Lando is a shapeshifter who doesn’t have magic. He is an outcast. Shapershifters are shunned by witches and hidden from humans. What makes it even worse is he isn’t doesn’t have control over his shapeshifting like the others. shapeshifters typically have control and choose a gender. Lando is non binary to the dismay of others. He is dealing with the loss of his girlfriend. Everyone thinks it is his fault she dies including both his parents and hers. He is alone all of the time and is a victim of bullying. Bastien is the new kid at school. He makes a concerted effort to befriend Lando. He wants to work together on a spell to bring back his girlfriend, Elizabeth.

This book delves into mental health issues , suicide attempts , grief, transphobia, and necromancy. I loved how the book used shape shifting to explain the inner turmoil of being non binary. And the outside pressures he feels from his parents and everyone around him wanting him to choose a gender. It also discusses bigotry and homophobia.The author also talks a lot about grief and the guilt that is often felt by the family and loved ones.

I really loved the slow burn romance between Lando and Bastien. Lando is dealing with the guilt of moving from Elizabeth. He also doesn’t know if Bastien is asking him out or if he is just trying to be friendly. I was happy when they finally did get together. Their progression from friends to lovers feels natural.

I also really enjoyed the side character Kira. I would have enjoyed seeing even more of her in the book.

My only issues with the book is that it does start a bit slow and I think there could have been more world building. I also couldn’t understand why Lando never asked why Bastien wanted being back Elizabeth and not Shasta, his brother. I felt like anybody else would have asked.i guess maybe it can be explained by him being distracted by the state of his mental health and the grief he was dealing with but it just seemed so outrageous to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Marten’s press for providing me this digital ARC on exchange for my honest review.

My thanks to Netgalley, Wednesday Books and Emma Hinds for the eARC in exchange for a review of this book.

It's hard to put into words what I felt at the end of this book. I definitely liked it but at the same time, I'm not gushing over it. It's more a quiet feeling of introspection, sitting with the struggles of the book and understanding the ending that it had.

The book focuses on the grief of Lando, a shapeshifter attending college with a bunch of witches, who is unable to control their magic and who is mourning the loss of their girlfriend, who diedat the beginningof summer. When Bastian starts attending the college with Lando, Bastian tells Lando that a spell exists that would bring their girlfriend back to life. They just need to get everything the spell needs and they can cast the spell and get her back. Lando wants that more than anything and is willing to put their life on the line to make it happen.

First of all, I am in no way, shape or form able to make any comment on the overall character of Lando. I want to start with that because I respect the representation, I believe that a character like Lando should exist. I just feel like I can't put words to make any kind of assessment on the existence of the character. I respect their feelings, their thoughts, the struggles portrayed in the book, but I can't say if it will resonate for the readers who identify with Lando's identity. I'll leave that in the expert hands of my peers, who can delve into exactly how Lando's everything worked for them as readers. I liked Lando overall, and their story kept me reading to the end of the book, a sign of a well written character.

Next, talking about the world of the book, I'll admit I was left wanting more detail. It's an interesting concept, the idea of witches and shapeshifters existing in the world today, out in the open. I would have wanted to see more of the ins and outs of their existence and how the non-magic people of the world interact with witches and shapeshifters. There were a few encounters in the beginning of the book, interactions that made it seem like witches and shapeshifters are scorned, but I can't tell if this is an all the time type of thing or if it just happened to be what Lando witnessed.

It is all a bit vague in the sense that the book only focuses on Lando's storyline, finding what they need for the resurrection spell, and it stays focused on that. There is some mention of Lando having a normal job at a store, but we don't see Lando at work, only going to and coming back from their job. Lando is seen at their halfway home and in school settings, only interacting with witches. When Lando and Bastian travel, again, the story focuses on the two characters, and we know there are people around them but they have no bearings on the story.

Even when Lando is at school, there is very little detail given about the courses or the purpose of the school. The only time a little detail is given about the particulars of a school course, it was to give detail for the resurrection plot. Almost made it feel like a school setting was not completely necessary. I feel like seeing more of Lando's struggle with exams and spell casting would have helped with rounding out Lando and filling in details of the story.

I had my suspicions of how things would play out in the book and wanting to find out if I was right is what kept me going with this book. In the end, I liked the reveals and the strength that Lando earned by the last page. I would have wanted more but it still works very well with what readers are given.

Rating on my scale: 7.5 Stars. I'll be keeping Emma Hinds on my list of authors to pay attention to and I look forward to reading more books from them in the future. This release shows they have the chops to create books I'll be interested in reading.

5/5 stars
Recommended if you like: fantasy, witchy vibes, queer reads, nonbinary characters, stories of grief, mental health

This review has been posted to Goodreads as of 6/8 and will be posted to Instagram 6/25 and to my review blog 7/24.

TW suicidal ideation, mentions of suicide attempt

The book opens on the first day back at college after Lando's very terrible summer break. College was never the easiest, Lando was an outcast already by virtue of the fact that they're a shifter, but now that everyone thinks they killed their girlfriend, it's even worse.

