Y’all need to read this book. Olivia Atwater is one of my absolute favorite authors and this story did not disappoint. Normally I am wary of books advertised as a “return to” the world of a previous series because it can’t live up for the expectations. However, Witchwood Knot is an entirely satisfying and engrossing book and one of my favorite reads this year. I loved the gothic twist to Atwater’s historical fantasies. I highly recommend.

It’s absolutely wonderful to return to Olivia Atwater’s fantastical England, filled with magic and the Fair Folk. The Witchwood Knot is set in the same world as her Regency Faerie Tales series, though set years later in the Victorian era (hence the series title, Victorian Faerie Tales). This story follows Winifred Hall, who has just arrived at Witchwood Manor to become the governess. Winnie was hired by the dowager Lady Longfell, who was kind to Winnie as a child and knows of the magic she possesses.
Witchwood Manor is made from the witchwood trees that originally grew on the property. You can’t just cut down trees beloved by the Fair Folk and the manor is cursed. Even the servants won’t stay, aside from a few brave folks like Cook. Winnie was called in to be not just the governess, but to hopefully break the curse and protect the dowager’s young grandson from the fae until he’s able to go off to school in the autumn. Each night those who sleep at Witchwood are pulled into a pocket realm of the fae world called the Witchwood Knot, which seems to be as much a curse to the fae who dwell there as it is to the humans residing in the manor. There are screaming faces in the walls and Mr. Quincy, the not-butler, will play cards with truthful answers as the prize.
The plot is actually quite dark, which is a change from the previous series which for the most part felt kinder and cozier. While this story does have a smidge of a romance plot it mostly focuses on unravelling the Witchwood Knot and solving what turns out to be a much graver situation than initially expected. Young Master Robert is taken by the fae while his father manages to be a thorough creep toward Winnie at every turn. She unfortunately has dealt with men who think they can own a thing merely because they lust for it before so she was on guard from the very first meeting.
This was a very good story and I didn’t want to put it down once I finally got the chance to read it! I’m very much looking forward to the next book and hope it focuses on one of Winnie’s sisters, who each have their own skill in magic.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc

Okay I won’t lie, this book took me so long to get into. Which was so sad because I loved the regency fairytale series, but I think this was unfortunately a case of right book wrong time. I think it took me till about the 50% mark to finally be invested in the story. I did put the book down for a while and once I came back to it I found it way more enjoyable. It helped that I started seeing different elements of Labyrinth in it which made my enjoyment skyrocket lol.

Where do I start. It is definitely different from the regency fairytale series, while also still keeping the strong elements and the distinct witty writing style Olivia Atwater has. The dry humor of the main characters throughout her books is one of my favorite aspects. The topics are much darker and serious but done really well. All the characters have traumatic pasts (and presents honestly) but they are handled with love and care. I appreciated that so much. As always, the afterword goes into more detail on the themes of the book and it once again shot up my admiration for Olivia’s writing and the way she tells her stories.

One thing I had some trouble with was the connections between the main characters. I only really connected with them at the end. It wasn’t the highlight of the book, but it gave more depth to each character healing themselves. This definitely wasn’t romance heavy. It was plot focused and more heavy on the character development than anything, so if you’re going in expecting the same romantic fairytales as the other books, it wont be the same. Although it wasn’t the usual fluff I still really liked the outcome of it.

Winnie as a main character was one you could grow to love and care for. Her backstory was fleshed out and made all her actions have reasonings behind them. I love when i’m able to be shown how a character is who they are and why they are that way, rather than just being told how to interpret them. Seeing her slowly thaw out from the cold person she was forced to become filled me with love for her. She deserves so much.

Mr. Quincy I couldn’t really figure out. We don’t really get much of his background or actions explained till much later in the story so it was hard to connect to him as a love interest. I did like him as a character in general though. And of course I was still rooting for him and Winnie. I can’t help it, I’m a simple girl. I want my characters to be happy and healing.

Oliver was my favorite character. I love animal companions and familiars so much. He had so much personality for being a character who doesn’t ever talk, and his backstory made me want to HUG him. I love you ghost cat.

I did enjoy the dynamics between Winnie and Robert. Watching Winnie who didn’t like kids and couldn’t really understand them until she confronted her own trauma, and Robert who was a victim of his own familial circumstances and childlike behaviors, warm up and grow through each other was so heartwarming.

One other thing is that this book is indeed connected to the regency fairytales series. It’s just been so long since I read them that I only put the most obvious parts together. There were so many times I simply confused myself trying to remember if a certain person brought up was one I’ve met before, or a whole different person entirely. Once I just gave up it got easier to follow along, but I feel like if you’ve recently read that series (or have a working memory unlike me) you’ll enjoy the little easter eggs.

