots. When she inherits the family's haunted house after her mother dies, she decides flipping the rundown dump is her smartest move but the ghosts that haunt her have a different plan.
When Vianna finds the ghost of her childhood friend Nancy, she's drawn into the mystery surrounding her friend's death. Her meddling attracts the attention of the oldest coven in Salem. In order to get her out of town, they make an offer on the house, but Vianna hesitates. She's no longer sure she wants to abandon the demon familiar who possesses her home, the transgender outcast witch who may just be the best friend she never knew she needed and her high school crush, who now wants her in his life.
Vianna must find a way to solve the case of her murdered friend, stay out of the hands of the most powerful coven in Salem, and face the past she's so desperately tried to run away from.
Really enjoyable read and totally recommend
Thank you NetGalley and Self
I just reviewed Legacy Witches by Cass Kay. #LegacyWitches #NetGalley

I just finished Legacy Witches by Cass Kay and here are my musings.

Vianna Roots has come home but it’s not for a happy occasion. Her mother has died and she has inherited the family’s haunted house. She has no money so flipping it and selling it is high on her agenda and the only reason she is staying for a while. Unfortunately Vianna’s gift of seeing ghosts isn't allowing her to do this in peace.

When Vianna finds out her childhood friend is dead and that her mother killed her, she is drawn into the why and attracts the attention of the oldest coven.

With an unlikely friend in a transgender outcast witch and the demon familiar that seems to have attached itself to her, Vianna has to figure out what happened and fend off the dangers that swirl around Salem and seem to be heading straight for her.

Not going to lie, I was obsessed with this book from the second I started it. Total fangirl now and I cannot wait for book 2!

I don’t know where to begin because it was all fabulous!! Let’s start with how the family history was bloody and had no qualms in killing for their needs. It was one of the reasons why Vianna fled her family. Not because she wasn’t talented, but because she couldn’t take what her family was.

Loved the friendship between her and Dee. I loved Dee right from the first moment she was introduced. An outcast transgender witch with a heart of gold, my favorite.
I loved Vianna’s house!! A demon familiar that went into the house and bonds with the witch who owns it, I LOVE IT!!

The whole story was amazing, Vianna did what was right and stayed to fight for what was right against a rival coven and the atrocities they were doing. The ending was so good that I cannot wait for book 2.

Thank you @casskay for being my fav read of the year and to netgalley for getting me my review copy!

Legacy Witches is a perfect moody autumn read to help get in that spooky time mood.
The story has a lot going on for it. Cute and quirky but has some good mystery and emotion behind it as well.
Some of the reading felt a little too conversational and trying to be too casual but overall it was a fun story.
Looking forward to what’s to come in this!

Book Review

✨BOOK REVIEW and HAPPY PUB DAY✨

Oh my goodness, where do I begin?! This book was so interesting to me! I recently got into reading “witchy books” and really had no idea what to expect from this ARC. But the vibes of this book is PERFECT for spooky season! You have Vianna who is a runaway legacy witch back in Salem to bury her mother’s body. But she can see ghosts (which in this universe is unheard of) AND her house is a demon?!?! What a set up!!

Vianna is such a cool character! Not only do we see her character growth throughout the timeline the book is in, but we also see her growth due to troubled things from her past and generational trauma. I’m trying to not reveal any spoilers because there are so many underlying plots throughout this book that really stood out to me and had me rooting for Vianna. But the fact that she can literally talk to her late grandmother and we (as the reader) can experience the difference in the time periods some of these characters come from and how traditional these witches are, wow. I loved it! Fair warning, the middle 1/3 of the book is a little slow, but the first and last third are gripping! And Dee is the greatest supporting character EVER! Also the author’s note made the book even more special! I’m excited to see what happens in book 2.

I will say though, there are some trigger warnings that should be addressed since I would argue that this is a dark book. From the author: “gore, death, animal sacrifice, and general assholery” Additional from me: mild racism and transphobia, and assault. These TWs were vivid just enough to paint the mental image in my head like if I were watching a horror film, but please look more into these TW if you feel any may be harmful towards you and your potential reading experience.

Thank you NetGalley and Cass Kay for my eARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date 10/11/22

Legacy Witches was actually such a fun read. This book is perfect for someone who loves all things witches and supernatural. The main character is very feisty and is out to solve the mysteries of her mother, her missing best friend and trying to figure out who she is and what she wants out of life. I can't wait to continue with the series.

3.5⭐ rounded up.

Featuring ~ single 3rd person POV, paranormal, haunted house, witches, ghosts, graphic violence, assault, murder, animal death, transgender character

I haven't read too many books about witches as it's not my typical genre, but I was delighted that Cass reached out and asked me to read and review her debut book.

