Review of THE NATURE OF WITCHES by Rachel Griffin
“Realizing you love someone is like noticing you have a sunburn- you don’t know exactly when it happened, just that you were too exposed for too long.”
The magic described in THE NATURE OF WITCHES is so unique
For a novel about witches and magic, it was a lot more romance centred than I expected. The magic and whole plot of THE NATURE OF WITCHES was interesting, but I expected more depth. I enjoyed these characters, and also even enjoyed the chosen one trope. The world building was also fascinating, but I feel like story wise, the book wasn’t as strong as it could’ve been.
Synopsis
For centuries, witches have maintained the climate, their power from the sun peaking in the season of their birth. But now their control is faltering as the atmosphere becomes more erratic. All hope lies with Clara, an Everwitch whose rare magic is tied to every season.
In Autumn, Clara wants nothing to do with her power. It’s wild and volatile, and the price of her magic―losing the ones she loves―is too high, despite the need to control the increasingly dangerous weather.
In Winter, the world is on the precipice of disaster. Fires burn, storms rage, and Clara accepts that she’s the only one who can make a difference.
In Spring, she falls for Sang, the witch training her. As her magic grows, so do her feelings, until she’s terrified Sang will be the next one she loses.
In Summer, Clara must choose between her power and her happiness, her duty and the people she loves… before she loses Sang, her magic, and thrusts the world into chaos.
Review
I love this cover. I’m usually not a fan of ‘real people’ on covers, but this one is really pretty!
I’m so torn. I don’t know how I feel? I liked THE NATURE OF WITCHES, but I expected a bit more of it. I was hoping for a new and unique paranormal young adult book, but it at times it felt a bit empty. Like the story was stretched out. The plot and world building were really interesting. I love the idea of a world and a climate being controlled by witches and even loved the chosen one trope aka Clara being the Everwitch. But I feel like it took too much time for something to actually happen.
The characters in THE NATURE OF WITCHES were fun, but I didn’t connect as much with them as I would’ve liked. I liked Clara, Sang and Paige, but they won’t stay with me for months. The characters in THE NATURE OF WITCHES or even the whole book didn’t impact me. It was a nice read, but it didn’t become my new favourite book. I just expected more, I guess?
I wanted more magic! I absolutely loved the kind of magic that was described in THE NATURE OF WITCHES. I needed more of it!
The ending was cute. I do love Sang and Clara as a couple. Their dynamic in THE NATURE OF WITCHES was amazing, and I actually would love to read a sequel. Maybe a sequel where they are older and have children? Who knows.
THE NATURE OF WITCHES is definitely a more lowkey witchy novel. If you expect heavy magic, this isn’t the right book.
Would I recommend it?
Not particularly. If you’re looking for a witchy romance novel with interesting magic, this book is for you!
Details
Trigger warnings
Death of parents, depression, fire, grief, sexual content
Representation
Bisexual mc, asian (Korean) love interest
Genre
Fantasy, paranormal, romance (young adult)
Pages
384
Publication date
June 1st, 2021
Publisher
Sourcebooks Fire
About the author
Rachel Griffin writes young adult novels inspired by the magic of the world around her. She is the New York Times bestselling author of The Nature of Witches and the forthcoming Wild is the Witch, releasing from Sourcebooks Fire in summer 2022.
Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Rachel has a deep love of nature, from the mountains to the ocean and all the towering evergreens in between. She adores moody skies and thunderstorms, and hopes more vampires settle down in her beloved state of Washington.
On her path to writing novels, Rachel graduated from Seattle University with a Bachelor of Science in diagnostic ultrasound. She worked in healthcare for five years and taught ultrasound at her alma mater before making the switch to a small startup. She has been mentoring in Pitch Wars since 2017 and now writes full-time from her home in the Seattle area.
When she isn’t writing, you can find her wandering the PNW, reading by the fire, or drinking copious amounts of coffee and tea. She lives with her husband, small dog, and growing collection of houseplants.
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