Ava Morgyn is a truly talented author! I loved the combination of witchcraft and mystery, and this book crosses genres for a wider appeal. The writing is descriptive and beautiful. It’s also quite spicy! Thanks so much for the opportunity to read in advance!

Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC! I had a lot of fun reading this. It truly did feel like Gone Girl meets Practical Magic. I admit, it took me about 20% of the way through to get hooked because I’m not usually a thriller/mystery kind of girl. But once the witchy/magic stuff came into play, I was IN. I’m giving this a 4.5 stars just because the beginning dragged a little. Overall though, highly recommend!

Ava Morgyn's "The Bane Witch" is a mesmerizing and magical novel that explores the complexities of identity, power, and the human condition. This darkly enchanting tale is a must-read for fans of fantasy, magical realism, and feminist literature.

Grabbed by the cover, I just knew this was going to be a great read, and it was! I am very stingy with 4-5 stars...and I would give this one 4.75 stars easily! Definitely crossing the territories of psychological and domestic thriller, awakenings, unique witchy-ness that brings a bit of a cozy vibe at moments, and then so suspenseful as we follow our main character through this story! I definitely plan to buy the print version for my shelf, can see myself re-reading at some point, and will spread the word on this one! Really enjoyed it!

This plot is clever and interesting. It had me at the edge of my seat. I could not put it down. Morgyn does a great job building suspense. The Bane Witch is one that I will not soon forget. Give it a read! Thanks for the advanced copy!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

2.75 stars

The blurb for The Bane Witch did not prepare me exactly for what I was getting into. Upon reading the opening lines I could already tell this was going to be a hard read as there was mention of domestic abuse which included strangulation, rape, and physical abuse. All things that are extremely difficult for me to stomach and read about. The Bane Witch never let off on this particular matter and continued to make my stomach turn the further I read into it.

For the first 50% I felt that I could persevere as overall, the story aimed to be a revenge fantasy and setting up a world in which women naturally evolve to hunt dangerous and volatile men. As a concept, this is really flippin cool, however the execution fell short.

Piers, our main character, was not a character who I particularly understood why they made their decisions, and while the story progressed she appeared to become more irrational and difficult to empathize with. When the reader feels disconnected from the narrator, it becomes an utter slog to complete which unfortunately happened in The Bane Witch.

I also felt that adding in a romance to a newly escaped victim of domestic abuse was unrealistic with how it was portrayed in the novel. It felt too convenient in the story itself and took away the agency that the main character was attempting to regain. For a revenge fantasy, it kind of ignores what revenge does to a person: consumes their existence and leaves no room for anything else.

ARC Reader Book Review 🤍

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A wonderful blend of Urban Fantasy & Thriller. Although the pacing/plot can be a up & down, this was an intriguing read filled w/ so much mystery & ancient magic. The touch of romance was just enough as well, but the female rage is what hooked me 👏🏽
I love a good witchy read full of twists!!

Read if you like:
Witchy vibes on the darker and spookier side
Some tough subject matter such as DV, trauma and survival.
Lore and supernatural elements
Female rage
A journey of self discovery and empowerment

“The bane witch” is a modern day witchcraft story full of magical elements but also components that tie into the psychological thriller genre. If you like a blended mix of genres like this then give it a go! There is lots of suspense to satisfy your thriller cravings and definitely enough witchy context for your whimsical side.

This book includes dark subject matter so make sure you go into it checking your TW and not expecting a happy fairytale. The main character fakes her death to escape a toxic and abusive relationship and in doing so finds herself embracing her magical heritage and coming into her own strengths and powers.

Thank you to st martins press and Ava Morgyn for the EARC!

Publish date: March 18th 2025

If you are looking for your next witchy read, your search is over! The Bane Witch is an incredibly fun witchy thriller exploring female rage and empowerment in a violent man’s world. While the story does deal with heavy topics (TW for domestic abuse), it is also fun and fast-paced; it’s urban fantasy meets true crime fiction as we follow a secret society of witches who use their poisonous powers to take out bad men. It is so so good, and I know many readers are going to love this book!

I would recommend The Bane Witch to readers who enjoy books about witches, female rage, vigilantes, and true crime. You will not want to miss this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc! All thoughts and options are my own.

This book will be sitting with me for a while. Beautifully written and compelling. I thought the topic of domestic violence was handled very well.

I absolutely loved this book. It definitely lived up to the gone girl/practical magic vibes. I like the different take she had about finding yourself/hope. It was a wonderful concept.
The different stories she had going on at once kept me totally entranced. I had to keep going and keep flipping the pages. Such feminine power in this book!

I would definitely reread this book when it comes out in March.

I love, love, love this book! If you love all things witchy, tarot, and bad-a** women, then this book is for you! This book grapples over the nature of humanity and your shadow self.

This story follows a woman named Piers Corbin. She has always felt different and doesn’t understand why. She is in an abusive relationship and fakes her death to escape her abusive and controlling husband.

