Unfortunately i did not like this as much as i wanted to :( Whilst i absolutetly adored the Appalachian setting and the weaving of past and present, i found myself struggling to care about the mystery aspect. Lots of potential, it just wasn't for me !!!!

I don't think this book is bad by any means, I just feel like it was lacking in something for me. There were so many moments when I felt like the plot was dragging because it felt like Bennie and Motheater were just going from place to place without their research efforts seeming to yield much or move the plot forward, and any information they gleaned toward Motheater's past or the disappearances seemed to come from Motheater organically. There's nothing wrong with that per se, but it made the research element feel unnecessary and as if it was just filling time until the climax. I feel like the point overall came across very muddled as well, because it initially seems as if the mining company was going to be behind the disappearances in some way, especially given Esther's vehement campaign against them in the flashback chapters. However, in the end it was the mountain behind it all and I couldn't quite understand the company's place in all of it. I feel like all of the book's elements had potential to come together more concretely, but it just felt a bit sloppy in the end. I think the book worked best based on its vibes and that that's what kept me going, but overall it wasn't my favorite witchy read by a long shot.

I greatly enjoyed Motheater, the debut novel of Linda H. Codega. It’s a modern-day (mostly) fantasy, about Benethea, a woman trying to find out what happened to her best friend and other mineworkers who have disappeared inside Kire Mountain in the Appalachians, and the mysterious half-drowned woman she fishes out of a creek downstream from a borehole. It’s also about complicated friendships and longings and obsessions, and the relationships between nature, communities, and industry; people have to make choices among moral ambiguities, and sometimes they have to try to fix mistakes.

Motheater initially has amnesia, but it’s almost immediately apparent that she has magic, including some kind of command over nature. She doesn’t actually eat moths, but moths carrying souls/ghosts cluster around her so they can whisper their secrets to her before crumbling into dust and rest. Bennie quickly realizes that Motheater can probably help fight the mining company that she believes is responsible for the deaths and disappearances; Motheater is sympathetic but focuses first on recovering her memories so she can restore her full powers.

The book is told (in third-person past tense) from the viewpoints of Bennie, Motheater, and flashbacks from Esther, a Neighbor/witch of the past who quotes Scripture as she casts spells and makes self-sacrificing bargains with the Mountain to try to protect her community. Bennie gets grudging help from her ex-lover, Zach, with mine information and access, even as she starts to have feelings for Motheater. Historical research and mountain wanderings start to revive Motheater’s memories of conflict and anger in the past; meanwhile, something else is reviving — a power that has been sleeping for a long time — and those occasional disappearances of miners may just be warning flags for a looming catastrophe.

This book did not go where I was expecting with the main plot, but I loved the twists and turns that it took. People with the best of intentions can be blind to the harm they’re storing up for the future, and anyone can make promises that end up being derailed by events beyond their control, but especially, people who take everything upon themselves can be unconsciously arrogant. I also appreciated how opposing viewpoints were reflected, such while Esther was struggling against a mining company’s efforts to supersede local operations, those residents believed that company’s resources and technology would make them safer and richer. Sometimes what seems like gullibility can just be people trying to make the best of a poor set of options.

I loved how preacher’s kid Esther kept quoting Scripture as a sort of focus for her bargaining magic for the community that didn’t love her back, and how Bennie kept rolling with the punches as she realized magic was real and maybe the company wasn’t the only threat around, and how Motheater was honest enough to realize her mistakes and try to mitigate some consequences that were surfacing from her past actions.

I loved the rich characterizations in this book. I loved how earthy and grounded this book felt, despite the fantasy elements. I loved the depictions of moral complexities and stark choices. I definitely look forward to reading whatever Codega comes up with next!

Content warnings: Deaths, disasters, environmental damage, betrayals, racism and sexism (negatively portrayed), religious extremism.

Comps: Old Gods of Appalachia podcast, Smothermoss by Alisa Alering.

Disclaimer: I received a free eARC of this book from the publisher for review.

I am obsessed. This book is so freaking good. It's a delightful original fantasy set in Appalachian coal mining country, and I was enthralled from start to finish.

