It was a captivating read full of twists and turns and women empowerment. It perfectly describes how we as women oftentimes feel living in the world built by men for men.

The character were believable and well-written, making for convincing friendships and romance.

A unique magic system is what makes it stand out in the world full of copy paste fantasy!

Thank you for this ACR and I hope to continue this journey of both fury and vulnerability!

This was an impressive book, and a debut! The magic system is advanced but well explained. The plot is captivating and engaging. It's written in a nice prose that goes well with the atmosphere of the book. Loved it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

3.75/5

let me just start by saying this book did a lot of great things. i was immediately intrigued by the plot, especially with the promise of a bunch of men hating women creatures, a gothic victorian atmosphere, and a magic system informed by past trauma. i could not put the first 45% of this book down—i thought it was a whirlwind with great pacing, the perfect amount of violence (against men, mostly heh) and the introduction of what i figured was going to be a second chance romance.

things drastically slowed down as soon as the main plot line was introduced. the story started dragging, and everything kind of felt a little bit too on the nose, maybe? and i was also a little bothered that for a feminist piece it seemed like most of the women could not stop talking about their relationships with men to the point where i feel like it was the main focus of most conversations. i really wanted to see more exploration of the dynamic and relationships between those in the hell witch coven, so i’m hoping for a big tone shift for the next book. nothing of note really happened for a solid 40% of the book (at least nothing of depth), and the ending felt extremely rushed. plot points as well as dialogue amongst main characters got pretty repetitive, too.

this would have been a three star read but i decided to bump it up because of the amount of potential the next book has.

Song of the Hell Witch by @tmhartleywrites published recently and it's their debut novel. I really enjoyed this story and I'm super impressed with it being a debut. I was hooked all the way through, from start to finish. Prudence (Pru) is our main protagonist and she's a hell witch, which means she has unique powers. She grew up as an orphan and lived off the streets until she grew up and married into high society. She hides her power instead of learning to control it and therefore ends up in a tizzy. In comes Puck, lord of the thieves and Pru's ex-flame. She runs to him for help except he's not what she remembers and he has a daughter that he prioritizes. Yet, he can't say no to her and off they go on a dangerous mission that just gets more dangerous as they venture. The story builds up to an action packed ending that has me excited for the sequel. I really enjoyed all the characters and the plots - it's diverse and the setting has a Victorian/steampunk-ish feel. The society is built as a highly religious patriarchy so of course they're against women having any sort of power. My favorite aspect of the story was probably the magic system Hartley created for how a woman becomes a hell witch. If you're currently experiencing feminine rage, but also want softness, I highly recommend this book for spooky season.

Thank you to @netgalley and @alcovepress for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Prudence Merriweather has secrets. She may be the Duchess, but she grew up on the streets, and trauma turned her into a "hell witch": a woman who takes a monstrous form. When her husband dies, she must flee, and she runs to her childhood love, Puck. Puck is now a widower and a father to a very sick daughter. With his daughter growing sicker and the only place to find a cure also being women who can help Pru, they must avoid religious zealots to try and make their way there.

I adored this premise. The trauma forcing the women to change was a stunning examination into the power of women, especially when they are being oppressed. The use of religion and zealots made it even more powerful. This is a feminist tale. It has a romance element, but it is also about sacred rage.

I am so glad I read this. It feels incredibly timely right now. Pick it up. It is worth it!

Thank you to Net Galley and Alcove Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Song of the Hell Witch is a darkly enchanting tale that balances feminist fire with tender romance, and I found myself swept up in its atmospheric world. Prudence and Puck’s dynamic is layered with history, heartbreak, and hope, making their second-chance romance as gripping as the perilous journey they undertake. The magic system is both chilling and empowering, especially in the way it ties to the book’s themes of women reclaiming their power against a suffocating patriarchy. While some parts leaned heavier on setup than payoff, the emotional heart of the story, between Pru, Puck, and Bea, kept me invested until the very end. A fierce, moving romantasy that earns its four stars.

THIS. BOOK!!!!!! I absolutely inhaled this book. The FMC is so strong and empowering. The MMC is sexy and supportive. The found family was amazing and so well-written. I seriously loved this book so much, and cannot wait for book 2! I also found the topic and storyline of this book very useful in regards to the political atmosphere right now.

2.75 ⭐ An exciting debut but I'm left a tad underwhelmed overall.

There were several aspects of this story and narrative that I enjoyed - strong female representation, deep lore/world-building rooted in religious oppression and persecution, the power that comes with the connection of womanhood, facing our traumas - and it was an entertaining read! The magics and transformations of the Hell Witches and the unique powers they each held tied with songs was so intricate.

However, I also felt that several of the positives I found in this book were mirrored with some HEAVY negatives. There is such a thing as "too feminist" and "feminine rage" felt like a trope used here to help push lacking dialogue rather than a tool that developed our character's personalities or plot. We 180-ed so often between "all men are evil" and "but this guy is great" and "All men are babies" (direct quote) and "He's the best man we could ask for" (direct quote) and "disemboweling the entire male species" (direct quote)... it just felt like being on a seesaw. I'm a huge fan of female revenge, especially in fantasy settings, but this felt VERY forced VERY often.

