Song of the Hell Witch is a dark feminist fantasy with a second chance romance, and it delivers both beautifully.

I loved the women in this tale, who are fierce, loyal, and complex. The instant sisterhood between them was one of my favorite parts.

The worldbuilding is incredible, with a super detailed religion and magic system that feels timely and very realistic given the current state of the world. I especially appreciated the lore around the hell witches, the Spectabra crystals, enchantments, and the mysterious Dark Mother. I would have loved to understand more about how all of that connects into the actual magic and how it fits into the Lightbringer religion - maybe we’ll get more in book two?

The turns towards the end were unexpected and I can’t wait to see how the story continues for everyone, but especially Pru and Puck. Their dynamic was so angsty from the start, and I’m definitely rooting for them, but things are getting complicated.

If you’re into dark fantasy with strong feminist themes, complex magic systems, and stories of sisterhood like Alix E. Harrow's Once and Future Witches, this book is a great pick.

✨ Disclaimer ✨ I received a free copy of this book and this is my honest review.

Song of the Hell Witch
by Taylor Hartley
Fantasy
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Sept 9, 2025
Alcove Press
Ages: 16+

After her sister's death, at a young age, Prudence became a street rat, lifting coins and jewels from the nobles. Then, after spending time making a living in a brothel, she uses those years to learn how to act and dress like a noble, marrying the Duke of Talonsbury. Lucky for her, her new husband thinks her being a Hell Witch is exciting, and he will protect her, his property, from his brother and his cult, who believe all Hell Witches are to be burned at the stake.

But being back in Talonsbury also brings Puck Reed back into her life, her first love, the boy she left.

Puck, the Thief Lord of Talonsbury, has a lot on his shoulders. Those who live in the slums with him depend on him to help them survive, but his daughter is suffering from a mysterious illness, and it's slowly killing her.

After an attempted assassination against her life, Pru.....spoiler..., runs to Puck for help escaping the city.


Even though this isn't listed as a series, it is, and this is the first book, ending with a cliffhanger. The story did start a little slow, but as it went on, things picked up just a little, then stayed pretty constant and predictable. (Think the witch burnings, with a small twist.) That's not a bad thing, but since it was predictable, it was kind of a boring read. Except the ending... I was expecting something else, but it didn't happen.

The characters' story lines were straightforward, with flashbacks and reminiscing to explain their pasts. There could've been fewer clothing descriptions and more action, but every book needs filler.

There is violence, death, and romance, but those scenes aren't vividly described, so it is suitable for readers sixteen and older.

As for the title of the book, 'spoiler'. The cover is neat and has relevance to the story.

This wasn't a bad story, and even though it ended in a major cliffhanger, I'm not sure if I want to read the next in the series.

3 Stars

This is quite simply a great romantasy read that's easy to fall right into.

I have not been this emotionally messed up from finishing a book since my ARC for Our Infinite Fates by Laura Stevens at the beginning of this year.

Even though I guessed correctly at one of the major plot twists, I was not remotely prepared for how it made me feel. Left gutted and devastated is actually not an exaggeration. The end of this book left me in tears, staring at my ceiling. It's not even specifically that I loved the characters that deeply - it's more so what they represented individually that I found deeply moving + powerful.

The themes in this book may not be for everyone; however, if you find you have a little fire in your blood - or better yet, a little Hell Witch - then this book is certainly for you!

Thank you to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) of Song of the Hell Witch by Taylor Hartley.

One Star means there was absolutely NOTHING in this book that could have saved it a little for me.

Once again this is labeled as adult... these characters speak nothing like an adult ever would. I am convinced I myself at 16 had a broader range of vocabulary then Puck, Prudence et al. The conversations just didn't flow? Very choppy and certain words would take me out of what little world the author built.

