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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
percys_panda_pillow_pet's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
First of all, I must thank NetGalley and Redhook Books for the chance to read this arc!
Let's start with the positives! I was really looking forward to this book ever since I saw the author advertise it on Instagram with the pitch of "Sapphic Howl's Moving Castle", and if you've seen my recent review of Howl's Moving Castle and know me at all, you'd know that's right up my alley haha. Though I am personally not a huge romance fan, occasionally I make exceptions for premises that intrigue me and this did not disappoint. I loved the unique idea and setting. I was really into the background lore of witches in this world and how their magic worked, especially Honey Witch magic, which I just thought was so cool and inventive to be based on the honey bees make. All the relationships were fantastic, romantic, platonic, and familial. My favorite was definitely Lottie and Marigold's relationship. The tension and development were great and I loved the gradual shift from frosty acquaintances to steamy lovers.
I also have to mention that throughout the book I could see the inspiration from Howl's Moving Castle but the story was totally its own thing. As well, I loved the little nod of Lottie sort of taking the role of Sophie, when in the original story (as well as the movie) Sophie had a sister named Lottie. It was a nice Easter egg for fans of both.
Now into the critique. I want to preface that this is a debut from a first-time published author and that will affect my critique as such. One cannot expect a new author to publish a perfectly crafted novel. That said, the writing is a bit amateurish and clumsy at times. The pacing was a bit jarring for me in the first section or so where there is a lot of introduction and exposition. However, the story finds its flow when all that is done with, and the romantic plot starts to develop. This is where the book shines and I could not put it down, at least until the climax where I suddenly decided to put it down and wait a couple more days before finishing the book. I'm honestly not sure why, except that perhaps the writing took me out of the story a little. I still came back and finished it gladly, though!
Overall, I think this is a fantastic debut! I know some people might read this, then look at my rating and critique and go "huh?" However, the mark of a good writer is room for improvement and I see a lot of that in this novel. Like I said, don't expect a first-time debut to be the next Shakespeare, because it never will be. But I can see where Shields has worked hard to develop this story into what it is. She has put so much love and labor into this and credit goes where credit is due. I'm honestly super excited for what she might put out next. I genuinely hope I haven't put anyone off of reading this if you were excited for it like I was. The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields is magical, whimsical, a bit dark at times, romantic, and steamy and a really good read if you enjoy all of the above.
Let's start with the positives! I was really looking forward to this book ever since I saw the author advertise it on Instagram with the pitch of "Sapphic Howl's Moving Castle", and if you've seen my recent review of Howl's Moving Castle and know me at all, you'd know that's right up my alley haha. Though I am personally not a huge romance fan, occasionally I make exceptions for premises that intrigue me and this did not disappoint. I loved the unique idea and setting. I was really into the background lore of witches in this world and how their magic worked, especially Honey Witch magic, which I just thought was so cool and inventive to be based on the honey bees make. All the relationships were fantastic, romantic, platonic, and familial. My favorite was definitely Lottie and Marigold's relationship. The tension and development were great and I loved the gradual shift from frosty acquaintances to steamy lovers.
I also have to mention that throughout the book I could see the inspiration from Howl's Moving Castle but the story was totally its own thing. As well, I loved the little nod of Lottie sort of taking the role of Sophie, when in the original story (as well as the movie) Sophie had a sister named Lottie. It was a nice Easter egg for fans of both.
Now into the critique. I want to preface that this is a debut from a first-time published author and that will affect my critique as such. One cannot expect a new author to publish a perfectly crafted novel. That said, the writing is a bit amateurish and clumsy at times. The pacing was a bit jarring for me in the first section or so where there is a lot of introduction and exposition. However, the story finds its flow when all that is done with, and the romantic plot starts to develop. This is where the book shines and I could not put it down, at least until the climax where I suddenly decided to put it down and wait a couple more days before finishing the book. I'm honestly not sure why, except that perhaps the writing took me out of the story a little. I still came back and finished it gladly, though!
Overall, I think this is a fantastic debut! I know some people might read this, then look at my rating and critique and go "huh?" However, the mark of a good writer is room for improvement and I see a lot of that in this novel. Like I said, don't expect a first-time debut to be the next Shakespeare, because it never will be. But I can see where Shields has worked hard to develop this story into what it is. She has put so much love and labor into this and credit goes where credit is due. I'm honestly super excited for what she might put out next. I genuinely hope I haven't put anyone off of reading this if you were excited for it like I was. The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields is magical, whimsical, a bit dark at times, romantic, and steamy and a really good read if you enjoy all of the above.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Blood, Grief, Confinement, Death, Abortion, and Sexual content
madisonwren_'s review against another edition
emotional
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
3.5
As a lover of "witch books," I expected to love this and it delivered. It follows Marigold's story - from feeling like she doesn't fit into the roles that are expected of her, to learning she is a Honey Witch and embracing that role. I loved the connection Marigold felt to her grandmother, the cozy island world she found herself in, the nurturing theme of her magic, the exploration of grief, and the found family elements. This is an excellent read if you love witches, an enchanting atmosphere, LGBT representation, and a story that follows a young woman's coming of age / grief / romance. The themes in this book are not all light and airy, but that added a depth that the story needed. I only say that in case readers are looking for a cozy fantasy with super low stakes - check the trigger warnings. The author lists them clearly on Goodreads and Storygraph is another great resource.
I read an ARC copy of this book, and presently there are a few phrases that repeat and a small stylistic inconsistencies in the writing that are minor and likely to be ironed out in editing. I didn't feel like this took away from the story at all.
Excellent debut by Sydney J. Shields. Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook for the ARC!
I read an ARC copy of this book, and presently there are a few phrases that repeat and a small stylistic inconsistencies in the writing that are minor and likely to be ironed out in editing. I didn't feel like this took away from the story at all.
Excellent debut by Sydney J. Shields. Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook for the ARC!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Abortion and Miscarriage
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