There is, in my opinion, no better feeling than when a book exceeds your expectations and Legacy Witches did just that!

Vianna Roots has been running from her past for ten years, escaping her families Legacy as one of the four main Witch Covens in Salem through a window one night. But now Vianna's mother is dead and she must return to Salem to lay her mother to rest, permanently. Because as a witch who can see the dead that last thing Vianna wants is to have her hag of a mother following her around for the rest of her life. After her mother's funeral however Vianna is shocked to see her best friend's ghost in her own home, it's clear that her mother killed her and Vianna is determined to find out why and lay her friends spirit to rest. Unbeknownst to Vianna though this course will spark an all out war in Salem with all of its Witches turned against her. Vianna just hopes she can find the strength and the courage she needs to face her past and protect her future.

As I said this book absolutely exceeded my expectations. Vianna was a wonderful character trying to do the right thing in a hopeless situation with, she thinks, no one to turn too. She perseveres while coming to grips with her family's bloody past and even comes to respect her ancestors a bit after spending a life time scorning them. And she of course makes a wonderful friend in Dee who I love absolutely more than Vianna if possible.

In terms of the plot itself I found it to be unique among witch stories. I like that it's set in modern day Salem and has this almost world within a world vibe. There's the real Salem and then there's Vianna's Salem which is full of scheming witches that are the puppet masters of the country's political stage. And also seem to hate each other but tolerate each other, which gives Kay plenty of material for future books. What I *really* enjoyed here though is Dee's part of the story, I'm not going to spoil it but I think it was such a wonderfully clever way to address the matriarchal position some real life covens still take.

Overall, this was an excellent story of what it means to be a family, how are generational legacies define us, and of simple friendship between two women. I'm truly looking forward to the next book!

Not Another Salem Witch

*Full Disclosure: this is my first attempt at something that looks like a real review. I typically am not good at summarizing without spoilers so please forgive me if this seems clumsy*
So, let me startt with the cover of this book. This cover though! I absolutely love it . The contrast of the colors, the small splash of brightness and how perfectly the shadows fall. I really hope they stay with this cover. In all honesty the cover is the only reason I requested this book, I did not read the description or anything. I am glad I did too!

What do you do when your terrible mother, whom you've spent a good ten years hiding from dies ? You go and bury her of course. You sell the house and everything in it and you take off to your new life. But selling a house filled with ghosts, in an all witch neighborhood and a house with so much "personality" is no easy task. Add in the drama of being a solitary witch where only coven members are accepted, the horrors in the house itself, the possibility of a new friend and the fact that you come from one of the original blood lines. Can you really just make a sale and walk away?

This book truly does have it all. Potential for romance, it is LGBTQ+ friendly and triggering for some, cannot really offer an explanation, sorry. There is plenty of drama, different flavors of witches and the craft in general. There is a small DVish type scene for those who may be triggered by something like that. There is bullying and cattiness and lies and deceipt! Truly, has it all lol. The character introductions were well done and I do not feel that I lost the story to the characters which does happen sometimes when there are too many players on the field so to say. The story is really engrossing. It grabs you slowly and never lets you go! I really hope they make sequels to this story. I feel it was set it up in such a way the author could branch out in multiple directions with this story. Or even with related stories.

Truly an honor to read! Thank you Cass Kay , I look forward to more of your work!

I’m not sure how to describe how I feel about this book. First off, I don’t particularly like books with very little dialogue. I feel dialogue lets me know and see how the characters are instead of telling me. That was what held me back from loving this book at the beginning, and TBF, that is a personal preference. However, once Vianna and Dee became closer, that changed, and I really loved the book. Additionally, I loved how this book ended, and I can’t wait to see what is coming next with those events. This is an excellent book with a little bit of a dark atmosphere with all kinds of things that go bump in the night. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

After running away 10 years ago, Vianna Roots finally returns home to put her mother to rest and sell the home that she ran from so long ago. She is unprepared for the ghosts, new friendships, and political witch drama that unfolds as it relates to the house and the Legacy witches in town. The more she learns about her family and the house, the more she finds she doesn't want to leave.

Ya'll - this was a great book! I started reading it before bed last night and was not able to put it down. I loved learning about the witch families in the town and more about Vianna and her murderous family. The idea of a conscious house was awesome and it was really fun to watch it and Vianna's connection unfold throughout the story.