Speaking of world building WHERE WAS IT?? It was so cut and dry, it seemed like the author took current events and placed them in the book because I don't know why? Lack of imagination? Obviously you can base events of your book off current events but the fact that really nothing was changed, author didn't embellish, or tone down anything.. just leaves me sitting here going "oh so I'm reading a current event's news article... great". Books are supposed to take you on a new journey, take you out of the crappy world and this one kept me in it??

The whole Salem Witch Trial/handmaid tale trope feels overwritten at this point. This book provided nothing new except maybe that the women who experienced trauma gained powers. That part was unique I will give the book THAT.

Overall I wouldn't recommend this at all. It felt like the turbulent emotions/rage from a journal the author had that should have stayed in that journal. Should be labeled as young adult and maybe some of the things that didn't click could be smoothed over by the YA label. The VERY REAL witch trials targeted REAL women. So that didn't fly with me the addition of that character.

I think some people may love it and some people will hate it. Unfortunately this wasn't for me.

A one-time criminal, hell witch Prudence Merriweather, has clawed her way to the top of society and now enjoys power as the Duchess of Talonsbury. But one night Prudence's magic turns on her and she is forced to flee. She needs to get to the hell witch safe haven of Stormlash and for that she will need help. She turns to the one person she can think to help, Puck, her one-time love whom she hasn't seen in twelve years. Widower Puck is a thief and also the father of a gravely daughter. When Prudence arrives asking for help, she makes it clear that the hell witches can also help Bea. And so, begins the journey to Stormlash and possibly a second chance at happiness.

This book was 100% not what I was expecting. I have said this before, but it bears repeating; feminism and misandry are not the same thing, and this book had way too much man-hating, female rage for my taste. I did think the trauma-based magic was an interesting concept, but the story didn’t stay on point and the super slow-burn, second-chance romance combined with a cliffhanger ending was a complete fail for me. Overall, I think that this author may have found an untapped niche in romantasy that may appeal to some readers, but this is not a series I have any desire to continue with.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

I got sucked into this book right away and had to finish it as soon as I could. The way trauma fuels magic here felt powerful and raw, and it made me think about how often women’s rage has been a source of strength. Prudence and Puck’s chemistry kept me hooked, and the darker moments gave the story real kick.

The pacing dragged here and there, but the story wasn’t too long. I’m already excited to see where this series goes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This was a solid fantasy debut that has the potential to be an amazing series! Everything about it had me interested right from the beginning. I loved the world and magic in this. All of the characters were well done (I loved Mari) and had depth to them.

This book encapsulates the feeling of fem rage perfectly. It's dark and emotional, yet sweet and beautiful at the same time. The absolute trauma that the women in this book go through made me want to scream and trauma bond with them too.

The romance was a slow burn but a fairly satisfying burn. I can't wait to see where it goes.

I need the second book ASAP please.

This was such an atmospheric and engaging read. It pulled me in with its mix of second-chance romance, political intrigue, and a really unique magic system. I loved how the story balanced tenderness with tension. The romance between Pru and Puck had so much history and tension, and watching them navigate their shared past while facing new threats kept me engaged.

Women stepping into their power and the fight against oppressive systems was cultivated in a way that felt empowering and fresh, without ever being heavy-handed. I especially enjoyed the sense of found family and loyalty that ran through the book—it gave the darker, more dangerous moments a lot of heart.

If I had one critique, it’s that some pacing moments felt a little uneven; I wanted just a bit more depth in places to really flesh out certain emotional scenes. But overall, this was a captivating, magical story.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove press for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review. The opinions in this review are my own

With Fall and Spooky season just around the corner I think this book is going to be perfect for readers to add to their TBR's. I really enjoyed this debut novel by the author and it was nice to read a Romantasy book with different themes and characters then the ones we are use to. What I really loved about this book was its unique magic system, the plethora of supportive characters with strong LGBTQIA+ representations as well as the plot. This book had some of my favorite Romantasy tropes like second chance romance, slow burn, found family, and feminine rage. I also really liked that the romance was second to the plot.

