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.

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!