I would consider this a clean adult or new adult book as the main character was in her 20's somewhere, though I can't remember if it was explicitly stated. There's dark themes woven throughout and it was interesting to read Vianna's interaction with spell work throughout the story while she obviously made note of being drawn more toward working the gardens and with nature.

I really enjoyed the diverse cast of characters that Vianna engaged with, often finding guidance in the most unlikely of places. One of Vianna's biggest relationships throughout this story was a new friendship with a trans woman, Dee, from a witch family who identified as a witch, but practiced solitarily due to the biases within the covens. I really enjoyed reading how Vianna stood up to other witches in the covens who deadnamed and taunted her openly.

Tropes include: found-family, reluctant-hero, demon-bonds, and hidden truths.

**I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
** Links will be added as reviews are posted to social media.

Vianna comes from a long line of legacy witches whose powers and spells are passed down through the female line. Vi has never wanted to participate and fled to Boston as a teen to establish a "normal" life. After her mother's death, she returns to Salem intending to clear out the house and put it on the market. In addition to being a witch, vianna also is a medium and when she encounters the ghost of her childhood best friend in the upstairs bathroom she determines to find out what happened. Her meddling draws the wrath of the Blood Coven , a group known to be assassins for hire. With the aid of her demon familiar, ghosts of her ancestors and an outcast transgender witch she sets the world to rights. I have read many books featuring witches which seem to be trending now, but this was a unique unsettling take on witchcraft and covers. This is a story about acceptance and choosing your psath as well as the power of friendship. The character development is the strength of the story plus there's a lot of action. I recommend to fans of paranormal looking for a different, somewhat darker read. These are not cutesy, cozy witches. Cleverly plotted.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this brilliant book

oh my word i loved this book

vianna roots has just inherited her mothers haunted house but thats not all, she is also about to attend the funeral of her mother and bind her to the grave so that she doesnt haunt vianna, you see vianna can see ghosts and she doesnt want her mother around her after all she ran away 10 years to get away

but its also the legacy of being a witch and not just any witch because vianna line is full of murderous witches ....

before long vianna falls foul of the other covens and when their demands become demanding she has to call in reinforcements and that means calling on her blood line and thats when it get ugly

where ever has this author been....this story kept me hooked and i couldnt put it down...cant wait for the next book in this series

will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors works

Vianna Roots is a reluctant witch from a Salem family with a long history of witchcraft. She also sees the dead which is not a normal characteristic of a witch. She never fit in—either with the town or her family and had a bad relationship with her mother. As soon as she was able, she escaped in the middle of the night and had no intention of ever returning to her childhood home.

Fate had other plans for Vianna. Her mother died and she had to return home to take part in the ritual of the burial of her mother. But Vianna has other plans than performing the ritual as it is supposed to go. She wants to tie her mother to the grave so she can’t come back and harass her like her other dead relatives do—especially her grandmother Susannah.

When Vianna arrives in Salem, she has an accident in her old truck with, of all things, a local policeman. Then, when she gets to the house she inherited and can’t wait to sell off, the house won’t let her in and things continue to go downhill for her from there.

She doesn’t want to wear witch robes to the cemetery and chooses a red dress from her mother’s closet which turns out to be the dress her mother wore when she was initiated into her role as a witch. Something Vianna is determined not to let happen to herself.

At the cemetery, we meet a number of other characters who all have distinct personalities and who do not much care for the rebel Vianna. The scene is set for more drama in her life.

Vianna ties her mother to her grave and once she returns home, she starts to clear out some of the old things lying around. In searching a drawer, she finds a rotting hand. A vision of a woman reliving her death in the bathroom shows her where the hand originated. And now Vianna is on a quest to help this spirit to rest—a spirit she happens to know quite well. But she doesn’t plan to embrace her legacy as a witch. She is going to solve this issue with this spirit and sell the house and leave again as soon as she can.

Along the way to her goal, Vianna goes on a date with a man she had a crush on in high school. She finds, not only is he weird and possessive, but his mother has issues, too. He’s persistent and annoying. She’s mystified about why he’s suddenly attracted to her. Old school mates wreak havoc in her life, and, when danger arises, she even has to head back to the cemetery to dig up another ancestor and get a bone from her—not because she wants to embrace her legacy, but because it’s necessary to do so.

