First I would like to say thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book!

Now, this book was phenomenal. It was difficult to get into the first few chapters, but after that I was hooked. I finished it really quickly and I loved every minute. There were many nights I needed to go to bed but the end of a chapter left me needing to continue.

The plot was fantastic and I LOVED the concept. I’m always in awe about how authors come up with these concepts. It was a little predictable at times, but the plot was so crazy that it didn’t matter if it was predictable because it was still so addicting.

I will absolutely be recommending this to all my friends.
As long as you’re able to handle the trigger warnings I couldn’t recommend this book enough. Please read it!

This is one of the best books I’ve read all year. It’s an edge-of-your-seat thriller with a supernatural twist that grabbed me from the first page. Morgyn’s writing has a beautiful, sinister flow to it. I loved the premise and the execution.

I was able to read this witchy book through a gifted eBook.

The emotional rollercoaster: anger, sadness, doubt, etc.

I really enjoyed this book. It is a well written dark fantasy mystery/thriller with great character development and a very interesting plot. One of the main subjects of the book is poison.

Intriguing. Provocative.
Please check trigger warnings for this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the gifted eBook.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this one. I liked the premise, but some of the pacing was off, and that made me struggle to finish it. I really liked the bane witches magic and how it was used, but their lifestyle was a little archaic to me. Hopefully that’s something Piers changes for them going forward.

Received as an ARC from NetGalley. 4.5/5 stars

Piers Davenport flees an abusive marriage and runs to her aunt in upstate New York, where she learns more about her strange abilities and faces her family's legacy. Piers is a bane witch, able to sense abusive men and poison them before they can kill again.

This thriller is splashed with elements of magical realism and a minor romance subplot. The story is fast-paced and I was HOOKED - I barely put it down until I was finished!

I would recommend this for: thriller readers, people who enjoy books about female empowerment, and fantasy readers who are genre-curious.

Content warnings include: domestic violence and SA, mentioned pedophilia and child abuse. There's also a bit of cop-aganda (two of the three male characters who have more than one scene and are "good" guys are cops and want to protect Piers. The female characters, on the other hand, have very frank discussions about how the justice system fails women).

This was a wild ride, and one I was glad to be on! It is fast paced, and at times it does feel like it may be too much, but Ava Morgyn pulls it together. There really is no detail that doesn’t come together, no matter how utterly random it feels in the moment. While reading this book (and I could not put it down) I felt that I was having some sort of fever dream in the best way. It was truly an experience, with magic, witches and serial killers! A paranormal/crime junkie’s dream (nightmare?)!

3.5 ✨

Thank you netgalley and St Martin Press

Trigger warnings and Tropes

-on the run
-new identity
-SA
-abuse
-serial killers
-witch society
-small town vibes

This book begins with a bang piers, has to commit suicide… Or so you think she must leave her abusive husband who is severely mentally ill and psychotic

So we follow her journey on her way to her aunt’s cabin motel that is all the way up north hours and hours away from Charleston…

I really did enjoy the book. It’s got some heavy hitting topics that can really bring the mood down for a lot of people, but this is real society. This is what happens every day to four out of 10 women in the world if not more it was amazing to kind of see in the world of this author That Bane witches exist to get a vigilante justice that is much deserved

The thing that I disliked about the book was the pace and the writing style we would get into a really hard hitting scene or a lot happens in the first half of the chapter and then the second half is incredibly slow and has a lot of details that I didn’t seem to think were necessary and slowed the story down significantly. So that was just my personal thing I know a lot of people won’t have an issue with that so to each their own I do still think it’s a great story that a lot of people should read to understand what goes on in the world.

The Bane Witch gives a powerful voice to all of us who have been under the violence of someone else. Ava Morgyn paints a vivid story of Piers as she comes into this beautiful and horrible power of hers. I really loved the womanhood/sisterhood of the venery, the connectedness of the Bane Witches all over the world. While some parts of this story were a bit slow for my taste, I did love reading about Piers's growth and development into herself and her destiny. I would love to read a sequel in the same world about some of the other members of the venery, especially one who grew up inside of it.

i was fortunate enough to receive this ARC via NetGalley advance of the book's release on March 18, 2025. this story has an interesting concept that intrigued me from the start, but i found the story to be slow paced with unnecessary information. however, the ending was satisfying and the story came together really well. if you're looking for a story about female rage + witches with ancient magic, i highly recommend this book.