One of the things I love about this book is that it doesn't faff about. There's no existential crises on the order of "omg magic is real ... but is it really?" Everybody acknowledges the weird but buys into it and goes with it. Codega also doesn't pause to explain the magic system (which is original and super interesting), and yet they give you enough information that you're well able to wrap your head around it by the end of the book. This allows for focus on plot, characterization, and setting, which are all very well done.

I also really appreciate Codega's deep respect for the places depicted in their book. I feel like, especially in recent years, neglected or ignored places like Appalachia are often used in books as ideas, rather than depicted as real PLACES. That's not the case with Motheater, and that rootedness in and love for place really ties the book together.

I think that this is a book where it is important to know what you're getting into before you start it. I know a few people who read this book who were expecting a witchy fantasy novel, and while technically the book is fantasy and has a witch, I'd put it more in the lit fic camp with magical realistic elements. The pacing is slow, which many lit fic readers will expect but witchy fantasy readers would not. The book wasn't cozy and it wasn't comforting, and those who are looking for a cozy, witchy fantasy read likely won't be the right audience for this book.

That all being said, if you like slowly-paced literary fiction that deals with very real world issues while also having some magical elements, keep reading! Motheater has two main characters in Bennie (a present-day Black woman living in small-town Appalachia and working to bring justice for those who have lost friends and family to mining "accidents") and Motheater (a Neighbor aka witch from Appalachia of the past, who is also working to stop the mining of the nearby mountain.)

Some aspects of the book I loved:

- The book is atmospheric and has a strong sense of place. I love when the setting is a character in and of itself, and this is the case both figuratively and kind of literally.

- The characters had depth and nuance, and while I didn't always agree with them, they generally felt realistic with very human-feeling motivations.

- The magic was intoxicating and intriguing. It was wild and earthy and out of control at times, which I appreciated.

- The book has horror elements that kind of meld with the environmental, social, and religious themes of the story.

- Several world issues were examined, including systemic poverty, race, gender, religion, and land exploitation.


A few things I wished:

- The pacing did feel a bit too slow in places, and there was a bit of reperition that could have been tightened up a bit.

- The ending didn't really pack the emotional punch I had hoped we were building toward, and I wish we’d gotten a bit…more.


Overall I enjoyed savoring this book over a several week span. If you like literary fiction with horror aspects and/or themes that include people exploiting the land and the land fighting back, this might be a good one to check out!


Thank you so much to Kensington Publishing for the advanced copy of the book!

Many thanks to NetGalley at the publisher for this ARC.

As a fan of sapphic, literary horror, I was excited to dive into this novel. Unfortunately, this book read as more general fiction, possibly YA, than literary fiction, which I’d expected from buzz about the upcoming release.

Codega’s novel takes place in two different time periods—and it seems clear they were more confident writing the older backstory of the witch than the contemporary protagonist. Language choices that felt natural and compelling in the older timeline were stifled and forced in the other.

When I pick up a book presented as more literary, I expect a deeper interior examination of the characters. But these characters hit go and don’t stop moving from the moment they meet. If that kind of plot pacing calls to you, this book is worth picking up.

Otherwise, I would suggest “the Bog Wife” for a very creepy atmospheric novel about Appalachia or “Bloom” for a sapphic horror.

For me, this would be a two star read, but I don’t think I’m the intended audience, so I’m rounding up to 3.

Thank you to both NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story has multiple POV's that have the same goal, protect mount Kire from coal mining. Mining this mountain has caused multiple suspicious deaths that Bennie is trying to solve.

I liked the organic representation and diverse range of characters. I loved the past perspective and the magic of the hedge witch. The atmosphere in that era was on point. The cover is also STUNNING! ✨

One of the things that I struggled with was the tone of the story. Is it a horror, historical fantasy, fiction, queer romance, murder mystery or thriller? Since the book has a bit of all these elements I found that the tone was hard to follow as it seemed to continually change. I also wish that the author had introduced the stakes at the beginning of the story as I found myself asking why these characters were doing these things. This was because it didn't seem like there were any real consequences. There was definitely an insta love story that was frustrating as it could have been super beautiful.

I'm super sad this one didn't work out for me 😔.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

I rarely do this but I DNF’d this book.

The character of Motheater was somewhat interesting and I did find myself enjoying her flashbacks. If the whole book had been the story of an Appalachian witch in post civil war America? Maybe it would have held my interest better. But as many other reviewers have stated, the story starts to drag around the halfway point.

