I really enjoyed Roots & Wrath. The story felt fresh, unique, and genuinely intriguing from the very beginning. Wenstrom creates a world that pulls you in, and the plot maintains a strong sense of momentum throughout. The twists and turns of the thriller were exciting and kept me on my seat.

The characters were a standout for me. Each one felt fully fleshed out, with believable motivations and emotional depth. I especially appreciated how realistically the book handled themes like PTSD & themes of guilt. — it was woven into the characters’ experiences in a way that felt authentic and meaningful, without ever overwhelming the rest of the narrative. The group dynamic was gripping, and I found myself invested in how their relationships evolved.

The only area that occasionally pulled me out of the story was the magic system. At times it felt slightly over‑detailed, and I found it a bit hard to follow in places. Similarly, the shifts between past and present, as well as between different character perspectives, could be a little confusing at first.

Overall, though, this was a very strong and engaging read. The originality of the story, the depth of the characters, and the emotional realism made it a memorable book, and I’m glad I picked it up.

(Full disclosure--I liked this book so much that I blurbed it!)

Roots & Wrath pulls you in from chapter 1 and doesn't let go until that VERY LAST SCENE. Messy friendships. Witchcraft. A bloodthirsty oak. A secret that can't be outrun. And one character who will do anything to come out on top...even kill. (But who is it?) This was an easy five star read for me!

Really fun book. Hope to see more from this author. It’s very rare that a horror book has me on the edge of my seat like this. It didn’t disappoint.

I received this as an ARC copy. I really enjoyed it. I read in a day. It said it was like yellowjackets meets the craft. I think it is similar to Grady hendrix books too. I think it was a fun little read. It's about teens who go to a witch academy. Something happens to one of their friends and they can't get past it. But the death of their mentor forces them back together. But then they start dying off and they have to figure out which one of them is killing the others. Each character narrates ... It goes from then to now so you get their back stories. I think it was very well written. The end was kinda meh but it was still a fun read.

3/5 stars.

this was a fun read. i liked the main cast, how their personalities differed so much while having the exact same aspiration, how fleshed out their characters were, and especially how morally grey they were. it's refreshing to pick up a book about female characters who aren't typical mary sues. they were all so diverse and interesting. my favorites were definitely alicia and isa, though everyn is close behind.

that being said, i found the magic system presented in this book quite confusing. it feels like the reader isn't really introduced to, or given an explanation, of the power system, but rather expected to have some level of understanding about it. personally, i struggled to grasp how the magic system worked, and i often felt like i was missing context.

i do want to highlight that this is only the second witch-themed book i've picked up. maybe i'm not used to the typical terminology used in the witchy genre. maybe those who often read witchy fantasy would have an easier time understanding it. either way, i personally found it a bit complicated to follow. my confusion did prevent me from connecting with the story as much as i wanted to.

still a solid read despite that.

i would also like to add that i did not feel bad for the rat even once. #shehaditcoming

This was a really fun book to read!
Once I’d read through the introduction and got into the story I was totally hooked. The twists and turns were great and I didn’t find it predictable so it kept me fully engaged throughout.

I particularly enjoyed the characters and how well written they were. It was great to see from different perspectives and I felt genuinely attached to the characters which isn’t always easy to achieve.
The book dealt with some more heavy and adult themes excellently and really gave depth to the characters.

I did find the magic system confusing at times, but overall it was a fun and very engaging read - looking forward to seeing more from this author!

Once I got through the first chapter or two, this story had its hooks in me so deep I spent every second possible reading it as quickly as I could!

The magic system is a little unclear. I wish the connection to fire and their lighters had been explained clearly, because that definitely confused me at first. The spells themselves seemed somewhat straight forward, but the counter spells didn't make much sense to me. Especially towards the end.

What really drove this book was the characters. I love a book from multiple perspectives and with multiple timelines, so this was perfect for me. All of the characters are deeply realistic and flawed, no Mary Sue energy here. Each one is so well fleshed out and while they all have somewhat similar motivations, they're all wholly unique characters that stand out on their own.

The complex themes of things luke grief, regret, power hunger, manipulation, and PTSD were all handled really well. They flowed along with the story and were deeply relatable and realistic without being preachy or overdone.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!

