The Hollow Witch by Mary Borsellino is an evocative high fantasy novel that masterfully intertwines sapphic romance, political critique, and haunting magical consequences into one unforgettable tale. While its pacing stumbles at times, the richness of its world-building and the emotional payoff in the final act more than make up for it.

Set in a world where every act of magic comes at the cost of reawakening the dead, Borsellino crafts a chilling, atmospheric backdrop that’s as beautiful as it is brutal. The threat of the undead isn’t omnipresent like in traditional zombie horror—it’s creeping, systemic, a byproduct of magic misuse that is ignored by those in power. This eerie, slow-burn sense of dread is one of the novel’s greatest strengths.

At the heart of the story is Sylvie—a former sentry now living with a disability after losing both her magic and nearly her life. When she’s sent to the palace to assist an alchemist, she’s plunged into a world of elegance and ease that stands in stark contrast to her own past. Azura, the alchemist’s daughter, has grown up in this world, and while privileged and naive, she’s not without her own quiet strength. Their slow-budding friendship, which later turns romantic, has moments of tenderness—but I did wish for more development before their romance bloomed. It felt like we skipped a few beats, though their scenes together remain genuinely sweet.

Sylvie and Azura aren’t designed to be perfectly likeable. They’re messy, flawed, human—and that’s the point. Sylvie clings to the past, hardened and wary. Azura, for all her defiance, struggles to grasp the depth of injustice outside the palace walls. Watching them challenge each other and grow—individually and together—was a highlight of the story.

The first half of the novel leans into slow, deliberate world-building, but the story truly catches fire around the 70% mark. The climax, which arrives with gut-wrenching clarity, reframes everything that came before. There’s a particular twist—delivered with devastating precision—that elevates this from a solid fantasy to something far more profound. The final 10% is an emotional gut punch, filled with rage, loss, and the bitter clarity of truth. The ending comes abruptly, but with enough open threads to hope for a sequel.

For readers who like:
-Quiet sapphic romance
-Slow-burn high fantasy with rich world-building
-Disabled heroines
-Commentary on class, power, and magical cost

Final Verdict
A spellbinding, slow-burning fantasy that builds a beautiful, harrowing world where magic has consequences, and love blooms in the shadows. The Hollow Witch doesn’t give you everything up front but its final chapters deliver a devastating, thoughtful twist that lingers long after.

Grateful to NetGalley, Clan Destine Press and Mary Borsellino for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

I DNF:d this book, I'm sad to say. I don't get what I'm reading because you get no world building at all.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

A sincere thank you to NetGalley and Mary Borsellino for the advanced copy of this book.

*The Hollow Witch* is a masterclass in character-driven fantasy, a story that sinks into your bones not just for its world, but for the people forced to survive in it. I was thoroughly impressed by the intricate web of relationships, anchored by the four protagonists. The connection between Silvie, a former soldier reckoning with the loss of her magic, and Azura, an alchemist's daughter suffocating under privilege, is the raw, beating heart of the novel. Their dynamic is earned, complex, and deeply compelling.

What elevates this story is how their bond ripples out, shaping their interactions with the formidable Queen Lena and her fiercely loyal bodyguard, Myles. The four of them create a gravitational pull, a small universe of found family and desperate alliances that feels vital and real. Borsellino’s talent for characterization is so sharp that you know who to watch from the moment they step onto the page. There’s no ambiguity in the rot; some characters radiate a sleazy, self-serving energy that is so well-portrayed it makes your skin crawl, heightening the sense of danger and making the trust between the central four feel like the only clean thing in a dirty world. It’s that unflinching portrayal of both good and bad intentions that makes this book stand out. A powerful, immersive read.

i enjoyed the book for the queer vampire fantastic part, not a fav read but it was still nice to read to pass time. and take a break. i would give this a 3,75/5

I really thought this book would be an amazing read about witches and magic. But it felt as if I’m reading a fanfic to a book I don’t know. We get zero worldbuilding which made it close to impossible for me to get into the book.
Also there were passages where nothing was happening and at some point I just wanted it to be over.
I think the idea might be really good itself and the writing was also good and easy to read. But the story just lacked a lot of information, plot and lore to be on the same level.
Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC.