The writing itself is often repetitive and flowery. And after about 40-50% I found myself thinking “I don’t actually care what happens in the end” which is unfortunate because as I stated there were some interesting bits! The history and the magic was really well flushed out. Again Motheater herself was a good character. And even the main character Bennie was well written. But the plot, the “let’s stop the mining company” story just lost my interest. I can assume they will win in the end and I don’t really want to take the time to keep reading and find out how.

Pros to this book:
-Woman of color main character
-Witch from the past
-LGBTQ+ represent
-Set in the Appalachian Mountains
-Small town vibe
-A murder/investigation

Why do I punish myself thinking that I'm finally going to get a really good Appalachian witch story? I mean they do exist don't they? Or are they just unicorns in the wild that I will never catch?

Dammit man.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review. I know it's not much of a review but I'm tired of sucky books.

This is one of those books that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. It’s eerie, unsettling, and strangely beautiful all at once. From the first page, I was pulled into a world that felt both deeply personal and utterly alien.

It's a haunting story that explores themes of identity, survival, and transformation in a way that feels raw and unfiltered. Codega’s writing is sharp and vivid with the kind of prose that paints pictures in your mind. At times, it’s grotesque, and at others, it’s weirdly poetic, but it’s always gripping.

What I loved most about Motheater is how it blurs the lines between humanity and monstrosity. It forces you to confront some uncomfortable truths. The main character’s journey is full of twists and turns, and while some moments genuinely caught me off guard, they always felt earned.

This isn’t a light or easy read; it is definitely dark, intense, and a little weird but in the best way. If you’re into speculative fiction that’s both thought-provoking and a little creepy, you’ll love it. I know I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time!

I can't believe I'm disappointed with a book I've been looking forward to.

Actually, the book did start off strong, and I was ready to dive into the story, but the more I read, the less interesting it became. The pace was off. The story is told in two timelines: one in the modern day, where Bennie found Mothereater in the creek, and the other is Mothereater's past timeline. I just can't with the character dynamics; they feel flat and underdeveloped. Bennie is too quick to accept Mothereater and her magic, and Mothereater is too comfortable in the modern day despite her history.

And I don't understand why horror is one of the genres of this book. Did the author want to create a gothic fantasy atmosphere? If so, I honestly can't feel it.

Overall, I can see the potential of this book; the premise is good enough to make me curious about the whole story, but sadly, it isn't working for me.

“... who had yet to abandon his red walking coat… There might be a reason for that, Esther smirked, remembering the little rabbit that burrowed in his chest, made a warren of his lungs, his heart a new-pillowed coney-garth. Did he have little kittens in his blood?”

Well this was a fever dream.

I think this was one of those books where the world and characters have been in the author's mind for so long that they forgot to introduce us, as the reader, to what the hell was happening. The magic (?) was not explained once, where it came from, how these ‘Neighbor witches’ came to exist and why. What was the extent of her powers? Why do the dead flock to her as moths? Why did our main character just say fuck it and believe everything so easily? Was it because of grief or was this just poor storytelling? Was she blinded by the love she felt for Motheater that was NOT believable at all? What the actual fuck is going on with snakes? What are the tattoos that move on Motheater or are they brands made by the dead? She can see the dead? She can travel in time through someone's blood? What??

Am I losing my mind thinking this all over to write this review? Yes.

There were some lines that I think were trying to make this more into a horror novel, but it was simply just a poorly done fantasy world, so it felt extremely out of place.

It felt as though this was supposed to be high stakes but in the end it wasn’t.
By the synopsis it seemed like it's going to be high stakes, and it DID start off strong.
She finds the body of a woman and thinks she's dead but isn’t… then everything goes flat. The plot got lost somewhere in the midst of the past and present timeline. I got confused numerous times as to what our main characters actually wanted to happen, or rather what the book wanted to BE.

Motheater was so insanely abrupt because she'd been locked away for hundreds of years that it became humorous when she was around people who actually had some sense and thought she was insane. This includes our main heroines ex boyfriend, Zach, and Zach only.