The ending felt a little simple but after putting aside my first thought of “why didn’t we do this sooner” it made a lot of sense. The characters had to develop and grow to even get to the point of overcoming the evils they had to face. We didn’t wrap everything up and I don’t think it can necessarily be called a standalone since there’s so much more to explore. I don’t know where the story will go from here but i’m so interested to see what happens next.

Sorry if this review was all over the place, but all in all this book was solid. I wish I picked the book up at a better time, since this was a really sad time in my personal life that affected my reading enjoyment, but I still found so much to appreciate. Olivia Atwater just creates stories so well and i’ll always pick up whatever she writes.

I've read a couple of this author's other books and enjoyed them, so it was a fairly likely I was always going to enjoy The Witchwood Knot as well - in fact, I'd say there were elements of this I liked a little more than the previous books, so my success rate with this author's works continues...

The basic premise of the book is that it's a gothic fantasy, with that well-worn trope of a woman (Winifred) coming to work in an eerie mansion. She is there for Reasons which are beyond just the need to find a job and, at least when she's first hired as governess, her potential charge isn't even at the manor in question - when he turns up, it's not long before he's replaced by a changeling. By that time, Winifred has already figured out the proximity of the Fae to the estate and also the possibility that she's going to have to intervene not just to save the life of the manor's heir but also many others besides.

There's a lot going on here, including a well-done romantic sub-plot between Winifred and a character who initially appears to have very few redeeming qualities. The author does an expert job of rehabilitating him or revising what we know about him in order to make that potential relationship workable. All in all, I enjoyed The Witchwood Knot very much and continue to be likely to pick up this author's future books.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley. This is my honest review of the book in question.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGallery for this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this Gothic fantasy adventure quite a bit. I have read 2 previous books by Atwater - Half a Soul and Ten Thousand Stitches, both of which I also liked and rated 4 and 3 stars respectively. She does have a third book in that trilogy, but my library doesn't have it; plus, I'm never as interested when a series moves on to the children of the main characters, so I haven't read that one. This one is linked to prior books, but they aren't necessary to read before this, as it does its own thing.

This one is a bit darker than the prior two, set in what is essentially a haunted Victorian manor house. It's not too dark, though, and while has creepy moments, it never (for me) crossed over into horror. That's exactly what I look for in a Gothic story - frightening moments, but not graphic horror. Initially I felt like the main character was a bit too sure of herself, but as the story goes on we see the cracks in her armor develop, a progression I liked. If you're not familiar with the author but enjoy Gothic tales and magic, I'd say definitely give it a try. If you are familiar with the author, I'd say if you liked her prior stories, you'll like this too.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC, I appreciate the opportunity so much!

I absolutely loved the Regency Faerie Tales books by Olivia Atwater so I was beyond excited when I heard we would get more books in this world (but make it Victorian!!) and it didn't disappoint.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘵 is darker than the Regency Faerie Tales and has more of a gothic vibe but it is still just as cozy and I really enjoyed it! I found the magic really interesting, especially Mr. Quincy's, but I wish Winnie's magic had been delved into a bit more. I am really interested to see if there will be other books following her sisters or at least involving them more because their magic is so intriguing to me.

I really liked the way this book explored predatory men and gave a very raw perspective from the victim. I especially appreciated the way we were shown two different reactions to that situation and the afterword that mentions how these different reactions are all perfectly valid.

I am head over heels for the way Olivia writes love. The romances in these books are just so intimate and sweet I love them so much. I was actually not expecting a romance between these particular characters but I was pleasantly surprised. My only complaint would be that I wish it had happened a bit sooner, I would have liked to see a bit more romance and development.

The story was interesting and I loved the setting, unfortunately it didn't really pick up until the second half of the book but I was still completely engaged from start to finish. What really pushed this book for me were the writing style and the characters. The writing is so immersive and it really felt like I was right there in Witchwood Manor.
I liked how each character was very distinct but I especially loved Winnie and Oscar, her familiar! I really enjoyed the back and forth between Winnie and Robert, it was very entertaining and it made their relationship development in the end feel even more meaningful. It was also very refreshing to read about a love interest who was gentle and reserved, I loved how they went from being restrained to so open and raw with each other and how considerate the love interest was of Winnie.

I personally think you do need to read the Regency Faerie Tales first, I didn't realize just how connected they would be (my fault) and I should have done a reread first because I was a bit confused at times. Overall I really enjoyed 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘵 and I look forward to more books in the Victorian Faerie Tales series


⟡ My review will be posted on Goodreads and Amazon. It is on Goodreads right now and it will be posted on Amazon on the 28th of November. I will share the Amazon link once it's posted ⟡

The Witchwood Knot is a wonderfully dark and gothic story with many twists and turns throughout the plotline.

The main character is a damaged but strong and powerful female with a trick or two up her sleeve. In a world of dark magics and mythology.

