Reviews - The Coven | The StoryGraph

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4.98k reviews for:

The Coven

Harper L. Woods

3.64 AVERAGE

jpreads15's review against another edition

3.0

This was fine. It had a lot of things I like in books, but it felt rushed and all smushed together. Taking more time to build things would have been better I think.

shannonsminilibrary's review against another edition

5.0

I ateee this book up. It had everything I love in an autumn, spooky read:

ashpattreads's review against another edition

4.0

Tell me why I thought this was going to be a standalone?! That cliffhanger though. Argh. But it was sooo good, you guys.

If you loved Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina series + The Darkling, but want it darker, hotter and more adult (*cough* hand necklaces *cough*), this is for you!

❤️‍

georgia_jones's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

fantasybookniffler's review against another edition

3.0

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I have mixed feelings about The Coven... It follows Willow, a young woman whose been hidden because of her unique magic powers. When her mother dies and the protection disappears, Willow is caught and brought to Hollow’s Grove University to learn to practice her magic. But they don't know she's already been trained, mostly by her father, to wield powers believed to be lost. She is a weapon, supposed to exact his revenge and rid the world of the Convenant, the witches in charge, and the Vessels, demons in a mortal body. As secrets unfold and she’s pulled into a dark, twisted bond with Alaric Thorne, headmaster and Vessel, she’s forced to make impossible choices. As she navigates betrayal, ancient secrets and the undeniably attractive but very dangerous Alaric, she must decide who to trust and how far she’ll go to claim her power and survive.

On the one hand, Harper L. Woods' writing style really pulled me in. It’s atmospheric, immersive, and kept me turning the pages. I also really liked Willow as a main character. Her strong connection to earth magic and her personal strength made her easy to root for.

Unfortunately, the rest didn’t quite work for me. The romantic storyline lacked chemistry and Alaric's behavior veered too close to manipulative and borderline abusive for my taste. The angst between the characters felt overdone and the smutty scenes didn’t land — they came off more cringy than steamy.

The ending, while partially predictable, still managed to leave me uncomfortable — not because it was badly written, but because of the nature of what happened. I think that speaks to the author’s ability to evoke strong emotion, even if I didn’t personally enjoy the darker direction the story took.

⚠️ Definitely check the trigger warnings before diving in — there are some heavy and potentially upsetting elements here.