Piers travels North to find her mother’s long lost sister, Aunt Myrtle. Myrtle explains that she is different and that the women in the family are bane witches and their existence is to rid the world of evil predatory men that are a danger to women and children. After finding out the family secret, Piers finds out that there is a serial killer in the area preying on women. She uses her ‘family secret’ and goes out to find him.

At this time, according to NetGalley, this book is being marketed at general fiction (adult)/Sci-Fi/Fantasy. I am definitely getting more mystery/thriller/fantasy type vibes and simply put, this is why I did not enjoy the book. I DID NOT hate the actual book or writing style. I am not a mystery/thriller reader and it made it very difficult for me to finish because it was so far from what I was expecting. If you enjoy dark witchy vibes with mystery and suspense, this book is for you! It is very engaging and keeps you on your toes the entire time.

Triggers: Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault/Rape

I want to thank Ava Morgyn, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for giving me the ARC for this book.

The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn is a powerful, atmospheric, and deeply gripping novel that defies the typical witchy story expectations. It’s dark, intense, and fueled by female rage, weaving themes of survival, vengeance, and magic into a suspenseful and thrilling narrative.

Piers is trapped in a violently abusive marriage and makes the heart-stopping decision to fake her death to escape. Her journey takes her north to a family she barely knows, where she discovers a shocking legacy: she is a Bane Witch.

Morgyn expertly blends modern-day mystery with witchcraft, creating a unique and compelling story reminiscent of Practical Magic—but with much darker, thriller-like twists. Piers' development is a standout; her evolution from a terrified woman to a powerful, confident witch embracing her heritage is deeply satisfying.

The world-building around Bane Witches and their magical history is rich and fascinating, making it easy to get lost in this world. The pacing is fast and suspenseful, with moments that left me on the edge of my seat.

However, this story is not for the faint of heart. It tackles heavy subjects such as domestic violence, psychological abuse, and trauma with unflinching honesty. These elements, while dark and intense, are handled with sensitivity and are integral to the story. That said, I strongly recommend checking trigger warnings before diving in.

If you’re looking for a suspenseful, witchy thriller with strong feminist undertones, The Bane Witch is an absolute must-read. It’s a masterclass in modern witchcraft storytelling and perfect for fans of dark, psychological thrillers with magical elements.

✨ Highlights:

Dark, Appalachian witchy vibes
Female rage and empowerment
Suspenseful thriller meets deadly magic
Unique lore around Bane Witches

This was the perfect book to close out Spooky Season with, and I’m hoping for more stories in this world. Piers’ journey is one I won’t forget anytime soon.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Griffin for the early copy!

This is for the girls with not-so-cute daddy issues, the girls who have been torn to shreds by men they trusted and loved. The author sees you so seize back your power.

Thank you NetGalley, Ava Morgyn and St. Martin's Griffin of St. Martin's Publishing group for granting me the ARC ebook.

Piers Davenport, the wife of Henry Davenport finds a new identity amidst a long term crisis she's been trying to avert. This is her journey of reclaiming power through women in her family who are familiar with it. Maybe she'll find romance along the way, who knows?

•Romance Subplot
•FANTASY (Adult)
•Modern
•Mystery-thriller subplot
•Happy Ending

I absolutely loved it as a woman, if you're tired of Alpha-males who think they get to decide for you, read this. If you want to be inspired by a woman becoming strong from weak (pain) then this is the perfect read. This is not YA or NA but I'd say read it even if you read these two because this is absolutely beautiful.

I thought this was an incredibly strong, unique novel. I haven't really read anything like it before, and I mean that in the best way! Piers was so strong and had such a thirst for freedom (both from the patriarchy and from the venery) that I was really rooting for her.

I had two small concerns as this book gets ready for publication. First, some of the men were so evil that I thought the author could do more to humanise them; however, the truth is that there really are monsters out there, so maybe this quibble doesn't totally stand. Second, I think the ending was quite abrupt--there was a great build of tension to the climax, but the denouement and Pier's choices in the last two chapters felt rushed and not totally in character.

But this book is great and I think it's going to be well loved by audiences! I loved the morally grey characters, the unique concept, the resilient Piers, and the dark feminine rage of this book

In the interest of full disclosure, I did not buy this book, I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for a review.

The best way to describe this book is if Practical Magic was written by Alix E Harrow. It is an eerie, unsettling, feminist tale full of witchy vibes. Perfect for the Halloween spooky season, if you wanted your October read to be less cozy and more edgy.

While this book is a little darker than my usual fare, I did enjoy it. I thoroughly enjoyed Piers/Acacia, the main character, and while she occasionally made some stupid moves, it was clearly because she was under an extreme amount of stress, not because she was an idiot. In fact, I really liked how practical and pragmatic and careful she is. She Gone Girl’ed her husband probably better than Gone Girl did, and she is not the kind of character who withholds vital information for the sake of “the plot”. It was refreshing to read, honestly.

