Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!

When a woman is found inside the same mountain that Bennie is investigating in regards to her best friend’s death, she has to figure out what this means for her investigation and her life.

Motheater was a very fast read, though I felt it fell apart the closer I got to the end. I wanted a happy ending for the MCs, though the downer ending was telegraphed at numerous points in the story. I just felt an affinity to Esther, since that was my grandmother’s name, who came from Appalachia. Also, I felt that the magic system wasn’t as fleshed out as it should have been, especially since Bennie was such a sceptic for most of the story. All in all a four star read, and I might read Codega’s next book when she publishes it.

Magic, queer and great characters.
A very unique read

I like the premise of the story.
I wished the characters got more development but I enjoyed the story.

The language is facinating and beautiful. Love how we are directly into the plot on the first page, no slow warm up here. The main characters are well fleshed out and many elements show a lot of research into Americas past done by the author. I knew nothing about snake handling priests in Appalachia previously. The flow of the book is very goood exept for the part where the two main characters go from strangers to feeling passion for each other. That part is just slighhtly out of rythm for a second before it again becomes part of the natural flow in the story. Part of the backstory is our exploitation of the earth in minig and how capitalism seems to win over nature. All in all a very promising debut novel.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me the privilege to read an E-ARC for Motheater. Codega’s work is immediately joining my list of “favourite books of all time”. My roommate, who also reviews ARCs, originally recommended I apply for this one because “it’s gay and has witches” and I was excited from that alone, but it only got better.

I am so thoroughly impressed by the clear labour of love that has culminated in a phenomenal piece of work. Codega’s prose is captivating and beautiful. There were a few times that I had to take a beat to just let their writing roll over me. They masterfully weave together magical descriptions in with expert storytelling to convey a mystifying adventure. My roommate and I were constantly saying we couldn’t believe this was a debut novel?! It’s so well written.

Beyond Codega’s phenomenal writing, I am astounded by their devotion to research and accurate storytelling. It’s clearly evident that they’ve spent hours upon hours researching and collating information to create the most authentic fictional story. Between their depictions of Appalachian history and folk magic practice, I can tell that Codega holds so much passion for the world they’re representing through Motheater and I am so impressed by the work that has been done here.

Finally, I just have to comment on how captivating Codega’s characters are. Through Bennie’s eyes, I fell in love with the enigma that is Motheater and all her little quirks, between teasing Bennie and terrorising her adversaries. I adored the gradual progression of trust between our main girls and how this is reflected in their mannerisms and jesting. I also really appreciate the way Codega handled Bennie’s connection with Zach and how he develops across the story.

Just wow. Can’t wait until January so I can buy myself and everyone I know a hard copy of this masterpiece!i

Codega! What a debut novel! This queer fantasy was not what i expected at all, although, I don't really know what I expected to be fair.
It was wonderfully written, strong and powerful.
The characters were three-dimensional and emotionally resonant with their accents and the two timelines.
I was wholly endeared to Bennie, she was realistic, compelling and deeply layered.

I'd almost describe it as Gothic Fantasy. A mashing of genres so beautifully achieved and refreshing... well, refreshing in a terrifyingly witchy way.

There wasn't an overwhelming amount of romance in this book, but what there was, was artfully done. It was sweet and charming, and although I wanted more (because I always want more romance), I did love how it was done.
The romance and comic relief throughout the book was elegantly curated to balance the much darker elements.

I watched a documentary once about the effects of mining in the Appalachian mountains. Whilst that is the only reference I have to the irreparable damage done to the ecosystem there, I felt an authenticity in this book for the place and the lost and remaining beauty and mysticism.

Overall I found Motheater to be a very unique and immersive read.

Truly thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this novel.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book had a queer romance, esoteric magic, and horror elements. I enjoyed the connection of the magic system to nature and the general witchiness of the story. I didn't connect with the ending, but did enjoy the read overall.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! I thought this was well written and loved the nature themes and atmosphere throughout. That being said, I think it was a bit slow and repetitive at times, and I was a little confused by the biblical references and quotes. I had a good time with this and am very excited to see what the author does next!

This book was really hard to get into. The beginning was so chaotic and hard to follow. However, at about 30% it started to kind of pick up and make more sense. I loved how they took us back and forth between present day and past in order to get the whole picture of what was happening. Will I re read or recommend this book? No. That being said, I did find it entertaining.

