I absolutely adored this book. The parallels between being a shapeshifter and also being non-binary were so beautifully handled - and I just loved the magical systems and companionship between Lando and Bastian is just the right mix of insecurity, infatuation, and budding romance. I truly appreciated the candor with which self harm and suicidal ideation were handled - as someone who has experienced both - it felt real and not self indulgent.
This is my first time reading a novel by Emma Hines and I hope to read many more.

I enjoyed this! The premise was super interesting, and I thought it was executed well. I grew very attached to the characters while reading. I love the representation that we were given!

There is a lot to love about this book. Lando and Bastian have a wonderful relationship development. The way they slowly go from lightly antagonistic to in love feels natural. It makes the seeming betrayal toward the end of the book feel so gut wrenching. I sped through the last third or so because I kept wanting to know what happened next.

The theming is also fantastic. I think it’s a really good exploration of grief and moving on from grief. The progression to acceptance through the story was done so well.

I like the exploration of gender - and doing so through a nonbinary shape shifters who doesn’t have control over their shifts is such an interesting lens.

However I think a lot of the dialogue is very clunky in a way that pulls me from the story. Some conversations meandered from the point and would unsatisfyingly never get back to it.

The magic world also kept me on the edge of confused with things frequently feeling half-explained (and not in a, we’ll find the whole story out later way, but it a, wait what?, way.)

Carl is an almost comically villainous bully, I could hardly take him seriously. Although I did find Bastian’s punch to be highly satisfying.

Lastly, and this is a personal preference, but it definitely knocked the book a star, I absolutely hate it when our main character ends up actually being a person from the past either reincarnated, or in this case, cursed to keep reliving their first 20 or so years. When I read that, my jaw dropped because I simply could not believe that was the “twist” that was revealed. It feels lazy and weird.

I wish this book was longer! I loved these characters so much. The plot was incredibly interesting, especially the gender swapping shapeshifting. Never read anything like it. Lando felt like such a real person. Their struggle with their identity and their grief over the loss of their girlfriend was really well written. Bastien was also a well fleshed out character, dealing with his own grief. Their relationship was fun to watch as it grew. Had me kicking my feet and squealing. I thought the pace was near perfect, a little slow in the beginning, but it got better as the story started to unfold. The only thing that was missing for me was a bit more world building. The magic in this story is less important than the characters, and that's fine, but some more explanation on how the magic worked might have been helpful. I found myself skimming the magic descriptions because I didn't understand them.

Overall, though, I loved this book so much. I will be getting a physical copy when it releases later this year. Highly recommend it.

**Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for providing this ebook. All opinions are my own.**

This book is EVERYTHING. The nonbinary main character is gut wrenchingly real, the closeted relationship, the new romance when you’re not sure you’re allowed to be happy again- an absolute masterpiece.
The exploration of gender identity within the context of involuntary form changes is brilliant. The characters are rich and complicated and grieving and I cannot wait for this book to hit the market so I can recommend it to literally everyone.
For anyone who has questioned their identity, Or who wants to understand someone who has, this is the book. I have never read a more relatable piece of fiction in my life. For the first time, I can fully see myself in a character and it’s glorious.

WOW I breezed through this, I was really really eager for Lando to get a happy ending!

WITCHLORE offers an interesting lens into identity that I wish we saw more of in fantasy. I expected as much with the comparison to Orlando, but it really stunned me with how intersectional it is while also maintaining cohesion. Lando’s identity as a queer nonbinary witch-slash-shapeshifter and the discrimination they face is a great way to explore ostracism (both fantastical and realistic) and its effects as they navigate one of their final years of college.

Lando’s struggle with their mental health is also explored in a magical context: a suicidal person having no choice but to use blood magic is a surprising and powerful way to write about recovery. Lando is a tortured soul (the twist at the end reveals that they carry more trauma than they can even remember) and they have every reason to lash out the way they do. They’re resentful, abrasive, seem to use humiliation as a form of self-harm (something I would’ve loved to see explored more, by the way), have a very bad temper, and I love them SO MUCH. I do think they were a little too quick to forgive the people who’ve wronged them, but maybe I’ve just grown protective of them hahah. I also think they weren’t given enough time to process the revelation at the climax, which should have been a little more, well, revelatory. But it’s effective nonetheless.

There are so many real-world situations that are given different contexts when painted in a magical lens. For example, consent is very important to Lando: in physical contact, in magic, in shifting. It’s such a unique way to convey very real scenarios in a world that isn’t that far removed from our own.

That said, I only have one major gripe, and it’s the lack of insight the reader gets into this magical world. I desperately wanted to see more of it! I understand that witches in this world are discriminated against, but they aren’t a secret in the same way shifters are, and I would’ve loved to see how the world operates with magic. My absolute favorite example of this was (minor spoiler warning) the witch barista making latte art with magic. I loved seeing little bits of magic infused in everyday lives! More of that, please!

