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cloverbeee's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
0.5
Boring fanfic unsuccessfully turned into a full novel. About 75% of the way through, I was very tempted to start redacting lines and editing as I read.
Look elsewhere for cozy moments of character development and unrequited longing, here you get exposition dumps, zero worldbuilding, flat unlikeable characters and you'll like it.
Look elsewhere for cozy moments of character development and unrequited longing, here you get exposition dumps, zero worldbuilding, flat unlikeable characters and you'll like it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual content, and Miscarriage
lauren_reads_outside's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Be warned: the pacing on this book is a little wonky so if you're here for the sapphic witches, be patient! They're coming! They're worth it! So worth it!
If you stick through the world building vibes of regency girl doesn't want to get married and would rather frolic in the woods, and grandma whisks away for a sort of training sequences, you will be rewarded with not quite enemies to lovers sapphic yearning and pay off and big fight scenes.
The vibes in this book are immaculate and oh to be a yearning gay witch away on her farm giving spells to the nearby town.
I hope for sequels of the side characters! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
If you stick through the world building vibes of regency girl doesn't want to get married and would rather frolic in the woods, and grandma whisks away for a sort of training sequences, you will be rewarded with not quite enemies to lovers sapphic yearning and pay off and big fight scenes.
The vibes in this book are immaculate and oh to be a yearning gay witch away on her farm giving spells to the nearby town.
I hope for sequels of the side characters! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Sexual content
Moderate: Miscarriage, Alcohol, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Infertility, Torture, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy
liinley's review
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This was a fantastic combination of cozy fantasy, witchy, and cottage core. The magic system is based on bees and different types of honey which I found unique. Marigold finds out she is a honey witch and goes on a journey of self-discovery. I finished this book in just two sittings, I didn't want to put it down. If you loved The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, you're going to love this.
Thank you NetGalley and Redhook Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you NetGalley and Redhook Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Death
Minor: Miscarriage
m_a_j's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Blood
Moderate: Miscarriage and Sexual content
charlie_emgwy's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, it was beautifully written, not quite 5 as at a certain point I could see where it was going.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Miscarriage, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
jc_wb's review against another edition
3.5
Marigold feels trapped in her life of balls and courting, much preferring the magic of a meadow on a full moon. When her grandmother returns after 15 years to lead Marigold into her fate as a Honey Witch, she leaves everything she's every known behind for a new life.
She meets her old friend August and his sour friend Lottie. They can't stand each other, but is there more to it? The Honey Witch is cursed not to love, so it can't be that, surely?
Set in 1831 and 1832, the story has an old-fashioned feel (chaperones, balls, courting, long travel and slow post) but definitely updated with LGBT relationships and magic!
The Honey Witch elements were well-thought out, although I'm still not entirely clear on how ash is the opposite of honey. There were hints of the true nature of Lottie throughout the book, which all came together in the final part. The battle of Ash and Honey was quite quick, there was a lot of story leading up to it.
After such a quick resolution I think the final part could have been a bit longer to find out about their life after rebuilding the island and how ash and honey work together after all the fighting - it's probably not enough for a second book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.
She meets her old friend August and his sour friend Lottie. They can't stand each other, but is there more to it? The Honey Witch is cursed not to love, so it can't be that, surely?
Set in 1831 and 1832, the story has an old-fashioned feel (chaperones, balls, courting, long travel and slow post) but definitely updated with LGBT relationships and magic!
The Honey Witch elements were well-thought out, although I'm still not entirely clear on how ash is the opposite of honey. There were hints of the true nature of Lottie throughout the book, which all came together in the final part. The battle of Ash and Honey was quite quick, there was a lot of story leading up to it.
After such a quick resolution I think the final part could have been a bit longer to find out about their life after rebuilding the island and how ash and honey work together after all the fighting - it's probably not enough for a second book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Death, Blood, and Miscarriage
theneonvulture's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Violence
novelshire's review against another edition
2.0
First up, this should have trigger warnings for miscarriage, various deaths and blood. I mention this first because I think they could be a surprise, given that this comes across as fairly cosy.
I think it starts of quite well, a historical fantasy setting with the main character Marigold feeling like she doesn't fit in and dreaming of escape, being whisked away by her grandmother after learning she's a honey witch. A little rushed, but fine.
So what didn't I enjoy? There's a lot of telling rather than showing - time skips that cut out the learning parts and the relationship developments. It made many of the interactions feel shallow (although I did like the relationship between Marigold and her grandmother and Mr Benny).
I assume that the treatment of a woman experiencing a miscarriage was there to illustrate that the honey witches were there to help the locals, but that line wasn't really developed - again we're told but not shown much in that regard - making it feel oddly jarring.
Now, the magic. Bees, honey magic and ash magic. I thought it was an interesting idea, but the curse didn't make a huge amount of sense to me. I thoroughly disliked the soulmate spell and everything related to it, and the romance made me cringe.
In the end, everything felt quite frenetic and choppy and I didn't feel any attachment to the characters to make up for that. I was drawn in by the cover and the cottagecore vibes. And there are some of those vibes to start with, but there's too much drama and peril if you're looking for something cosy.
Thank you to Orbit UK for providing me with a netgalley review copy
I think it starts of quite well, a historical fantasy setting with the main character Marigold feeling like she doesn't fit in and dreaming of escape, being whisked away by her grandmother after learning she's a honey witch. A little rushed, but fine.