‘Motheater’ is a queer fantasy novel that introduces Benethea ‘Bennie’ Mattox finds an unconscious woman and decides to help her. Bennie is in for a surprise, and she finds out that this mysterious woman is a witch from the 1800s. The eponymous character is known as ‘Motheater.’ The narrative switches between the present day (the perspectives of Bennie and Motheater) and the past (the perspective of the character Esther). I felt that some chapters felt disjointed from the chapters they preceded.

While I found myself intrigued at the beginning of the novel, my interest slowly deteriorated the further I read on. The novel’s premise is an interesting concept to explore. However, the story and characters fell short. Even the romance between Bennie and Motheater did not make sense to me. Don’t get me wrong, I love having sapphic romances at the forefront of a narrative. This relationship did not feel developed and instead felt rushed. Both characters barely interacted in a way that would lead to the development of a romance. 

This story does have some beautiful moments, especially with one of my favourite scenes being the ending. I felt like many filler scenes could have been discarded and interfered with my interest in wanting to continue the book. 

Overall, I did enjoy the setting and the concept of an Appalachian witch from the 1800s who has to navigate the present day. I wish there were more scenes from the past and conflict explored within the story.

[Thank you to Kensington Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC]

3/5 stars I loved the eerie vibes of this one!! It got a little slow towards the middle and end so I was a little bored. I was confused by the world building but I loved the characters and the writing was haunting and beautiful. Thank you Net Galley for the arc. Fantasy fans should totally check this one out!

Motheater is a queer fantasy book with horror elements sprinkled in. There was magic and love and also retribution. The characters were strong and relatable, I definitely felt for them and rooted for them! The magic was interesting, strangely esoteric, but very intriguing. Definitely give it a read if you like atmospheric magical books with queer and BIPOC characters.

Motheater, an immersive story about witchcraft being brought into modern life. We follow our main character Bennie who is a queer black woman, investigating the disappearance of the surrounding mining operation in their town.

My expectations revolving around bringing up the mention of queerness, race, etc- it only stuck to the surface level of those ideas. Bennie needed a little more development as a character, she could have been more connected with her town and the region including a set of different ways to strengthen certain themes within the story. Other characters are fine in the story, but they had a way of feeling more NPC-like in comparison to Bennie and her personality.

One complaint would be that the story itself could have been set in the 1800’s and follow after the mountain witch as opposed to the followings of Bennie and trying to figure out the mystery following the disappearance of the people in the town.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to Arc read this book.

dnf at 60%
this book has so much potential (old appalachia, nature vs industry, sapphic) and a great basis but ultimately i did not feel attached to this story or the characters :/
a lot of the language was hard to understand which is partially on me bc i'm too lazy to google old Appalachian phrases and language. i think this book could be really good but just needs some editing and could lose some of the filler scenes. this book was in no means badly written, i actually think some parts are really beautiful but it wasn't enough for me personally to want to finish it

thank you netgalley for this ARC

I unfortunately didn't enjoyed this book. I thought it would be more about the struggles/protests of mine working but it was mainly fantasy with magics that didn't speak to me. I still think it can interest readers who like magical things happening linked to the nature but it didn't work for me because it is not really in my field of interest. Thank you Kensington Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Not usually my cup of tea (supernatural) but this is an intriguing and suspenseful story. I really got into it and I highly recommend it.

Motheater had a lot of things about it that I loved: the setting, the language, the organic magic and the interesting plot where a mountain is a character. I've never read anything involving like this and enjoy it, for the most part.

What really didn't work for me was the romance. It felt rushed as if it was added at the last minute as a way to get an emotional reaction at the end (which it didn't). I had a hard time getting an idea for Motheater's appearance (at first, I thought she was old, but later, I think it said she was 28?), but all I really need to say is that she has moths perpetually in her hair and pointed teeth. With very little conversation or relationship building, Bennie is completely down bad and cannot stop fantasizing about fucking Motheater. Also, Motheater cannot remember her actual name, so you have to read the name "Motheater" like ten thousand times, and it's so annoying at a certain point. I really wish Motheater was just a nickname and that she went by her actual name for most the novel.

