Review by bear_ridge_tarot - Witchlore

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bear_ridge_tarot 's review for:

Witchlore by Emma Hinds

4.5

dark emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for allowing me access to this eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Demdike College of Witchcraft is housing more than just magical children. It is where Orlando, the outcast shapeshifter amongst the witches, is suffering from grief on top of their terrible control of their shapeshifting abilities. While their body switches between male and female forms and their magic runs out of control, Orlando blames themselves for Elizabeth’s death.

Bastian, the charming new boy, arrives to pull Orlando from their emotional depths with a proposition. He knows a spell that will raise Elizabeth from the dead. Orlando will do anything, even if it’s dangerous, to be able to speak with Elizabeth one more time. But what does Bastian get from all this? And who will survive the resurrection spell?

While the main character is a shapeshifter full of magic, Lando is one of the most relatable nonbinary characters I’ve met. They are not only dealing with the stress of defending their conviction that they are not female or male, but they express the longing that nearly everyone exhibits… wanting to see themselves in others. Lando, with the shapeshifter grimoire, finds a kindred soul in the historical diary pages, much the same way we readers seek ourselves in the stories we read. It gave the book a big boost in relatability.

There is a lot of negative inner dialogue from Lando, who is very clearly going through some things, which can be hard for folk to read about who haven’t been in that head space before. There are a few other major emotional threads that can be hard for folks to read about, but they are all very well handled.

This book was so good. It had all the worldbuilding I could want, great pacing, and the whole tortured love trope that I enjoy so much. I highly recommend this for anyone 10 and up looking for queer representation and a satisfying plot twist. I look forward to more from Emma Hinds.

Content Warnings