While we don't get the full story of what happened with Elizabeth immediately, it is pretty clear from the get-go that Lando didn't actually kill her, though they feel a lot of guilt over what happened. Combined with the comments of their peers, it makes it hard for Lando to see who's really being judgmental and who just wants to help them in their grief.

This story centers rather firmly around the concept of grief and how different people process and whether it's okay to let go or not. Lando as lost the person they love and is still very stuck in that mental place. They're really struggling with everything, so of course a resurrection spell sounds like a great idea. While the story does center around Lando, we also get to see how other people have handled grief, both related to Elizabeth and not, and the ways that grief can tear people apart.

Bastian is new to Demdike College and is pretty open to forming his own opinions on people, regardless of what he hears about Lando. The two become tentative allies, then friends, with their relationship starting to blossom into something more. Bastian is an interesting character because at times he's very eager and sweet, while other times he holds a lot back and is not exactly being a team player. But like Lando, Bastian has his own ghosts to work through, and he does get better about sharing his ideas prior to executing them.

I was really interested in the worldbuilding and wish we got at least a little more of it in this book. It's clear witches are generally known about, there are several scenes featuring magic use in front of non-magical people, with varying degrees of comment, and there's a magical museum exhibit up that's open to anyone. But I'm curious about how that impacts things. Like, it's made very clear that most witches can only cast temporary spells, but what does that mean for the world at large? There are plenty of instances where a temporary spell could be helpful (beyond latte art), so are there magical jobs for everyday things? Likewise, magical creatures exist and we come face-to-face with a boggart and selkies, which Bastian and Lando are familiar with and know how to handle. But do non-magical people know how to deal with them too? Are there certain precautions in place for things like boggarts or is it just luck? There seems like there's a lot to this world and while I know Lando's story is pretty centered on grief and the resurrection spell, I do wish we got a peek at that wider world.

In terms of the plot, this is a very character-driven novel. Lando and Bastian do have to go on little adventures and risk their lives to get the ingredients for the resurrection spell, but at the same time, the book isn't really about that. It's about handling grief. So we get a pretty deep look at Lando and their journey throughout the novel, and we even get some really good insight into Bastian. There's also a focus on queerness and not fitting cultural/societal expectations and the loneliness associated with that. Part of this plot was...pretty predictable, I'll say. While I appreciated that Hinds brought history into the tale, I don't exactly think it was a surprise the direction this subplot went in, though Lando at least was pretty shocked.

One more thing I will say, I wish we saw more of Kira. I didn't really like her much at first, Lando makes her out to be pretty intolerable, but once she shows up a couple of times, I thought it was clear that Kira was being genuine. The two of them do eventually have a good hear-to-heart, but she seems like such an interesting character, I'd love to see more about her.

"Bravery, then, is this; someone's eyes, full of acceptance. Someone's hands, cradling me close. Knowing I am wanted, all of me, as I am."

Lando is a shapeshifter in a world where they are not accepted amongst witches, and hidden to humans. They are able to shift forms between female and male presenting in this interesting representation of nonbinary individuals.

Not only is Lando not accepted by the greater witch community, they also do not feel connected to their parents. Shapeshifters are supposed to have more magical powers than witches but Lando has lived devoid of magical prowess.

Lando meets new student Bastian, who quickly befriends our MC and agrees to help Lando resurrect their dead girlfriend; Lando feels like they are responsible for her death.

This story is a little slow to begin but it is an amazing look into the inner turmoil of nonbinary individuals and a real expression on how LGBTQ+ are viewed and treated by society.

An interesting contemporary universe where witches, shapeshifters, and humans exist together openly, but uneasily. Orlando is a shapeshifter unable to control when they switch between male and female forms or perform magic. On top of the societal stigma against shapeshifters, Lando is an outcast for another reason: they are blamed for the accidental death of their girlfriend, Elizabeth. When a handsome new boy arrives at Demdike College of Witchcraft with a disarming lack of fucks to give and a proposition to steal an ancient grimoire containing a spell to raise Elizabeth from the dead, well, what's an enby to do?

The author handles trauma, mental illness, and suicidal ideation at times with the appropriate, therapist-approved gravity, and at others with a levity that might be shocking to anyone who hasn't experienced it themselves, but is all-too familiar to those of us who have. When I sing the praises of YA authors, this is what I'm talking about. YA has this incredible ability to handle serious, adult topics in a way that is universally and easily understood, and Hinds exemplifies that perfectly in this novel.

My only real issue with this book is almost entirely my own damn fault. I made the mistake of looking up the author before I finished the book, only to discover that they are also the author of a still-updating Harry Potter fanfiction.

In addition to the Yuck of continuing to be involved with J.K. Rowling's aggressively racist, homophobic, trans-phobic, generally bigoted franchise, all of a sudden, the bits and pieces of this novel that were clearly plucked directly from an HP fanfic started jumping out at me.

I enjoyed most of Witchlore, but in spite of that, I probably won't be purchasing from this author in the future. I cannot in good conscience support anyone who chooses to give time and attention to the creation of a woman who has and continues to use her disgustingly vast wealth to actively oppress trans, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming people. Especially considering the themes of this book, it's just a very strange thing to continue to be so proudly involved with that you advertise it on your professional website.