The cemetery caretaker is someone she knew in the past who is not welcome in the witching community either and they strike up a friendship. I loved their relationship. It was nice to have someone that the heroine could rely on and who was a great character. She offered some relief from the gloomy atmosphere and danger the heroine was in.

This book was delightful to read. A lot of great action, a mystery about some paintings and a dead girl in the bathroom as well as the friendship that arises between two people who don’t fit in makes for a great story. The author also gives us fans of the macabre and light horror a lot of great, descriptive scenes. This is no white witch, light comedy type story that glosses over some of the darker sides of the craft. I quite enjoyed the change of pace from those type stories.

I recommend this one as it is chockful of great scenes, some humor and a compelling story, not least of which is how misfits can find their place and make the home/family they need.

I absolutely adored this book! At first I had trouble trying to categorize it because it is definitely a genre bender. But soon I discovered that this is basically the witchy book I’ve always wanted: a dark paranormal cozy mystery. Now don’t let the “cozy” confuse you, it’s definitely dark; check the trigger warnings! But it was so fun to read! I loved the magic, the main character made awful decisions, which I loved, and it was full of tropes but they were done so well. Especially I loved the growing friendships, and the growth that Vie experienced throughout the book. Pair that with politics, drama, ghosts, and lots of magic, and this book was the one for me. Can’t wait for book 2!

The cover caught my eye first, and when I read the synopsis I knew this would be the perfect book for the spooky season! It has everything you could possibly want in a witchy supernatural book. It takes place in Salem, which after reading this book has jumped to the top place I want to visit next October. There are witches good ones, but really mostly bad who have no problem trying to Hex, or kill whatever problems they might have. A demon-possessed house name Shuck is now one of my new favorite things. I would be just like Dee, thinking that it was endlessly fascinating that the house steals stuff, growls when it's upset, purrs when its happy and while the ghosts living out their death loops might put me off a bit, I have fallen in love with Shuck.

Vianna is doing the best she can, she has come home for her mom's funeral, and she plans to get out of Salem as soon as possible. If only her best friend wasn't haunting her bathroom, and the other witches in her old coven weren't trying to get her house and kick her out of town. So she needs to figure out what happened to her friend before she leaves and while doing that uncovers a huge thing going down in the witch community, That someone definitely doesn't want to come out. Oh and survive the Hoodoo guy who also wants the house. We have no idea how she is going to survive all these people trying to kill her. Thankfully she is resourceful and has made a new friend Dee who thinks the whole seeing ghosts and demon house is pretty cool and doesn't scare easily.

I love Vianna, Dee, Shuck, and even a couple of the grandmas that are haunting the house (they are mean but funny) I will definitely be buying a copy of this book, and I'm really excited to read more in this series!!!

First, I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book. I am leaving this honest review of my own will.

I wasn’t a huge fan of this one. I am not sure of what, but it was missing something for me.

Really enjoyed this story. This is a witchy book that is filled with murder, (some) torture, ghosts, and a little bit of magic. This was exactly what I was looking for as a fall read. I loved the demon house and Vianna’s friend Dee. Also some of the interactions with the ghosts brought some much needed humor to this extremely dark story. I never warn about TW but go ahead and check them prior to reading. Thoroughly enjoyed this; I was hooked from start to finish and would recommend for anyone looking for a witchy book.

It's about a group of witches and their background and their family history. I won't go into detail but its a really interesting book about their family history. It's almost like a fantasy..
This book was approved by netgalley and the publisher.

Where to start with this one.... I have to say I did appreciate the trigger warning at the beginning of the book, howe, there was one trigger warning that was missing, animal sacrifice, both preformed and mentioned.

Had I known that would be part of this book I can honestly say I wouldn't have requested a copy and it did almost make me shelve it but Ikept going.

While the premice was original and the worldbuilding and character development were great, the story was interesting and I did find myself being drawn into it.

Our main character Vianna is a legacy witch, a witch born from a long line of witches that gives her family a certain standing in Salem,, if she hadn't run away and washed her hands of the coven that is.

We find Vianna going home to take care of family business and put the family home up for sale, but the deamon that is the house and all the ghosts attaached to it have different ideas.

With ups and downs, murders to solve, a predator to try and take care of Vianna has her hands full, and then there's that little matter of the detectives truck, really it seems like Vianna wouldn't have any luck if it wasn't bad.

