A brilliantly crafted story of magic, friendships, romance, danger and fantasy.

This book hit hard from the start as we meet Khana, a young witch forced to be the evil immortal Emperors concubine. What follows is her escape fr from his clutches and her subsequent meeting of a totally random mix of characters.

Bring on the friendship and found family vibes that have these guys fighting alongside each other as they try to protect their kingdom.

This story was so well written that this unlikely collection of friends just worked perfectly. So many unexpected twists in this. Deals with Death, an array of perfectly matched romances and friendships and epic battle scenes and finale.

This was an engaging and page turning read, created around a fantastic fantasy realm and magic system. I couldn't put this down had several heart stopping moments.

One I'll definitely be recommending you immerse yourself in.

*thank you to net-galley for an e-arc in return of an honest review*

Loved the concept of this book, although I was CRAVING more of deaths personality. It’s a tale of found family which is always a winner, when done well, which this is. It was a lovely fantasy world which was different to the copy and paste you get a lot at the minute which was refreshing. My only gripe would be it could have been made a little shorter to keep the pace as quick as it was in some parts!

There were so many wonderful things to enjoy about Khana's story! As I was reading, I kept thinking to myself that despite the high stakes, battle training, and action, this book FEELS like a cozy fantasy story. Although our main conflict involves a war against an evil, immortal emperor, the emphasis on found family, protecting your community, trauma healing, learning to ask for help, music, and sweet, wholesome romance, made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Readers of cozy fantasy like The Spellshop or Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries who love small town, slice of life stories but wish there was more action and slightly higher stakes will absolutely love The Witch who Trades with Death!

A quick rundown of what you'll find:
-Unique magic system with complex, artful worldbuilding (night creatures?! Trading pieces of your soul in exchange for power from Death?! Yes, please!)
-A rag-tag group of misfits who learn to trust and fight together, giving total Mulan vibes (they call themselves the "poison dart frogs"-adorable, underestimated, and deadly!)
-Evil, immortal emperor who is delightfully horrible
-An "other" trying to find a home, and safety
-Found family (found town?!)
-Innocent romance (1 chili pepper for spice found in one chapter easily skipped if that's your preference)
-Cold wintertime vibes

I walk away from Khana, Sava, and the rest of my new friends with a glow in my heart. I positively loved the themes of learning how to ask for help, knowing when (and what) to sacrifice for others, giving of yourself to your friends and community, but not more than you can afford to lose. I thought Death would be a more central figure, but felt they stole the show every scene they were in! The imagery of a fair, just, and ultimately kind Death is one of my favorites to read. The cast of characters including Haz, Lueti, Amati, Neta, and so many others, added such depth and heart to the story. I anticipated a darker and heavier read, and was so delighted with what I found instead!

TW: SA of main characters (off page, with focus on healing from those events)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this wholesome, heartfelt, exciting, and moving story!

Favorite Quote:
"Small, inconspicuous, and deadly to the touch. That was what she was going to be."

Big thanks to Netgalley and CM Alongi for the eARC in exchange for a review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and think it could very well become the next big fantasy romance.
It's got some well deserved trigger warnings but they are written well.

The fight scenes were written well, the magic and political builds were done well, covering a lot of potential plot holes that I was anticipating.

I loved this 100% and will be a CM Alongi fan going forward!

The Witch who Trades with Death, an epic Fantasy read that still felt wholesome and had me hooked from page one.

Khana is taken from her home at a young age and forced into service of the immortal Emperor as one his many concubines. When she accidentally learns his immortality secret and he learns of her own deception and the murder of his favourite concubine there's only one thing she can do: run!

She finds an unlikely new home in a cold mountain village, she doesn't expect to stay long for fear of the Emperor who's still searching for her, but finding a bunch of misfits she finally finds some true friends and a place just maybe she can call home, but the Emperor wont let her live knowing his secrets and he is set on conquering all places.

Khana is living with trauma, she's been through some very dark moments I feel were handled well throughout the story. It's had a huge impact on her life and her healing journey was raw and honest.

This was a great fantasy standalone read, it had everything I needed. A found family that was so well executed and a slow burn romance that was perfectly felt through the pages. The side characters each held there own and it really felt like a close knit unit. The pacing of the story was just right and left me not wanting to put down.

Overall I have really enjoyed this one, 4.5 stars and my favourite read of January 2025.
Thank you so much to Angry Robot Books for sending me an arc copy of this one.

This was a great book I absolutely loved all the twist and turns. Kanna Isa relatable character with great character development. It was a story that left me wanting more at the end.

Khana escapes from a forced marriage to the immortal emperor by accidentally learning the secret to his immortality. All she wants is to leave behind the memories and trauma of her time as his concubine and get as physically far from him as she can, but eventually she must bow to the limits of the weather, the landscape, and her resources. Khana lands in a village in the mountains where she plans to live and work long enough to save up and keep moving. Instead she becomes invested in her new home and when the Emperor catches up to her, she can't abandon them.

