HOLY CRAP!!!! This book was a ride and a half and I am so long I was given the opportunity to read it. I was a bit worried how it was going to end because I was 80% through the book and somethings still needed to be resolved, but I think that Morgyn wraps it all up in the last 20% pretty well. If Morgyn ever thinks about writing more books in this realm, I would LOVE more books about the venery (inside and outside of America). I am absolutely fascinated by all of the different characters within them and would love to explore them. Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this early and thank you Ava Morgyn for writing a phenomenal book that had me hooked from the beginning!

This book had so much potential, especially with the unique magic system. Where you lost me was that I had to believe not one but TWO law enforcement officers were just cool with her killing men (even though they deserved it, compassionately or horridly).

Thank you very much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

Piers has finally had enough and "Gone Girl"s her way out of her marriage with an abusive husband. She goes to the only relative she knows, seeking refuge, only to learn that she comes from a line of Bane Witches. Now, she is part of a bigger family than she could have ever imagined, but she must earn her place within it!

This isn't the first book with this narrative, and it probably won't be the last. But I do love books with feminine rage and vigilance—especially when there are witchy vibes involved.

I would have enjoyed this book more if the FMC hadn't been so naive and kept trusting men after everything she's been through.

There were a few cringey lines, like when she thinks about how someone's outfit doesn’t match their skin tone. She realizes this because, as an interior designer, she thinks to herself—WHEN HER LIFE IS ON THE LINE?!

But all in all, I had a lot of fun and would recommend it!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn

When I say this book is stunning, I genuinely mean it! The ability to fight back against domestic violence. To be a survivor and protector of others in horrible situations is something that many can identify with. The way different layers of the plot tie together in the end is exquisitely done. While there were a couple moments I thought there was a little awkwardness in the plot movement, it all came clear when everything was tied together.

This was a most wonderful story! I wanted to read it slowly so it would last. A bane witch is able to eat the most poisonous plants, which do not affect her, but which she can use to poison some one else, typically abusive men. A story of strong powerful women who are not afraid to use their powers to save future generations of women.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is an intensely dark story of survival and triumph over a never-ending evil. Piers Corbin does not understand the power she and her family of women possess until she comes to a desperate point in her own life and finds escape and protection in a family she did not know she had. This book is outside of my usual reading and I struggled at times with the vivid descriptions of abuse and dark desires. The characters that Ava Morgyn creates are complex and real. They show a sincere humanity while also exposing a disturbing side of human desire and power. A good read for those who like suspense, true crime, dark fantasy / witchcraft. Content warnings for detailed descriptions of violent sexual abuse, murder, and suicide.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an early access copy of the book.

The Bane Witch is a dark, thrilling fantasy with a unique world and complex characters. Morgyn’s atmospheric writing pulls you into a spellbinding story from the start.

Wow! Sometimes a book just leaves you gob smacked, trying to process how much you've been affected by the reading of it. The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn is such a book for me.
Morgyn is a superb story=teller, and this tale is full of everything that makes for a riveting read; compelling characters, vivid settings, trauma and healing, family drama. It is fast-paced and gripping, a sweeping tale of female empowerment in the face of the worse that men can throw, while also showing the opposite as the forbidden romance between the main character Piers and the Sherriff, and with the dedicated and loyal detective on a mission to protect her, provide a balance to the evil she faces. And of course there is the magic, bringing strength to the women of the family who must do what they must to rid the world of evil.
This book is part thriller, part fantasy, part mystery, and part romance. It is full of suspense, while it tugs at the heartstrings. I found it impossible to put down.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of #TheBaneWitch.

I wanted to love this one, but I didn’t love the writing. The steam wasn’t to my taste and some things really had me scratching my head in confusion.

The pacing was off for me as well and kept me from truly enjoying the story. I do think this is a fun witchy read for folks that like that.

The Bane Witch has a fascinating premise where families of women are given the power to hunt and kill men who abuse women and children using the poisons they ingest and are themselves immune to. This story gives women power and agency while also punishing men who would otherwise hurt and kill, and probably get away with it. There’s a certain power to this story and the stories of the women it tells. But I struggled with almost everything else, from the mystery to the romance to Piers learning how to be a bane witch.

Piers has been married to a man who secretly abuses her for the past two years. Initially charmed by him, she now works to escape him, faking her death so he doesn’t look for her. With her mother dead, she only knows she has an Aunt Myrtle who invited her to stay with her at Crow Lake at any time. So that’s where she goes to hide out and get herself reestablished and on her feet. Crow Lake is quiet, though there’s a murderer strangling women on the loose, so it’s the perfect place for Piers to learn about her powers and how to use them. And, with a murderer in their midst, it’s the perfect time for her to prove she can be a bane witch, as long as she can stay one step ahead of him while keeping the local sheriff off her scent, if only she didn’t find him so attractive.