Between juggling her new reality and trying to keep Tiffany from murdering her in her sleep Vianna has her work cut out for her and until the very end I was wondering what she would do and where she would end up and what she would choose to do about her coven.

I think if I could have gone into this knowing what I was going to read I would have been able to be more fully ingaged in the story and the triggers would't have been as hard to get past as they were.

Overall I think it was a good book that will have you pushing the limits of what you're comfortable with and sometimes that's a very good thing.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! Right from the get go you understand the depth of the dark setting and evil that will play through the book. It is enticing and keeps you on your toes page to page wondering what exactly could possibly come next. There is so much mystery and so many things unravelling and playing into each other. You are learning history of the area and the characters while following along in the present. This book really dives into the dark history of witches and gives a bit of a “Sabrina” vibe if you think more of the made for Netflix version. But also completely different and unique in its own way. Cannot wait to read future books about Vianna and her life!

“No one could escape their family forever. That was truer for her than most, since she was the only one in the family who could see the dead.”


Thank you @NetGalley for this eARC of #LegacyWitches in exchange for my honest review.

What brought my attention to this book in the first place was hands down the cover, summary sounded cool. But this book brought it all!

I love stories about witches and I love when it’s done in a way I don’t usually see or have seen before and the author hit it out of the park with this.

Vivian, a Legacy Witch,comes back to town after the death of her mother to finish up loose ends and sell the house but she gets MUCH more than what she signed up for when returning a solitary witch to a coven of witches who aren’t to happy to see she’s back.

4 solid stars

Just the kind of witchy book I’ve been craving! I like that these witches are dark. I love the writing a lot as well, it totally brings you into the story. This was unputdownable.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was immediately hook from the first sentence. The book cover was initially the reason I was intrigued to read the book but the story did not disappoint. I can’t wait for the story to continue.

“Leaves rustled in the tree where Grandma Susannah hung. the hem of her peasant dress swayed with her legs as she swung backward, then forward, making the branch bow before the tip of her pointed boot hit the trunk.”

I love this book. It has everything that gripped me by my soul and had a need to read it. Witches. History. Action. Myster. Humor.

Vianna Roots is forced back to her ancestral home to not only bury her mother but to face her past trauma and to decide what to do with her future as she is the only remaining witch in the Roots family legacy line. The characters are written beautifully - the house is my favorite 'character'.
I truly enjoyed this story and look forward to more from Cass Kay.

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Legacy Witches is full of lore, haunting ghosts, danger, mayhem, creative spellwork, and a few twists and turns!
I love when an author takes the world we live in and give it a fictional twist that makes you believe it just might be possible and this book certainly deliveres. From start to finish it's a page-turner, I got sucked in and didn't want to stop reading. There's just enough backstory for the main character to give her depth and it's parsed into the story in such an artful way that it's not like getting a history lesson but just seems like a natural flow of accumulated knowledge. By the end of the book you want to know more and I can't wait to read the next one in the series!

I received an ARC of Legacy Witches in exchange for an honest review. Read the full review at https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/

The market on urban fantasy and witchy protagonists is arguably glutted these days. Witches are cutesy, they’re sexy, they’re demon huntresses and vampire lovers and all sorts of fun combinations of back-cover blurb buzzwords, but something that truly sets Cass Kay’s Legacy Witches above the rest for me is that her witches are DARK.

Vienna Roots’ ancestors and peers deal in moldering corpses, gruesome deaths, and necromantic rites as a matter of course, and while Vienna herself shies away from the murder edges of magic, Kay seems to revel in the gory details. As something of a connoisseur of gory details, thank you PhD in Frankenstein, I appreciate the unflinching approach to maggots and skeletons and what a pain in the butt it is to rob a grave on a rainy night.

I appreciate that Kay doesn’t try to redeem the terrible things that the Roots witches have done in the past, and the lengths they will go to to protect their own.

A story of generations, and rewriting the scripts of eras come and gone, Legacy Witches is more than just one more urban fantasy with a witchy protagonist. This is a novel with heart, a story about growth, and acceptance, and magic far darker than most authors in the genre dare dabble in from a writer who obviously knows her craft. In a market that has long been saturated by the cozy, the sexy, and the action-y, and the overly romantic, Legacy Witches dares to be something different, and as a reader, I appreciate that too.