With some tweaks and maybe a little more time, this could have been a 4-star book for me. I think the romance needed work (or to be ditched) so readers could focus more on the story. The setting and idea of a mountain essentially fighting back against industry are so cool, and I found the magic to be really enticing to read about.

3 stars. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

This was a bit of a different read for me— I don’t often find myself reaching for “witchy” books, but the unique setting and description left me wanting to give it a try… and I am glad I did. For a debut novel, I thought this book was excellent! This author’s writing flowed in an almost lyrical way; I loved their way with words. The characters were complex and flawed, making them feel real and easy to “connect” with (even if I didn’t feel like I especially liked some of them). The writer’s own admiration for nature really shines through, and I loved the imaginativeness of the entire story and villain.
What didn’t work for me? That said, some of the rules of the magic in this book felt almost too complicated, and I’m not sure I completely understand it all; at some point I decided to stop trying to get my brain around it and just ran with it. Witchy stories aren’t usually in my wheelhouse, so I’m not sure I was ever going to be the perfect reader, but I really enjoyed the ride and the fresh story unlike anything I’ve read before.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for the opportunity to check out this great debut early!

I have initially been wondering if this was a 4 or 5 stars read, but I am going to round it up, because I felt really, really captured by the story.
The prose was beautiful, and Motheater? THIS is exactly my kind of witch, strange creature from another century found inside a mine.
Past and present were very smartly woven in this book, and I mean, the mountain as a sentient entity got me to shiver. Especially when a lot of the book happens in the mines.
All the characters were so relatable (characters from the 18th/19th century discovering the 21st are my soft spot) and the relationship between Bennie and Motheater felt so natural! The ending... I have been longing for this sort of conclusion for ages, so I'd say this book is an amazing discovery!
Honestly, I have not been gripped by a book this way since some time, would 100% recommand.

Motheater by Linda H. Codega weaves a spellbinding tale that blends mystery, horror, and queer romance in the evocative setting of Kiron. Bennie's pursuit of justice against her former coal mining employer unfolds against a backdrop of Appalachian folklore and ancient magic. The prose is mesmerizing, immersing readers in the lush descriptions of nature and the town's dialect-rich atmosphere. While the complexity of the magic system may challenge some, its connection to nature adds a fresh twist to the story. The repeated use of Motheater's name throughout the narrative becomes grating, serving as a distracting annoyance rather than adding to the story's impact.

I don't think this book is for EVERYONE, but I think it accomplished what it set out to accomplish.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with this digital ARC.
The cover sure is stunning, and the premises were nonetheless: a woman seeks vengeance for her best friends death investigating mining operations in Appalachia, and suddenly, she stumbles upon a witch who is tied to the mountain people have been disappearing in for the past twenty years. But she has no memories, only fragments of her power, and she need to regain both in order to control the mountain and satiate their thirst for revenge against the human that have been hurting her by excavating into her flesh.
This book is about the environment, corporations, capitalism, love, found family. The witchy parts, with the flashback to Motheater life 150 years ago were the most compelling to me, with an enthicing portrayal of paganism and religion and magic all intertwined to generate power coming and going to nature. Motheater and Esther, the same person but in two different timeline, is densely described, from the birth of her powers to her relations, her link to Kiron and the mountain Kire, her bargains, her fight against progress as a whole concept which, in depth, goes against mining. Such an evolution is not granted to Bennie, our other FMC: she followed love and got to Kiron, she lost a supposed best friend in the mountain, she lost her job because she wants to find the truth and ends up finding an even bigger truth she couldn't fathom. But I wanted to know more about her: who she was before Kiron, who she was with Zach and Kelly-Anne, because, in the end, her chacìracter struggles with her past and with her feelings for Motheater but I couldn't quite get what led her there. Her torments are mostly very well phrased interior monologues that tend to be repetitive towards half of the book, and I think Bennie deserved to be treated better.
I really enjoyed the portrayal of witches and their connections to nature, not sparing on even the most crude aspects of their practice, which made it believable, fascinating, and engaging. Perhaps, also a bit more on the nature of titans and a broader depiction of Appalachia would have helped, me being someone who has never been nor seen these places but only heard myths and legends surrounding them.
The ending was good, and overall I must say this is a well balanced book if taken as a whole - it's mostly Motheater and Esther who compensate for what lacks elsewhere, as stated before.
I liked it!