FINALLY -I've been waiting for so long to post my review of this fabulous book: The Bane Witch by Ava Morgan!! Today is her publishing day and, trust me, this is a book you'll want to get your hands on!

Yes, I LOVE witchy books but they have to be somewhat realistic. The story has to be great, the characters have to be believable and I really don't want a bunch of smarmy sex stuff getting in the way of the magic! The Bane Witch was perfection on all fronts!

Piers Corbin has believed herself to be "odd" since she was a small girl. She craves the oddest foods, foods that ordinarily would kill or gravely sicken other people like poke weed berries (sooo pretty.) The problem is, she might have accidentally, not at all on purpose killed someone with her berries. She just can't figure how and she was only five so surely not...

After her mother died she was sent to live her aunt - of course she was - where she learned that she was part of a very secret, very dark coven of mostly overlooked, very powerful bane witches - witches of death. Unfortunately, they hated Piers' mother and Piers doesn't really care for them either. Now, how will they settle this very deadly dilemma? I suppose you should read the book to find out. I can assure, you won't be disappointed and you will be amazed.
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE (not very professional, was I?)

The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn is not what is appears from the cover. Look at this innocuous cover. Does it not appear to be a cozy fantasy? It is not. It is dark and suspenseful, and the items on the cover are poisonous and Bane Witches can ingest poisonous substances to kill evil men. So dark witchy fantasy mystery thriller. This is really a gripping, thought-provoking story about a woman fleeing an abusive marriage to find her only remaining family member and reclaim her power. It is a story of female empowerment.

Piers is our FMC, and that sick asshole she married showed her where he was going to bury her when he killed her. It is suspenseful – she needs to escape the abuse, and later in the story there is a serial unaliver that is stalking the woods near Piers. There wasn’t a dull moment in the entire story, it is quite fast paced, and it kept my attention from the very first page.

I really loved this story and I gave it 4.5 stars. I need to thank St. Martin’s Press and Net Galley for my e-arc. This book comes out today, March 18th.

content warnings: domestic violence, sexual assault, child molestation

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!

Do you want a novel about a magical vigilante who uses a familial gift/curse to murder abusive men? This is a real "female rage" and vengeance story fully committed to the bit and without a hint of remorse. Be prepared for a myriad of bodies and dark happenings, for monsterous men require monsterous acts in order to be to be aptly named.

TW: domestic abuse, rape, death/murder, physical assault, mentioned csa, disordered eating associated with magic powers (this is explained as a family phenomenon, not something anyone could just do), suicide attempt (that's staged as an escape from an abusive marriage)

Right from the first page we have a distinctive voice that's so unaffected and dry it's impossible to look away from. The narration style isn't asking the reader to relate or empathize or even understand. We're here to hear a story, the events won't stop regardless of our personal feelings on the morality of the events that follow.

I love love love when we have a novel with what is functionally a female serial killer pursuing her passion one cadaver at a time. This is a tale of self-discovery and reclaimation of a life lost via the taking of many, many others.

Horrible things happen every day and people keep on keeping on, which is just what Piers Corbin does after every failed death. Ingesting poisons that should kill her one way or another, only to have another fall in her place. The birthright of her family of <i>Bane Witches</i> or poison eaters who rid the world of the monsters masquerading as normal men one deadly snack at a time.

Piers has a lot to make sense of in her quest of self-discovery, most importantly perhaps what it means to be free. Will she embrace the life of her female relatives or strive for some facsimile of a normal life like her mother failed to do? Is community a boon or a cage? Will her abuse ex-husband find her before she hunts the serial killer stalking women in the woods?

Our secondary protagonist is a cop who Piers saved the year before. Called serendipitously with his partner to investigate Piers suicide (unbeknownst that it was staged), Emil Reyes becomes obsessed with the case. He knows things are not as they seem, the husband is hiding something insideous. With his own past watching both his mother and sister barely escape abusive partners, Reyes will be damned before he lets Piers' ex-husband walk free.

Piers couldn't have planned this development, fate electing to smile upon her with her case assignment. The detective could have just written things off as a suicide and closed the book, yet instead she received someone who literally can't stop himself from seeing justice through. Fair warning the sudden shift in his first chapter is quite clunky and tonally dissonant from the rest of the novel, yet subsequent chapters more easily flow with the rest of the text.

The comp titles are perfecftly apt, from someone who has watched both films numerous times. I can't speak on similarities to the actual novels themselves however, as I haven't gotten around to either of them yet. We have a tight knit family with secrets who do small acts of magic to even the scales and bring ruin upon those most deserving.