☆ 3/5 ☆

I was excited going into this book as the synopsis hooked me, and the reviews made it sound like an enjoyable read. I absolutely loved the concept and found the magic system to be intriguing with a lot of potential. However, I felt it wasn’t fully developed, and the pacing threw things off for me. Several interesting ideas were introduced but never fully explored, which left me wanting more depth from the story.

The romance between Silvie and Azura could have been really sweet, but it felt too rushed. I would’ve loved to see it unfold more naturally over time. While the world-building had strong elements, it still felt like something was missing, and I struggled to connect with the characters emotionally.

I truly wanted to enjoy this more than I did. I appreciate what the author was trying to do, it just didn’t quite land for me personally.

Thank you Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for letting me have a copy of this book

I dont know how I missed this but I really dont like zombies, that said, I did my best to keep reading since I love witches.
There were good aspects to this book, I liked the idea of the zombies conflict and that they really only appear a couple of times.
The romance was cute but it felt rushed.
It was really not my cup of tea.

📖 Bookish Thoughts
This was an intriguing YA fantasy with strong worldbuilding and a unique magic system. I especially enjoyed the zombie elements. The romance subplot was a slow burn that felt a little too delayed for me, and the pacing overall was inconsistent. While the ending picked up, it still felt rushed. That said, I appreciated the queer and disability rep and think readers looking for a dark sapphic fantasy story will find something to enjoy here.

What You Can Expect
• Sapphic romance
• Disability rep
• Zombies
• Queer rep
• Witches

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Ebook. All thoughts are my own.

The Hollow Witch by Mary Borsellino is a hauntingly beautiful YA fantasy that intertwines themes of trauma, disability, and queer love within a richly imagined world. Silvie's journey from a war-torn past to finding purpose in Arteria is both poignant and empowering. Her relationship with Azura unfolds with authenticity, capturing the complexities of connection amidst chaos.

Borsellino's prose is lyrical, painting a vivid picture of a city teetering on the edge of ruin, plagued by the cadaveri. The exploration of magic's cost adds depth to the narrative, prompting reflections on power and its consequences. While the world-building is immersive, some readers might find the pacing uneven, with certain plot elements overshadowing character development. Nevertheless, the novel's strengths lie in its emotional resonance and the nuanced portrayal of its protagonists.

2.5 stars

I really wanted to love this as the premise seemed promising however the execution fell flat for me. The pacing needed work and some ideas or plots weren’t fully completed/resolved.

The premise of this book sounded amazing, but unfortunately I could not get into it. I picked it quite a few times and while it had some interesting elements I just wasn’t captivated by it.
I think others might enjoy it so I don’t discourage anyone from giving it a go. Just not one for me sorry.
Thank you for the ARC.

This was a real disappointment to me. The prose here felt very basic and did not draw me in at all. The lack of action, emotional development, and depth made me really struggle to finish this book, which is saying something because I was really excited about it. Really let down

The Hollow Witch by Mary Borsellino found me gobsmacked by its ending. Then I retrace my steps to check what I’ve missed or overlooked and the signs were all there, glaring!

Let’s breakdown the fantastical world that Mary Bordsellino created. The main setting was called Arteria where magic was the main source of the city’s commerce. Prosperous (for the rich) yet riddled with poverty and the ill effects of the magic bringing forth zombies called cadaveri in the story. There’s three significant characters and one male that’s mostly in the scenes but would be classified as secondary and they’re all from different social standing yet get along and build a tentative friendship. Through all that, the layers of the story unfolds. The cunning of the author can be seen through the in-between, the glossed over, the contrasting but subtle cues in the story. In hindsight, it was all there, foreshadowed for the reader to decipher.

