I had such a fun time with this one! Also, that cover?? I’m obsessed. This is perfect for a Halloween season release!

This is my first novel by Emma Hinds and I really enjoyed the writing. It was so descriptive yet down to earth which made it so enjoyable and easy to visual.
I loved the banter between Lando and Bastian. It was both flirty and friendly as if they’re fast friends at first and I couldn’t get enough.

We follow Landon’s journey of discovering more about their powers as a shapeshifter and I couldn’t help but root for them the entire time. Witches are part of everyday life in this world. I loved the narrative of this and how even though it’s still a marginalized group, shapeshifters, like our main character, are still ostracized from their own community.

I honestly wasn’t sure where the story was going to end up once the main plot point was achieved but oh boy was I gagged. I was so into where it went. Overall, I loved Witchlore. It’s a great cozy, low stakes fantasy that’s so fun! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read!

Hinds crafts a powerful story of love and loss within a world brimming with magic. This tale artfully weaves together shapeshifting and queer representation, gifting the reader a beautiful opportunity to experience life through the eyes of a non-binary individual with moments of intense body dysmorphia. The sophisticated sensory components of the story allow the reader to feel that they too are experiencing the sights, smells, and textures of Lando's universe. Witty banter and clever exposition prompt laughter and wonder throughout. A must read for teens and adults alike!

Thank you to NetGalley, Emma Hinds, and St. Martin's Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

I was hooked from the first page of this book. I've never read anything like it. This book explores grief and the experience of being nonbinary. It follows Orlando, who is a shapeshifter with no control over their shifts. Every time they shift, they change their physical form from female to male. Orlando was there when their girlfriend died. They believe it's all their fault, which leads them to have troubling thoughts. There are mentions of suicide. Please, read with care if this is triggering for you. I loved the way Emma Hinds explores these hard topics through a plan to do something unthinkable in a witchy college setting. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you Wednesday Books and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. So good! Orlando (Landon) is a shapeshifter and not a very good one. They also have no control over their shapeshifting like they should. They attend a college for Witchcraft and they aren’t a fan of witches, who view them as an outcast anyone. Not just because they’re a shapeshifter but because they are responsible for the death of their girlfriend Elizabeth. Even if it wasn’t intentional. Now they just go through the day to day not really wanting to be alive anymore. That is until the charming new boy Bastian arrives. Bastian has a spell that can bring Elizabeth back. He just needs Lando’s help with it. It’ll be dangerous but what wouldn’t Lando do to see Elizabeth again? Nevermind that Lando has a growing attraction to Bastian nor do they really know that much about Bastian at all. Can the two bring Elizabeth back? Can Lando trust Bastian? Will Lando’s growing feelings for Bastian impact what they are trying to achieve? I loved Emma Hinds YA debut! It’s full of grief, magic, love, and identity! A gripping queer magical story that I wasn’t able to put down! It’s deep, emotional, and beautifully told!

Shapeshifters, witches, resurrection spell, what more could you possibly want? How about a romance between two broken grieving people? Witchlore by Emma Hinds has all this and more. This story is fantastic. It attacks all your emotions. The characters are great and their interactions with each other will infuriate you, yet make you swoon. Witchlore is a wonderful romantasy wrapped up in a supernatural bow.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for the advanced copy.

I’ve read Witchlore as an arc provided by NetGalley and Wednesday Books.

Orlando, nicknamed Lando the only shapeshifter at Demdike College. Who four months ago witnessed their girlfriend's death in a spell gone wrong. At the beginning of the school year a new boy, Basitan prompts them to help him cast a spell to bring Elizabeth back. Lando doesn’t know what Bastian's motives could be, but they do know how handsome he is. Go get your Libby holds!

Despite its flaws, I have a soft spot for witchlore. Keep in mind that there might have been changes if you are reading this after it is published. It has some typos, in the first few chapters the word train is misspelled.

The third act felt rushed to me and I didn’t enjoy it. She found all that information about Basitan in his student file? You expect me to believe that. Kira I love you but I believe that she made up how she actually knew about it.

Still, the ending was good and I loved how things ended up. The story has such strong themes and it shines the most in the conclusion. If you’re partner dies no matter your age it will be so difficult. While not everyone will it is okay to see other people. You can let your loved one still rest and be in your heart.


Landos and Bastion's romance wasn’t written the best quality. I do still have a fondness for them. I've never read another male and enby love story. Some lines felt rushed and it seemed unromantic. I think some of the scenes could use a re-edit. It was romantic by the end but the romantic arc needed more work. I loved their first kiss scene and the one where he was wounded. Nothing to do with Bastian but the starting scene was good too.