WOW. i was immediately drawn to this book with the promise of witches, and man was i HOOKED FAST. without spoiling think, harry potter meets pretty little liars meets thriller/horror/mystery. this book was truly special and i don’t think i have ever read anything like it. while i don’t think it was exactly a horror novel i still loved the way that a fantasy world was intertwined with drama and mystery/thriller vibes. i was literally guessing what was gonna happen up until the last chapter. i loved the crew of girls and their diversity. i also LOVE a book with past and present chapters so that was a huge bonus. highly recommend this to anyone who is obsessed with the prior mentioned genres and themes. i will be placing a pre order for the physical copy immediately and cannot wait to see what else this author publishes in the future! thank you to both netgalley and E.J. Wenstrom for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC 🖤

roots & wrath was such a unique blend of fantasy, horror, and dark folklore. from the very beginning, there was an atmosphere of unease woven throughout the story that kept me invested. the world felt alive in a way that was both beautiful and unsettling, and i found myself completely drawn into its mysteries.

what stood out to me most was the way the story explored power, survival, and the complicated relationship between humanity and the natural world. there is a constant tension running beneath the surface, and i appreciated how the narrative wasn't afraid to sit with difficult questions about sacrifice, responsibility, and the consequences of our choices.

i also really enjoyed the pacing. the story steadily builds, revealing new layers of the world and its characters without feeling rushed. every revelation felt earned, and i found myself wanting to know more about both the history of the world and the forces shaping it.

overall, this was an immersive and thought-provoking read. if you enjoy fantasy that leans dark, embraces folklore and horror elements, and isn't afraid to explore complex themes, i would definitely recommend picking this one up.

3,5⭐

It took me a little bit to get into the story but once I did it went very well. The writing was simple but enjoyable; besides wishing the magic system was better developed, the author knew how to use and explore the characters very well and the constant switch between pov's and past and present worked in favor of the narrative. Not one thing was black and white here and that works really well with the horror genre.

Thank you to Netgalley and E. J. Wenstrom for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Roots & Wrath is a hauntingly gorgeous fantasy horror that will make you look twice at the shadows in the trees. It’s a perfect, deeply atmospheric page-turner for readers who want their magic systems to come with a heavy dose of terror.
​Read if you love: Folk horror, sentient forests, dark fantasy quests, body horror elements, and stories where humanity is at the mercy of ancient, cosmic nature.

I really enjoyed this book and I think this story has so much potential. The author took on a lot with all the different viewpoints and timelines and I see why she did that. I got nervous that things wouldn't be tied up by the end, but they were. I didn't really get the whole significance of the tree being the culprit at the end. I really thought it was going to be one of the characters who was responsible for everything. Also, this book has quite a few typos. In a few places, the correct dialogue tag isn't used. It didn't change my opinion of the book, but just something to note before publication.

Thank you for the ARC

A dark, atmospheric fantasy filled with mystery, magic, and long-buried secrets. The story expertly weaves together past and present as five witches are forced to reunite after nearly two decades, confronting the tragic ritual that changed their lives forever. With compelling characters, strong themes of friendship and betrayal, and a haunting magical backdrop, this is an engaging read that keeps you guessing until the very end. Perfect for fans of witchy fiction and suspenseful fantasy.

Six young witches hungry to achieve remarkable things…until they performed a clandestine ritual in the dark wood. Only five witches returned. The secret they buried beneath a hungry great oak split them apart forever. First I would like to say that I fortunate enough to have a arc copy of the book but my review is mine and 100% honest! When I first picked up the book I was obsessed with it but then I'm not sure what happened whether it was my mood or something in the story changed but it didn't feel like a 5⭐️ rating anymore but I still really enjoyed the book I just wish we had more explanation on the magic and how it works and what are the basic spells etc and had more actual class scenes but I also understand why they weren't included but I do feel as though it would've given the book more content and upped my rating up. Also I didn't particularly like the ending with them having the child when there was a father in the picture that got killed off for no reason at all he could've not died and lived with the child alone and the plot would've still been the same. My rating for this book in the end was a 4.5⭐️.

I support women's rights and wrongs. And oh boy was there a lot of that throughout this book!

Six young witches who meet and bond at a hidden magical academy are chosen together to achieve great and powerful things. But the power starts to get to their heads and only five live to grow old. Years later, they are reunited at the death of their professor and they are forced to carry on her studies and work, unless they are willing to break their magical pentam bonds. We find out who is willing to turn their backs on the other witches, spill secrets, and even kill to get rid of their clandestine past.

I found the book to be very Pretty Little Liars meets Yellowjackets in the theme, atmosphere, and characters. Also reminded me a bit of the dark comedy-horror and morally grey characters of Rachel Harrison's stories. I didn't get a whole lot of the horror/terror feeling, but the magical dark atmosphere was really well done.

