I love how easy Silvia Moreno-Garcia makes genre- jumping look, as she has once again tackled a new sub-genre (this time witch fantasy/horror) and done a stellar job with it. I loved how she explores witch folklore from both New England and Mexico, and creates a clear and suspenseful mystery that spans three generations of people being pulled into curses from witches. I enjoyed all of the perspective timelines, and found it to be creepy and engrossing. While ti's true I prefer more romanticized witch stories, I still love the scary ones, and this one is unnerving and very well done.

The premise of this book is a little hard to describe without giving too much away. It starts out as 3 stories in 3 different times, with 3 different POVs. Each woman is experiencing mysterious things and is investigating these experiences. Minerva is a grad student in 1990s Massachusetts studying a little known author and her famous horror novel. She is attending the same university as that author, Beatrice, who was there in the 1930s. The 3rd timeline is Minerva’s great-grandmother, Alba, in the early 1900s mountains of Mexico. Longing to know in just how many ways these stories are connected makes this book difficult to put down.

This book is a very well knit story that truly takes until the last pages to fully grasp. It is a little slow-paced, but the author needs that time to give you all the information. While I wouldn’t classify this book as super scary, it is definitely creepy - the kind of creepy that builds and lurks. It’s not an especially twisty story with lots of big reveals, and I don’t think the author is trying to hide who is evil from the reader. But this is where the creepy lurking comes in and makes you uncomfortable. Switching between timelines kept me hooked. I really, honestly, loved this book! (And the 90s music nostalgia was a very welcome surprise!) I’m really looking forward to reading more from Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to listen to and review an early copy of this book!

I started my reading journey with Siliva’s Tender is the night , so thank you so much to the publishers for this ! So awesome !

As someone who loves everything Silvia’s done , this story did not disappoint !!

This story was stunning and eerie . Silvia’s writing just set this gorgeous atmospheric environment! I’ve read other stories where it combines multiple narratives that are interwoven and they were not done well but this was so BREATHTAKING and brilliant !!
As always there was so much care into detail , I was very satisfied with the execution of it all !

There was some dark elements, but it was handled very respectfully! The characters were so impactful and emotional.

5 stars all around . Moreno continues to prove how she will always be my favorite writer !

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

The writing in this was just really flat for me. It didn't have enough descriptions or details to make you feel transported, to the point where it felt like more of a list of things characters were doing rather than feeling. It just didn't come alive enough for me.

I liked the concept but it is terribly slow going. I also felt like the 3 timelines were a little messy to follow. I liked the vibes until one of the characters started getting a little too close to her uncle...idk. If you're a fan of dark academia, slow burns, and don't mind that sort of romantic angle then maybe it will work better for you. I'm always curious about what this author writes because I genuinely do think she's talented, even if every story isn't quite for me.

This book surprised me because I usually find dual/triple POV novels confusing and difficult to follow, but that was not the case at all. I was drawn to each story and was sufficiently spooked. Reading about the Mexican folklore was what I found most interesting because it isn’t your typical type of witch that’s described. The island of witches was also fascinating. I would have loved to learn more about the antagonist’s past and where their witch powers come from. It was very satisfying to see all of the POVs tie together. The descriptive writing of Mexico and New England was a highlight for me as well. I was impressed with how the issue of classism was portrayed in each story, and the metaphor was not lost on me (can’t say more due to spoilers). I highly recommend if you’re looking for a horror book to pick up this summer.

I’m so glad I was given this ARC of The Bewitching. I love Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s work and she has again created an immersive tale with this title.

The Bewitching tells the story of Minerva, a young woman from Mexico, who is researching her thesis on a favorite horror author at a small college in Massachusetts. Minerva finds herself entangled in possible witchcraft, the dark kind of which she was warned about by her great-grandmother, Alba. In this book we are simultaneously reading Minerva’s story, Alba’s story, and the story of a young woman who went missing in the 1930’s which inspired Minerva’s favorite book. The tales intersect, yet each one is intriguing in its own right. Each world is fully rendered and the characters come to life.

5 stars

Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s period retelling The Daughter of Doctor Moreau was the biggest pleasant surprise in my 2023 Hugo reading. So when I saw she was releasing a new novel with curses that echo across multiple timelines, I was excited to give The Bewitching a try.

The Bewitching is separated into three timelines which alternate for the majority of the novel. The most contemporary story is set in 1998, following a Mexican woman in graduate school in New England, digging for fresh information about underappreciated female horror writers from history. One of the past timelines is written in first-person by one of those horror writers, detailing the real-life events that inspired her first novel. The other is set back in rural Hidalgo, following the lead’s great-grandmother growing up on a farm and dreaming of more. In all three timelines, the leads see strange deaths around them and slowly begin to realize they—or, in one case, a close friend—are suffering curses from powerful witches. The only question is whether they will be able to find and thwart the witches before they or their loved ones meet their ends.