The Bane Witch feels mostly like a story that’s supposed to empower women, to show they don’t have to stand by and be victimized. Maybe they can’t kill men like Piers and her female relatives, but they don’t have to stand for being a victim. Maybe this story is supposed to make women think there’s someone out there hunting the men who would hurt them. Maybe it’s just the story of an abused woman finding her own power and strength, and a willingness to save others. And, if it was just any of this, I’d probably love this book. But I felt bogged down in Piers’s life and, honestly, it often felt like two steps forward and one back with her. She wasn’t my favorite character, and her reluctance to really embrace her heritage put everyone in danger. But the mystery of who the stranger is just kind of wafted through, and the romance felt like the more prominent subplot. Fortunately, it’s sort of balanced out by the investigation going on down south regarding her supposed death, which I really enjoyed.

I get Piers. I understand why she’s characterized the way she is. She’s been traumatized and abused. She just wants a normal life. She wants peace and a safe bubble. And then she finds out she’s a bane witch and she’ll either take to it or her family will kill her because she’ll never be able to just stop eating poisonous foods and take the lives of men, no matter how much they deserve it, and they require discretion, which she won’t have. I did like the struggle between her wants and her heritage, but she spends so much of the novel running from her duties that it endangers so many people. She often felt irresponsible, stumbling around and doing whatever she wanted no matter how much Aunt Myrtle tried to caution her. But Myrtle also really didn’t spend much time teaching her so, as much as I loved Myrtle, I kind of feel myself laying some of the blame at her feet. I had a really hard time with Piers and all the decisions she made. Of course they come back to bite her, but at the cost of lives.

There are two mysteries woven into this story, one more interesting and developed than the other. I get that the hunt for the strangler probably isn’t supposed to be a mystery and we’re never really supposed to know who it is; it’s just some nameless male who could stand in for any man who has ever hurt a woman. But Piers is working with and against the local sheriff, Regis, to catch him. Piers and Regis often butt heads and are inexplicably drawn to each other because of their mutual hunt, and yet it never felt like a focal point of the novel. It’s just a device to get Piers to learn to use her powers. It’s there to teach her how to be a bane witch. But there are clues to follow and bodies that pile up, and I kind of wish a more traditional mystery had been baked into this. On the other hand, the investigation into Piers’s death was fascinating. She planned it so carefully that even I was in awe of every little step, every little bit of evidence, she planned. And yet she made so many mistakes it almost made me scream. Watching Detective Emil Reyes really work to figure out what happened, while also making his own missteps because he has a special tie to Piers, had me glued to that story. I wanted more of it, and I was disappointed with the way it kind of fizzled out.

But it was the romance that really frustrated me. I liked Regis. He was a good guy through and through. He puts so much trust into Piers, and she’s really drawn to his safety and stability. In theory, they make a great pair. Except for the problem that he’s the local sheriff and she’s a witch who kills men, from a family of women who actively plot and plan to kill men who would hurt others all over the country. They’re constantly drawn to each other, but I felt like most of the time it wasn’t to discuss the case, but instead to have sex. Their romance felt like it burned so hot it should have hurt them badly, and, yet, it somehow works out, and somehow I feel a little disappointed. So much of the story focused on their romance and how illicit it was that I really struggled with it.

I really wanted to like The Bane Witch. I think it has a lot to say and share, and, maybe, to the right reader it can feel empowering or satisfying. But I found the details to be a little agonizing and Piers to be too reluctant. The different parts didn’t mesh as well as I would have liked, making the story feel disjointed in my head. There are too many different parts, and none of them are really satisfactorily followed. It was fantastic finally getting to the end to see how the threads merge and resolve, but all the steps along the way felt a little grueling.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

This one made me think... good vs evil? Does the end really justify the means?
The Bane Witch was a great read.. finished in one day! Great characters, great storyline, great writing! Witched, poisons, magic, infused with a great thriller.. definitely worth reading!

A dark witchy vibes read - if you love practical magic, with a hint of mystery thriller, you will enjoy this.

I was surprised to find that I was wrong about the identity of our strangler. This was a solid read with overarching themes of justice, revenge, female power really sold it for me.