Vianna fled Salem 10 years ago, but has returned to bury her mother. She comes from a long line of witches and has the ability to see ghosts. I think it would be fun to be able to see ghosts, but I could also see how it could get bothersome. Some of the ghosts seemed very realistic, especially with all the beetles.
There was a little mystery about Nancy that I was eager to see how it would play out. Many of the witches are not likable, but Vianna held her own and fought back when necessary. I really enjoyed Vianna and Dee's friendship.

Overall, a solid debut that had a slow start for me, but I found to be well written, researched and very descriptive. I think this book would definitely appeal to those that normally enjoy this genre. I liked reading Cass's note about how the book came about.

3.5 stars
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for having this book available as an ARC. I chose this book as part of spooky season and thought it would be an interesting read surrounding Salem witches.

We really got to understand the MC Vianna and her not wanting to embrace the coven life. After escaping her mother and fleeing to Boston, all Vianna wanted to do was be her own person and not be controlled by her family’s history. I think her ability to see dead people would get tiring over time and would be so unsettling - if all she ever wanted to do was relax. I don’t know how I would handle seeing gruesome deaths and have ghosts stuck in time loops. I feel like I wouldn’t be able to sleep.

There was so much shade thrown at Vianna throughout the book, from the coven who saw her as a traitor, to her ghostly grandmother, who threw insults at her every other time. She returned to a home where no one wanted her around for not pursuing a pre-determined life based on her family’s legacy. Even though she tried to get away, it was just something she couldn’t escape and it was pretty much the hand she was dealt with. I feel like if she didn’t have her friendship with Dee, she might have just ran away from it all, but with the events of the book from when she is attacked at the end, about to lose it all, she comes to the realisation that her family’s demon home is exactly where she needs to be. She cares more about the witch life than she realises… It’s a part of her

I loved Vianna’s friendship with Dee. It’s a solid pairing and the support they have for one another is instant. I’m interested to see how Csada will come back and how his attempt on securing the house is going to go. We may just find out in the second book. If Vianna gets caught up in hoodoo, that’ll make for an interesting read. It’ll be nice if she reconnects with Tuck again. Also, will there be more of the cop Grayson? Feel like there’s more story to be explored. I liked the concept of the house being a familiar and the bond she had with it. Was very interesting to see that connection develop.

I appreciated the author replying to my email when I mentioned some trigger warnings such as racist remarks and verbal abuse from Susannah was present in the book. Cass had mentioned in the final print that the list of triggers was going to be more extensive. There is some animal sacrifice, death, murder and assault also in this book, so do check your triggers before reading. The fun parts are the spell work, magick, murder mystery and the demon house familiar.

Overall I thought it was a great debut book for its series and will be good to see how the story continues.

I loved the cozy and spooky world building with a dash of horror adjacent content. All the characters felt defined with their own individual voices. I also adore any sort of characters that have to deal with familial responsibility and ancestry. This book is set up for a sequel so there’s some areas that I would have enjoyed to be fleshed out a bit more but! That tends to happen with a series and the characters didn’t feel lacking for it. It was a trip and a half to read and I look forward to continuing on with the series.

Thank you NetGalley!

Whoodoo, voodooo & witchcraft. This book covers it all!

There were parts of this book I absolutely loved, and enjoyed reading. However, my biggest issue was that I felt the tone of the book was inconsistent and was hard to stay invested because that tone changed so frequently. I did not hate this book, but unfortunately I did not love it either. My ending thoughts were very much neutral.

Trigger Warning:
A lot of blood.
Death by hanging
Animal Sacrifice
IV Drug Use
Transphobia towards trans character

Our main character Vianna Roots comes from a long line of murderous witches. This has not made her life easy and she distanced herself with that town and the witches.

However after her mother dies, she inherits the family’s haunted house. She decides to temporarily move in and see if she can maybe sell the house.

When she goes back she is the talk of all the witches that are not on her side. She is seen as an outsider and does not get a warm welcome.

But Vianna gets wrapped up in the mystery of her best friend’s death and decides to stick around and dig deeper.

Vianna was such an interesting and vivid character. I loved to see her analyze all the situations and learning from her family while trying to solve a murder mystery.

The book definitely has a very good atmosphere perfect for a spooky season and it makes the town feel so real. It will be perfect for people that love a good witch story.

At its core, it is a story of what it means to be a family, how generational legacies define us, and of simple friendship between two women.

You will find witchcraft, ghosts, dangerous situations, a murder mystery and so much more.

Perfect for: People that love a classic coven story but filled with other supernatural elements and a murder mystery.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Cass Kay for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Legacy Witches coming out October 11, 2022. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Vianna Roots knows a thing or two about murderers. She comes from a long legacy of murderous witches. She’s a legacy witch. After her mother dies, she inherits the family's haunted house. She decides to fix up the house, but the ghosts living inside interfere with her plans. 
 