While the main characters of each timeline struggle immensely to uncover the identity of the witches besetting them, this is not primarily a book about puzzling out who is secretly practicing witchcraft. There are ample hints that will likely see the reader putting the pieces together before the characters do. And in two of the three timelines, it’s not even a story about whether the main characters will uncover the witches in time—it’s known from the 90s story that one of the victims will survive and another will disappear without a trace.

Instead, it’s all about the journey, and Moreno-Garcia manages to construct tense and atmospheric narratives in all three timelines, even the ones in which the final outcome is known. Readers who enjoy Gothic tales should have no problem sinking deep into any of the major settings, all written in a way so as to evoke a strong sense of place while simultaneously in a style that’s remarkably easy to binge. I tore through this in three days—a pace I rarely hit with as many real world responsibilities competing for attention.

With both prior timelines informing the most recent, there’s a satisfying synergy that truly makes this a novel in three interlocking parts, rather than mostly-disconnected stories tied together only by the antagonist. And all three are equally engaging—there’s rarely a moment in which the reader is compelled to rush through a dull plotline to get back to the intrigue. The ultimate ending is excellent in the way it brings together every timeline and provides an overarching sense of closure, though it did have me wondering about a piece of foreshadowing that feels tailor-made for the climax that never comes good. That said, even if I can nitpick, the buildup is so consistently good that it’s hard to complain too much.

Overall, if you’re looking for something Gothic and atmospheric, The Bewitching is bound to delight. All three storylines are tense and immersive, with enough weight to keep the reader invested even in the period plotlines where the ultimate endings are known. This one knows exactly what it wants to be and delivers a compelling story that's easy to binge.

Recommended if you like: Gothic fiction, period witchiness.

Overall rating: 16 of Tar Vol's 20. Four stars on Goodreads.

I was really excited to get an early copy of this book, but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me. I ended up throwing in the towel a third of the way in because I wasn’t invested.

I’m usually a big fan of multiple POVs, but Alba’s was a bore for me and I found her relationship with her uncle unsettling, to say the least. I’m not sure if her story was necessary since I didn’t finish the book.

Overall, I’m disappointed that I couldn’t keep going, but I wasn’t excited to pick it back up and there are too many good books out there to keep trudging through one I’m not enjoying. Since I didn’t finish, my rating is only based on what I read.

Thank you to Del Rey for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. My favorite by Silvia Moreno-Garcia was The Beautiful Ones, and I was really excited for this book. I really enjoyed this multigenerational story of womanhood and the eeriness of the examination of witches through the dual timelines. It was made even more interesting through the three different generations, and there were a lot of moving elements that I think the author did incredibly well. However, there was a mention of incest that I'm not a big fan of, and honestly kind of ruined the story for me a bit. I just couldn't get past that.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia just doesn’t miss. The Bewitching, like so much of her work, is a masterclass in tension and atmosphere. The story unfolds across three timelines, all converging in a final, chilling reckoning for our protagonist, Minerva, a graduate student researching the life of a horror author for her thesis.

As Minerva digs deeper, the creeping dread builds with every page, thanks to Moreno-Garcia’s uncanny ability to plant the smallest, eeriest seeds that bloom into full-blown unease. The present-day timeline is set in the 1990s, and it's steeped in nostalgia that really resonated with me— I graduated from uni in 1994. My dorm wasn’t haunted, but those shadowy hallways definitely had their moments.

In the past, we meet Nana Alba, Minerva’s grandmother, who spoke to her of witches. And then there’s Beatrice Tremblay, the horror writer whose most famous novel, The Vanishing, draws heavily from her own disturbing experiences.

What stood out most to me was the ending—not only the climactic confrontation, but also the quiet, powerful choice Minerva makes regarding a side character. She’s been paying attention, and she’s grown. Moreno-Garcia ties all the threads together into a conclusion that’s deeply satisfying.

Always an excellent time with Moreno-Garcia at the helm. This one was a good time, just a good ol' fashioned witchy story that covers three generations of women and the interconnectedness of greed, evil, and resilience. Not a five star read for me as much of it was quite predictable and there were one or two plot-lines that just disappeared that I would have liked to see have a conclusion. But overall, a good time was had.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It blends two of my favorite genres: horror and historical fiction in multiple timeline point of view story telling. Multiple point of view stories are hit or miss with me but when they are execute well, as in with The Bewitching, I love it. Nana Alba tells stories of witches and witchcraft. Beatrice Tremblay is a hopeful horror writer, and Minerva is the great granddaughter of Nana Alba and studying at the same college Beatrice Tremblay once attended. Each character had a really interesting backstory and their stories intertwined so beautifully. Overall, the book had such an eerie tone to it. Silvia Moreno-Garcia's books created a wonderfully creepy and mesmerizing story with The Bewitching. Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the advanced copy!

