Move over, Sanderson sisters—your broomsticks, musical numbers, and child-sniffing antics are adorable, but the Duncan women have arrived, and they brought ancestral trauma, climate rage, and a mushroom-based justice system.
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Thank you to Netgalley, William Morrow Books and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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The Women of Wild Hill, Kirsten Miller introduces us to a new breed of witches: not here to steal youth, but to dismantle patriarchy, roast billionaires, and maybe save the planet while they’re at it. These witches don’t sing “I Put a Spell on You”—they put a hex on fossil fuel CEOs and call it a Tuesday.

”What is the Mission?”

"Topple tyrants. Balance the scales. Protect the earth. Avenge the wronged.”

This spellbinding tale follows two estranged sisters—Brigid, the Hollywood scream queen with a gift for seeing death, and Phoebe, a Texas herbalist and healer who helps women society has failed. When the ancestral spirit known as “the Old One” sends them death-marked invitations to return home to ”Wild Hill”, they do what any stubborn, trauma-burdened women would do: ignore it. At least until their homes are destroyed, forcing them to confront their legacy and each other.

"Light and dark only come as a pair. "


Then there is Sybil, Phoebe’s daughter. She’s been told she’s “normal” her whole life—because what better way to raise a gifted child than with a hearty dose of gaslighting? But Sybil’s got brains, killer culinary skills, and access to a bloodline full of women who’ve been burned (sometimes literally) for their power. Spoiler: She is anything but normal.

Bessie, the spiritual guide and the ghost of Wild Hill, welcomes the women back to the family’s haunted estate. She has prophesied that these three women will restore the balance. And by “balance,” we mean toppling the systems that let the rich poison the planet while blaming the poor for using plastic straws.

Miller’s characters are gloriously defiant and wickedly funny. Brigid and Phoebe may be polar opposites, but their shared sass and grit make them unforgettable. Their banter alone is worth the read, but beneath the humor lies a deeper story of intergenerational trauma, healing, and resistance. From Sadie’s lightning-fueled rebellion in the late 1900s to Sybil’s quiet awakening, the Duncan lineage is a tapestry of women who refuse to be erased.

The novel is rich with allegory and biting commentary. It skewers the ultra-rich who poison the planet and the media empires that protect them. It explores the tension between science and faith, nature and greed. As Brigid puts it: “These men are parasites. Sucking the life out of this planet. Taking more than their share. Offering nothing in return.”

If you have ever felt furious at the state of the world. Angry at men, at politicians, at climate deniers? You’ll find catharsis here. The story doesn’t shy away from calling out the systems that have long oppressed women and exploited the planet. As Phoebe quips about her mother’s suitor:
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It was revolting to see this man (Calum)--this utterly average penis possessor—posing as their mother’s protector. Pretending he knew how to deal with things—rattlesnakes, barbeques, teenage girls—that scared the living hell out of him. Acting like Flora could ever belong to him when she was his superior in every conceivable way. Walking through their house in his gross, hairy bare feet and wiping his nasty body with their fluffy white towels.
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—and that’s one of the kinder things said about the men in this book. But given the Duncan women’s history of persecution for their free-thinking independence, the bitterness feels earned.

If you’re looking for a novel that blends feminist fury, ancestral magic, and a sharp critique of patriarchal power structures, The Women of Wild Hill is a must-read. It is darkly funny, fiercely feminist, and unflinchingly political. It’s for anyone who’s ever screamed into the void about climate change, billionaires, or the empty platitudes of “thoughts and prayers.” It’s a cozy, witchy manifesto with teeth—leaving the reader to ask: If you had real, magical power, what would you do to save the world?

Witchy.
Funny.
Full of lovable characters.
This book had all the vibes takes you on a trip through generations of witches. A truly emotional journey and a must read!
If you loved the change your going to eat this up!

This book was just what I needed today. A fantasy world where smart women can manipulate the natural to eliminate the worst of humanity. Mostly female witches and sometimes a male ally, use their “gift” to rid the world of greedy billionaires, Nazis in hiding- this is the type of book I would dream up in my most angry moments.

They say that in the Bible there is no description of evil people going forever to a fire hell. That hell was invented by peasants in the Middle Ages as a revenge fantasy about the ruling classes. I can get behind that. The book has good characters and somewhat of a confusing but hopeful plot. If you get triggered by criticisms of oligarchs or the patriarchy or Nazis (lol) then I am not sure why you are following me. Also if that describes you, you will hate this book.

It is my least favorite Kristen Miller book but her other two are my absolute favorites so that said, I still found this to be excellent. The premise will stay with me a long time.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC. Book to be published October 7, 2025.