Vianna finds the ghost of her childhood friend Nancy. While looking into the mystery about her friend’s death, she draws the attention of the oldest Salem coven. They make her an offer, but she’s not sure she wants to abandon the house just yet. Like her ghosts, she has unfinished business she needs to get done. As she tries to solve the case, she must face her past and learn how to live in the present.

I really enjoyed this story! I loved that it was set in Salem and it mixed witches and ghosts. I love all things spooky. I will read all the books about Salem witches! I think there was a little too much exposition and description for me. I would’ve liked a little more dialogue. Of course the writing was great, but it sometimes felt like things were told instead of shown. I also didn’t care for Charles. He was a little too pushy. I enjoyed the grandma. She was pretty funny. She definitely spoke her mind no matter what time period she was in. Vianna was a strong character and I enjoyed reading her journey.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys spooky stories about witches and ghosts!

📕 REVIEW 📕

4/5 ⭐️
1/5 🌶️

“The blood bonds she was born into were impossible to escape. Running away had changed nothing. The results were the same. Vianna was demon-bound.”

This book was catchy from the beginning! Casual yet well written. Great character and plot/scene building. I love the banter between Vianna and the house/ghosts. Definitely some LOL moments! And her connection with Dee is everything 😍 the entire book is a journey of friendship and family. I would love to even see it as a movie!

•urban fantasy
•ghosts
•mystery
•FMC/witchy protagonist
•trans rep 🏳️‍⚧️
•mild gore

Out October 11th!

Thank you to @netgalley @casskaywrites for the ARC in exchange for my review!

Wow, I had high hopes for this book but it absolutely exceeded my expectations! It was so good!

Following the death of her mother, Vianna Roots returns to her hometown of Salem for her mothers funeral, a place she fled from as a teen and never wanted to revisit. What should be a simple trip back home for a burial and the selling of the family home quickly transforms into a mystery surrounding the death of her childhood friend, a unexpected hierachal switch in the local covens and a feud with the local HooDoo. Did I mention Vianna can also see ghosts?

There was so much I loved about this novel - the world building was phenomenal, the characters were well-rounded and unique (I would read a spin off novel about the grandmas ANY DAY), the plot kept me guessing, the INCLUSIVITY of LGBTQIA+ (Dee is a Trans Woman). Honestly chefs kiss.

I cannot wait for the sequel when Dee and Vie ghostbust the hell outta Salem! I hope Charles gets whats coming.

I was given the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Legacy witches. Thank you Netgalley and the publishers. I wasn’t sure what to expect when going into this story. The synopsis seemed intriguing, and I love a good spooky story especially during Halloween season. 

This book went above and beyond my expectations, there is so much lore on witches and the paranormal as well as many books written on the subject. Kay’s witches are dark, they are not the usual witches depicted in today's social media. These witches are out for blood, and they will crush anyone who tries to oppose them. I was a little iffy when starting this book, I will admit the beginning was a little slow for me. As the story picked up the struggle depicted, and the familial turmoil Vianna is forced to confront reminded me a little of some of the things I had to confront in my life. That along with my curiosity drove me to continue reading. I can’t wait to see where these characters end up going forward. 

I did notice that some of the dialogue seemed a little stiff, and less than natural. Dialogue is hard though, because not everyone speaks the same way. This book was still better than I expected it to be, and I will definitely be looking forward to the next one.

If you are looking for a great spooky Halloween read, then look no further than Legacy Witches. This one is out October 11, so please, place your orders now so you get it!

Vianna comes from a long line of murderous witches. Ten years ago, Vianna left in the dead of the night, and didn’t return until her mothers funeral. Vianna just wants to sell her family home and be on with her life, but the ghosts around her, and her familiar demon have other plans. Slowly Vianna starts to come around and realizes that leaving might not be what she really wants, but will she be able to survive the coven of witches who want her gone?

I have learned this year that I do enjoy a good witchy read. Whether that be a witchy horror like this, or a witchy rom-com. This is technically a horror, but I would place it more in the gothic horror category, not blood and gore horror where my mind usually goes when I hear horror. I gave this one a 4 out of 5 stars and hope you enjoy it as well.

Huge gratitude to @netgalley and the author @casskaywrites, for my advanced e-arc in exchange for this honest review.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars. This was so close to a 5 star read for me. There were just a few areas I wish we would have gotten more detail, but that is my only complaint. Minor spoilers in the review below.

Vienna Roots ran. Ran from Salem, ran from her mother, and ran from her legacy as a Roots family witch. But when her mother dies she is forced to come back and face it all.

I really enjoyed her as a character. Spunky and never taking attitude from anyone, she is how I hope I would act when faced with so much hatred. I also enjoy that she fought so hard against the expectations and traditions. I just wish we would have gotten a little more back story and history of her and the other families. We may get more in book 2, but not sure.