Thoughts
Loved it -Binged in one sitting
An Atmospheric read full of descriptive language and phrasing creating a true visual and mental escape for the reader
( I highlighted like crazy)

Charcters
The Venery- scary and sassy , a Vigilante witch conclave targetting the degenerates
Regis- sheriff, he’s hunting a serial killer, the bodies in his small town keep piling up, and there is something about The newcomer that just doesnt sit right
Reyes- detective, saved once by Piers and now finds his future linked to hers
Henry- ass hat ex, abuser
Piers-Acacia
Myrtle- great aunt, business owner, murderess

Overall
The magical storyline of the Bane witches and their purpose gives this thriller/romance a fresh feel. Murder, Vengeance and a women’s wrath fuel the narrative and make this book a bingeable page turner.

Publishes March 18
Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own

Thank you SO much to NetGalley and Ava Morgyn for this ARC!

I've never ran to my computer faster after finishing a book. Right from the beginning I was invested in the narration, and once the lore and story-building began to grow and flourish I could not put this book down. If you're a fan of Practical Magic and love a good murder mystery, then I cannot reccommend this book enough! I absolutely want to read more of Ava's books and I'll be thinking about The Bane Witch for a long long time!

I live for the dark, witchy, mysterious vibes that this book was able to develop throughout the storyline.

The book felt as if I was reading an action packed version of Practical Magic. Piers' on the run for a horrific husband fleeing north to the only family she has, only to discover a family secret magic. The book mixed together may favorite parts of a mystery/suspense novel and a witchy fall tale.

I would caution that people sensitive to themes of SA or DA should be warned about the potential triggers in this book. Piers is subjected to significant physical and psychological abuse at the hands of her ex-husband for which I feel some readers may have a hard time reading.

Thank you St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Bane Witch.

A spellbinding and gothic tale of magic, grief, and empowerment. Morgyn crafts an atmospheric world full of eerie beauty and powerful storytelling. A must-read for anyone who loves witches and haunting prose.

The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn is a beautifully dark and magical read. With its haunting atmosphere and strong, relatable heroine, it’s perfect for anyone who loves witchy vibes and emotional, character-driven stories. A must-read for fans of dark fantasy!

This is a first rate murder mystery with compelling characters and a fascinating magical world existing within our own.

Piers escapes an abusive marriage and runs away to a small town to hide with an aunt she hasn't seen in decades. There she learns the truth about her magical ability to eat poison and her family legacy of expelling it through their bodies to kill others - in the name of justice, of course. While she grapples with her newly understood abilities, she also has to deal with a budding romance with the local sheriff who is suspicious about her aunt's role in several untimely deaths. And if that weren't bad enough, there's a serial killer on the loose...

The setting: Piers Corbin, a young [30-something] interior decorator in Charleston SC, unhappy in her volatile, abusive marriage, fakes her suicide--to escape. She seeks to find her aunt Myrtle, who lives in the mountains in New York state, having not seen her since she was a young child. "Piers comes from a long line of poison eaters - Bane Witches – women who ingest deadly plants and use their magic to rid the world of evil men. Piers sets out to earn her place in her family’s gritty but distinguished legacy, all while working at her Aunt Myrtle’s cafe and perpetuating a flirtation with the local, well-meaning sheriff to allay his suspicions on the body count she’s been leaving in her wake." Add in a serial killer to thicken the plot.

A mystery, a thriller, a romance. Domestic abuse abounds--not just Piers. DARK.

Love, family, witchcraft, poisonous berries and mushrooms.

A hunt--for Piers, and for the serial killer. I quite enjoyed the sections where Detectives Reyes and Will were piecing together Pier's disappearance--especially when they confronted Henry, Piers' husband.

I did not enjoy the "mush moments"--found them annoying and with prose that made me want to gag.

In the distinct minority; sometimes I just found it tiresome and I think it could have used a bit of editing to tighten the story although the plot and twists did keep me going. At first I thought a 3,5 but round up, but the last 15 percent just threw me off and it became a solid 3--mainly because of originality. That said, perhaps I don't read enough of this genre and I might have liked it more if I did. However, I have read magic realism and do enjoy books on witches--this one, not so much.

I went into this one blind, and was thinking it was more fantasy based, rather than more thriller/suspenseful but honestly it was a good unexpected change.
I found this to be intriguing enough to want to keep reading, and I liked the dynamic of Aunt Myrtle and Piers. I also loved the witch elements with the poison and how they were out to only go after bad people, it was a twist I haven’t seen done before,
There were some plot holes or things that were a bit too coincidental for me, but overall it was an enjoyable read.
Rating it 3.5-3.75.