The main plot of this book centers around the world of Leora where woman are being oppressed by aggressive/radical religious zealots and believers that threaten the lives and livelihood of woman forced to live in this patriarchal society. Our FMC Prudence Merriweather who has clawed her way up from street rat thief to glamorous/elegant Duchesses of Talonsbury, has a dangerous secret that she is hiding that could put her life in danger. What is her secret you may ask? Well Prue is a Hell Witch, which the men of this world hate and are trying to eliminate before they are overthrown. One night Prue's magic turns against her when she accidently kills her husband forcing her to become a fugitive on the run, and who does she run to for help? None other then her childhood love Puck Reed., our MMC aka Thief King of Talonsbury. He is a green flag do-gooder girl dad to 10 year old Beatrice who has a strange illness that is wreaking havoc and putting her life in jeopardy. Puck will stop at nothing to find a cure for Bea's mysterious illness. Prue asks Puck to help smuggler her out of the City so she can find a group of other Hell Witch lady assassins' where so can not only find safety but help the women to over throw the radical believers and but an end to the patriarchy. Puck and Mari his best friend agree to help Prue and they are instantly thrust into an action packed life threatening adventure where they are not only trying to cure Bea, save Prue but also help/scheme on ways to over throw the current patriarchy, all while Prue and Puck work out their feelings.

This book had me engaged from the very beginning, had some pacing issues in the middle, and had me staying up late to finish the last 100 pages. And that cliffhanger has me chomping at the bit for book 2. The only reason this was not a 5 star read in addition to the pacing issue, was while I appreciate the authors feminine message I did struggle at times with how strongly and powerfully the message came across, making me uncomfortable at times. If this is the authors debut novel I cannot wait to see what else she writes.

Song of the Hell Witch is a dark and magical romantasy with a really unique twist where trauma fuels power. Prudence and Puck’s chemistry is great, and I especially loved the found-family feel with Puck’s daughter. The pacing drags a little at times, but overall it’s a fresh and emotional read that I really enjoyed— this was a solid 4 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received Song of the Hell Witch as an advance copy which had no page numbers and would not register a percent finished on my Kindle. So I honestly had no idea how much longer I had to the end. I checked goodreads and it wasn’t tagged as a series, so I just figured it was a long book and went back to the story. So imagine my surprise when literally the world comes crashing down and it ends so abruptly that I’m left GUTTED.
But I have to say … this was so damn enjoyable to read.

Imagine the banded heist tribe of Six of Crows + the moody dark magic aura of One Dark Window and then throw in some witches and Salem-esque religious witch hunts and then somehow, make it wholly unique and like nothing I’ve ever read before. Yeah, I know. It was awesome.

This book was paced lightning fast with clever dialogue and characters that immediately won my whole heart. It’s dramatic and full of rage and female power, a rainbow of representation and a gut wrenching lost love story. It’s about the power of found family and knowing who you are and wielding your strengths against oppression and evil. Was this full of a male negative narrative? Yes.
But was our MMC also written as the ragtag thief of my dreams? Also yes.
Were there some plot holes that I refuse to acknowledge? Yes.
Do I actually care? Absolutely not.
Sometimes it doesn’t matter. Sometimes it’s just perfect vibes and fun times and this book was nothing but a super good time.

If you love any of the books mentioned above, if you enjoy a reunited romantasy with slightly older MCs that reads both sweet and exciting, if you love a fast paced story with tons of action and a cast of personalities that will run your poor little mind through a labyrinth of feelings? Then this is for you. You will love this book.

A thank you to Alcove Press for gifting me an advance copy and effectively destroying my life until the second book is released. Love you.

First of all, I'd like everyone to know that this is not a standalone but rather the first book in a series. Unfortunately, I did not find this info anywhere, so I was very confused by the pacing of the book until I realized that the story was supposed to continue.

Anyway, this was a great book and an interesting read! It delivers what it promises: an adventure and a second-chance romance. Our protagonist, Pru, is a Hell Witch, and is living her best life as a Duchess, until she accidentally commits a serious crime and is forced to flee to escape certain death. And who should she ask for help smuggling her away if not her old flame she betrayed years prior, Puck? Thus starts their perilous journey, full of dangers, resentment, feelings and fantastic side characters.

