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.

I received an ARC copy of this book, and this is my honest review.
I DNFed this book at about 40%.
The main character, Bennie is incredibly flat and I couldn’t care less about her.
Motheater is a more interesting character, and I did sort of care about her, but all the questions about her are answered almost immediately in flashback chapters, which robs us of trying to figure out those questions throughout the book.
However, what made me DNF the book was the sloppy way that Appalachian Folk Magic and Appalachian styles of Christianity are dealt with. I don’t so much mind that Snake Handling Christians are described as existing before such things became popular, but Motheater’s father is repeatedly described as Pentecostal decades before the denomination existed- especially when various fundamentalist Baptists did exist them that could have been adapted for the purpose.
As a person from Appalachian who currently practices witchcraft largely based on Appalachian Folk Magic, the treatment of our traditions as the basis of the magic system in this book is incredibly sloppy. For example, Motheater refers to herself as a witch when women who practiced witchcraft in the era that she grew up in would have been offended to consider it witchcraft— it was simply what everyone did. You could change that, but you would need a reason for why the same levels of strict Christianity existed without the same taboos on witchcraft and witches.
Beyond that, practices clearly lifted from our folk Magic practices are used without understanding how they are used in real life to be able to translate that into fantasy. That’s why Motheater is constantly, constantly quoting Bible verses, sometimes for no reason at all. She uses herbs for cursing, but not the herbs I would use for cursing and not in any recognizable fashion.
In short, while the concept is really intriguing, the story itself badly needs the advice of current practitioners of Appalachian Folk Magic and historians of the tradition. I would hope that the author knows that current practitioners of these traditions exist, but it’s hard to tell based on the book.

This is the sort of debut novel that I like - I don't particularly like it on its own, but what's there makes me excited to see what the author does next. Motheater falls into that almost exactly - I'll mostly remember the vibes (Appalachia, hedge magic, queer love and friendships) and Codega's name. Bennie and Esther themselves are underdeveloped - Esther/Motheater we get the most of, but it's so scattered between timelines and within the novel itself that it doesn't really coalesce until the end, when it feels like too little too late. Bennie we know in the moment, but everything else is really nebulous which makes it difficult when we're supposed to feel that she's hurting becuase of things that happened in the past. The side characters are so bland that they almost aren't there, so it's good that we really spend most of the time with Bennie and Motheater.

I did really love how all of the magics tied together into something that utilized, at its heart, what people have faith in, what brings emotions to the surface for them. That Esther used scripture to access land magic, tying together a lot of practices and heritages into the land itself.

content warnings: depictions of abuse, animal death, character death, religious trauma, violence

first things first: i was really pumped when i read the preview, though not quite sure what to expect of it in the end. truth be told, it was way more magic(al) than i had originally thought - but that's not supposed to be a bad thing! i actually really enjoyed the way the magic was tied into the culture and surroundings, drawing its power from nature - because i'm a firm believer that that's where magic should always have its roots.

having said that: i don't quite know how to feel about the protagonists. for one, there's bennie who you think you have figured out until she pulls a move that's got you all confused. one moment she's full of sorrow and the next she's estatic. not always but it happened enough for me to notice. then there's motheater, or esther, who is this mysterious witch from way back. i liked her character as a whole but did find myself stumbling over certain phrases - at one point she knows about modern thing A, but in the next moment she's asking what A is.
the rest of the characters (except jasper and zach) are kind of bland. you don't even really get to know kelly-anne even though she's the sole reason for bennie acting the way she does - up until she isn't.

to make things easier, let's weigh them in pros and cons.
pros:
- the way the magic was portrayed as well as its roots being found in nature
- the way culture played into this story from both an outsider's as well as insider's pov

cons:
- the dynamic of the characters given they more often than not felt flat and somewhat underdeveloped
- the ending, somehow, seeming rushed when the pacing was really slow to begin with

overall, i did enjoy reading this and am very grateful to both NetGalley as well as the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

3.5/5