I wish I was a Bane witch!
This book grabbed me right away and I hated putting it down.

Piers Corbin has always had an affinity for poisonous things --plants and men. First the accidental death of a stranger after she consumed pokeweed berries to now her husband whose dark proclivities have become concerning.

To escape her volatile marriage she fakes her death and makes her way to her estranged great aunt's home in the mountains. Once she arrives, she learns that her need to consume poisonous plants is more than just hunger, it's a birthright.

She comes from a long line of Bane Witches, poison eaters, women who ingest deadly plants and use their magic to rid the world of evil men.

While she tries to earn her place within her family legacy, she's working in her aunt's cafe and flirting with the small-town sheriff who helped her find her aunt's place. She's also managed to catch the attention of the serial killer roaming the area.

It's time to put her magic to use.

Thanks so much to the author and SMP for this ARC to review.

Ava Morgyn’s Bane Witch is a dark and gripping tale that weaves magic, revenge, and feminist themes into an enthralling read. The novel follows Piers Davenport, a woman trapped in an abusive marriage who orchestrates her own disappearance—only to discover that something far more dangerous lurks within her. As she flees to a remote forest town in search of a new beginning, she uncovers secrets about her lineage, a powerful and cursed inheritance, and a dark magic she may not be able to control.

Morgyn’s writing is immersive, with rich world-building that brings the lore of the bane witches and their rituals to life. The novel delivers intense suspense, layered with themes of survival and reclaiming power from those who seek to control and harm. The story kept me engaged, constantly challenging my assumptions with unexpected twists. The supporting cast, particularly Piers’ eerie and enigmatic family, added depth to the narrative, making the world feel hauntingly real.

That said, the book isn’t without its flaws. Some of the metaphors—like a particularly jarring candied apple simile—feel out of place, and the climactic showdown, while surprising, felt too brief given the tension leading up to it. Still, the overall execution of the novel is strong, making Bane Witch a compelling and atmospheric read for fans of dark fantasy and witchy revenge tales.

Final Verdict: A spellbinding story with gripping tension, a well-developed magical system, and an empowering message—though the climax could have packed more punch.

This isn't your typical light-hearted witchy read. This is the story of Piers, a domestic abuse survivor who fakes her own death in order to get away from her violent psycho of a husband. Piers makes it all the way to the Adirondacks, to her aunt Myrtle and relative safety. However, Piers has a fierce and formidable power to poison evil-doers, as does her whole family. She was never taught how to use her gifts properly by her mother, and therefore, "accidentally" kills a few bad men along the way. Once making it to her aunt, Piers becomes the target of a serial killer. But will she end up the hunter or the prey?

*Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for this digital e-arc.*

The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn reminded me of The Lost Apothecary mixed with Practical Magic. This is a book for fans of books with witchcraft and women seeking revenge.

I liked but didn't love this book. At the start of the book the main character, Piers, fakes her own death to escape her abusive husband. On her way to reconnect with her estranged aunt she is more convinced that she has a special capabilities are inherited from her mother's family. Upon reconnecting with her aunt she discovers that she was born into a family of bane witches. They are women who can eat poisonous substances and their bodies store the poison for future use.

Within this story there is a serial killer on the loose, romance with a law enforcement officer, and an ultimatum for Piers to become part of the enclave of witches all while staying hidden from her husband. This is where the story fell flat for me. There were multiple components to the book but none of them felt fully developed. It made the pacing odd and lacked suspense where there should have been some.

Overall I enjoyed the story but wish I had learned more about the components along the way.

Thank you St. Martin's publishing and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC of Ava Morgyn's The Bane Witch.

This book truly proves what they say, never judge a book by its cover. Don't let it's Cozy cottage core cover fool you! This book is dark and twisted in all the best ways.

Reading my way through Piers' escape from the trecheries of an abusive marriage and finding her true self was empowering. I will be recommending this book to all the witchy bookish folk I know!

Title/Author: The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn

Page Count: 384

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Format: ebook/NetGalley

Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: First time

Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/9781250835451

Release Date: March 18th, 2025

Sub-Genre/Themes: Thriller, paranormal romance, magical realism, domestic drama, mystery, crime, second chance at romance, CW: domestic violence/abuse

Writing Style: Atmospheric; Richly detailed; World-building

What You Need to Know: Practical Magic meets Gone Girl in Ava Morgyn's next dark, spellbinding novel about a woman who is more than a witch—she's a hunter.