I loved the concept of this world and magical system. The characters are mostly well fleshed out and feel like actual people. But there was a degree to which it felt like the author was checking off a list of representation. I mean, it was better done than that. There were logical reasons for the 'disabilities' represented, the abuses experienced are all too real, and honestly the prejudices experienced by the immigrants were realistic. But the entire timeline felt somewhat rushed. I don't want to give away spoilers, but the end felt a little "wrapped up with a bow." Frankly, the fall out from the ending should require a series to really explore. Realistically, all the of the witches from the Emperor's blood line should come after Khana and she really shouldn't be "safe," but the story really just ends. I like happy endings, but I really can't help but feel like we didn't see the real end of Khana's story.

First of all I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really good high fantasy that had solid pacing throughout even when there was world building and less action in parts. I would say you should check for any trigger warnings as some of the content in the book could be upsetting for some.

One thing I have to say though is that I kind of expected death to be the love interest but I was wrong and it left me slightly disappointed. I still think if you are a fan of fantasy you would enjoy this book but can see why it wouldn’t be for everyone.

A compelling story that races along. The setting that is created by the author is very believable, even filmic. The characters are interesting and compelling, the powers of the witch fascinating. The story is pretty bloodthirsty at times so not for the faint hearted. Khana is a fascinating heroine and perhaps one who will return in future stories?

I am not sure that the title of the book does it justice. It may stop some people picking it up. I don't usually read fantasy but loved this book.

This book was quite nice.

+
the wold building was interesting
I liked the magic system and the power of the witches

-
the FMC is too much of a goodie two shoes and at some point is gets annoying to read about her being walked all over (towards the end I was fuming)
Some of the main male characters aren't well developed (love interest and guy best friend are nice and kind, but that's it)
The bare minimum from a guy is being praised to high heavens (the treatment FMC received from love interest, as an example)
The death of the villain feels flat

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy of this book.

Where do I begin….in the best way possible.

This book was a breath of fresh air in the sea of romantasy taking over my feed.
Although slow to start with, in hindsight sight the world building and back story was needed.

What really won me over was the ensemble cast of underdogs, reminiscent of rag tag war films. Their friend ship was charming and entertaining.

I, personally, really appreciated the romance being more of a b-plot in the book. Their friendship grew naturally and khana and Sava respected and communicated beautifully rather than the usual tension for tensions sake you see often.

Khana had her own journey and romance, although lovely to rad, wasn’t the main part of who she was.

The plot was fast paced around 40% of the way through, with moment between the poison dart frogs to ease the tension and really drive home the found family message.

Would recommend this to anyone in need of a stand alone fantasy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc, but I ended up DNFing pretty early on. This was a lot heavier than I was expecting trauma wise, and just wasn't for me

The Witch Who Trades with Death is one of those books that completely pulls you in and DOES NOT let go. It’s about Khana, a witch who escapes from the control of Emperor Yamueto, this terrifying immortal tyrant who uses witches for his power. She ends up in a small mountain town, where she starts to heal and build a new life with a group of misfit friends. But, the Emperor being who he is isn’t about to let her go quietly, and things get intense when he comes after her—and her new home.

I loved this story so much. It’s got everything: action, humor, a little slow-burn romance, and a ton of heart. The magic system was super cool, especially Khana’s ability to trade with Death, and the world felt so alive. The town, the people, even the little moments working at an inn—it all just worked. The found family vibe was perfect, and Haz, one of the side characters, totally stole the show for me. He’s hilarious and sweet, and I honestly wanted to hang out with him.

What really stuck with me, though, was how it dealt with heavy stuff like trauma and healing. Khana’s journey felt so real—scared, unsure, but determined. And her conversations with Death? Weirdly emotional. It’s not just about fighting an evil empire; it’s about finding happiness and strength after everything she’s been through.

If you’re into stories with found families, strong but relatable characters, and a good mix of action and heart, you’ll love this.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Angry Robot!

What a fascinating new fantasy novel. This one felt like something quite special! I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and publisher.

The world building in this book was so well done. The vastly different situations of the people living under the empire vs the communities in the mountains, both in terms of weather and geography but also culture, values and freedoms. We have a really interesting (and quite disturbing) magic system with the night creatures.

However what makes this a great read is the main character and her enthralling death magic. Our MC is able to heal by drawing the life force from people and animals. She can also make trades with death, giving up memories for stronger healing power. But this chips away at her very being and she’s reluctant to use this, attempting to keep it secret from those who would exploit it, using up every drop of her for their own gain. Indeed, exploitation is heavily explored in this novel, both through the evil, empathy lacking emperor but also the old families in the mountains who want their families healed and rejuvenated at any cost. A interesting nuance that added more depth to the book and showed that an individual can be evil and cruel no matter their community.