📚: The Women of Wild Hill by Kirsten Miller
⭐️: 4.5/5 (rounding up on #goodreads)

There was one song playing on a loop in my head while reading this book — I Did Something Bad by Taylor Swift. (“They’re burning all the witches even if you aren’t one, so light me up. Light me up. Light me up, go ahead and light me up.”)

This book was great. The last 20% was *incredible* and deserving of the rounded up score. There was a lot of setting & familial relationship building within the book, which honestly, I just wanted to read more of their powers being used to better the world. (And to be clear, by bettering the world, I mean destroying evil men.)

Kirsten Miller’s books continue to be incredible, and honestly (sadly) so very timely. This reads well with current era feminine rage and the hope for something better sooner rather than later.

Big, huge thanks to William Morrow via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Women of Wild Hill is out this fall on 10/7 — be sure to add this one to your fall TBR!

Kirsten Miller has done it again! I loved Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books, so I could not wait to dive into her next novel. This one is witchy, funny, and full of heart. This is the story of three generations of Duncan women coming back to their magical roots in a fun mix of family, drama, secrets, and supernatural power. Brigid, Phoebe, and Sybil are a force to be reckoned with, especially when the three are together at Wild Hill. Kristen Miller is not afraid to tackle political themes, which made the story feel timely. This one is a must-read!

Words to describe The Women of Wild Hill: Empowering, Courageous, Steadfast and Unwavering! In a time of political unrest, Miller speaks through this book to every woman demanding to fight back from facism and a misogynistic world. The Duncan family Bloodline is a reminder to all women that our ancestors paved the path for every single one of us. To continue to fight for what is right and to not go out in vain. It was the perfect Prequel to The Change, and to see all the characters wrap into each other at the end left me wanting more. I took my time reading the last few chapters because I just didn't want it to end. Brigid, Phoebe, and Sybil remind us all that we all have our own powers and can move mountains but when our powers work together, it can create the best tidal wave this world will ever see! Thank you Kirsten Miller! I look forward to seeing how many witches wake up after reading this masterpiece!!

I am absolutely taken by this book. Is it magic? Is it witchcraft? It is the true masterful talent of Kirsten Miller on full display.

I first read Miller when The Change came out and loved the storytelling and blend of genres she gave us with a true breath of fresh air in the “witchy” genre. The Women of Wild Hill is her finely tuning that craft into perfection. It is such a beautiful experience to witness an authour take true flight in what they do and excel in every way.

Writing witches akin to Alice Hoffman, Miller is able to take our age old witches and gives them something new…rage. Female rage is on full display and brings me utter joy. From the sisterly bonding, communing with the dead, honing natural talents, to taking out men decimating the earth. This book is for ALL the women. All the women who have been torn down. All the women who have been called hysterical. All the women hurt and killed. For all the women who are right.

Gone Girl meets a Paris Paloma song, Miller gives us the witch stories we truly deserve while cackling with delight along the way; she brings us all home. Get your alter ready my lovelies, we are making a curse tonight.

“The Women of Wild Hill” by Kirsten Miller
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓

In classic @kirstenmillerbooks fashion, this book tackles political themes that have their finger on the pulse of today like only she can. I almost saw this as a sequel of “The Change”, but it can easily be treated as a stand alone. I will definitely be rereading that and then do a reread of this sometime soon. Miller has a way of writing fast paced stories with such depth that I know I missed some things the first time around. I read Lula Dean twice back to back last year for that same reason and this one will surely be on my TBR again before its release on 9/25/25. I cannot wait for everyone to read this beaut!!!

I was totally hooked from page one. Kristen Miller has this magical way with words that just pulls you into her world, and The Women of Wild Hill is even better than The Change (and I loved The Change).

Effortless POV shifts
What really blew me away was how effortlessly the POV shifted. You just know who’s talking because the voice and flow change naturally—no chapter headers needed. It’s seamless storytelling that gives each character their own vibe.

Calum’s big moment
His switch and the choice he makes are crucial, but they land a bit flat. A deeper dive into his inner thoughts—either leading up to the moment or in its aftermath—would’ve made it more emotionally powerful.

Witchy cameos = chef’s kiss
It’s always a thrill to revisit the witches from The Change, especially Harriet in full force. But since I read The Change a while ago, I nearly had to jog my memory. While I loved seeing them again, more context or reminders about their past actions would’ve helped tie things together.

Timeline needs clearer signposts
The link between the two books is clear, but without dates or timeline markers, I found it hard to place events in relation to one another. Even a line like “six months after the ritual” would’ve been super helpful for clarity.

