An interesting & unique premise but there were some plot holes I was struggling to move past! I don’t full understand the issue with the golems but I think this would be a fun read for middle schoolers!

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. A very different kind of fantasy and new concept (to me) with golems. Whilst it does present the usual high school cliques and teenage angst, there is also so much more in this high stake story with complicated relationships and relatable characters, found family, elemental magic and hope. A refreshing and niche fantasy must read for fans of this genre.

Terra Slater doesn't know anything about her birth family or where she comes from, Still she is determined to mame her senior year her best yet. Everything is going great until the dark and mysterious Thorne Wilder, a magical bounty hunter, arrives in town, bringing revelations that will upended everything.

When Terra learns she is a golem, crafted from mud and magic by a warlock, her world is turned upside down. The warlock who made her, is a fugitive, on the run from the witches who want to hold him accountable for his past crimes. His sentence is death, which would unravel the threads of magic that hold Terra, and all of the other golems that he created, together.

In order to save herself and her friends, Terra strikes a deal with Thorne and his coven to preserve the warlock’s life and his magic. If she can prove her worth to the coven by mastering the magic within her, the golems will survive. If she can’t, they’ll perish along with Cyrus.

The cover of the book is fantastic. It's dark and mysterious. The beginning has a completely different feel to it though. I was a little thrown at how the story began and it takes a while to get into things.

The story is a unique and concept. I just didn't have as much fun with it as I expected. I definitely can see many other readers enjoying this though.

There was a glitch with this book title. I could not upload, or read a copy of this book through NetGalley. So, I cannot review it.
Pennsylvania Literary Journal: Spring 2025 issue: https://anaphoraliterary.com/journals/plj/plj-excerpts/book-reviews-spring-2025

Just finished reading Woven From Clay by Jenny Birch (ARC courtesy of @netgalley) and I have to say—it was a good read! 🌿 The story had some really intriguing moments, though I found the development between the main character and others a little weird at times. Still, I was drawn in by the plot and the world-building. The ending definitely leaves you hanging a bit, which I’m still thinking about... but overall, I really enjoyed the journey. 📖✨

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A fresh and imaginative contemporary fantasy that explores identity, magic, and survival! Perfect for fans of A Forgery of Roses and The Nature of Witches. I loved all the characters and worldbuilding, and you will too.

I first of all want to thank Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with an arc is exchange for a honest review.

I have some many feelings about this book that I’m not quite sure how to explain it. I fell in love with the main character Terra. She was so wholesome and selfless. Her willingness to do anything for her people was truly inspiring. I was not sold on Thorne for most of the book I struggled with his attitude and where his loyalties laid, but by the end he had won me over. It was a super cute read with enough fantasy to keep things interesting. The mud references and scenes sometimes gave me an ick, but overall I was very impressed and wanted to keep picking the book up.

"Woven From Clay" is a gripping tale that skillfully combines aspects of unadulterated magic. Magic, tension, strong-willed characters, and a slow-burning romance abound in this paranormal novel. The way magic is portrayed throughout the story is surprisingly original and gives it vitality in ways that keep you on the edge of your seat. I found myself absorbed in the story, eagerly reading every page since the premise is captivating and the plot develops with such accuracy.

Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me. It read a little younger than I anticipated and I found the plot to predictable because of that. I think it would be great though for ages 14 to 17.

This one is great for younger teen audiences, or anyone still in the trenches of their early 2000's paranormal romance phase. (I'm looking at you, Twilight.)

I found this storyline to be very predictable, and the romance to be cliche and, at times, a littttttle problematic. I am also walking away from this book unsure as to what the purpose was...and why it warrants the sequel I am hearing about. Definitely could have used a deeper plot, in my opinion.

However, all of that said, there are some very creative aspects to this story that I think Jennifer deserves credit for! And despite my misgivings, I still had a decent time with it as a whole. I won't be reading the sequel myself, but there are certain people I would recommend these books to!

***Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ebook.


Woven from Clay is a rich and emotionally grounded YA fantasy that blends self-discovery, magic, and identity in compelling ways. The story follows Terra Slater, a high school senior who is determined to make her final year unforgettable. But when the enigmatic Thorne Wilder arrives, everything she thought she knew about herself—and her world—begins to unravel.

Jennifer Birch delivers a fascinating twist on the chosen-one trope with Terra, who discovers she’s not human at all, but a golem crafted from magic. This revelation sets off a journey not just of magical training, but of deep emotional growth and a redefinition of what it means to be alive and to belong. Terra is incredibly relatable—strong, kind-hearted, and driven to protect others like her, even as she wrestles with her own fears and doubts.

The world-building shines throughout the novel. Birch creates a magical ecosystem that feels fresh and intricate, with rules that unfold naturally through Terra's experiences. The magic system, particularly the process of Terra learning to control her abilities, is handled with care and a sense of wonder. Her evolution from confusion to competence is one of the story’s strongest arcs.

That said, the pacing could have used more balance. Key plot points—such as the hunt for Quill, Terra's creator—feel rushed, and Quill’s death, though pivotal, doesn't have as much narrative weight as it might deserve. Additionally, the sudden importance of the other golems at the climax felt underdeveloped, as they are barely mentioned before becoming central to the resolution (sharing their powers).

Still, despite these pacing issues, Woven from Clay is a strong and heartfelt novel. It stands out for its emotional resonance, its unique take on identity, and a protagonist you can't help but root for. Fans of magical coming-of-age stories will find a lot to love here.