Lastly, I’d prefer if certain pop culture references were left out. The scene that referenced “if you liked it you should’ve put a ring on it” made me cringe. Stephen King recently made a tweet denying the existence of the Epstein files. So mentioning him.. I'd recommend coming up with a author that exists in the fantasy world.

Orlando has always been different, a shapeshifter who cannot control their magic, they change between male and female forms at unexpected time. They currently go to attend Demdike College of Witchcraft where they are a bit of an outcast and worst of all the one person that cared for them, their girlfriend Elizabeth, died in a tragic accident that Orland believes is all their fault. A new student named Bastian arrives at the school with a proposition on how to bring Elizabeth back to life.

I was a little worried at first, the beginning of the story seemed a little stilted, but once Lando and Bastian started to warm up to each other things began to feel better paced.

The story does deal with some heavy topics but they are thoughtfully covered. Grief is at the heart of this story and we see how differently people deal with loss. I found the concept of shapeshifters being able to choose male or female forms at will but being expected to pick a primary form interesting and quite on point for the times we're living in. People just really have a hard time excepting non binary people.

I loved how easily accepting Bastian was of Lando, despite Lando having their trust issues and (understandably) a bit of an attitude. It's always refreshing to read an adult not having issues with gender and identity.

The magical system and world building were well thought out, the system made sense and I always find it more interesting when magic isn't just randomly infinite and you actually have to learn how to use it.

I really enjoyed Lando's world and their story. The character development was lovely to read and made all the struggle these characters go through feel worth it.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Apparently, if a hot new guy with mysterious motives comes asking to help you resurrect your dead girlfriend, you say yes and also fall in love with him.

Witchlore is a gorgeous book with darling characters. This book deals with difficult themes--suicide attempts, panic attacks, deaths of people close to the main characters, parent-related trauma, a smidge of sexual harassment, maybe some other stuff--that some readers may not be in the right place to read, but it handles them very well and in a way that combines wonderfully with the plot and the magic system.

Orlando is a nonbinary shifter who can't control their powers, whose girlfriend, Elizabeth, died trying to do a spell to help them access their powers. It was a tragic accident, but it hasn't helped the way people feel about them on campus, given the existing prejudices against them for being nonbinary and a shifter, and their grief led to a suicide attempt.

Then Bastian arrives at the start of the next semester and offers to help resurrect Orlando's girlfriend. Why would he do that? He says a resurrection would help his chances for getting an elite job with the Merlin Foundation after college, but maybe he has some grief of his own. Whether or not Lando believes him, they're desperate enough to say yes.

Also in the picture is the diary of a nameless nonbinary shifter from the past, and the strange visions/dreams Lando's been getting about this shifter's life...

I loved Bastian and Lando's dynamic. Their banter is great, as is the way they understand each other. At the same time as they're falling in love, they're also helping each other navigate their past grief and move forward. Lando starts out standoffish and wary--they're a shifter and Bastian's a witch, after all--but slowly starts to like and then love Bastian, even as they navigate their love and grief for Elizabeth, who they're trying to resurrect. Bastian goes through his own growth as a character, though I don't want to spoil it too much-- The way it comes together is beautiful.

The world-building is very much urban fantasy--England, but with shifters and witches, except witches have lost the permanence of their spells and at least in the UK hate shifters for managing to go into hiding to avoid the witch trials centuries ago. I love the magic system, with witches using rings and having covens. One of the details I like is that, for several of the spells, we get the names and descriptions of the hand positions involved, along with some of the words of the magical language used. Another highlight was the different magical creatures involved--the boggart, the selkie, the hellhound. The non-magical details included also made the world feel more full, with Bastian's cultural background and the way it's connected to and separate from his magic. Same with Kira, briefly. There's still racism and homophobia and transphobia in the world, and the story's very aware of all of this, addressing it to various degrees, especially as it affects the characters' lives.

One last note on the plot--the author does a great job of balancing the numerous plots and subplots going on. Across about thirty chapters, we're treated to Lando working on the spell with Bastian, falling in love with Bastian, navigating college in the aftermath of everything, working on their mental health, processing their feelings about what happened with Elizabeth, and several other things. I did figure out the two big plot twists, and I wasn't bothered by how they played out. The clues laid down throughout the story were well done and actually very satisfying.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves a book with queer characters (the LGBTQ+ rep is strong here - nonbinary characters, bi/pan characters), a strong central romance (that might actually be healthy?), and lots of magic that's also willing to deal with difficult topics. I'm so glad for this arc.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for allowing me access to this eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 Stars

Demdike College of Witchcraft is housing more than just magical children. It is where Orlando, the outcast shapeshifter amongst the witches, is suffering from grief on top of their terrible control of their shapeshifting abilities. While their body switches between male and female forms and their magic runs out of control, Orlando blames themselves for Elizabeth’s death.