Liam’s twist felt flat
The reveal that Liam has been with the women and speaking to Bessie wasn’t surprising—it had too many hints leading up to it. Because of that predictability, the moment didn’t hit as hard as it could’ve.

Still, the story is gripping. I kept turning pages, invested in what would come next. The characters feel real, and the shifting voices add so much emotional depth—you feel them, and it lands hard.

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📝 Final Takeaway

The Women of Wild Hill is beautifully written and packed with heart.

The seamless POV shifts and atmospheric writing are highlights, and revisiting the witches brings a satisfying sense of continuity. Despite some minor nitpicks—more build-up for Calum, clearer timeline markers, and a twist that surprised—it never detracted from this amazing story.

In our current global climate, it’s all too easy to feel powerless as a woman. Stories like this—where women reclaim voice, agency, and power—are exactly what we need right now. The Women of Wild Hill doesn’t just tell a story—it empowers us to reclaim ours, too.

Highly recommend for anyone craving an atmospheric, character-driven tale with powerful female presence and emotional punch.

Kirsten Miller has done it again. This book actually gives me hope. Well written and very engaging! Her characters are well developed and fascinating. The book was dystopian in nature but also felt very timely with what is going on in the world. It had me wishing the Duncan women existed to help us out of the situation we are currently in. This was a fabulous read!

Gratitude to William Morrow, who provided ARCs of this novel to attendees at the #BookHuddle retreat in Victoria, Canada.

Brigid, Phoebe, and Sybil are the latest in a long line of women who have been gifted by the Old One. Generations of women in their family have passed down knowledge of a prophecy, where their family would produce the Three, who will turn the tide and right the wrongs that have been committed against the world.

This novel was fun that will appeal to anyone feeling existential dread about the state of the world. While not a direct sequel to "The Change", some characters from there show up here and the events of that novel are alluded to here so I would recommend reading that one first.

“I’m the kind of witch who gets things done.”

Fun, fantastical and a little dark.

On Wild Hill, three witches are fated to begin a new age—one in which <i>women like us </i>reclaim our rightful place in the world. Their story is told with a heavy dose of tongue-in-cheek feminism.

“Growing up, the girls had always laughed at the silly stories in which mermaids and goddesses let their gifts be diminished by mortal men. Now, Brigid and Phoebe were living inside one of those cautionary tales..”

I’m not generally a fan of magical realism with ghosts, the ghosts in this story were part of a straightforward family line and were mostly featured through the chapters on their backstories (as living people). All in all, the book didn’t totally land for me, it was all a little silly and egregious and heavy handed.

The best parts were where the author leaned into the story as an allegory about privilege and climate change, sexism and empowerment, life and death.

“Mankind has wreaked havoc on the earth. The Old One must use every tool she has to restore it. Storms, drought, fires, floods—they’re powerful, of course, but they’re not precise. They kill indiscriminately. Sometimes nature must get right to the root of the problem, and so she turns to women like us…

“When we catch the flu, what do our bodies do?” Flora asked Phoebe, whose gift for healing had advanced to mending broken bird wings and curing squirrels of mange. “Sneeze, cough, run a fever,” Phoebe recited. “Exactly,” said Flora. “That’s how our immune system fights disease. It’s the same for the Old One. Heat is the fever that scorches invaders. Storms are a bit like her coughs and sneezes.” “What disease is she fighting?” Brigid inquired. “Mankind,” Flora told them.

I also enjoyed this, almost too-close-to-home, critique of power and privilege, corruption and greed, callous indifference to the impact on and suffering of all but the wealthiest and most powerful people and nature - and the role of media in today’s political discourse and shaping widespread beliefs.

”My guess is the truth never reached them because they all watched AMN. America’s Media Network, my ass. If you ask me, the motherfucker who owned AMN did more damage to this country than anyone in history. Even when the news about Salt Lake started to come out, the AMN anchors kept insisting it was all a conspiracy.”

“Brigid couldn’t believe that there were still deniers. These days they usually fell into one of two camps: those who were certain their God would swoop in and save them—and those determined to plunder every resource that was left.”

I was thrilled to receive the ARC from NetGalley! Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books was my favorite read last year… 3.5 stars

Both Lula Library and The Change made my Top Reads lists for 2023 and 2024, so when I found myself in a bit of a reading rut, I turned to Kirsten Miller again to pull me out and The Women of Wild Hill did not disappoint.