I found the story as a whole brilliantly depicted and laid out. The character development was well done and you can't help but feel so kinship towards our protagonist.

Wonderfully done. I absolutely love this book.

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Thank you Olivia Atwater, Starwatch Press, and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for my review!

First of all I am a sucker for a gothic fantasy that blends some horror elements with fairy (faerie) tale elements. I discovered this year that those are some of my favorite stories to read, and this book is no exception. The writing in this book is beautiful, but its not so flowery that the plot gets lost, which as a plot driven girlie I appreciate. The setting of this book in the creepy house is just the perfect location. I loved our MC Winnie, she was brave and interesting and everything you want in a MC. I was not 100% sold on Mr. Quincy but I grew to love him as the story unfolded. Also this book has faeries, and not the cute Disney ones either, the ones that they warn you about in fairy tales. This book was awesome and is the perfect book to read this time of year.

A gothic fantasy horror novel about a faerie tale set in Victorian England? How could I say no?
The Witchwood Knot is a book that weaves faerie tales of horror with gothic fantasy and a touch of romance. Winifred Hall is a young governess who moves into Witchwood Manor to watch the young lord. Soon she is forced to deal with the Fair Folk in order to save him and the manor. Luckily, Winne knows just how to handle faeries. She is witty, she is brave, and a wonderful protagonist. An undead familiar cat, a faerie butler, a cook who makes the best scones, an entitled young lord who refuses to go to school, cruel faeries, ghosts in the walls; what more could you want? The gothic atmosphere of the novel had just the right feeling to it. The writing style was brilliant and I found myself in love with the characters.
Thank you for this ARC.

Once again I find myself thoroughly enthralled by a story written by this author and rather different to my usual sword and sorcery fantasy fare.
A Gothic tale set in a grand weird house in an isolated English countryside location. It has the same worldview developed in her earlier Regency Faerie Tales trilogy, with a hostile, or indifferent at best, Faerie world carefully hidden behind English 19th century society. Some human magicians exist which protect against, or sometimes liaise with, this Faerie world.

This story features Winnie, a new governess to this strange house, an independently minded character who we gradually discover has an interesting backstory. The plot is also quite involved though easy to follow, I found.
I do like the role of the sinister Fae people in these stories - somewhat similar to those in any properly researched English folklore tale (including Jonathon Strange) where they are not beings you really want to get involved with. No Tinkerbell or Disney fairy characteristics whatsoever. The tale isn’t too darkly Gothic, mainly painting a scenario with a ghostly creepy threatening aura, but, as I’ve noted with this author before, she also allows some darker, realistic aspects of the real world to show themselves so that it isn’t just a simple update of Austen or Bronte style novels - in this case the unwelcome imposition of male control on women/girls under their influence. Nonetheless it also features an unexpected m/f romance that’s well done.

As it uses the same Human/Faerie world, and name drops some characters, from the Regency Faerie tales, I’d recommend that those are read before this one although I think you could just about read this without having done so and not lose too much. It is a very different story from any of the previous ones, so an original treat if you are familiar with her work. And of course the author took some time out from historical fantasy altogether to write a completely different contemporary fantasy that won a recent SPFBO competition! Talented indeed. Though I find myself more drawn towards these historical fantasies.
If you’ve not read this author and enjoy fantasy that’s not bloody or visceral, but imaginative, clever but also paying gentle homage to the Austen/Bronte style historical novels, then this is the author to go for. I suspect, though don’t know, that this novel may lead onto others carrying on this mostly resolved storyline.
Enjoyed it, and particularly the surprises it threw up thus firmly keeping my attention - 5*.

This is one of my rare excursions, or possibly my first, to Netgallery, in order to get a copy soon before official release!

Beautifully written book that captured me from page one , from the mysterious Mr Quincy to the slime ball lord of the manor , I was immersed into dream land and would recommend this of you like magic and mystery

Set in the same universe as Atwater's Regency Faerie Tales this one is set a few years in the future after a new Lord Sorcier has entered the scene. Faeries have all but disappeared and Winnie is on a mission to find them, reasons unbeknownst to us readers. She finds them in a haunted house occupied by an old woman. As she takes on the job as a governess to become an occupant there, she is alarmed by many things. There is an ominous presence in the house that is more than just belonging to the fae. This book was dark, haunting, romantic and gave me extreme Coraline vibes, which is a children's book that I absolutely adore. Due to the dark nature of this book's setting this book isn't as cozy as her previous series, but it is extremely readable and mysterious. I can't wait to get my hands on the next installment. Gothic and fae, what's not to love?

Content Warning: Sexual assault

Like Olivia's other books, this one is beautifully written and the world is so imaginative. You do not need to read the other books to read this one. I did find the story to be slower than her others which for me made it really hard to get into it. But if that's not going to bother you then this is 100% worth the read. The mystery, relationships, and atmosphere are *chefs kiss*.

