The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn centers around an interesting story idea, a group of women that can safely ingest poisonous plants and then use the poison in their system to kill men who have done horrible things. The story itself feels somewhat flimsy beyond that point, in that no one with the power can be in a serious relationship with a man or raise a son, even if either are good human beings. Even though all these men are being poisoned there’s apparently no major suspicion tied to any of these women, except for Myrtle and her great niece Piers. Piers is the protagonist of the book and the story pretty much begins after she fakes her death to flee her abusive husband and track down Myrtle. Since these bane witches apparently don’t just kill bad men, they attract them with their “allure”, she manages to get in a car with another bad man and accidentally kill him in her attempts to flee. Piers was never taught about her skills by her mother and is ignorant about them until reuniting with Myrtle. But despite being clever enough to do a pretty successful job of staging her death she seems incredibly ignorant and naive about the risks involved with the ability she has, bumbling about with a sheriff that’s already suspicious of her great aunt. Then there’s the detective that’s investigating her presumed suicide who bumbles about too. It feels like it could be a really good premise if the book was written differently, but it seems to stretch the boundaries too much. It’s also pretty graphic in nature at some points due to the nature of the story, describing multiple instances of violence against women and children. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*The Bane Witch* by Ava Morgyn is a captivating blend of dark fantasy and rich world-building. The story follows its powerful protagonist, a witch with a dangerous gift, as she navigates a world filled with secrets, magic, and betrayal. Morgyn’s writing is atmospheric, immersing readers in a hauntingly vivid setting where every twist and turn heightens the tension. The complex characters, particularly the fierce and determined lead, keep readers invested in the unfolding drama. Themes of power, identity, and sacrifice are explored with depth. *The Bane Witch* is a thrilling and thought-provoking read for fans of dark magic and intense fantasy.

4.5/5

Wow, I mean just WOW. I went into this book almost blind. I read the synopsis when requesting this book, but I forgot what it was about when I jumped into it a while later. I was expecting a cozy, witchy story, but man was I wrong. This was really dark and has some heavy topics throughout the whole book, so I would check your trigger warnings before reading. Domestic Violence, Rape, Sexual Assault.

I got drawn into this book from the very beginning and I couldn't put it down. There were twists and turns around every corner, the plot and character building were great, and I love the whole darkness this book brought out. This was the first book I've red of Ava Morgyns and I can't wait to read more. Your writing was amazing. This is one of my top reads of the year.

The whole premise of the story was great and how all the strong woman in the bane witch clan unalive men that harm, torture, and possibly unalive their victims with eating poisonous plants and kissing or spitting their saliva at their victims. The only thing I just didn't care for is Detective Reyes and how he was obsessed with knowing what happened to Piers and pretty much making things worse with digging into things and being sloppy about it. I get we needed that aspect for her "death" and pinning it on Henry, but it was just written weird to me just because she saved his life from choking and wanting to repay her debt. Also I wish the ending wasn't rushed. But other than that, I absolutely loved this book.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn is easily one of my favorite ARC reads of the year! This book has everything I could have hoped for—enough tension to keep me hooked, perfect chemistry between characters, a few well-placed surprises, and deliciously dark fantasy elements. The story masterfully balances drama and intrigue, with just the right amount of darkness to spice things up.

Piers, the main character, was such a standout for me. Ava Morgyn did an incredible job weaving complex emotions into their journey, making it impossible not to root for them. The genre blending in this book is also worth highlighting—it’s a seamless mix of fantasy, dark drama, and a touch of romance that felt both fresh and captivating.

I absolutely devoured this book (wink wink). If you love fantasy twists, dark dramatics, and romantic undertones, The Bane Witch should absolutely be on your radar. A big thank you to St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC, and congratulations to Ava Morgyn on this fantastic story. I can’t wait to see it hit shelves in March!

Highly recommend!

Feminine rage and revenge is having a moment in publishing and this book is no exception. If you like a woodland backdrop, witchy magic, feminine bonding, difficult family histories, and bad men getting what they deserve, you won’t be able to put this book down.

Not only does this begin with a Sleeping with the Enemy/Gone Girl moment in an attempt for the main character to both escape and frame her husband, but the author ensures that she raises the stakes for all the characters (and number of mistakes Piers makes) on her journey toward the Practical Magic parts of the book.

I’ve read about 30 books this year and I think this will definitely crack the top 5.

