AUTHOR: Katharine J. Adams
SERIES: Thorn Witches #1
GENRE: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
AGE: Adult
BLURB:
A thorn witch with the power to walk between the realms of Life and Death finds herself at the center of a magical rebellion—and a dangerous romance—that could destroy her coven and her soul in this dark and decadent debut.
Thorns, Tides, Embers, Storms, and Ores. All five covens are bound in servitude to the tyrant High Warden of Halstett.
Penny Albright is a daughter of the thorn coven, forced to patrol the veil between the realms of Life and Death. Each night, one thorn witch—and only one—must cross the veil by burning at the stake. Each morning, that witch draws on their magic to return. Failure to follow the rules risks the veil and risks them all.
But one morning, Penny’s favorite sister Ella doesn’t return. And that night, determined to find her, Penny breaks the rules. She burns in secret. And she discovers that all isn’t as it seems in Life or Death.
Her journey leads her to Malin, a devastating lord with too many secrets; to Alice, a mysterious captive prophet; and to a rebellion brewing in the shadows beneath the city. And as Penny’s world splits, she’ll face a devastating choice. Because it’s not just her sister’s life that hangs in the balance. It’s the fate of all magic.
All it takes is one witch—and one spark—to set the world ablaze.
Thank you to Orbit for an arc of this book!
I have found a new love – this book. What an amazingly well written book! This is dark, dark fantasy and with witches – two things I adore. If you’re looking for a book with witches that is adult and darker in nature – this book will be for you.
I am obsessed with it, it is beyond good. I need a few minutes to recover because this book had me CRYING. I was crying for multiple reasons, but one of them was a good one. Let me just say, I love the relationships in this book. Penny and her sisters, I absolutely adored them. I’m very much looking forward to where this series is going to go.
Also, one thing that worked well for this book is that you’re not weighed down with a lot of world building at the very first, instead you learn it slowly. This book was masterfully done in that sense, and I think that Adams has a real talent for crafting worlds.
One thing I also loved was how the magic works. We don’t have a lot of information on it as of yet, but what little we do know is intriguing. I can’t wait to find out more about the magic of this world.
The writing was also excellent – I mean, it flowed so smoothly and the pacing – just amazing. I cannot say enough about how I was drawn in and this book wouldn’t let me go. I finished it in a single sitting. Let’s say I’m not sorry about that AT ALL.
There were definitely some moments in here that I was like OH MY GOD and then OH MY GOD x2, because it just kept getting better?!
I feel exhausted in the best way after reading this book.
Let me just say I was unable to put this book down, and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in the series. I need to know what happens next.