The Witchwood Knot is the first in Olivia Atwater’s new historical fantasy series of “Victorian Faerie Tales.” Her previous (loosely connected) “Regency Faerie Tales” were whimsical and light, reflecting the more fun side of that era, while this one is much darker, pulling influences from the Gothic novels that had come back into vogue during the era. Balanced with “fairytale”-esque prose, frequently returning to the “Once upon a time…” preamble to introduce chapters, the story is as engaging as those she is influenced by. There’s also a dark message to match the darker aesthetics, with multiple characters in the story grappling with being victims of predatory men in a misogynistic society, leaving them vulnerable to sexual harassment and assault, and reeling from the resulting trauma.
Winnie is a solid protagonist, and I love the way she simultaneously pays homage to the heroines of Gothic romances and also subverts some of the familiar tropes. She’s a governess, putting her in a delicate situation, although the twist is she’s actually a magical protector for her charge, due to her experience with faeries. She’s also not the most saintly person, as she sometimes lies and manipulates people, but she does it solely in order to get by and survive in this cruel world, and she does have a good heart, with an awareness of her own flaws.
Mr. Quincy was an…odd love interest, being literally beastly and ratlike at first, but he won me over as he did Winnie. I did feel like they didn’t spend as much time together as I would have liked, especially at first, but it was cute nonetheless.
This was a great first entry to a new series, and I’m excited for what’s to come. If you enjoy historical fantasy romance, especially if it has a mix of Gothic and fairytale vibes, I’d recommend checking this out!

This was my first Olivia Atwater book, and it definitely will not be my last! I really enjoyed the concept of this book in how it uses faeries in a dark fantasy taking place in a Victorian England manor. It kept my attention as we learned bits and pieces about the mystery behind the manor.

I also loved our heroine Winnie. While some people may not like her because she comes off as arrogant, manipulating, and a liar, I found it made a lot more sense once you learn more about her past. Unfortunately, I was not very attached to any of the other characters besides her and Mr. Quincy as they were all mostly forgettable for the most part besides playing plot roles here and there.

While I liked the relationship that developed between Winnie and Mr. Quincy, I thought the romance aspect of it came a bit out of nowhere. It seemed a bit rushed and therefore a little unrealistic as if it was included as an afterthought.

Overall, I enjoyed this read and look forward to reading Atwater's previous series as well as the continuation of this new book series! Thank you Starwatch Press and NetGalley for this ARC!

My first time reading Olivia Atwater, and what an introduction. I'm not instantly drawn to books on fairies but I do love gothic mansions and anything similar to Naomi Novik so I'm glad I gave this a shot.
There's bad fairies, blood magic, a haunted mansion and a cat familiar who is not exactly living.
The romance felt a little shoehorned in but I didn't mind it, and with that ending I'm eagerly anticipating a sequel.

I loved this! I usually enjoy reading things that are set in the Victorian especially when they have fairy tale aspects--I feel like those two things just work so well together and that was definitely the case here. I loved the characters and I thought that the plot was well-paced, and I loved getting to see everything lushly unfold. Anyone looking for a Victorian gothic, sort of creepy story is going to love this!

I requested this book more on a whim, than because I knew a lot about it and ngl I am very happy about it.

I know of Olivia Atwater as a Fantasy Romance author and I think this book is also tagged as such, at least on gr, however, to my pleasant surprise, there was very little romance in this.
The Story very much focused on our fmc and her character development, which I really enjoyed. Meanwhile there was still just enough mystery around our mmc to hold some interest there as well.
Overall this definitely convinced me to check out some other stuff by the author, even though I am usually very much not a romance reader.

This was my first time reading Atwater and I’m grateful that I was given an arc for this! The pacing and storytelling for this novella was ultimately what contributed to me giving it 3 stars but I enjoyed it still. I think I will definitely be recommending this to other to get their perspective.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for sending me this arc in exchange for an honest review!!

3 stars

now, you all know how much i loved half a soul. that book became everything to me in a very short amount of time, and i fell head over heels with Olivia's writing, this book, however, fell a little flat for me.

don't get me wrong, i loved winnie. she held herself amazingly and made such a great main character. she was blunt and arrogant and i really loved that, though i can understand how it can irritate some people. HOWEVER, i really did not need to hear her hatred from children again, and again, and AGAIN!!! I GET IT.

i really feel like there was a lot of development that we missed out on throughout the book. i felt somethings, like the world building, were very single sided and only scratched the surface when I KNOW there's more to it than that.

as for the other characters, i couldn't get myself to really care about any of them too much. they were all flat and lowkey boring, which i hate to say because i loved half a soul. but this just goes to show how reading tastes evolve!!

i do recommend this book, though you'd have to be the right audience to read. i 100% recommend reading any and ALL of olivia atwaters books because her writing is just so amazing and immersive.