Other small gripes:
- Beatrice should have been 14-15 years old; her being 8 years old was completely ridiculous for the level of maturity and developed speech she had in this book.
- Were any of these characters actually friends? Spoilers: Marigold saves Beatrice multiple times, watches after her, travels with another Hell Witch and delivers her to a magical sanctuary for life-saving care, monitors her progress at said-sanctuary while her father is gone.. and when Puck shows up and Marigold greets him, Puck AND Pru are assholes for literally no reason over all of the events previous. The amount of RELIEF these two should have been expressing (not even going to mention gratitude) instead is bananas. And this kind of behavior continued throughout the story, over and over.
- This second-chance romance felt more love-hate or insta-love to me... and I'll be honest it did not feel convincing. The very vague and messy way these two ADULTS handled talking about their feelings or (elephant in the room) Puck's very recently dead wife of 10+ years was cringe.
- This is marketed as an adult romantasy but it read more like a YA fantasy. And to be totally honest... I think this story would have benefited more if it was written as a YA contemporary fantasy.
- Spoilers: If I had a nickel for every time a religious mythological angel man carrying my evil brother-in-law came crashing through my window to kill me and my boyfriend(?), I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird it happened twice in the same book.

This was a wonderful debut novel by Taylor Hartley! The themes of feminism, religious oppression, and finding strength through trauma were handled super well and gave the story a lot of depth. I was into the overall plot. It kept me engaged even if some parts were a little predictable or felt a bit too convenient at times.

I wasn’t totally sold on the second-chance romance between Pru and Puck. Their back-and-forth felt more sour than sweet to me. Still, I’m curious to see where the story goes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All reviews will be posted to my socials (NetGalley, Goodreads, Instagram, Fable).

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Song of the Hell Witch was an intense, beautifully crafted fantasy that struck me with its raw emotion and unapologetic energy. Taylor Hartley’s writing is both lyrical and sharp, weaving a dark, fiery world that pulses with feminine rage, vengeance, and power. From the first few chapters, I knew this story would be different it’s not just about witches and fire, but about reclaiming voice, survival, and strength in the face of relentless cruelty.

The characters are layered and compelling, each of them carrying pain, secrets, and choices that shape the brutal path ahead. The protagonist’s voice was stunningly written, filled with a mix of fury and vulnerability that made her unforgettable. The themes of revenge, justice, and the strength of women were powerful and felt threaded through every page. Hartley doesn’t shy away from darkness this book burns with it but also infuses moments of hope, resilience, and solidarity.

What stood out most to me was how visceral the storytelling felt. Every description, every moment of conflict was alive with intensity, drawing me deeper into the inferno of this world. The pacing was solid, the tension high, and the magic was as dangerous as it was alluring. While there were a few moments where I wished for a little more clarity in the lore, the overall experience was gripping and fierce.

This book is a hymn of anger and defiance, written with poetic strength and fire. A dark fantasy that is unafraid to let its heroines rage, Song of the Hell Witch left me both haunted and inspired.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC of this powerful novel.

This book wasn't what I expected... it was SO MUCH BETTER. I will be thinking about this book for a long, long time and anxiously anticipating a sequel.

There is a beautifully complex second-chance romantasy subplot full of heartache and tension woven through this tale, however, there is so much more. This book handled a number of heavy topics in such a magnificently tragic depiction of a country riddled with rampant sexism, power-hungry zealots, and the persecution of anyone who breaks the mold. A story full of feminine rage and female empowerment that is relatable to so many. The trauma-fueled magic system resonated with me in a way that's hard to put into words, bringing to mind all of the times my rage and hurt needed an outlet I could not find.

I absolutely loved the story! It had interesting characters and a relatively unique magic system to my collection. I felt the pacing was steady, which helped in keeping me entertained throughout the book. The story was mostly plot driven, but especially our FMC Prudence has some decent character development. If you’re a fan of female rage (and women with magical powers), this book will most likely be up your alley!

Something about the writing style though was just not for me: the book was very easy to read and maybe that was what bothered me a bit.. There is also quite some info dumping regarding the world building you’ll need to work through, which I wasn’t a fan of.

All in all, I did really enjoy this and would recommend! Thank you to Netgalley and Alcove Press for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I didn’t love this. It’s not a bad book but just not for me. The beginning is a bit confusing and was very hard to push through only because it felt like we were getting so much info all at the beginning. The anger and stark contrast between the male and female characters and how they are seen isn’t something I loved. I will try this at another point when I’m not so busy and have time to really try to deep dive into the world and character building!