The exposition through the grimoire was wonderful with peeks into the lives of historical shifters, and I think delivering more background information through other students at the school would be an excellent way to both set the scene and explore this magical world in a diegetic sort of way. Or maybe even through Lando’s classes: if they took a history class and learned about the different kinds of witches and covens rather than conveying it in descriptive paragraphs, it might’ve read as a little more fluid, but I’m just nitpicking! This world is overflowing and complex and Hinds has done a huge feat by making such a beautiful and magical England that’s remarkably distinct from any other magical academies, which is exceedingly rare to come across.

Overall, WITCHLORE is an exploration of grief, survivor’s guilt, identity, and generational trauma, with a cozy queer relationship at the center and a dreamily magical dark academia setting. I do wish the world was explored a little more, as it’s such a deep and rich landscape that we don’t get to see too much of, but that just makes me more excited at the prospect of a sequel. It’s a story with teeth and tenderness, cloaked in necromancy and spellcraft, but at its heart is something deeply human.

In a world where shifters are powerful and shunned by witches, Orlando can't control their shift. They receive all the stigma (and more, since they were with their girlfriend when she died), yet none of the power. They attend Demdike College of Witchcraft, friendless and bullied, until a new boy comes along. Bastian, an insanely powerful witch, offers to help Lando resurrect their girlfriend. Lando is suspicious but desperate, desperate enough to steal a book from the library. But they didn't expect to connect to the book as fiercely and magically as they did...
I was so invested in the plot. Usually, I'm a huge romance fan (not to say there isn't romance here), but the plot had me hooked. I literally could not put my Kindle down by the end because I needed to know what happened next. I loved the fast pacing and witchy atmosphere; I felt like I was gathering ingredients and flashing back with Lando and Bastian. And the twist at the end was absolute genius. I almost predicted it, but it stayed elusive. The ending wrapped up nicely and everything fantastical felt realistic. I really connected with each character and I loved how they connected with each other. I'll admit I squealed whenever Lando and Bastian interacted. The denial really is pretty funny.

3.5 rounded up. I really enjoy the trans content, and having a nonbinary shifter getting used to a different body was super interesting. i wished it focused more on that. I thought that the main character went along too quickly with the idea of resurrecting their dead girlfriend, and didn't question it as much as they should've at the beginning. I think a lot of teen readers will appreciate its fast pace, but at times it felt more like vignettes rather than a cohesive story. with all that being said i still loved the voice and would enjoy trying different books from Emma Hinds!

This is my first book my Emma and I absolutely loved the premise. I think this might have been a situation of right book wrong time. I think I might have enjoyed this book a little more around the fall. I read paranormal all year long but I think this book would have hit differently in the right setting.

This book starts with an interesting concept. A magical school, a shapeshifter dealing with grief, and a risky spell to bring someone back from the dead definitely sets the stage for something exciting.

However, despite being centered around witchcraft, shapeshifting, and resurrection spells, the story didn’t feel very magical to me. The atmosphere lacked that sense of wonder or enchantment you usually expect in fantasy. The magical elements were there in theory, but they didn’t come to life in a way that felt immersive or exciting.

The emotional tone also felt flat at times. While the story deals with grief and identity, the characters’ inner thoughts were often repetitive and didn’t really add depth. The romance leaned heavily into clichés, and the pacing was bogged down by filler scenes that made it hard to stay engaged.

If you enjoy light fantasy and academy stories with a romantic twist, you might enjoy this book more than I did.

We have queer rep, dark academia (magical school) and a shapeshifter! The emotional stakes were high and this had brilliant vibes! It’s a true YA with writing style and pacing but I think people of all ages should try this one.

This was the first book I've read by this author and it won't be my last!
I love how much care and thought went into the book and it shows.

this book presents an ambitious blend of queer identity, grief & magic within a magical academy setting, following a shapeshifter named Lando on a desperate quest to bring their girlfriend back from the dead. the idea for this book is intriguing, with emotional stakes and a unique protagonist whose shifting gender is what originally drew me to requesting this book. however, the worldbuilding lacks in the sense of i was majorly confused about how lando’s identity shifting goes about, whether it’s whole being or how they present themselves and the magic system is not clearly explained, and left me wanting more clarity. the character development, specifically for Lando and Bastian, felt a bit repetitive to me, which it could entirely just be me!! this book definitely has strong representation and emotional potential, its pacing and YA writing style may not be everyone’s cup of tea. i still had a great time reading regardless of all these things and i will be buying a physical copy for my shelves!

This was fantastically done! Haunting and heartbreaking, we watch Orlando try and survive the events of his past. But a new friend may make the difference.

I love YA books with nonbinary shifters. Give me all the YA books with nonbinary shapeshifters. I really enjoyed this one! This was the first book I've read by this author and I was very impressed. Fun mix of magic, trying to bring the dead, and romance.