Once again, Moreno-Garcia takes us back in time to three distinct time periods where witches wield and vie for power. As part of her graduate studies into women horror writers, Minerva Contreras researches the mysterious disappearance of Virginia Somerset and soon finds herself dealing with supernatural opponents. Moreno-Garcia's worldbuilding and character development create a novel you will speed through in days.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore and the author for an e-Arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn in by the atmosphere right away. It has that uncanny vibe that lingers long after you close the book. This is genre-blending done well: imagine dark academia meets folk horror, with a touch of magical realism.

Although I initially found it a little overwhelming to keep track of everything with multiple POVs across multiple timelines, I quickly became familiar with each character and the story they were telling. Each voice in the different timelines is compelling in its own right, yet they build on one another in a way that’s really clever.

The book presents several possibilities early on, ranging from the plausible to the supernatural, encouraging the reader to question everything. That ambiguity worked well for me and added to the overall intrigue. Even when some of the later twists felt a little predictable, I didn’t mind as I was still completely invested in the characters and the tone, and I didn’t want to put it down.

I also found the portrayal of magic particularly interesting. It isn’t whimsical or overly mystical; it’s treated almost like a science, something hidden beneath the surface of the world, following its own internal logic and rules. That grounded approach made the supernatural elements feel more believable, and at times, genuinely unsettling.

Honestly did not expect to love this book as much as I did and will be thinking about it for a long time to come. One of my favourite reads of the year so far.

Well I am a huge fan of Silvia Moreno-Garcia. So absolutely so excited to dive into this story. Witches?! YES PLEASE.

This centers three strong ass women in three different timelines that are all encountering some evil forces and in each timeline you are entrenched in the creepy, nail biting
dangers that are LURKING.

I was on the edge of my seat and loved the whole thing.
I read the ebook but i absolutely will reread this with the audiobook I feel like it would work very well with different narrators-maybe make it a little easier to remember who’s timeline you are in if you pause briefly.

If you like
-Silvia Moreno-Garcia
-evil witches
-family sagas
-horror
You like this.

Thanks to netgalley and random house for an eARC

[ Huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC! ]

Another beautiful, twisted, enthralling foray into gothic horror by Silvia Moreno-Garcia! 🎉🎉

Let me cut right to the chase: I absolutely adore Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic, and I was ecstatic when I saw that her upcoming release would dip back into the gothic horror genre. If you, dear reader, also enjoy Mexican Gothic (or gothic horror in general), you're going to want to pick up The Bewitching. I mean, a gothic horror novel involving witchcraft AND dark academia? Count me in every time!

The Bewitching is a masterfully woven tale involving three women separated by time but united by the unusual occurrences in their lives. I frequently find when I'm reading a story involving multiple timelines that I'm only really interested in one of the timelines. That was not the case with this novel. Moreno-Garcia did such a fantastic job weaving the threads of this story that I was completely captivated by each of the lead women, their lives, and their tales. Each leading lady was enchanting, and each timeline evoked its own flavor of suspense, danger, and intrigue that mingled perfectly to create a gripping and truly bewitching (buh-dum ksh!) read.

The Bewitching has an interesting premise but I couldn't get into the book and didn't connect with the characters. I really loved Mexican Gothic by Moreno-Garcia and I was expecting the slow build up of suspense but I felt like the book was just slow and when it came for the climax of the book, I found myself not caring about what happened.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Del Rey for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This story follows three women from three different times - Alba in the early 1900s, Beatrice in the 1930s and Minerva in the 1990s - as each of them grapples with unsettling circumstances. Alba deals with strange experiences after her brother disappears from their farm and Beatrice, a writer, has a friend who vanishes without a trace. Minerva, who is Alba's great granddaughter and is researching Beatrice's works, also finds herself dealing with strange occurrences.

This book was weirdly cozy but also genuinely creeped me out at some parts 😂 I loved the witchy academia vibes, the Mexican folklore and Moreno-Garcia's atmospheric writing. The way the three women's stories were woven together was masterful. All the character's were well-written and I was invested in each of their stories. There was also this feeling of dread built up in the background throughout the book that was just perfect.

A big thank you to @ and @ for the eARC. The Bewitching comes out July 15 - make sure to pick up a copy, it's a great read!

Bewitching was a very well weaved witch story. There were some surprising moments. All three story lines were engaging. However I found some of the narrative hard to remember because the book constantly jumped timeliness. Quality novel