This book is INCREDIBLE. I got so wrapped up in this world where all women have the capability of receiving magic to transform into different kinds of “monsters” (usually when something traumatic happens in their lives), set in a patriarchal society where they need to stay secret. The FMC finds herself suddenly on the run with her childhood best friend to lover who she hasn’t spoken to in 10+ years when his daughter is in need of a healer. Finally a romantasy with 30-40 somethings 🙌 and their past is complicatedddd. This does not shy away from the real world- he’s the lord of thieves and she has a past in **x work. I was dying for them to figure their ish out all within this high stakes world (with excellent worldbuilding).

This has tons of action and it does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, I am so hoping this will be a duology so I can get resolution ASAP as I know it will be so well won. Thank you to Alcove for the ARC.

⭐⭐⭐.25 | 3.25 stars rounded down

This is definitely a book for the angry girlies.

This is a romantasy with a unique concept. I really enjoyed the magic system in this story: magic awakens in women after they experience some sort of trauma. I also appreciated the consistent theme of female rage and sisterhood throughout. However, the witches were extremely 2D and were only good, while all men (except the MMC) were bad, which felt reductive to me.

Sadly, I didn't feel much chemistry between the main characters at all and found their romance the least compelling part of the story. I did love Bea, the MMC's daughter, and Marigold, the MMC's best friend, though, and wish we got more of them.

While I love the idea of this book, it lacks some nuance in how it uses metaphors throughout and addresses themes of religion and oppression. I wish the author trusted her audience more to garner meaning instead of being so overt throughout.

Additionally, the pacing was a bit wild - swinging from everything happening at once to massive info dumps and a sense that nothing is moving.

I think many peeople will love this book, but I'm not sure I'll pick up the second book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

DNF
Unfortunately, Song of the Hell With is one of those few books I wasn't invested enough to continue reading. Nothing caught my attention, the story wasn't thrilling or interesting enough, and the writing was a bit confusing in places too.

This book is going to be very popular among a certain audience.

I am not that audience but for young women who have just realized that there is an imbalance between men and women, that men are privileged and that fundamental religious dogma was created to keep women oppressed, this will be an exciting novel. Secret powers for women only when they are faced with trauma it triggers magical transformation.

For the rest of us it's full of black and white thinking. The metaphors are so clunky and obvious. It's an allegory. All men bad! All women good! (Except for our poor MMC who is an exception because he is a dad. )
I actually don't know why the author even bothered to write in a MMC. The FMC does say at one point that she enjoys the company of women.
The MMC spends his most of his time being injured and moves from being useless, obtuse, impetuous and uncontrollably angry.

We are supposed to believe that this is an older 2nd chance romance but the MCs are so immature.

The sex scenes are dull and unnecessary. There is no depth with the characters and no motivation for them to be together other than they were separated at 17 and 18 but their love for each other could not die.

The author has thought a lot about creating a world and is quite excited about it as she dumps most of it in the first chapter.

Its not a very complicated world. Imagine a world that is a weak imitation of cromwellian religious fervor and witch trials, Victorian Street urchins with a dash of early 20th century suffragette movements. Our Auburn haired MMC likes to throw out the occasional "oi" and "mate" in case you wanted a better picture of his background. And his best friend would not be out of place on RuPaul's drag race representing our gorgeously well dressed and made up Trans rep.

Oh there is some magic in here too. It's just not worth exploring as the magic system expands to include whatever the author feels is needed.
If I hadn't picked this novel up as an ARC I would not have finished it. But there was a lot of buzz around it in the fantasy romance spaces I inhabit. I feel like there will be a lot of happy readers and good for them but I don't feel the characters or the world have given me any reason to continue on to the next novel. (As this novel ends on a cliffhanger).

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for this eARC.

Break the mold of fluffy Romantasy - YES
Dark feminist fantasy - YES
Lyrical, powerful and raw - SO YES
Solid story with lots of action - YES
Solidarity, struggle and empowerment - YES, YES, YES

The second chance romance is a definite sub-plot to the story unfolding around it. What these hell witches endured is rage-inducing but that ending?? Buckle all the way up!!

4.25 stars!!! This book has EVERYTHING: female rage, a mute child, a diverse collection of hell witches (both in gender, orientation, and power), a waterfall called Pete, stupid stupid men, brilliant brilliant women, and a crazy cool political/religious world!

The concept of a hell witch, a woman who changed and developed magic earned from the goddess mother based on how their feminine rage burst out of them in a moment of need, is so incredibly relevant today. As Taylor swift (and many others) have said, F the Patriarchy!!! And that is exactly what Prudence and her sisters are trying to do - from fighting back in small ways against the men that oppress them personally to full scale dismantling the system meant to keep women seen and not heard.

Prudence’s anger and fire, driven by love, is relatable and important in today’s world - to fight back but to keep who you are at the heart of it all. Her second chance with Thief King Puck is a subplot, but one that is so very earned by two people who have been apart for more than a decade and grown into who they were meant to be - and finally able to choose each other, as well as the lives they’ve built. The respect he shows for her and the other women is wonderful - if only all men could be like him!!

After that ending, I simply cannot wait to see what happens next! Thanks so much to Taylor Hartley and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.