DNF @30%. I could not connect to either character. Their motivation lacked passion, and the alternating timelines weren't the most compelling to move the story along.

It just felt very stagnant and I found myself wanting to read other books to supplement this read to give me some kind of joy/entertainment.

omg just look at the cover....so surreal and beautiful.
just like the story.
the total vibe is enchanting and very mysterious, lore like.
overall it was good book minus some parts I did not enjoy. I won't be mentioning them.
You should read make your opinion.

Something I wish I had known before I picked up this book is that it contains two storylines, one set in the present and one set a hundred fifty years ago because two timelines rarely do it for me and this book proves it yet again. 

The first few chapters were great. I got a good sense of the setting and theme and was excited to read on. But then the timeline of the past came along and somehow I did not care for it at all. I lost my motivation, resulting in me ending up in the downward spiral of not grasping what I've read and thus getting even less motivated, even for the parts set in the present day, and I DNFed the book..

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. In all matters of fair discloser, Lin Codgea and I have mutual friends, though I myself have never met them.

Motheater is a delightful book exploring what it means to belong to a land and what happens when that which capitalism eats, decides to eat back. I recommend this book for people who love queer witches, the Appalachia’s, and really fucking hate capitalism.

To get my criticisms out of this way, this book is a slow dry start, that will make you wonder why you’re reading it. The first 75 or so pages of this book honestly failed to capture me. So much so that I put it down for 2 months planning to DNF, and only just came back yesterday and pushed through to the second 1/3 of the book. Furthermore, (spoilers for the conclusion) <spoiler>while the story initially goes in on the anticapitalist themes of unfettered industrialism, in the final 1/3 Codega pulls back to center it around the follies and hate of one of Motheater, the titular character. Which I feel like diluted whatever message Codega was going for, for a half-way hybrid between both.</spoiler> Finally, while the romance was sweet, I personally did not find it convincing. It somewhat appeared out of nowhere. While it worked because of the strength of both characters, together I found them less appealing than individually.

For the things I enjoyed however? Those were far more innumerous. Lin Codega has clearly done their work both in researching for this book, and in how to write a book, because for a debut novel, it is spectacular. Many of the pitfalls, such as flat characters, poor pacing, and uneven prose, Codega has managed to masterfully avoid. Nothing about this book felt tired, or rote, or like I had read it a thousand and one times before. Furthermore, while the initial 1/3 of the book was quite dry, after that the book became a much easier read, so much so I finished it in a matter of hours. Both Motheater and Bernie are fantastic characters to following, and I found them both delightful and well-defined.

TLDR; This book is a fantastic debut, and delve into a genre of fantasy I honestly don’t think we get enough of. Hell yeah! Weird Appalachian magic!

I absolutely resonate with characters who live in the middle of nowhere. Bennie is definitely that main character who is going to stick with me for a long time. I wish I could explain how she came alive for me on these pages. From the first moments, Benethea fishing a stranger from the river felt like pulling me into her life as well.

"There was something like smoke in her heart." Ah Bennie. The journey you are on.

More than a personal journey, this story thrums with the heartbeat of nature and what people are doing to it. Naturalist stories have always been my love language, and magical realism with a naturalist bent is my idea of beauty. From the crunch of leaves and the smells of the woods to the juxtaposition of "civilization" and the mining town, Codega's writing swirls like a rushing river and drags the reader in. Anyone who has spent any time in these mountains will understand.

And Motheater herself is a mysterious character who somehow works her way into your very being. There's a reason she's the title character. And everything runs deeper than you can imagine in this story.

"Kire Mountain wasn't a kind place, wasn't keen on visitors. Kire wanted me alive."

It's a story of Big Bad Wolves. And maybe a Little Red or two. Or perhaps Nimue. And on a deeply personal level, the biblical allusion to Ruth.

Cordega uses the phrase "hurt and hope" - both dangerous - to weave a tale full of each, a story so deep it resonates long after the final page. Earth magic, to be sure.

There’s just something about rural settings with messed up magical things happening there (and being based on real life places and problems) that really compels me, and this book was no exception.