That’s one thing Ava Morgan does really well in this book, actually. Her characters come alive. Lovable Ed, steady Regis, desperate Reyes, and evil evil Henry. You could definitely see what made them tick, understand how they operate, and generally felt like they were real people, not merely interchangeable plot devices to move the story along.

All in all, I’m glad I read this book. It satisfied that feral corner of my soul that has teeth and wishes it could use them.

Things I Loved: The characterization, Piers’ and Regis’s relationship, the prose (well, most of it). I might not call this book smart, but it certainly wasn’t stupid - things happened for a reason, and when they happened they were carefully planned out. Also, even though it broke my heart, Ed’s death scene/Myrtle’s second specialty made me feel things, which I guess was the point. I also really, really loved Reyes, and although I understand why he couldn’t be let in on the big secret in the end, I feel like he would really get behind that vigilante shit. I low-key wish I could read his story next

Things I Didn’t: The pacing was weird. A lot of time was devoted to Piers’s struggles getting to Crow Lake, and then once she was there nothing seemed to happen until suddenly everything did all at once… and then wham bam, two incredibly climactic scenes aka the deaths of the Saranac Strangler and Henry and then, everything was over with very little closure. Like, I enjoyed the book, but the pacing just felt off. I was shocked when I was at 30% and when I was at 70% because in both cases, it felt like nothing was happening, despite quite a lot happening in between those two points, if that makes sense. I also didn’t love that the two big baddies (Saranac Strangler and Henry) were shown to be evil because they were abused by their mother figures. A) sometimes bad guys are just bad, not because they have a sympathetic villain origin story, and B) it felt weirdly regressive and almost misogynistic. Also, I know we are meant to love Azalea and think she is the coolest, but she felt kind of forced as a character, which is a total nitpick when the rest of the characters are so great.

Recommended for: People who really wanted to read a mashup of Alix Harrow’s Once and Future Witches and Starling House, people who either really love or really hate mushrooms, botany nerds, people who like characters that actually plan ahead, fans of revenge stories and feminist stories and feminist revenge stories

Wow! How to describe this book…Very atmospheric, veryyyy Appalachian witchy vibes. I was hooked from start to finish, just a masterclass in how to write modern witches.

I really liked Piers as a main character and I liked that we got to see her development into the witch she is at the end of the book. I liked that she started out less sure, not wanting to do her duty, and evolved into someone proud to be a part of her history.

The only note I have is I wasn’t the biggest fan of the couple of “not all men” comments. Objectively, yes not every man is a “bad one,” HOWEVER, “not all men” is used to undermine victims, particularly women. There’s pretty constant messaging of how the bane witches came to be because of the violence men perpetrate against women, and they don’t tolerate men close to them or knowing about them because of how many burned them for their magic, only for Piers to be like “yeah, men are evil but not the one I like so I should be able to bring him into this” like girl…that is SO not the point. But that was only a couple of comments and I do get why Piers would think like that because yeah, the guy she likes is a good one, so not a deal-breaker.

Overall this book is definitely worth the read if you love badass women beating the fuck out of vile men.

The Bane Witch
By Ava Morgyn

🍄🍄‍🟫 I request this eARC from NetGalley based solely on the title and the cover. I had never heard about this book or the author before, but you all know I love a good coven story - so I was eager to get started. I cannot tell you how grateful I am to have stumbled into this world! 🍄🍄‍🟫

The blurb describes the bo as practical magic meets gone girl, but this is so much more than that!! It has magical cottage core woodsy vibes for days. It is spellbinding and mysterious. It is funny and heartfelt but also horrific and terrifying. Just wow. There is nothing that I did not like, and we all know I am not that easy to please. 😅

The story follows the life of Piers, who while running away from an abusive marriage discovers that she comes from a long lost family of bane witches. A coven of clever and poisonous witch assassins, whose sole purpose in life is to hunt down male predators.

It’s a story of personal growth, of finding your family, of self discovery, and of love and loss. The characters in the story were so amazing and the setting so gorgeous that I wanted to jump into the book and live at Aunt Myrtle’s myself.

I would recommend this story to anyone who likes strong female characters, cozy woodsy witchy vibes and serial killer thrillers. So basically everyone I know.

Be right back, because I will now be at my cottage in the middle of the woods. Please forward my mail. 🍄🌙

The novel follows a powerful witch navigating a world filled with dangerous secrets, shifting allegiances, and an impending threat that could unravel everything. Morgyn’s writing is atmospheric and richly detailed, creating a vivid world where the line between friend and foe is often blurred. The protagonist’s journey is filled with both emotional and magical challenges, making her evolution compelling and complex. While some readers may find the pacing slower in certain parts, the intriguing world-building and deep character development make it a must-read for fans of dark fantasy. The Bane Witch offers an enchanting and immersive experience that fans of magic and intrigue will not want to miss.