I absolutely loved the found family in this book. We meet the MC as she is fleeing the emperor. She takes refuge in a town in the mountains while she saves for a guide to take her to safety but she ends up building unexpected bonds and friendships, even in a community that treats her with fear. The kindness and love shown help her discover her inner strength.

I really enjoyed this! Definitely a book I would read again!

I signed up for this arc simply for the title.

I love anything to do with witches and folklore. And this book definitely didn’t disappoint.

The plot drove me in, but the messages of freedom and dreaming of being your own self, really left an impact on me.

I loved that this book was more action packed than romance focused, but I felt the love story between Khana and Haz lacked, in my opinion. I wished that Death had been a love interest as his name is in the title.

But overall this book was a great time and I look forward to what comes next.

The Witch who Trades with Death was a breath of fresh air in the fantasy genre. The story follows Khana, a witch, who flees her torment under Emperor Yamueto. This story has found family, healing the scars of the past, and such a delicate love story. I really enjoyed reading this, even if at parts I was mad about the decisions the characters made. I understand it was needed for plot progression but still it was aggravating. I'm a bit mad that this is a standalone! I want more. The world felt so fleshed out, the magic system unique, and the portrayal of Death was great.

Please read the trigger warnings in the beginning as some of the topics, both open and closed door, might be upsetting to some readers. Overall, I think this is fantastic novel and I hope so many people get to experience Khana's story.

I liked this story in the beginning, but around halfway through it really started to go downhill for me. I don't think this magic system was thought out too much; it just felt way too simplistic and without any real rules. It allowed the characters to do crazy things that didn't feel realistic to the story. Starting around halfway through, it just felt like Alongi gave up with the writing and just kept throwing the weirdest things out into the story. There's a scene where Khana is literally running through an army by walking on the soldiers' shoulders and there is another scene where the whole town is chanting "fuck off" to the emperor.

I also felt like Alongi's dialogue from the characters who sign was disrespectful to the deaf and signing community. I know that in signing, there are a lot of smaller words that are just not signed and grammar is different in sign, but when someone is interpreting, they are able to add those words in to make a cohesive English sentence with proper grammar. The way it was written, to me, felt like these characters were almost being portrayed as less intelligent. I have worked with ASL interpreters and they would never interpret something the way it is written in this book from my experience.

I can't really recommend this book because it just didn't feel fleshed out to me. I like the concepts Alongi was trying to tackle here, but the world and the magic system were not well thought out and the book really fell flat for me at the end.

Review goes live March 17

I unfortunately have to DNF this. I personally can't handle reading about SA, and it starts off by revealing that the main character has been enduring this for YEARS. It's too much for me. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

I’m so sad but I had to DNF 25% in - there wasn’t much going on and I couldn’t really see where the story was going. I’m hoping it’s a case of right book wrong time and so I will try again in the future and it won’t be an end to reading Alongi

The Witch who Trades with Death follows the story of Khana, a young witch concubine of a ruthless emperor, who fled into a secluded country town to escape her tormentor.

When I first picked up this book's ARC, I thought it'll be one of those dark fantasy books where there's more romance than fantasy. Don't get me wrong, I'm impartial towards that spectrum of the genre, but I feel like this was pretty misleading when I finally finished it. With the blurb mentioning the protagonist making trades with Death itself, you'd think they'd fall in love right? Honestly I wasn't disappointed when I found out that there was none of that shadow daddy, enemies-to-lovers business going on. Instead, I read about a girl finding family in a dysfunctional but wholesome unit of misfits, healing from trauma, tackling heavy themes like war, colonialism, and even abuse, and somehow all of it just worked out perfectly.

I loved going through the story through the lens of not just Khana, but also the other characters. Somehow their POVs, despite being short and seemingly insignificant, made the storytelling richer. The magic system is pretty unique and interesting (at least for me), especially since it plays a large part in Khana's character. I wish the 'science' of it gets explained in the story, but it's understandable since (1) duh, it's magic and (2) that's not the focus of the story.

The story also has lots of minority representation going on. There's the they/them or nonbinary rep, like when Death is referred to as a they, as well as bisexual and lesbian reps; and also a deaf rep through a side character. For me personally I'm all good with those since I assume it's part of the worldbuilding, but it felt a little too much at times. I don't know if it's the fact that it felt like there were too many side characters at times that contributed to this (which made me kinda confused about who's who for a sec there), or maybe it's because it's not tackled much in the story. I kinda wish Khana got to ask about this while she was still new in Pahuuda, because it seems like it's part of the Ghuran or some other culture that's incorporated in the town.

Overall, this story is like a gift that I got from a distant relative, not expecting much of it, but got something surprisingly good. While it's not for everyone because of some of the themes I've mentioned earlier, it's a decent read for those who can swallow those anyway.

Thank you NetGalley and Angry Robot Books for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review.