They also included a fascinating look at how covens and witches could react to a trans witch. Traditionally in this book men are not allowed anywhere near coven business and secrets. They don't have magic and they are mostly there to carry on the line. This book dug into what a trans girl had to go through in her transformation and deal with the ridicule of witches using her dead name and not letting her participate in all the activities. That allows them to form a friendship that is really lovely.

I would have liked to see more interactions either the cop as well as her old hoodoo friend that works at the shop. I hope we see them both OK book 2.

I would 100% recommend this book.

This book marks the first ever ARC I read, and what a way to get started. There's a definite spooky vibe from page one when we're introduced to the house upon Vianna's return. She's been gone from Salem a long time, desperate to leave her witchy heritage behind. But she has no choice but to return for her mother's funeral, which leads to Vianna uncovering a mystery perhaps best left alone...

I wasn't exactly certain what to expect from this book, but it was a fun ride. For a horror book, I'd say in some ways, it's horror-lite, in that many things are tempered by humour and the fact that Vianna can fight back. That being said, the beginning is definitely unsettling and there are dark moments throughout that really ramp up the tension.

The characters are a lot of fun! There's more than enough witches to go around, but they're all distinct enough that it's pretty straightforward to keep track of them. Vianna's our lead, of course, and she's a fun one, getting over her instinctual desire to leave quickly when she realises she wants to learn more about what's been going on in Salem while she's been gone.

Dee is an awesome character too. She's a little mysterious at first, and quirky, but proves to be a strong ally for Vianna when it comes to dealing with all that's going on. We've got some great antagonists in the book, as well, and when all the plot comes together, it leads to a climax that I think would be as fun to watch as it was to read.

There's some great world-building too, with the covens and magic and how Vianna fits into it all. It feels realistic enough that it could be something happening in modern-day Salem; it's just that people haven't bothered to notice.

Obviously, the book is set up for a sequel – potentially a series – which means there are a couple of threads left loose, but the plot in this one doesn't suffer for it. I think that's also why I'd go for horror-lite as a genre (maybe mystery?) because it's for sure darker than your regular cosy mystery, but the longevity of the storyline and power our protagonist has does blunt a lot of the darkness.

(Note: this is true of many horror-adjacent series, in my opinion. The more time you spend with a horror concept, the less scary it becomes. YMMV, of course.)

Again, no spoilers, but Vianna's mother's house definitely deserves its own mention. I love the concept of a slightly sentient house and it's a little bit sassy, which is so fun.

Plus, haunted!

Albeit, it's haunted by Grandma (not Vianna's direct grandmother; an older matriarch), who is a judgmental pain in the arse, but still, it's great! The house had me absolutely delighted and is fully a character alongside Vianna and everyone else, just as it should be.

The world-building and character work in this book makes for a really fun read! It's definitely trying to edge into darker territory, and I think that works in some ways, but I don't see that lasting through a whole series, which is not necessarily bad. There's enough humour to take the edge off and the plot is well-paced and interesting.

Definitely a fun Spooktober read!

Rounded up to 4 stars

Vianna Roots comes from a long line of murderous witches and swore she would never become the same. When her mom dies, she inherits the Root's family 'haunted' house. While going through junk in the house, Vianna discovers the ghost of her old best friend and decides to figure out what happened. In the midst of all of this, she meets Dee-a transgender witch who is also an outcast. A story of friendship, creepy men, cliques, and a witch on a power trip.

This book felt really slow to me until the half way point and then I didn't want to put it down. I love that it felt both cozy and gory at the same time. The whole idea of the house being the familiar is so fun, especially when Vianna starts to use it to her advantage. It KIND OF reminded me of the True Blood series, but not as extra. I really liked Dee. I think that is enough to keep me reading whenever the next one comes out.

There is a slavery comment in this book that I think needs to be removed. I understand what Cass Kay is trying to do with it, but it's in poor taste and upsetting to read.

Thanks Netgalley and Cass Kay for the chance to read this one!

This is my first ever witch-centered book, and Cass Kay really blew me away and started a new addiction to witchy reads.

Who knew witches could have so much deep-rooted DRAMA?! Legacy Witches is laced with dark drama, secrets, and backstabbing. The MC, Vianna, was BA and really came into her own by the end of the book. I was worried for a bit that she would be a little weak until the end, but I was pleasantly surprised to see a quick 180.

You know that meme of the guy with the drawing board and red string all over it, looking crazy trying to explain stuff? That was me reading this book.

I also absolutely love that the author snuck in an ancestor into the story. It made the character even more intriguing. (Not saying who, you’ll have to find out for yourself.)

Overall, I’d recommend this book to witch lovers. There were so many twists and surprises that I never saw coming that made a great story.

The first book in a new series, The Legacy Witches is a fantastic supernatural fantasy. Full of magic and mayhem, with wonderful characters and an engrossing story. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.