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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
The Coven by Harper L. Woods is a fast-paced read that grabbed me with its gothic atmosphere, forbidden magic, and morally grey characters. While it's not perfect, the premise is intriguing and the story is an addictive fantasy that’s hard to put down. With its eerie ambiance and captivating dynamic between the main characters, it keeps you engaged, eager to see how it unfolds.
Willow the FMC, is snarky, strong and an unapologetic badass. She embodies resilience as she faces a destiny she never chose but is forced to endure. Her connection to nature and her magical abilities were standout elements, drawing you deeper into her journey.
Alaric Grayson Thorne the MMC is a vessel—imagine a dark combination of demon and vampire—and blatantly morally black. He’s selfish, arrogant and a complete asshole, but he’s also captivating in his complexity. If you’re not a fan of villainous heroes, Gray might be hard to sell, but his unapologetic nature and sharp edges make him fascinating. The banter between Gray and Willow is everything you’d want in an enemies to lovers dynamic. Their exchanges are laced with tension, wit and the perfect amount of fire to keep you hooked.
The world-building could have been more fleshed out. The dark academia vibe, while present felt more like a surface level backdrop than a fully integrated theme. There’s only one classroom scene and the academic setting didn’t play a significant role in the story. This was a missed opportunity, as the atmospheric potential of the setting could have elevated the narrative further. That said, the fast pacing and magnetic character dynamics helped to compensate for this shortfall, making it easy to overlook these gaps. This book is marketed as a dark romantasy, but honestly it wasn’t as dark as I anticipated based on some of the trigger warnings I’d read. Everyone’s triggers are different though and it's important to consider that before reading, but for me it wasn’t as intense or heavy as I expected.
The twist in the story was predictable, but it felt like it was meant to surprise Willow more than the reader. This worked well within the narrative, adding layers of tension and emotional stakes to her journey. The final third of the book truly shined, delivering exciting revelations and setting up an intriguing foundation for the next instalment.
The pacing was fast and while the storyline did feel a bit rushed in places I didn’t mind. It’s the kind of book you can easily devour in one sitting—perfect for a palate cleanser after a heavier read or if you just want to escape into something dark and magical for a while. While The Coven isn’t flawless, it’s definitely what I needed at the time. I’d rate this book around 3.75/5 overall.
If you're into witchy vibes, forbidden love, dark magic and plot twists, The Coven is definitely worth the read. It’s the kind of book that thrives on its somewhat dark themes, snarky heroines, morally complex characters. If you’re looking for a book that’s easy to devour in one sitting and offers an escape into a deliciously dark world, this is a great choice.
Willow the FMC, is snarky, strong and an unapologetic badass. She embodies resilience as she faces a destiny she never chose but is forced to endure. Her connection to nature and her magical abilities were standout elements, drawing you deeper into her journey.
Alaric Grayson Thorne the MMC is a vessel—imagine a dark combination of demon and vampire—and blatantly morally black. He’s selfish, arrogant and a complete asshole, but he’s also captivating in his complexity. If you’re not a fan of villainous heroes, Gray might be hard to sell, but his unapologetic nature and sharp edges make him fascinating. The banter between Gray and Willow is everything you’d want in an enemies to lovers dynamic. Their exchanges are laced with tension, wit and the perfect amount of fire to keep you hooked.
The world-building could have been more fleshed out. The dark academia vibe, while present felt more like a surface level backdrop than a fully integrated theme. There’s only one classroom scene and the academic setting didn’t play a significant role in the story. This was a missed opportunity, as the atmospheric potential of the setting could have elevated the narrative further. That said, the fast pacing and magnetic character dynamics helped to compensate for this shortfall, making it easy to overlook these gaps. This book is marketed as a dark romantasy, but honestly it wasn’t as dark as I anticipated based on some of the trigger warnings I’d read. Everyone’s triggers are different though and it's important to consider that before reading, but for me it wasn’t as intense or heavy as I expected.
The twist in the story was predictable, but it felt like it was meant to surprise Willow more than the reader. This worked well within the narrative, adding layers of tension and emotional stakes to her journey. The final third of the book truly shined, delivering exciting revelations and setting up an intriguing foundation for the next instalment.
The pacing was fast and while the storyline did feel a bit rushed in places I didn’t mind. It’s the kind of book you can easily devour in one sitting—perfect for a palate cleanser after a heavier read or if you just want to escape into something dark and magical for a while. While The Coven isn’t flawless, it’s definitely what I needed at the time. I’d rate this book around 3.75/5 overall.
If you're into witchy vibes, forbidden love, dark magic and plot twists, The Coven is definitely worth the read. It’s the kind of book that thrives on its somewhat dark themes, snarky heroines, morally complex characters. If you’re looking for a book that’s easy to devour in one sitting and offers an escape into a deliciously dark world, this is a great choice.
3.5⭐️’s! Was pleasantly surprised by this book! Won’t lie definitely bought it due to the stunning sprayed edges. But overall the story was good, kept me engaged and interested and it had just enough
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.25 stars
The last 3/4 chapters really popped off with all the reveals which I didn’t see coming. I wish it was a higher rating but it did get slow at times and I felt it lacked growth until the end.
I’ll eventually try book two at some point just with how it ended.
The last 3/4 chapters really popped off with all the reveals which I didn’t see coming. I wish it was a higher rating but it did get slow at times and I felt it lacked growth until the end.
I’ll eventually try book two at some point just with how it ended.
I felt like this book was not very long but it was very drug out. Few things happened until the last like 30 pages. But with that ending, I am going to read the next one.
This book took me a while to get through because I just kept wondering what was the point. It was like Woods had a story but got distracted by adding unnecessary sex scenes (and the crowd gasps because Ash LOVES sex scenes) that didn't add to the plot, but I found hindered it. The mains were either thinking/ talking about sex- what about the plot?!!
ANYWAYS, this is one of those stories that towards the end shit gets real and I was all the way leaned in/ invested. Now, I want to start the 2nd book
ANYWAYS, this is one of those stories that towards the end shit gets real and I was all the way leaned in/ invested. Now, I want to start the 2nd book
The Coven takes us to Salem where the Creepy bony coven witches force Willow to join their school as she is the last earth witch sending headmaster thorn to go claim her, Willow will reluctantly go as she has other intentions once there.
What I loved
What I loved
fast-paced
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No