I was initially drawn to Witchlore by its intriguing premise, and the promise of queer and nonbinary representation - something I’ve really been looking for in my reads lately. This was my first time reading anything by Emma Hinds, and I went in excited for an urban magical fantasy story filled with emotional turmoil and grief, and unique worldbuilding.

Unfortunately, I struggled to stay engaged and ended up putting the book down around the halfway mark 🥲

I wanted to learn more about the backbone of the world - the source of the magic, the feud between shapeshifters and the witches, the classism—these things had real potential, but the execution fell flat for me. Maybe this would have been explained better further in the story, but it was difficult to get through this in any substantial way simply because of the writing style.

The prose lacked the vividness I usually look for in fantasy. I never felt immersed or invested in the plot or characters. The writing seemed simplistic. I found myself wishing for more descriptive language or unique turns of phrase to bring the setting and emotions to life - despite the grief of the main character, I felt entirely apathetic.

On paper, this sounds like a story I would love, but in reality it lacks too much in regard to atmosphere, characters, and writing style, to really enjoy. Witchlore just wasn’t for me.

Others may find more resonance in the story, especially if they’re drawn to introspective narratives or more subtle fantasy, but I needed stronger worldbuilding and character development to stay invested.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4 stars

I loved everything about this story.

I did get a little upset at Lando for being so mean to Kira but it is understandable with grief, so I tried to be patient and it paid ofr. The ending was phenomenal.

Witches but in our world? Sign me up! I will admit it did throw me off a little with a mcdonalds reference at the beginning because I didn't realize we were that modern, but once I readjusted, it worked great! I loved both of our MCs and the journeys they go on throughout the book. It is dark and deep but so worth it. We get to see Lando grow through their journey with magic, pain, and fitting in. I loved Lando so much!!! So! Lando and Bastian team up to do a resurrection spell together. They have to gather the ingredients, which is (of course) not a simple task. Throughout their time together, they grow closer and a lot of ups and downs happen. Also, they got this resurrection spell from stealing a grimoire from a museum and Lando has some sort of connection with it and its owner that I loved trying to guess what was happening with! I was not as smart as I thought i was bc every guess i had was WRONG.

Also!!! I loved the world building done and the amount of withlore and history we get with witch society without it feeling like a lecture. Like, it’s spread throughout the book at relevant times and isn't frontloaded. It worked so well!

This is a great fall read and comes out just in time to read before halloween! This unapologetically queer story is for you if you love characters finding love and connection in each other after difficult times, queer happiness (and a lot of queer sadness), and cozy fantasies!

Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books and the author for an ARC for my honest review :) This book is expected to be released on October 14, 2025

Absolutely loved it!!! The romance here was amazing, and I loved the plot and world-building as well.

review also posted to Goodreads

The non-binary shapeshifter character I have been CRAVING! I was so hoping this would be a good story based on the description and the author did not disappoint!

Lando’s journey through their grief and mental health felt grounded and real. You watch them relate to Bastian through their shared grief and learn how to move forward in the world while still processing what they’ve lost (it never truly goes away, you just learn how to live with it). I had suspicions about the eventual twist, but it felt less like a predictable outcome and more like “oh I hope this is how it plays out”.

My partner is non-binary, but sadly not a big reader. I read enough for the both of us, though, ahah. When I told them about this book, they got happy tears and thanked the slow changes our society is making.

As for the book itself, I really appreciated best the characters and their respective introspective journeys. I couldn't give this five stars only because I was a bit disappointed with the magical aspect, which could've been better.

Definitely recommended!

What a great story dealing with so many very deep and important issues through the lens of magic and fantasy. I really, really loved this story. This story is set in a magical college in modern times and has witches and shifters in a really fun book that is both encouraging and deeply impactful. It delves into the issues of identity, learning to accept who you are, bullying, broken families, loss, grief, helplessness, hopelessness, heartbreak, betrayal, forgiveness, finding strength in ourselves, found families, redemption and ultimately overcoming the things we perceive as insurmountable to step into personal freedom. This is a book that will stay with me for a very long time and one I know I will think about often. Such a great book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3.75/5 stars

This was a book where I appreciated the themes and the characters more than I was hooked by the plot.

The romance was a sweet and well paced progression of feelings that I appreciated. The unapologetic queerness of it all was incredibly refreshing. As someone who is trans, I also ardently appreciated the genderness of it all. The struggles of trying to understand exactly who you are and how you feel. But a little unsure of the shapeshifting of it all.

What threw me off of the story was the nature of our "bad guy" (he felt too comical and exaggerated to take seriously) as well as the twists at the end. They felt...I'm not quite sure. A little rushed in one way and a little too convenient of an explanation to be intriguing.

3.5 stars.
This was a refreshingly unique fantasy, that unapologetically centered queerness. As a nonbinary person myself, reading about Lando's struggles through their gender identity and mental health was very poignant and carefully done. I did think the last 10-20% of this book rushed a little bit, with the plot twist somehow feeling both completely unexpected and underwhelming, but I overall loved the messaging, romance, and magic system of this book. I will definitely be looking out for more from this author!

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.