Honestly what a concept! I never thought I’d find clay golems so…interesting! But Birch has a way of making it so magical, yet still grounded.

I really liked the overall genre choice of this one—as a contemporary fantasy it really sets itself apart on my shelf (and, I think, in the bookish space right now). The modernity of it mixed well with the prose to create a punchy, approachable read. It was easy to slip into a chapter and soon find myself 100 pages deep without stopping.

The characters are young, and definitely read that way: Terra is a HS school girl with all the quirks and foibles that come with that…plus, obviously, some extra challenges. I enjoyed how she worked to overcome her trauma, I thought there were a lot of tender introspective moments to be found.

I think she (and the gang) will be very relatable to the YA audience, though the crossover potential for the more adult reader is slimmer. But, since this *is* a “young adult” book—I think it nailed what its audience is expecting!

Overall: The strengths of this book lie in the cool magic system, the relatable (for its audience) characters, and the approachable prose. The biggest weakness for me was the romance, I just didn’t quite like them together honestly.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a free arc in exchange for an honest
unfortunately I didn't enjoy this that much. it was very YA and people are right when they talk about how it has twilight vibes/brought back the twilight days and while I enjoyed that when I was younger, I'm not really into the super YA these days so it fell a little flat for me

This is a good YA book for Twilight fans who miss the series but also want something different. Small town, and instead of a vampire's focus, we have golems. Can you imagine, the main character is a female teen who has no idea why there's mud everywhere? She has power, it's awakening, and the arrival of an inconvenient, arrogant boy will set all in motion, because he... is a hunter. I must say that she is in denial a lot at the start. A lot.. makes her a bit slow to get things at the beginning. Well written, good pacing, interesting characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and Jenny Birch for letting me read this arc early!

This book was my second 5 star read of 2025! Yes, it may be a young adult book, but I didn't even care because it was so good! I was hooked from the very beginning. I liked the plot, the character growth, and the uniqueness to the story. I also loved how the author made family and finding yourself as a person (or golem in this case) a big part of the story. I loved Terra and Thorne's characters and how much they grew from the beginning of the story to the end. And that ending was spectacular! I'm a huge fan of easy to follow fantasy reads, and this was just that.

I was highly interested in this premise, and felt surprised by how YA it felt, as so much time is spent in her high school, giving it some Twilight vibes for me. The story fell a little flat for me. Terra feels a little too "good" while Thorne is hard to connect to. And the love triangle drama felt pretty juvenile. It held my attention to the point that I finished it, but it felt like a struggle near the end. It was all a bit meh.

Golems and magic! I've never read about golems before so when I read the synopsis, I was automatically intrigued. This book is very YA. It totally brought me back to my Twilight-obsessed days. I wasn’t sure what to expect with the “contemporary fantasy” label, but it turns out it includes a slow-burn forbidden romance and mythical creatures.

The story centers on Terra Slater, who’s just trying to make it through her senior year like any other high school kid. Then of course broody, mysterious and secretive Thorne Wilder shows up and flips Terra’s entire world upside down. She finds out that she’s not human, she’s a golem made of clay and magic by a fugitive warlock named Cyrus Quill. The issue – Cyrus Quill is being hunted by Thorne’s coven for all the shady things he’s done in his past, but the problem is that if he dies, all the golems he created (cue our FMC) will quite literally melt into a puddle of mud forever.

If I was a teenager reading this, I think I would have been obsessed with Terra and Thorne, their magic, the journey and the romance. Thorne was actually my favorite character in this and I wish there was at least one chapter in his POV. When I saw the whole book was in Terra’s first-person voice, I was a little skeptical as it had the potential to lean into very teen-girl territory. But I stuck with it, and honestly, it turned out fine. The concept of golems, magical bounty hunters, and covens was fun. My biggest issue was that the characters were flat and lacked serious depth.

The golems, magical bounty hunters, and coven politics were a cool mix and made the world feel fresh. That said, I do wish the book had gone deeper into the golem mythology, who they are, what their purpose is, and how their magic really works. It felt like we only scratched the surface.

Thank you Wednesday Books for the arc!

Terra does not know anything about her birth family or where she comes from when a magical bounty hunter moves into town with revelations that will turn her world upside down. She learns she wasn't born but crafted from mud and magic and the warlock that made her is a fugitive on the run, his sentence is death which would unravel the magic that holds all the golem's he created together. In a desperate attempt to survive she makes a deal with the coven and she must master the magic within her to survive.

I have never read a story about a golem before and found the magic system super interesting. There are strong willed characters and a sense of suspense throughout. the story line and magic system were intriguing enough to keep you engrossed throughout the story.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
I did not finish this book. I stopped at 5%
I underestimated how YA this would be. The premise was interesting enough that i chose it knowing that it would be a little more juvenile than I usually read but unfortunately it didn't hold my interest enough for me to look past the writing. The dialogue was clunky. The writing was overly descriptive, like every sentence there was a descriptor. And it was predictable from the start, even just from character names, Terra and Brick. The author tried to make Thorne intimidating but he just came off extremely rude and with a lack of boundaries. I think this book is closer the middle grade because I’m sure i would’ve eaten this up at like 12. And this is all before i finished chapter 2.

This book had some good aspects, but it is quite tropey so it's worth knowing that going in. It was a bit too much in places, feeling very earnest and a bit cheesy. The magic was interesting though, and I'd say it had potential.

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for review