This book is giving ALL the good vibes. I loved every second of it and will definitely be picking up other books by Ava.

In Ava Morgyn's Bane Witch, we have Piers, who as the author states "always has had an affinity for poisonous things, both plants and men" faking her own death to get away from her husband and goes to stay with a great aunt.

While there she discovers that her attraction to poisonous things is her birthright, the Bane Witches, as the women in her family are called, are poison eaters who eat poison and get rid of bad men with their magic.

Piers starts to learn about her family history and while doing so works at her aunt's restaurant. She meets the local sheriff and begins a relationship with him, but also catches the attention of a local serial killer (fun!) Using her families gift, she sets out to catch him, while 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. But soon she catches the attention of someone else, a serial killer operating in the area. And that only means one thing—it’s time to feed.

I really enjoyed this book and the relationship between Piers and her Aunt Myrtle, the budding romance with Regis, and of course Bart, the dog. It was nice that her budding relationship with Regis didn't become the main storyline, and that Piers' relationship with the poisons and her familial bonds the focus.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book. I highly recommend it! All opinions are my own.

This book is a thrilling blend of dark fantasy, revenge, and empowerment, featuring Piers Corbin, a woman who escapes an abusive marriage and discovers her magical powers as a Bane Witch. With eerie vibes, witchcraft, and a hunt for justice against evil men, it’s a gripping read about reclaiming control and confronting your darkest fears. Fans of suspenseful thrillers with a touch of magic will love this!

I originally picked this up on my kindle as my nighttime read before bed, I picked it up thinking I’d read a few pages and then go to sleep and before I knew it, I was 15% in, I flew through this book in less than 24 hours, it’s that good.

Don’t let the cover fool you into thinking it’s a light witchy read, it’s very dark. It gives Weyward vibes but MUCH, MUCH darker.

Highly recommend if you like your witchy books with a side of found family and a touch of murder. But, they totally deserve it so it’s fine…right?

This one wasn't what I expected and I think my rating is my own fault.
Interesting and truly unique premise and compelling characters, but I found myself kind of bored?

Ultimately, if you're looking for something cozy yet dramatic and intriguing, this is for you.

This was wonderfully executed. It was a slow build up to the end and took longer to read but was worth the effort. I’m very interested in this lineage of witches and hope to read more!

The premise of this book was intriguing: bane witches, women who consume poisonous mushrooms and basically can store their venom for usage against their prey later. And Morgyn does a fair job of painting a gloomy, yet subtly eerie atmosphere of being in a remote village/town in the woods. I love witchy stories and I forage for mushrooms with my family in the fall, seems like it should be right up my alley.
However, I think the plot built around this magical ability seemed a bit heavy-handed with its "girl power" nature. Especially in the beginning, where the FMC met dirtbag after dirtbag, it was starting to all seem so hammed up and farfetched.
Additionally, the FMC didn't have much of a personality other than "I don't want this ability." So if the story's plot wasn't enjoyable, I was at least hoping to take refuge in a relatable character I could root for, but alas, she was frankly a bit bland.

I think, if you're in the mood for something autumnal, girl-power-esque, with elements of "yer a wizard, Harry" thrown in, you might enjoy this. It's an easy read, however not my personal preference.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC in an exchange for an honest review.

This might be my most unexpected 5✨ of the year.

While I knew I would love it because I love all witchy books, this one exceeded all expectations.

A family of women who eat toxic plants and kill evil men??? All of my favorite things!!!!!!

This many be a controversial take but as someone who believes every r*pist deserves to d*e, this was right up my alley and hit every high note.

Wonderfully written, incredibly vivid, and one of the most thrilling books I’ve read all year.
The Bane Witch will sit side by side with Weyward as my two favorite witchy books of all time.

While this books was amazing, it hits about 100 triggers so please be aware of that. To name a few, SA, DV, r*pe, child abduction, and more.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Ava Morgyn, and the publisher for the ARC!

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★ ★ ★ ★
𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: March 18, 2025
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

You think you are getting your run of the milll witchy fantasy read…WRONG. This was a first SO GOOD. This grabs you by the wrist and pulls you in for one wild ride. Page by page you are sucked in and live this story to the very last page. The characters are well developed and their dynamics/chemistry are just fantastic. The world building in this is spot on and the story is one I had yet to read. We follow our FMC who loves poisonous things realizing that these things do not harm her…this come back into play and possibly saves her life when it comes to her husband…now…she is on the run while she hiding from her husband and we run across situations and characters who help us understand ourselves. There are plenty of trigger warnings so please read those but this book will have you on edge filled with tension and questions until the very end. Put this on your TBR if you love a good spooky thriller filled with fantasy, romance and that psychological thriller aspect as well. So good!