In addition, a deeper dive into the characters’ background (especially the Queen) and the history of Arteria instead of secondhand word of mouth of snatches of history would have elevated the story more! It’s teeming with so much potential!

In conclusion, I have enjoyed reading about Arteria and the four youngins navigating the perilous world created by Mary Borsellino.

3.25
The Hollow Witch is a queer fantasy romance about Sylvie and Azura. Sylvie =
is a former child soldier who used to fight zombies that rise everytime someone uses magic, but an accident causes her to loose her magical abilities, she becomes deaf on one ear and has to use a cane.
Azuras father(the royal alchemist) needs an assistant and employs Sylvie
This book is very short (only about 200 pages) and I liked it but didnt form that deep of a connection with the characters (probably bc its so short) (I forgot Azuras name a day after finishing this book)

For most of the book there isnt one big conflict, we just kinda watch our characters float around a bit, but neither Sylvie or Azura are that active in this story, they mostly react to their outwards circumstances

The story still felt complete and the magic system and world were decently developed (especially for a book that short

The final twist of the story was pretty predictable.

While I did enjoy my time reading this book, I don’t think I‘ll ever think about it again

I went into this book excited, I loved the description and I read some of the reviews on Goodreads and I thought that it was going to be an enjoyable read. But I had a hard time getting into this one.

The world building was definitely good but lacked something. I felt most of the romance to be rushed and I just couldn't connect to the characters.

I do apologize for the lower review. I know this book is definitely a top read for others, so i debated posting this review just because of that.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC opportunity.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

I really did like the concept and the magic system was a good concept but it just wasn’t developed well. The pacing was off for me and several of the ideas that were introduced weren’t finished out. I think the romance could have been really cute if it had slowed down a little. Everything just seemed rushed between Silvie and Azura.

Child soldier Silvie loses her magic in the line of duty, ending her life as she knew it. She’s sent to the far-away canal city Arteria where she’s apprenticed to alchemists, forced to begin again. Azura, the alchemist's daughter, has always been among the wealthiest and most comfortable of Arteria’s society. She and Silvie are vastly different, but the two are drawn to one another, trapped by the circumstances of their birth.

All the while, Arteria is plagued by the high cost of its magic use: the cadaveri - walking corpses that prey on the living. When the city comes under threat, Silvie and Azura must decide if they are even willing to save Arteria.

The story starts off a little choppy as the psychic connection between Silvie and the other child soldiers with the wolves wasn’t fully developed yet. The first 75-ish percent of the book is character development and establishing their places in the story arch. The setting is richly vivid and draws the characters together smoothly. The veritable smorgasbord of human emotions the characters experience, and in turn, the reader experiences through them is exquisite.

The relationship between Silvie and Azura is a well done twining of two fully envisioned characters in the slowest burn. They each have their own struggles to define themselves outside of the expected roles they’ve been forced into, and yet come together in vulnerability - which is its own strength. The writing is lyrical and paints a picture of strife, power, and sacrifice in a world filled with hope and redemption.

This is zombies and witches high fantasy and a must read for anyone who loves magic, sapphic romance, and a dash of the morbid.

I got halfway through the first chapter and I could not continue. I loved the premise but the writing was so lacking, I couldn’t get past the first chapter. Would not recommend.

I very much liked the premise of this book and the combination of different supernatural beings however, the pace was much too slow for me and the delivery of the plotline felt robotic at times and not much emotion could be felt. Overall, this book has great promise but it undelivered for me.

The Hollow Witch by Mary Borsellino is a masterpiece! Pure art in book form.
This book?? Chef’s kiss. Total emotional rollercoaster. From the very first page, it drags you into this amazing world that feels like a dream you can’t (and don’t want to) wake up from. The storyline, the characters, the vibes — everything just clicks.
Mary Borsellino spun something truly magical here.
I want to read it again already. 10/10, no notes.