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jojo_bookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death, Death of parent, Physical abuse, and Fire/Fire injury
mamaewalk's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Such a good read. Starts off cozy and sweet but definitely has high stakes in second half. What I love is the queer joy. Queer relationships are a normal thing that no one bats an eye at in this world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Miscarriage, Infertility, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Abandonment, Abortion, Emotional abuse, and Violence
metaphorsandmisc's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual content, Animal death, and Blood
Minor: Miscarriage and Confinement
jadubug's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I’m getting back into reading fiction and really enjoyed this book as my re-entry! While the pace was pretty fast at first, it evened out and I had time to fall in love with the characters. I post it noted my favorite passages and everything, I don’t remember the last time I read a book so fast! The direction of the story isn’t as challenging to predict, but I think a read like that was suited to my needs. I really loved the characters, both main and background. Little moments made me so happy, and I love to see friendships and relationships form. I also love nature and connections to nature that are either spiritual or bigger than we are, so I was bound to enjoy this book.
As for the “it’s complicated” aspects of my ratings, I feel like it was a little hard to track character development because a lot of development happened off screen. I feel like it’s a little understandable since there’s a lot to cover in the timeline, but Marigold got the hang of things pretty quickly, considering the speed of her circumstances changing. I also chose that ranking for the diversity category since most of the main characters are queer, but most of the characters are also white. I guess it’s part of the setting (1800s Western Europe esque setting), but it would be nice to see more important characters of color like August.
Overall, I just had the best time reading this book!! I’m so glad I got a physical copy so it will always be on my shelf. I really want to draw the characters, now.
As for the “it’s complicated” aspects of my ratings, I feel like it was a little hard to track character development because a lot of development happened off screen. I feel like it’s a little understandable since there’s a lot to cover in the timeline, but Marigold got the hang of things pretty quickly, considering the speed of her circumstances changing. I also chose that ranking for the diversity category since most of the main characters are queer, but most of the characters are also white. I guess it’s part of the setting (1800s Western Europe esque setting), but it would be nice to see more important characters of color like August.
Overall, I just had the best time reading this book!! I’m so glad I got a physical copy so it will always be on my shelf. I really want to draw the characters, now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Grief, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
allena_inwonderland's review against another edition
adventurous
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? It's complicated
5.0
First a thank you to NetGalley, Libro.fm, and Sydney for the ARC copies! This is my honest review.
FIVE STARS. The way I was sobbing at the end of this book made me want to read it all over again. This is a debut novel; sapphic cozy fantasy with a mix of cozy mystery. It's pitched as Bridgerton meets Practical Magic (but make it gay) this hit the nail on the head.
The Honey Witch is beautifully written and has themes of familial disagreements, death of a grandparent and grief, as well as exploring self independence.
I did guess at one of the major twists about halfway through, and I can assure you this didn't hinder the story one bit. It was almost satisfying to be right lol.
Marigold is a ray of sunshine, a honey witch who's been practicing her magic and perfecting her trade. When her childhood friend August comes to her looking for her help to find his soulmate, his best friend Lottie has a strong opinion. Lottie is a secret tattoo artist who doesn't believe in magic. Mari helps wants to help August but also feels like proving Lottie wrong about magic.
The audiobook was amazing! Highly recommend 🥰
FIVE STARS. The way I was sobbing at the end of this book made me want to read it all over again. This is a debut novel; sapphic cozy fantasy with a mix of cozy mystery. It's pitched as Bridgerton meets Practical Magic (but make it gay) this hit the nail on the head.
The Honey Witch is beautifully written and has themes of familial disagreements, death of a grandparent and grief, as well as exploring self independence.
I did guess at one of the major twists about halfway through, and I can assure you this didn't hinder the story one bit. It was almost satisfying to be right lol.
Marigold is a ray of sunshine, a honey witch who's been practicing her magic and perfecting her trade. When her childhood friend August comes to her looking for her help to find his soulmate, his best friend Lottie has a strong opinion. Lottie is a secret tattoo artist who doesn't believe in magic. Mari helps wants to help August but also feels like proving Lottie wrong about magic.
The audiobook was amazing! Highly recommend 🥰
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Grief
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
kaitie_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-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
4.0
This was a wonderful read - cozy, whimsical, witchy, and cottagecore with an interesting magic system. I feel like this book will be loved by any woman who has ever felt like a misfit.
Marigold has never fit into her surroundings. While her parents and siblings enjoy high society dinners and socializing; she feels a calling to run among the wildflowers and bask in the moonlight. She follows that calling and discovers a whole new world at her fingertips and new friendships, too. Marigold, Lottie, and August are wonderful characters, and I loved their friendship and found-family vibe.
I loved some of the passages and quotes in this book very much. The way the author describes emotions like grief or loneliness is exquisitely profound. Many of the passages resonated deeply with me. The writing and relatability in the first few chapters drew me in.
I did find the ending a bit rushed. The storyline overall is a little bit predictable, and some of the relationships and dialogue fell a little bit flat. The world-building was also a little odd in my mind, but I've forgiven my little qualms with it because it is a fantasy read.
Overall, it is an enjoyable, cozy, slow-burn sapphic romance.
Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Books for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Grief
jazzyjbox's review
dark
hopeful
medium-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? Yes
4.75
Shields writes with pure magic in this beautiful Sapphic fantasy.
Marigold has to choose between falling in love, and having the magic of being a Honey Witch. At first this seems like an easy choice for her jaded self, but then she meets gorgeous and sour Lottie, a woman with a mysterious past.
I loved the lyrical writing. It starts out cozy and sweet and later takes a dark turn. Marigold and Lottie's relationship is lovely to see unfurl, and August is a fantastic friend. I'm excited to see more from this author!
Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review!
Marigold has to choose between falling in love, and having the magic of being a Honey Witch. At first this seems like an easy choice for her jaded self, but then she meets gorgeous and sour Lottie, a woman with a mysterious past.
I loved the lyrical writing. It starts out cozy and sweet and later takes a dark turn. Marigold and Lottie's relationship is lovely to see unfurl, and August is a fantastic friend. I'm excited to see more from this author!
Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Death, and Grief
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