Things were dropped on us at random. I asked myself numerous times, am I missing something? Am I reading this incorrectly? At the 77% mark, things actually started to get interesting, but in the end I did not care about the characters or what ended up happening, and the effort I had to put in to get to that point was not worth it. One thing I hate about books is when they make me feel stupid or that I'm missing something, and this crossed all those boxes sadly. I think this world could have been really cool if the magic system was explained, and with a better and more thrilling plot.

(actual rating 1.75)

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy! I took my time with this one and really enjoyed it. I've been looking to read more Appalachian fiction and I love a good fantasy, so this was a great choice for me. It's been a while since I've read a book with a character out of their time and felt it was done well here. The goals of the main characters were closely aligned, but there was a good level of conflict on how they aimed to accomplish them. I liked their romantic subplot quite but as well. The magic system was wonderfully done, and seemed well researched. Overall I would definitely recommend this!

This was a magical read that tugged me into it's story full of mystery. Were investigating the dead bodies from the coal miners in the current time especially because Bennies best friend died but when we go back in time to motheaters past it was interesting, I really enjoy when there is multiple times in a story. There is so much to this story. It was enjoyed.

wow wow wow wow okay wow

what a magical read! we follow Bennie as she continues her endless search for answers regarding the growing number of coal miners found dead, a search that became even more crucial to her following the death of her best friend at the hand of the mine. when Bennie discovers a nearly-drowned woman in the slough, she decides to take the strange woman, called Motheater, and the two soon find a common interest in finding answers about the industrialization of the mountain, as well as working together to help discover who Motheater really is and how she wound up half-drowned. I would say, this definitely read a lot more like literary fiction than it did a straight fantasy!

Codega blends witches, environmental justice, sapphic romance, Appalachian Folk natural magic, and of course, lots and lots of moths.

thank you to Erewhon Books and netgalley for the ARC of this book!

This could have been so cool T-T
The concept of this book is excellent: Appalachian witch v Mining Company. The vibes are very American gothic, and the atmosphere of the book is without a doubt my favourite part.
Motheater herself has a strong voice and interesting magic. Her flashback chapters were probably my favourite part of the story. I especially enjoyed the balance between self-awareness and stubbornness that the author struck with Motheater as a character.
Unfortunately, Bennie's chapters, which are set in the modern day, don't hit quite the same. I was quickly fatigued by the constant reminders that her best friend had died, that White Rock (the mining company) was responsible, and that they were responsible for other deaths. I get it. You don't need to remind me every three pages.
The story's pacing suffered because of this repetition, and I found Bennie's chapters a slog. While Motheater's flashbacks were not necessarily faster-paced, their more interesting setting and more compelling narrator made them an easier and more enjoyable read.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc!

MOTHEATER was full of so many elements that were right up my alley. Bennie is investigating deaths in a mine in Appalachia when she finds a witch who'd been pulled out of the very mine she's working to shut down. Motheater is a form of hedge witch, working with plants and animals and nature. There's a dual timeline that gives us details of both Motheater's past and the origins of the mine that's causing so much trouble in the present. And there's a big twist at the end that pulled everything together in a magnetizing way.

Unfortunately, I felt very disconnected from the characters, which caused a lot of these things to fall flat. It didn't feel like Bennie or Motheater were very established as people. Neither of their voices felt consistent to me. There also didn't seem to be a solid understanding of the native wildlife, which pulled me out of the story at times. I also just can't imagine having a blue jay follow me around for even an hour without naming it, much less multiple days and not being entirely obsessed, but that one is definitely a personal thing.

Queer witchiness, an evil mining company, and environmental justice themes--what's not to love?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

MOTHEATER is one of those books that you just can't put dabout , Motheater, the town of Kiron, Ð. BennieOnce you start reading  the mountain Kire, you will be hooked

This book has everything necessary to become a Bestseller. Intrigue. Magic. Queerness. A David is Goliath type fight. Unexplained Disappearances.

The writing is fabulous and Linda Codega paints a vivid picture of the gorgeous Appalachian Mountains. Then she guts you with descriptions of the mining practice of "mountaintop removal."

I don't want to give too much away, but trust me, you will LOVE this book as much as I do. 

The hardcover version of this book is absolutely stunning and also contains a map created by the author.

5 Stars 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Thank you to #NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book.