The story is told in dual perspectives/timelines - in present day we follow Benny, a woman trying to figure out the unusual disappearances - her best friends’ amongst them - of miners on the mountain of Kire. Her hunt for discarded bodies turns up a strange, alive, woman calling herself Motheater, claiming she is a witch with missing memories. Could this chance encounter be the way to unlocking the mystery being deaths of those living and working on the mountain?..

This book might not be for everyone, with the amount of scripture being cited, but I personally found that to be an interesting take on how religious texts can be blended with natural world magic, and the fact that it’s based on real life churches in Appalachia? Chef’s kiss. I truly appreciated how the author took just a few characters and a pretty limited setting, and managed to make a fleshed out, full story, without making it feel constricted.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a culturally rich, atmospheric read, and especially for the fans of Quinn Connor!

This is a beautifully rendered and atmospheric novel set in an Appalachian mining town. It explores political violence and environmental justice with some fantasy and horror elements. I love books where the sense of place is strong, where the setting is a character that affects the people and propels the plot. There were a few times I got a little lost in the plot, but I will be reading more from this author.

This book is a weird, witchy, queer horror/fantasy/romance hybrid. There is a lot going on, but it all seems to work together to create an intriguing plot with well-developed characters!

Linda H. Codega's Motheater reminded me of everything I love about American Folk stories. She has elevated the genre to a new level with this Appalachian tale of death and rebirth.


Thank you to Kensington Publishing | Erewhon Books and and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

This book is pretty cool. It is about a witch from the past who is found half drowned in a river, not even knowing her true name. The main character is enraptured by her, but also wants her help with discovering why miners, including her best friend, are dying and disappearing.

Pros: Nature-based witchy aspects, queer romance, unique plot, well-written.

Cons: A little less of the queer romance than I had hoped. I lost attention a little in the middle section, but it picked up again at the end.

Well worth a read. I love books with weird vibes. Also she draws snakes to her, which I loved!

Overall I really enjoyed reading this book. It gave off autumn vibes and it’s perfect for the season. I would recommend marketing it as such, because it would gain a lot of popularity.

The writing is stunning, and for a debut is crazy good. The elements of this book cover witchy, horror, and fantasy. The story is really unique and good to read.

One major complaint about the book is that the author says motheater far too much. It is a bit over barring. I had it playing while on a drive in the background and my boyfriend pointed this out and said the constant use was annoying him.

This book has SO MUCH POTENTIAL but can definitely use a few more rounds of editing before being published. I really enjoyed the overall storyline, though some parts were a little confusing at times. And the dual POV with alternating timelines was really great.

The romance in the book felt a little forced, as if it was just there to meet some sort of quota instead of being an actual plot device.

Two of my biggest grievances with this book were the narration style and the use of similes.

I cant stand 3rd person narration in general, but this felt over the top. It was if every other sentence started with a characters name. Since this book is multi POV it would have made more sense to be in first person narration. I became sick of Motheater and Bennies names very quickly.

Similes can be an excellent device for describing how things look or feel when used right. Unfortunately, pretty much everything was described using a simile, which many times pulled me out of the story.

Overall, I had a good time reading this book and I would be interested in reading this again once it's published! Also the cover is GORGEOUS.

A brutal love song to the wild, misunderstood, fiercely loyal nature of Appalachia and the tension of balancing nature and progress for communities who have been left behind and looked down upon by "civilization" unless and only as long as they are of use. Codega clearly has done a lot of research for this book, and expertly weaves her knowledge of Appalachia and desired thematic elements into the (sapphic!) story of a 150 year old witch and a Black Appalachian woman as they the forces that endanger the people and the land that they love. The book wasn't a perfect 5 star book, but it was compelling, engaging, visceral, and filled a niche that desperately wanted filling, and reading it as a queer woman from (albeit less rural) Appalachia was a supremely validating and emotional experience.