Large thank you to our Author, NetGalley as well as St. Martins Press

𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: Spooky, Thriller, Suspense, Romance, Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Fantasy, Magic, Witchy

2.5 stars rounded up

The whole premise of the Bane Witch is actually a pretty cool idea. Women decide to matters into their own hands to take down monstrous men by consuming poisonous plants. I just feel like it wasn’t executed as well as it should have been. The pacing felt a little off. The last third of the book felt very rushed. The romance also was a bit weird. I know everyone deals with trauma differently, but how does someone run away from their evil husband after years of abuse and then almost immediately start something up with another man? Lastly, the second POV of the detective felt very unnecessary. It was almost like it was put in to fill up some pages. This book had a lot of potential, so this is pretty disappointing.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

The Bane Witch, by Ava Morgyn will pull you in from the first chapter. A gripping tale of Witches living in plain sight, but with a creative twist on how the Witches work. When Piers finds herself in a relationship she needs to escape, she recalls long buried memories from her childhood to find her way to her true life calling as a Witch. This story will light the fire of justice for women who have been mistreated throughout the ages, and keep you on edge with the justice that Witches bring. A beautifully written book that feels like a handful of nature scooped up into the pages.

I really enjoyed this one!
Piers has always been different, she just didn't realize how much so. After a Gone-Girl style escape, where she fakes her death to escape her abusive husband, she searches for her great aunt, Myrtle. Myrtle reveals the secret of their family, that the women are Bane Witches who have the ability to ingest poison and use it as a weapon against evil men. And of course, as we know, the world is full of evil.
I had so much fun reading this. It was longer than I was expecting, but kept my interest. As with most thrillers, it really picks up at the end when everything starts coming together. I've never read any of Morgyn's previous works, but I'm definitely interest in them now!
One of the other reviews complained about her descriptions of the sex scenes, but to me they are very much not supposed to be sexy - Morgyn more seems to be capturing the intensity of the encounter. And that line about candied apples? It connects to the later line from the Strangler about his aunt's abuse, and her withered apples - a great moment where that connection between Piers and her mark is made before we realize it.
I really loved this - it was smart, with well-written, beautiful prose, and a compelling plot.

I was blessed to get this in arc copy it was very well written book and I’m glad that I was able to read it. I would suggest to give this to everybody. This is the book that should be on everyone’s shelf.

We’re drawn into the harrowing journey of a woman trapped in an extremely abusive relationship, where every moment feels like a ticking time bomb. The tension is palpable, leaving us bracing for the next terrible event. But she proves more resourceful than expected, cleverly orchestrating her escape while her history gradually unfolds. Her peculiar connection to the poisonous berries that haunted her childhood seemed, at first, like nothing more than an odd fixation.

That is, until she’s thrust into a dark and fantastical world that challenges everything she—and we—thought possible. The magical system revealed here is truly extraordinary, steeped in themes of balance: without bad, there cannot be good. This lineage-driven magic is not only deeply tied to nature but also serves a profound purpose—empowering women to protect themselves and others, correcting injustices across decades and generations. This isn’t just magic for spectacle; it’s a system born of necessity, giving its wielders the power to avert future crimes and reclaim the safety and security they were denied.

The story alternates between our main character’s perspective and a gripping police investigation. This multi-POV narrative creates a compelling interplay, with two stories hurtling toward an inevitable and explosive collision. The suspense is electrifying, keeping me on edge and unable to put the book down until the very last page.

The conclusion delivers not only a thrilling resolution but also tantalizes us with the possibility of what’s to come. I’m still captivated by this magical system—its intricate connection to nature, its moral complexities, and its haunting power to “right” wrongs in ways that blur the line between heroism and vigilantism. The magical realism of the storytelling is utterly immersive, wrapping you in a world that feels both surreal and chillingly plausible. This book left me enthralled, pondering the fine line between justice and fate, and eager for whatever comes next.

I really enjoyed this book, with its unique take on witchcraft. I liked the avenging female role of the women. The plot has enough twists to satisfy a mystery reader and the characters are believable. I thought there was too much crammed into the last pages of the book but all in all a great story.