My Reading Experience: The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn is a dark, compelling story about Piers, a woman on the run from her increasingly violent marriage. When she travels north to meet her long-lost Aunt Myrtle, Piers learns she 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. This awakening of powers comes just in time, Aunt Myrtle's small mountain town is rattled by a serial killer. Piers can either take her new-found skillset and keep running or stay and help hunt the killer.

While the concept is fresh and the witch-lore is fascinating, the pacing felt a bit slow, making it hard to stay fully engaged. My experience was full of starts and stops. Piers is tough to connect with—her decisions and attitude can be frustrating. A lot of her behaviors and actions seem unmotivated, especially in the beginning. She's seriously unlikable.
The romance subplot felt unnecessary and pulled focus away from the “good for her” energy that was driving the core of the story. Despite these issues, I still enjoyed the intense stakes, My hope here is that this book will find its audience because I feel like the cover will attract paranormal romance readers looking for cozy, cottage-core witches (it's not, the themes are dark) and the intense subject matter will attract horror fans (like me) and lovers of psychological thrillers but will be turned off by the second chance romance. It's an interesting genre blend for sure.

Final Recommendation: Readers who enjoy witchy books, botanical themes, ancient magic, themes of birthright & succession/inheritance, female empowerment, crime investigations/serial killers and. If you’re into dark, supernatural thrillers with a dose of revenge & justice, this one might be worth checking out.
Comps: Weyward by Emilia Hart, A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, Simone St. James Vibes/Style

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Netgalley, and Ava Morgyn for the ARC opportunity.

This novel was well written, however I don’t think I was the best reader for this one, simply based on how dark it was. That does not mean this was not a good novel, because it was, however more or less just not something I would typically pick up. This novel has witchy vibes, with darker elements.

Piers is the main character from Charleston. Piers has been married to a violent and controlling man for a few years. Piers understands that she needs to find an out so she does not lose her life. Piers has some come to know that her husband will continue to kill others, as she is a Bane Witch. This is the ultimate read for someone who loves witchy stories, with a side of thriller. There are tough topics covered in this novel including domestic violence, and trauma.

This novel will not be for everyone so check the trigger warnings, and read reviews before picking this one up.

For fans of gone girl, first lie wins, the lovely bones, and practical magic with a dark spin, meet The Bane Witch. Thus was a dark dark book about witchy dark magic! Please read the trigger warnings before reading this book!

Murder, mystery, a little romance, a lot of poison. WOW I wasn’t expecting this book and it was so so well done. This book is just what I needed in this particular climate as of late. Women punishing bad bad men with a little magic and a lot of poison. This story and magic system was so well done and well explained. This was such a good freestanding book but would love to read more stories about the bane witches!

I enjoyed the little bits of romance and good sprinkled in through some really dark chapters. I was on the edge of my seat through the second half of the book and so many twists I wasn’t ready for.

“And you know what they say- a very little poison can do a world of good”

Many trigger warnings to be read prior to reading this book and I definitely had a lot of female rage while reading.

I don’t really know what I was expecting when I went into this other than “magic”, “poison”, and “witches”, but it was somehow it was all of that and so so much more! It was EXACTLY what I needed right now- A gripping, empowering, and rage-fueling middle finger up to the toxic patriarchy.

It combined elements of several genres I love: unique magic systems of fantasy/paranormal, dark and gritty elements of a thriller, real world tie-ins and relatability in general fiction. Overall, to describe this book I would say ✨ powerful ✨

This is one I would highly recommend checking the TW list, especially for domestic abuse/violence and more.

For fans of Weyward, the Lost Apothecary, and Practical Magical, with a dose of herbalism and healing of feminine rage. Thank you so much to Ava Morgyn, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. It was a pleasure to read and give my honest review. This will be one I think about for a long time!

4.5 ⭐️

Practical Magic meets Gone Girl in this dark, spellbinding thriller.

Piers Corbin has always been drawn to poison—both in plants and in men. After faking her death to escape a violent husband, she seeks refuge with her estranged great-aunt in the mountains, only to discover that her hunger for poison is more than a habit—it’s a birthright. As a Bane Witch, she’s destined to rid the world of dangerous men, but when a serial killer targets her town, Piers must embrace her lethal legacy.

If you love Adrienne Young’s atmospheric writing, this book will draw you in. The beginning reads like literary fiction, unfolding at a slower pace—but never once did I feel bored. This is a dark, mesmerizing story about women reclaiming their power, but be sure to check the trigger warnings. Read this if you want suspense, thrill, romance, and a hauntingly immersive experience. Skip it if you're looking for a fast-paced thriller packed with plot twists.