Not only is the plot engaging, though quite slow to develop (which I actually enjoyed), but the characters are fantastic. Pru and Puck are interesting and believable, and I definitely rooted for them. Given that they are a bit older than the usual fantasy MCs, their histories are complicated and so human, full of regret, missed chances but also tough choices and happiness lost. I really loved watching them battle between their feelings and their fears of repeating past mistakes.

Plus, the cast of side characters is amazing. I loved meeting the different kind of witches, and I loved the LGBT representation: it felt natural and smooth, not forced at all. As it should be! They, too, were flawed individuals who were still loveable and relatable.

The magic system was interesting as well: I liked the idea of trauma as a medium to develop magic. After all, women experiment trauma in many fantasy settings, at least they can gain something out of it in this one. Which is great since I'm honestly tired of fantasy books exploiting women's trauma as a shock value or just "for the atmosphere". This was a breath of fresh air.

I have only a few bones to pick with this book. One is that I honesly kept forgetting Bea's age: she read like a small child and then like a teenager. I'm sorry, I understand the concept of being "wise for your age" but this was a bit too much in my opinion. Then, I also understand that these women suffered because of men, and I think that sadly many women in real life will relate to this... but I still could not get behind the way the Hell Witches treated literally every single man over the age of 18. Yes, go get all the bad men and punish them, but maybe let's not act like there are no good men out there. Again, I get it, and I think it would have been fine if they had just been wary of men - but they were hateful to a toxic degree.

Anyway, those were just small issues I had with the narrative and they did not ruin the reading experience. I do also think that not everyone will be bothered by them.

If you like your fantasy books to be adventurous, romantic with a slow burn, full of loveable and flawed people, and you appreciate LGBT rep,feminist issues and a creative magic system, than Song of the Hell Witch is perfect for you and you should definitely pick it up!

⭐️ 3.5 (rounded up to 4!)

This is incredibly unique for a Romantasy and I have a soft spot for Victorian-inspired Gaslamp fantasy; these are two factors that greatly carry my rating of this book.

A single father MMC who had a wife he loved and a life before the FMC was refreshing after book after book featuring a shadowy man, hundreds of years old, who'd somehow never loved anyone before. Puck Reed is also kind without being toothless, a line I find most MMCs can't toe properly. He definitely has a personality that's not just "wow I love my love interest" (that's quite common, too). That being said, it does sometimes feel like instead it's "I have a daughter. Did you know I have a daughter? I love my daughter!" It's a bit tiring. I do know people say their children are their entire world, and I'm not critiquing that, but rather saying I'd love to see more interactions between the two characters (Puck and his daughter) so that I might understand their closeness rather than be told about it. Prudence is neither here nor there for me. I like her! But I think that highlights my main critique about most characters within the story, I really wish there was...more to them. I'm not sure precisely how you'd improve the characters of this book but there's something lacking and stagnant.

I really appreciated the atmosphere of Talonsbury. Foggy cobblestone streets, Victorian dresses, gunpowder firearms. That's awesome. This might be a little niche but the aesthetic/setting reminded me of Carnival Row, a TV show that I really enjoyed visually, so I'm biased there. But the story in Talonsbury is a surprisingly slow start that doesn't explore the setting as much as I'd like. The action should be breakneck based on the actions taken by characters but that action takes too long to move scene to scene to keep tension. I think that's why some readers might feel the beginning crawls rather than sprints. In classic romantasy fashion, the main bit of actual fantasy tension happens in the final 15% of the book and the rest? The rest is mainly romance. The romance is sweet with a twinge of pain from a complicated past, making this a second-chance book and I thought that was fun. Overall, for a debut, I'd think it was done well!