So what didn't I enjoy? There's a lot of telling rather than showing - time skips that cut out the learning parts and the relationship developments. It made many of the interactions feel shallow (although I did like the relationship between Marigold and her grandmother and Mr Benny).
I assume that the treatment of a woman experiencing a miscarriage was there to illustrate that the honey witches were there to help the locals, but that line wasn't really developed - again we're told but not shown much in that regard - making it feel oddly jarring.
Now, the magic. Bees, honey magic and ash magic. I thought it was an interesting idea, but the curse didn't make a huge amount of sense to me. I thoroughly disliked the soulmate spell and everything related to it, and the romance made me cringe.
In the end, everything felt quite frenetic and choppy and I didn't feel any attachment to the characters to make up for that. I was drawn in by the cover and the cottagecore vibes. And there are some of those vibes to start with, but there's too much drama and peril if you're looking for something cosy.
Thank you to Orbit UK for providing me with a netgalley review copy
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Blood, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
sproutedpages's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The Honey Witch is a sapphic fantasy novel set in the early 1830’s, following twenty one year old Marigold as she leaves her home in Bardshire to learn magic from her grandmother, Althaea, the Honey Witch of Innisfree. Marigold begins The Honey WItch quite naive, but matures through the novel’s exploration of themes like: grief, loneliness, found family, love, and self-discovery.
This is a queernormative world, though prior to her departure from Bardshire, Marigold’s mother expects her to attend debutante balls to find a suitable spouse because, lacking some sort of talent, she has only the potential to become a wife (in Marigold’s words). This seems like a strangely misogynistic framework for a world where women must certainly be allowed to hold regular employment, own property, etc. so Marigold should surely also have opportunities available to herself beyond just marriage.
The antagonist has potential, but ultimately feels more like a spectral presence than an actual threat until very near the end of the novel, and her motivations and objectives are not always abundantly clear. Similarly, the love interest is not introduced until about one third of the way through the novel, and behaves rather antagonistically for a length of time, so the full scope of the curse afflicting Marigold is not revealed until quite near the end of The Honey Witch.
The prose was not as flowery as might be expected from a novel about tending plants and caring for honeybees, but still manages to be atmospheric and lush. The land of Innisfree seems to be based on the poem ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree’ by W.B. Yeats, and author Sidney J. Shields does convey a similar sense of peaceful solitude within her version.
The Honey Witch is likely to be best enjoyed by those seeking sapphic representation, who might also enjoy elements reminiscent of: Practical Magic, Halloweentown, and loose references to the regency era.
Thank you to NetGalley, Redhook Books, and author Sidney J. Shields for providing me with a digital copy of this novel to review. All opinions within this review are voluntarily given and entirely my own.
The antagonist has potential, but ultimately feels more like a spectral presence than an actual threat until very near the end of the novel, and her motivations and objectives are not always abundantly clear. Similarly, the love interest is not introduced until about one third of the way through the novel, and behaves rather antagonistically for a length of time, so the full scope of the curse afflicting Marigold is not revealed until quite near the end of The Honey Witch.
The prose was not as flowery as might be expected from a novel about tending plants and caring for honeybees, but still manages to be atmospheric and lush. The land of Innisfree seems to be based on the poem ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree’ by W.B. Yeats, and author Sidney J. Shields does convey a similar sense of peaceful solitude within her version.
The Honey Witch is likely to be best enjoyed by those seeking sapphic representation, who might also enjoy elements reminiscent of: Practical Magic, Halloweentown, and loose references to the regency era.
Thank you to NetGalley, Redhook Books, and author Sidney J. Shields for providing me with a digital copy of this novel to review. All opinions within this review are voluntarily given and entirely my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Miscarriage
booksdogsandcoffee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
2.75
Perfect for fans of Bridgerton sprinkled with the vibes of Halloweentown and a dash of coziness.
Thank you orbit/redhook for an advance reader copy!
ShieId's debut was trying to do many things, some well and some not. I loved the magic system of the Honey and Ash witches, it was so cool how each type works both together and with nature. I also loved the grumpy/sunshine romance dynamic.
What I personally don't think worked is the pacing, and voice of the novel. It started off very well, then sadly dragged for almost 150 pages till it really peaked my interest again. With the voicing of the book, when in the village of Bardshire there is a certain tone the author uses, while in Innisfree there is another. Which may be what was intended, but again in my personal opinion was a bit hard to read and follow while reading.
I would have loved to see the ending fleshed out a bit more. But overall I think this book is going to find it's people and so many will love and enjoy it.
Thank you orbit/redhook for an advance reader copy!
ShieId's debut was trying to do many things, some well and some not. I loved the magic system of the Honey and Ash witches, it was so cool how each type works both together and with nature. I also loved the grumpy/sunshine romance dynamic.
What I personally don't think worked is the pacing, and voice of the novel. It started off very well, then sadly dragged for almost 150 pages till it really peaked my interest again. With the voicing of the book, when in the village of Bardshire there is a certain tone the author uses, while in Innisfree there is another. Which may be what was intended, but again in my personal opinion was a bit hard to read and follow while reading.
I would have loved to see the ending fleshed out a bit more. But overall I think this book is going to find it's people and so many will love and enjoy it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Sexual content, Vomit, Grief, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Miscarriage, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Torture