Purtroppo, primo DNF dell'anno. Ho abbandonato il libro intorno al 30%. Mi aspettavo qualcosa di completamente diverso, i molti errori tipografici hanno fatto la loro parte, ma di base non mi è interessato molto dei personaggi, né della storia. Le uniche parti liriche e intriganti sono quelle con un setting nel passato, ma non è stato sufficiente a motivarmi
nel continuare la lettura. Attenzione, non sto dicendo che è un brutto libro, solo che non fa per me.

Before anything, I would like to thank Linda H. Codega, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fine read, intriguing at some points, creative, and fascinating in concept. However, it fell flat. The plot was boring and dragged at some points, and many opportunities for a positive message were missed.

**Pros:**
* The different timelines are nice and intriguing.
* The characters, magic, and worldbuilding are interesting and unique.
* Nothing attracts me more to a book than female rage and confidence.

**Cons:**
* The chapter headers are confusing and not cohesive.
* Bennie has a job, but she is conveniently never at work.
* A lot of the same sentences are repeated over and over again.
* The characters are shocked by the same thing multiple times, sometimes even within the same chapter. I get it, I'm supposed to be shocked!! I'm not, move on.
* The pacing dragged many times and some chapters were daunting to read.
* I hated how there could have been more focus on mining companies and the consequences of their actions, and instead, we ended up blaming a witch.
* This is probably because of my early copy of the book, so it won't be considered in my evaluation. Still, I thought it was important to point out that there were a lot of typos, a few grammatical mistakes, and many repetitions that the author might want to check before the book comes out.

thank you to netgalley for the eARC.

this was one those reads where i took my time reading through it rather than speeding through it.

the synopsis sounded both interesting and odd to me when i first read it which is something i really like. i did enjoy the storyline and the characters, even the ones where i was probably supposed to dislike other than that one woman at the beginning. she kinda sucked.

the romance was written as a subplot for a majority of the book which i know many don’t like much, but i think it worked perfectly with this story. it was a slow burn which is my favorite. there was yearning, tension, and a tiny bit of jealousy.

i really liked the writing style. it fit really well with the vibe of the storyline which is something i really adore in books. i might read more from this author the future.

Wow!

I love this book! The character of motheater was really intriguing and I love the was she talks about modern things, being that she is not from this time period. The story starts of a little slow, but picks up fairly quickly anyways. You can tell that the slowness is just there so that to reader will understand the world building and have a better grip of the plot because of that.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC!  

After I read the first paragraph of Motheater, I thought I had a good idea where the book was going. The second sentence is what piqued my interest but also gave me a false sense of knowing what will happen. The plot swerves my expectations, intertwining both magic and history.

I loved Motheater’s character as well as her complex nature. All her thoughts and beliefs were beautifully written and I quite enjoyed the pause the book briefly gave the reader by switching perspectives. The writing felt quite lyrical at times and you could tell that the author is well informed of certain aspects.

On the other hand the plot takes a while to get going. The descriptive manner of it could be the author’s style, but at times I felt myself wanting to skim it rather than read it. It’s definitely for those who enjoy the beauty of words rather than the pace of the story. It works with the setting, the reader gets a glimpse of what the characters are seeing, so it felt quite intentional.

All in all, Motheater was a good read, both interesting and engaging. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a queer fantasy story.

This book just wasn't for me. I had to DNF the book for this reason at 40 %.
First of all: I am not saying this is a bad book! However, there were things that were specific to me that made me not able to finish this book.
I love reading books in English, however, it isn't my native tongue nor am I currently living in the U.S. To me, the language and setting of the book was was very hard to understand. Moreover, there were a lot of typos and editing mistakes. That concluded in me having a hard time getting into the story. I really had the goal of finishing the story, but found myself avoiding reading and steering right into a reading slump. that's why I had to DNF it at 40%.
I wholeheartedly believe that this book is a good choice if you are from the U.S. and are more or less familiar with the Appalachian vernacular and some cultural specifics that I was missing.

What this book does perfectly, is deliver the true love the author has for their land. I found this aspect particularly worth of mention. The passion I could sense from the writing was the only thing that kept me going through most of the book. The basis of the story seems interesting, but I think it kind of fails to keep up the pace.

Thanks for the ARC!