Hannah Whitten is mentioned as a similar author and I would say that is exactly the author that came to mind while reading Song of the Hell Witch. It is particularly similar prose/vibe-wise to Whitten's The Foxglove King. If you loved that book, I think you'd love this one.

There is a lot of representation in this book! It was lovely to read about so many women, particularly queer women who loved each other, and a world where their past influences their magic. That is a very cool idea, and even though there were moments when it was messily explained or the details were foggy, it's an interesting enough magic system to carry and compliment the feminist themes. It would've been more satisfying, however, if these women had more screentime. Perhaps there was too many of them for the page count and some of them really didn't stand out. Marigold, the main duo's best friend and transwoman, was particularly engaging as a character however. In fact, she was layered in a way I found others lacking within the book, which left me wondering why she wasn't a main POV character herself. Prudence is also a bisexual FMC, so that's great. There's much more representation than that in the book but I think the main takeaway I got was there should be more diversity in romantasy as a genre and Hartley really took that to heart. The feminist part of this book also did sometimes come across as surface level. But it's really not trying to be some deep dive but rather a kind of cathartic escapism during a time of deep communal hurt. It seems wrong to hold that against the story.

Just as a last sweep of a random assortment of thoughts, I'm going to start listing off things. Firstly, I'm not sure Reed ever needed to be a thief. I'd like to see him be more...thief-like in the next book because there was thieving mentioned in his past but I'd really enjoy seeing that criminal knowledge used within his POVs. Otherwise he could've been any ol' poor father, which is also cool, but I wanna see the Thief Lord be a Thief Lord. Beatrice had moments where she seemed younger than her age and then conversations where she was way too enlightened for it. Writing kids is hard when you wanna move the plot along, I guess, but it was a bit difficult to remember just how old she was. Lastly, PLEASE call them cinnamon rolls next time. Sweet coils? Hm. Maybe not. Just call them cinnamon rolls.

I would recommend this book if you love Hannah Whitten, In the Veins of the Drowning by Kalie Cassidy, second-chance romance, steampunk-ish fantasy, a gold-hearted thief mmc, and a different sort of romantasy. This was a surprising amount of fun! A great debut and I'd read Hartley's work in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nothing says fall like a witchy, rage-fueled fantasy—and I was ready for this one.

𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘸 𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯’𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭.

Song of the Hell Witch hooked me right away. It’s fresh, original, and if you’re craving an angry-women-take-on-the-patriarchy read, it absolutely delivers. So much of it feels ripped straight from humanity’s own history, men weaponizing religion to control women, and it hits hard.

The action? Fantastic. Heart-pounding scenes, high stakes, and a few unexpected twists from the antagonist’s side that completely hooked me. Those moments were some of my favorite parts.

So, what kept it from a full five stars?

First, the characters. Aside from their trauma, there wasn’t much that made me feel truly connected to them. I liked them, but I don’t feel like I knew them. Honestly, their abilities stuck with me more than they did.

Second, the plot could feel jumpy—like we skipped from point A to point C without the bridge in between. A few times I even flipped back to see if I’d missed something, because those gaps made a difference in how big moments landed.

Still, I enjoyed the ride enough to turn the last page curious about what happens next. If you’re here for the rage, the magic, and the action more than deep character work or intricate plotting, this is a fierce, fun fall read.

Pub Date: September 9, 2025

A big thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Everything about this book had me hooked from page one. The characters, their dynamics, the world-building, the magic system and everything in between were absolutely brilliant and I am foaming at the mouth for book two.

A lot happens in this book, but it doesn't feel like you're scrabbling to get your head around everything. The characters are introduced well and you get a real sense of who they are and the history they share. There is a lot more to them than their relationship and seeing both Pru and Puck's POVs really gives you a deep sense of who they are.

The world is described well and is easy to get to grips with (as usual, "witches" are vilified by men and patriarchal, religious zealots are trying to make things worse). It feels like a lot is pulled from history and current events, which makes it terrifying but also ensures you can connect with what you're reading. Plus, who doesn't love a bit of female rage.