I loved about 95% of this book. It takes its time getting the present-day story rolling, as we dive deep into the Duncan family history but honestly, I didn’t mind one bit. The backstory is absolutely fascinating. There are witches, poisoners, Nazi-hunters, women burned at the stake, and so many ghosts. Each women has such a unique and flushed out story and I just loved it! Even though we meet Brigid and Phoebe in the present and they’re our main POCs, the history of their ancestors was stellar.

Brigid especially stood out for me. She’s complex, fierce, and flawed in all the best ways. Phoebe, was good too and created to the opposite of Brigid She’s smart, empathetic, and full of growth but like damn Phoebe, maybe actually talk to your sister. Their story is a whirlwind of death, reconciliation, sisterhood, romance, secrets, and a very a dose of feminist rage and magic.

This book is definitely Miller’s most overtly feminist yet like, yes, it’s very “fight the patriarchy,” and while I hate calling it “woke,” it’s unapologetically bold in its messaging (and I loved that). If that’s your vibe, you’re going to have a blast with this one.

Also, Harriet fans you’ll be happy. There’s a cameo that ties The Change into this universe, so I highly recommend reading that one first to avoid small spoilers and get the full experience.

Kirsten Miller is now firmly on my auto-buy list. Her writing is sharp, immersive, and electric with righteous fury and wit. I already miss this wild, witchy world. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

The Women of Wild Hill comes out October 7, 2025. Huge thank you to William Morrow for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books.
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I got this book as an advanced reader copy through NetGalley. I absolutely loved it. Also I am convinced had I been born in another time I would have been branded a witch. This story was so much fun. The characters are rich and have interesting back stories and you really get to see how butterfly effect choices brought them all to a singular place in time. It was an awesome story, fun and quick. I want to read more from Kristen Miller.

Kirsten Miller is the witchy aunt we all need. This is intergenerational vengeance with roots deep in the soil of sisterhood, rage, and redemption. From a haunted patch of land on Long Island to fame in California and secret spells in Texas, The Women of Wild Hill weaves a tale of forgotten magic and family scars with biting wit and brilliant prose. It’s a perfectly timed hex for readers of The Change, The Once and Future Witches, and anyone who’s ever muttered ‘I could fix this world with three women and a bottle of wine.

Wild Hill in NY is a powerful place where generations of the Duncan family lives, each new era instilling different gifts. As the earth and mankind suffer, it is up to these witchy women to help set humanity on a different course.

I am a huge fan of Kirsten Miller, with The Change being one of my favorite books in the last couple of years. If you loved her other books, you will be enraptured as you dig into The Women of Wild Hill, a story about how a family of witches work to rid the world of evil men and help heal our broken planet.

Told in both the present, through the POVs of the Duncan sisters Brigid, a movie star/entertainment mogul, and Phoebe, a healer, and Phoebe's daughter Sybil, a chef and over the years through their many powerful ancestors. Each character is unique and so well crafted that their idiosyncrasies and personality traits are truly believable. The mystical element is also beautifully woven into this story of pain, loss, magic and being punished by the patriarchy. I a truly engaging story that I couldn't put down. 5 stars.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

Give me more!! I absolutely loved this book! Kristen Miller is one of my auto buy authors and love her writing style. The witchy vibes were off the chart in this read...the sister storlyline was epic. I devoured this book in two days and was disappointed only because the story was over. Highly recommend

I really enjoyed the latest by Kirsten Miller. It has the same wit and bite of her previous novels.. The worldbuilding in this novel around the legacy of witches was something I loved.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A novel full of women, witches, and rage—what’s not to like? We follow the Duncan family, the keepers of Wild Hill. These powerful women have been given a task from the Old One, one that will allow them to take back the world and nature from the oppressive men and companies who seek to control it and use it for their own purposes.

Phoebe, Brigid, and Sybil are the Three, the ones destined to fulfill the Old One’s vision and turn the tide. Each woman has her own part to play. Each has been following in the footsteps of the Duncan women who came before them.

I loved the ancestors in this novel and seeing how their stories came to pass. The mixing of past and present was really seamless and allowed for such fun storytelling, in addition to intrigue building. I loved the different kinds of magical gifts the women in the Duncan family had and seeing how those gifts worked together toward their common goal.

I did struggle to get through this novel as quickly as I would have liked—the beginning didn’t hook me right away and I had to really push myself through the first 15-20%, but after that I really felt like the story took off and I got invested in what was happening.

Overall, it was a great story of magic, family, and feminine rage!

3.5⭐️ rounded up
very cute, and i love characters that are a little rough around the edges. my complaint however is that the writing felt very lackluster and the ending was a bit anticlimactic after a huge build up