I really enjoyed the chapter and timeline setup and how it swapped between "now" and "then"; it flowed really nicely (once you read it you'll see how). I absolutely loved the beginning and the middle, and the end initially wasn't my favorite but then BAM there was a little wholesome moment that I thought really tied everything together. I even told my partner how much I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you to E. J. Wenstrom and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I had a good time with this one. The atmosphere was easily my favorite part; it leans into that dark fantasy/folk horror vibe without feeling like it’s trying too hard. The mystery kept me reading, and I liked that the characters all had some baggage instead of being straightforward heroes. A few parts dragged a bit for me, especially when the lore got a little dense, but overall I enjoyed the ride. If you like fantasy that’s a little creepy and a little weird, this is definitely worth checking out.

This novel hooked me from the start with the premise of five young women/witches get called back to their old school to attend the funeral of their former mentor. From the start it is clear that these women were close as students but have taken very different life paths and it quickly becomes apparent that something mysterious and terrible happened while they were in school.

The characters were all very different but united by shared ambition and a desire for power. The two storylines -- past and present -- provide a satisfying slow reveal of the central mystery and provide fascinating context for the characters' motivation. I really loved the spooky atmosphere and the focus on the dynamics between the main characters and how they change over time. Wenstrom does a great job crafting a truly scary story that explores women's relationships and how the desire for power can become all-consuming.

Thank you Netgalley and E.J. Wenstrom for this advanced reader copy.

If there's witches, sign me up!
I liked how all the characters were different but somehow united by shared ambition. The fact that they all had some kind of history, made everything even more interesting. No predictable hero. It somehow reminded me of Pretty Little Liars and I loved for it! On the other side, it wasn't as horror as I thought it'll be.
I enjoyed the swap of timeline between the present and the past. If you've loved yellowjackets, you'll definitely love this book!
Definitely a unique story, with complex themes that were handled really well by the author.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This fantasy captivated me from the very first chapter. The world-building is rich without becoming overwhelming, and the characters are wonderfully complex. The story balances action, emotion, and mystery beautifully, making it one of my favorite fantasy reads in quite some time.

*Roots & Wrath* was an immersive fantasy that immediately pulled me into its world. From the very beginning, there was a sense that something much bigger was unfolding beneath the surface, and I enjoyed slowly uncovering its mysteries alongside the characters.

One of the highlights for me was the atmosphere. The author created a setting that felt vivid and full of history, making it easy to imagine every scene. I also appreciated that the story balanced action with quieter moments that allowed the characters to grow and the relationships to develop naturally.

The writing was engaging and flowed well, making it easy to stay invested throughout. While there were a few moments where I wished certain scenes had lasted a little longer, the emotional core of the story kept me turning the pages.

Overall, *Roots & Wrath* is a compelling fantasy filled with rich world-building, memorable characters, and a story that leaves you wanting to explore even more of its world. I'd definitely be interested in reading more from E.J. Wenstrom.

Wasn't bad but honestly could do with 100 pages less.
Otherwise story was interesting but magic system weird made little sense.

I like the idea of this book in theory. I loved that it was billed as dark fantasy horror, Mean Girls esque, and I am always going to be drawn to witches. I think this would work very well for people who are plot driven who like a mystery element to their books and enjoy jumping around in a timeline and between characters.

The reasons I listed as to why someone else might like a book is why ultimately this novel was not for me. I am first and foremost a character driven reader. I don't need to necessarily like the characters that I am reading about but I do need to feel something about them, whether that is love, hatred, obsession, humor, etc. I didn't really feel anything towards our characters, even as the story developed and it was hinted at how the characters had their falling out. I also did not love jumping between characters AND the past and the present. I think it is difficult to execute both and I think Wenstrom did a nice jump but every time the POV would jump or the time period would jump, I was removed from the story.

These are ultimately me problems and I do think this book would work for other people, it just did not work for me too well. This did however make me want to dive into Wenstrom's backlist!

This book hooks you in, keeps you, and is over before you know it. It really is Mean girls meets The Craft, which is an impressive feat to pull off - I look forward to more from Wenstrom.

Actual rating: 4.5 stars.

The Yellowjackets meets The Craft tag for this book really hit the nail on the head; those were the exact vibes I got reading this!

I really enjoyed the book and I think the way the timelines and perspectives were handled unravelled the plot at just the right pace. I really didn't expect where we ended up but I loved it.

Also so glad that we started the book with Berriman's death because I haven't had such a strong dislike for a character in a long time. The way she manipulated those girls was horrible.

Just to note, there were quite a few typos throughout, and also some pronoun confusion during the Isa/Sybil sections towards the end (sometimes Sybil was referred to as they).

Such a breath of fresh spin when it comes to academia in the writing - I enjoyed this way more than I anticipated. The magic was slightly harder for me to follow at times but it was a great read otherwise

Love the concept at times I was looking for more of a back story the two time lines were a good idea