The writing is also beautiful and draws you in effortlessly. I didn't want this book to end but was also desperate to see what happened next. The next book is perfectly set up and there are so many moving pieces that I have no idea which way it will all go.

This book is going to live rent-free in my mind until I have book two in my hands.

A great first novel for a series, second-chance romance, slow burn, feminist empowerment and LGBTQIA+ representation. Excellent writing, great character development, but could maybe work on the world-building, 4 stars!

Unfortunately, I started reading this and realized that I am not the target audience for this book. While I believe there are a lot of people out there who will love this book, I couldn't finish it. There are aspects to this story that are not enjoyable for me.

Filled with danger, second chances, and unexpected bonds, this story pulled me in from the start! Balancing heartache, hope, and high-stake moments in a way that kept me hooked through every page! To me, the characters felt like people you would meet in real life. I'm dying to see where things go next!

⭐️: 4.25/5
🌶️: 1/5
Format: 📱 e-arc

A magic system fueled by female rage??? I'm locked in.

This was such a creative and intriguing system of magic and power. In an oppressive patriarchal society, magic is awakened in women who reach their breaking point. They are then considered outcasts, hunted by the religious zealotry. As we follow the main character, Pru, we get to read through a stunning allegory for how trauma shapes us, and how we can use it to drive forward power and how it can sometimes make us feel stuck, but through it all, we deserve the support of our communities around us.

I stayed hooked throughout this, and am already asking Taylor: Book 2 WHEN??? Their writing is really beautiful, and there were so many passages I highlighted because they just tickled my brain with how well the words flowed. I felt connected to the characters, invested in the plot, and when I tell you the villains, were villains, I was so heavily invested in their downfall.

The romance for me was a sub-plot, which I really enjoyed, because I was able to feel so enthralled by the plotline and development happening there. I did enjoy the romance, too, it just didn't always drive the plot itself. There was just a little bit of spice, nothing too graphic.

The end had a big twist moment when I gasped and it took 30 seconds to start breathing again, which I LOVE to see happen in a book. I love when something just hits me out of nowhere.

Overall, I would absolutely recommend this to fantasy readers, to romantasy readers, everyone who loves reading about feminine power and rage. Can't wait for the next one!

"Yes, but I'm endowed with magic. You're just a man."

Song of the Hell Witch follows Prudence, a hell witch street rat turned noble. One night Prudence's magic turns on her and she is forced to flee. She turns to the one person she can think to help smuggle her out of the city, Puck, who she hasn't seen in twelve years. Puck is a thief and also a single father of a deathly ill daughter. It just so happens that the save haven for hell witches can also help Bea, the daughter. Thus the journey to Stormlash begins.

This one has some potential and I did enjoy many parts but I also have so big reservations. This book has a lot of pride in it. There is good LGBT+ representation. Prudence is bi. There is a lesbian couple in the back half. The MMC's best friend is a trans woman. There is also an androgynous character. There is discussion of polyamoury and s*x work in a non-negative way. But most of all this book has pride in women. This is definitely a feminist story which I am fine with. Girl power! But what I am not fine with is supporting one gender while bashing another. This book has a very strong all men are bad except one (and even he is sketchy) feel.

As for the story, I needed more explanation and development of the magic. I'm told only women and specifically women that experience trauma get access to magic. But then halfway through this changes and on top of that those new to magic somehow handle it better and can control those old in magic. How? It very much felt like the rules were changed without explanation to fit the story.

A couple other small things that bothered me which is probably 100% personal opinion. It was hard for me to tell Bea's age until I was told. She acts very young in the beginning and then like a teen in the end but she is 10. This is also not a standalone. There is a cliffhanger and nowhere did I see anything pointing to this being a series. Lastly I thought the story would be better in first person.

I did enjoy the second chance relationship between Puck and Prudence. It is very very much a slow burn. There is a lot of pain and trust issues needing to be worked through there. So I am happy it wasn't an instalove situation.