My only criticisms are that Piers drove me nuts by the end of the book her decisions made me want to yell choice words at her. A few plot holes left me wondering if certain elements truly lined up, but neither issue took away from my overall enjoyment.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this early ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found the premise of this book very interesting. It truly was a perfect blend of Gone Girl and Practical Magic. My library will be purchasing this title.

A dark and magical thriller full of empowerment and revenge. The story follows MC Piers Corbin, a victim of marital abuse, who fakes her own death and escapes to an isolated mountain town to reconnect with her estranged aunt. Piers soon discovers more about her family history and more importantly her “inheritance,” coming into her power, and making sure no one falls victim to the monsters of the world, like she did.

I’m always down for a witchy novel, especially one with strong female bonds, but the pacing was tough. Very slow going most of the way, then the big climax seemed very rushed and anticlimactic. Piers is so smart but also makes the biggest blunders. She meticulously plans her death to frame her husband, but then makes the most idiotic choices. Maybe that makes her “relatable” or she’s acting under “high stress,” but it made me not trust that she was as smart as we were supposed to believe. Strong concept, but my interest level waxed and waned. Some loveable and some infuriating characters filled in the cast, but no one was really memorable.

An interesting thriller with a touch of magical realism, like an odd combo of Strange Sally Diamond and Weyward. If you like a dark atmosphere, female rage and empowerment, and plenty of vigilante justice, give this one a try. Intriguing and satisfying, but nothing extra special.

There is a fair amount of tough subject matter, so check trigger warnings if necessary.

Thank you St. Martins Press and Netgalley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Bane Witch is a witchy mystery thriller that I couldn’t get enough of! This is a dark read full of emotion, tension and a little romance. ( please check for trigger warnings) Piers’s life has been hard, full of strange things she can’t explain or escape. She now has to contend with this new life and family of a coven she’s found. Piers’s development through the book was so good! I loved the magic, how it’s passed down and has a very specific purpose! 😏There’s just so much I loved about this book from the way it was written, the layers on mystery, and the poisons.


Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for my #gifted copy!

The cover makes you think this is a cutesy witch book, but it is incredibly dark. The story starts with Piers Corbin planning to escape her abusive husband. She has always had an affinity for poison plants - having scattered memories of when she was a child eating pokeweed berries and a strange man dying during this. Piers ends up faking her death, by consuming pokeweed berries, and then jumping off a bridge into the river. She heads up north from Charleston on a journey to try to find the only family she knows of (her mother is dead, father is dead), her aunt Myrtle, up at Crows Lake. She hasn't seen her since she was a little girl but remembers that she told her not to forget being a crow. Once she gets there, she learns that what has been happening to her is nothing new, but is her birthright and Piers is a bane witch. A bane witch ingests poisonous plants and uses their magic to rid the world of evil men. While living with Aunt Myrtle, Piers catches the attention of not only the local sheriff but a serial killer as well. What is a girl to do?

This novel was great - had me hooked at the start with her plot to escape her husband. It is a thriller with magical bits woven into the story. There definitely should be warnings that this book deals with heavy subjects such as domestic violence, sexual assault, and child violence/assault. This novel is about female empowerment and using their abilities to protect women - what I liked about this book is that it wasn't hateful towards men as there are a few side male characters that are incredibly charming and good people. I thought this was an original, great story. I kind of want to read more books about the women in the venery or see how Piers's training goes.

I absolutely loved this! Strong women? Baneful witches? Taking down awful men? Yes. Yes. Yes. I will definitely be recommending this one!

Check trigger warnings as the story touched on several explicit DV situations.
This story has some great potential and gave some compelling themes about power and self-discovery, but it didn't blow me away. There were some captivating moments but I had a hard time staying engaged with the story. If you’re a fan of witchcraft and dark paranormal elements, it’s worth a read, but don’t expect a flawless journey.

ARC Review:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn

The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn is a dark thriller with magical elements. The main character Piers Corbin discovers she is a bane witch, a poison eating witch who kill harmful men.

Wow, this book had me hooked from the start. It’s fantastically dark and made my stomach turn on more than one occasion. So definitely be aware that it covers some brutal topics/assaults. Piers is up against some truly evil men from the start and it kept me on edge the entire time. The magic system was the only part that I thought could be a little cheesy. It’s one instance I didn’t need as much explanation of the magical system, and the coven was frustrating. The Bane Witch also has a bit of romance and a small town setting.

Dark and twisty thriller fans should pick this up March 18th 2025.

Thank you netgalley and St Martins Griffin for the opportunity to read this e-arc.