Bastian, the charming new boy, arrives to pull Orlando from their emotional depths with a proposition. He knows a spell that will raise Elizabeth from the dead. Orlando will do anything, even if it’s dangerous, to be able to speak with Elizabeth one more time. But what does Bastian get from all this? And who will survive the resurrection spell?

While the main character is a shapeshifter full of magic, Lando is one of the most relatable nonbinary characters I’ve met. They are not only dealing with the stress of defending their conviction that they are not female or male, but they express the longing that nearly everyone exhibits… wanting to see themselves in others. Lando, with the shapeshifter grimoire, finds a kindred soul in the historical diary pages, much the same way we readers seek ourselves in the stories we read. It gave the book a big boost in relatability.

There is a lot of negative inner dialogue from Lando, who is very clearly going through some things, which can be hard for folk to read about who haven’t been in that head space before. There are a few other major emotional threads that can be hard for folks to read about, but they are all very well handled.

This book was so good. It had all the worldbuilding I could want, great pacing, and the whole tortured love trope that I enjoy so much. I highly recommend this for anyone 10 and up looking for queer representation and a satisfying plot twist. I look forward to more from Emma Hinds.

˗ˏˋ 3 stars ⟡ ݁₊ .

i really enjoyed reading this one and had such a fun time as well. i really liked all of the characters and how unique they all were. i think out of everyone, lando was my fav. as a debut, this was really good imo, i just hoped maybe some of the storylines could be expanded a little bit or given more context regarding it.

⤷ thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Witchlore is a fresh and deeply heartfelt queer fantasy that blends grief, identity, magic, and love in a uniquely spellbinding way. Orlando’s journey—grappling with shapeshifting, nonbinary identity, and the death of a girlfriend—feels raw and real, and their bond with Bastian adds a sweet but complicated emotional thread. While some moments could’ve used more emotional depth and worldbuilding, the cast is vibrant, the magic intriguing, and the themes beautifully resonant. A warm, witchy read for fans of queer romance with a touch of darkness.

I loved this book. I can't wait for its release so everyone can enjoy this beautiful story. The story, the characters, the worldbuilding, the magic system...I'm obsessed.

Witchlore has a little of everything: fantasy, romance, easy-to-follow worldbuilding and an amazing array of diverse characters that I will carry with me for a while.

We are introduced to Orlando (Lando) through their grief after losing their girlfriend to a magic accident that leaves them broken and alone. Their sadness is heartbreaking and their grief is what drives their actions in the first half of the book. In an effort to get their girlfriend back, Lando becomes involved with Bastian but their adventures lead them closer together in unexpected ways.

I cheered for Lando and Bastian throughout the whole book. They were both cinnamon roll babies and I just wanted them both happy and safe. I loved the innocence in their scenes and think this is something that can easily be read by teens seeking books with queer representation. Yes there is struggle but there is so much queer joy in this as well and that is something I, as a queer reader, deeply crave.

The plot twist at the end had me gasping. I was left satisfied and happy when I ended this journey. I can't recommend this story enough and can't wait to read more from this author.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Witchlore by Emma Hinds is a bold and emotionally rich debut that blends dark academia, queer identity, grief, and shapeshifting magic. The story follows Lando, a witch-shifter who is still reeling from the death of their girlfriend, as they team up with the mysterious Bastian to attempt an impossible resurrection. I was especially drawn to how the book handles identity and trauma. Lando’s voice is raw and compelling, and their emotional arc feels deeply personal. The queer romance is slow-burning but believable, adding softness to a story rooted in loss and moral complexity. The pacing kept me engaged from start to finish, and the emotional weight of the characters’ choices was well balanced with moments of tension and tenderness. That said, I did find myself wanting more from the worldbuilding. Some of the magical elements—especially around shapeshifting and the structure of the magical world—felt underdeveloped, and I think the story could have been even more powerful with a fuller sense of the setting. Still, this is a compelling and heartfelt novel that handles difficult themes with care. A strong four stars from me. I’ll be looking forward to whatever Emma Hinds writes next.

This book truly has it all. A super queer cast of characters, magic, discovering love, wading through loss, learning who you are as a person, and just the right amount of twists and turns to keep you interested. I grabbed the ARC off NetGalley in a classic “judge a book by its cover” situation and it really paid off.

I really enjoyed Witchlore! It took me a little while to get into the story, but once I was in, I flew through it. The world Emma Hinds created is super cool—witches, shapeshifters, magic rings that smell like stuff—it was all really creative and fun to read about.