The story is original and interesting, I was consistently engaged. A fast-paced romp about a witch wielding poison as her power, reveling in the thrill of eliminating the worst kinds of men—all while navigating life in a small town.

The FMC’s journey is absolutely gripping—a testament to everything she’s endured and her transformation into a powerful, purposeful woman. Watching her evolve and forge meaningful connections along the way was deeply satisfying. The relationships she builds feel authentic and well-developed, with each character’s personality shining through vividly.

I appreciated the alternate POV of the ongoing investigation, as it provided valuable insight into the other side of Piers’ story and her motivations. However, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing when the threads came together. It felt like this perspective set up certain implications that didn’t entirely come to fruition. While I can’t pinpoint exactly what I was expecting, it left me wanting just a bit more in the resolution.

Overall, this was everything I could have hoped for from the description!

Ava Morgyn's The Bane Witch is near the top of my 5-star reads this year. I was drawn into Piers's story immediately, and the fast-paced twists and turns kept me engaged to the last page. If you want to see feminine rage written through a witchy, magical-realism lens, this is the book for you.

The world we see in The Bane Witch is the dark, gritty reality of so many women that have experienced abuse at the hands of men. But the women in this world can, and do, take revenge and don't hold back. To be a Bane Witch is to take in poison from the world around you and direct it where it will do the most good - into men who do unspeakably evil things to women.

The writer doesn't shy away from hard themes and somewhat graphic depictions of abuse, but I found it to be tastefully written and enough to be shocking without being gratuitous. Still, TW for a few of the themes is below.

Overall, I really can't say enough good things about this book. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who needs to feel or understand feminine rage - Ava Morgyn is going to be one of my instant-buy authors from now on!

Thank you to St Martin’s Press, for both the eBook through NetGalley and the print ARC from an IG giveaway!

TW: Sexual assault, rape, strangulation, domestic violence

The Bane Witch
By: Ava Morgyn

4 Stars

This was not just a story about a witch. It was a story about survival and justice. It was a story that followed witches and women. Acacia is on the run from her abusive husband. She lands in the lap of the one person who can explain what is happening to her and what HAS been happening since she was a young girl. Her life will be new, in more ways than she ever thought possible.

This was a really good story that turns a fantastical story to one that is relatable. When the story first began, I was swept up in the imagery and drama. It starts off action-packed, and throughout the reader gets more action plus family drama. It was very well written and was detailed and dramatic. I loved the powerful journey that Acacia finds herself on, as many have faced abuse, and this aspect is relatable and is definitely emotional. While a work of fiction, I can't help but wonder? What if?

*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Review

I need more! This book was so fantastic. So captivating. So original! I love the Bane Witch concept and I really hope it continues. Maybe a book for Azalea?? Also Reyes needs some love too!

I will definitely be pre-ordering the hard copy!

As Piers fakes her own death to escape an abusive husband, we learn about her ability to eat poisonous plants with no impact to her own health and her plan to make her way to the only remaining family she knows of. After she makes her way North from Charleston, she learns of her family's secret - that the women of her family are witches, bane witches to be exact, and they have a calling to protect the innocent by dispatching violent, horrible men. Piers has to prove her worth after being apart from the family her whole life, and they only way to do that is to track and kill the serial killer that's been circling her because of her allure.

While I really liked this read, the pacing felt a little off towards the end. There was an awful lot of build up towards the big climax which then wrapped up so quickly. I wish there had been a little more explanation of the gifts that came with the power Piers had. She went from getting flashes to being able to touch evidence (or not even evidence!) and get so much information about what happened/thoughts/memories from those involved.... Didn't feel like Myrtle or the venery did a good job of explaining all of that to the readers.