The way Lando’s identity was explored felt thoughtful and unique, especially in a magical setting where everyone else is expected to follow certain rules. Bastian was a great addition—charming and weird in the best way. At first I wasn’t sure how their friendship/romance would work, but by the end I was definitely rooting for them. There’s a quote near the end that totally melted my heart. You’ll know it when you read it.

That said, I do wish the book had a little more emotional depth in places. Some scenes felt like they wanted to be super moving but didn’t fully land for me. Also, I would’ve loved more of Lando’s relationship with their parents or a bit more magic explanation. Still, the story has a great pace, the characters are diverse and memorable, and the themes—grief, identity, love, acceptance—are handled with care. It’s not perfect, but it’s heartfelt, creative, and a really meaningful read. I’d definitely recommend it, especially if you’re looking for something queer, magical, and a little bit different. Overall 3.5 stars but rounded up to 4!!!!

I struggled a little bit in the beginning, but this was overall a really good book. I wish there was just a little bit more depth at times. Once I was engaged, I flew through it.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for allowing me access to this eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What are the lengths you would go to bring back the one you love?
Lando, a non binary shifter in a world of witches who hate shifters, has to navigate school and their own grief when their girlfriend Elizabeth suddenly dies in a tragic accident.
Bastian, a Queer Witch from a powerful coven move to Manchester for a new start tries to befriend Lando, convincing them they could bring Elizabeth back using a ancient spell book he found online.

The story is complicated but interesting. I loved their love story and the unique concept of shifters not having a gender, but having to be pressured into choosing one to make the modern day society more comfortable with their existence. I love how Lando refused to choose a gender and just wanting to be themselves.
At first I didn't see much character development until Lando stood up to their school bully, in the beginning they wouldn't have done that. I loved how Bastian made Lando feel seen and actually loved them for who they were as a person regardless of what form Lando became.

My biggest peeves about it though, were how flowery the writing was but there wasn't any emotional connection behind the words. It was trying to convey feelings that I couldn't feel through the story.
I also wished there was some conciliation between Lando and their parents.
I don't know, I feel like the story was lacking emotional depth and something else.
I still enjoyed it, but I probably wouldn't read it again.

3.25 stars, rounded down.
Witchlore is an easy, cozy fantasy book that has many great aspects.
i loved the characters and the way that Lando is both very sharp and cynical, along with being very soft and emotional.
it felt as if everything was very well done, however, as the book went on, i felt like it lost some of the characters personalities and everything that made them individual-- BUT! i still really liked this, and would rec!
thank you netgalley for the arc <3

So cute! Hinds manages to tackle a lot of topics that could be heavy (grief, gender identity, self-acceptance, community, the meaning of love in all forms), but weaves them into a really fun and interesting world. Though the twist was fairly obvious from early on, it didn't do anything to diminish my enjoyment of the book.

I really enjoyed this one! It was a quick read with easy-to-follow world building. I liked how Hinds used rings for the witches and their magic. There were different smells associated with each witch, which made it feel like it wasn't just a general sort of magic, but an individual marker to those characters. Of course, what really makes this book shine is Lando, who isn't a witch but a shapeshifter (which means they switch between genders at "random" (a problem that is unique for Lando and no other shapeshifters).

Throughout the novel, Lando struggles with their identity, their place in the world, grief, etc. These topics aren't easy to juggle yet Hinds did so thoughtfully. Each theme felt executed well, especially given the shorter length of this book and the fact that it's YA.

Eventually Lando is forced to team up with the new guy Bastian in order to bring back Lando's dead girlfriend. Bastian's and Lando's chemistry was a bit off-putting at first. Lando came off snappy and judgmental and I often wondered why Bas would stick around, but eventually their chemistry clicked and I did find myself rooting for them.

My heart melted when Bas said, "Because whatever your form, you're always sharp and funny and you always give me the same eye roll and same annoyed look....Whether you're in a hoodie or daft dungarees, redhead or brunette, whatever, you will always make me feel THIS. I think...you're brilliant, Lando."

So cute! Chef's kiss! I felt all the feels in that scene!!

The ending was wrapped up nicely and I beamed with joy for our two main characters!

Overall, there were a lot of takeaways from this book, but I think it sends a powerful message to all young readers about how it's okay to take the time you need to discover who you want to be. And of course, this book is especially important to those who are aching to see themselves represented on the page.

One thing I do wish there was more of was Lando's use of magic. I know we got an answer for things at the end of the book, but I couldn't understand why they were attending a magical institution when shapeshifters aren't witches and don't have magic. Yet Lando did. So I really wanted to learn more about why and how they specifically tapped into magic differently from witches.

I'm looking forward to purchasing a copy of this book so I can add it to my bookshelf!