Definitely recommend if you like a story with strong, complex women, dark magic, and suspenseful thrills, with a unique blend of witchy mysticism, and vigilante justice!

Thank you, NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for a review!

I don't know where to start with this novel. The imagery of the natural landscape is phenomenal, and the character arcs are breath-taking. I was rooting for Piers and Regis the entire time, and not only for that reason, could not put the novel down. "Magical thriller" is the perfect way to describe this plot-propellant book. I absolutely fell in love with the prospect of vigilante/underground society of female witches assassinating deserving men for their crimes against humanity--because this book is about so much more than an angry woman seeking justice against a man who has wronged her. It is about female community, the beauty and healing of the natural world, the controversy of our justice system, and the big-hearted men who are proof "they aren't all bad." I adored this book for the way it challenges justice and vengeance. I found myself laughing right alongside Piers when she finally confronted her abusive husband, her self-awakening that he has no power over her anymore. I cannot wait to have this book on my shelves for others to read. This is a must-have for every library.

I loved just about everything in this book. Morgyn writes some of the best prose I have ever read. It draws you in and tells a compelling and unique story. I was hooked the entire time.

The only thing I didn't like about the book was the romance it seemed forced and really shallow. The story is complex and powerful, the romance however comes out of nowhere and detracts from the impact.

That being said I loved this book. It was unlike anything I had read before. Morgyn explores many dark and complex themes, tying them together to make a compelling narrative. Thank you to netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book. I look forward to it's realize in spring 2025.

This is a really heavy book that touches on a very heavy topic while adding a touch of magical vengeance into it that I loved. Super face-passed writing and I never felt like I was bored.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this book. I am in love with it.

"A very little poison can do a world of good ."

I don't think I can say enough great things about this book. Dark whimsical characters trying to rid the world from the evil of man had my full attention. The pacing and flow were very steady. The concept is so clever and creative and kept me intrigued throughout the story. I felt like I was on the edge of my seat the whole wild ride. Such a wonderful read.

My only complaint, which doesn't determine my 5 star rating, is that the chapters weren't long. I wish they were broken up a little more.

I can't wait for this book to come out so I can share with family and friends.

“A very little poison can do a world of good.”
Wow. This was dark and beautiful and full of feminine rage. Piers escapes her incredibly violent husband only to discover she is a bane witch - one who can eat poison and kill others, particularly those who harm women. Piers grapples with this new reality all while learning to be her own person- not a victim. The prose is beautiful. The descriptions are lyrical but not overly done. The character growth is fantastic.

This story is hard - I teared up more than once. Despite the heaviness, it is a page turner full of mystery and thrill. It is a poignant tale of the strength of women in a misogynistic world.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s for the egalley!

Piers has had a hard life; one she’s never really understood, tinged with murder, pain, and heartache. But when she meets Henry, the bad days seem behind her. So when things quickly go South before the ink is dry on the marriage license, she spends two years dealing with more fear and pain at the hands of her husband.

How do you survive an abusive, controlling, sadistic marriage to a wannabe killer? You DIE… sort of. Piers Davenport is done. Done with being meager to suit her controlling husband’s demands. Done with accepting his cruelty and impatience. Done with being the invisible wife. That’s why she’s decided to die.

Where Piers sets up an elaborate plan to disappear, she can’t believe she’s free. To lay low, she’s got to make it to a remote location where a long lost relative will hopefully give her the fresh start she so desperately needs. But death is never that easy. Something in festering in her very core- a literal poison she can’t ignore, and the only way to pacify the burning need may be her second death.

I absolutely LOVED the author’s writing style and her talent with character depth! Piers’ strange, dark family clan became my own, and I fell in love with the characters she built in the little remote forest town. The story was engaging and had me by the ponytail, forcing me to take this quest right along with the main characters. I found myself making assumptions, predictions, solid statements all through the plot, and then realizing I had no idea what I was talking about. That is FANTASTIC writing when an author can have that effect on a reader! Kudos to Ava Morgyn and St. Martin’s Griffin Press on this masterpiece. Thank you to both and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.