The Nature of Witches is YA fantasy about witches whose powers control weather and the environment. Most witches’ powers are tied to a certain season, but a rare witch will be born with powers all year round. Clara is one of them, an Everwitch, and with the world’s weather becoming more erratic every day, her immense power will be needed to help control it. In order to do that, she will need to accept her magic and the pain it can cause to those she loves.

Something about this book fell flat for me, and I’m not quite sure what it was. I enjoyed the premise and the magic system, but I wanted more build-up of the fantasy elements. Even though this is set in our world, there is still a major change to explain.

I also didn’t feel very invested in the characters. I really liked the bisexual rep, because it is just a part of the story and not the main focus. It is a story of Clara finding acceptance with her power, but it is also quite heavy on the romance. The conflict was missing tension for me, and I couldn’t picture some of the situations she was in.

I would recommend this for YA readers who like fantasy set in the real world. For me, overall, it was not a good fit.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this review copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

I was provided an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions expressed are my own.

I really loved this from the first page to the last! I really enjoyed the magic system and the witches being part of society instead of hidden amongst it. I also liked the concept of witches being a sort of climate control, and the fact that this touches on real world environmental issues that we face today. I thought that was a creative way to tell the story and create the magic system.

I thought the magic system was well explained and fairly straightforward. We have seasonal magic, where a witch has power from one of the four seasons, with the exception of Clara who is an Ever. She can access all four seasons. Clara's magic is a little more complicated and confusing than everyone else, mainly because she is the only Everwitch and the last one lived 200 years ago. Not much is known about them and what they can do. As she learns about her power, so do we.

I thought the worldbuilding was well done, which is not something you typically get a ton of in a more urban fantasy type of book. Books set in the real world versus a fictional world don't tend to spend a ton of time describing the scenery, but I thought the author did a good job with it here. Because the magic is connected to nature and most of it is done outside, I think that the descriptions of what was happening really helped paint the picture of what Clara and the other students were able to do with their magic.

This was a great YA fantasy. It has a sweet romance and a ton of self-discovery. This has great side characters. They played an integral part in Clara's character development and were great friends to her even when she tried to push them away. I don't think Clara would have ever gotten control of her magic and accepted it had it not been for Paige and Sang. She finally came to terms with the grief over the loss of her loved ones and the responsibility she has by being the only one of her kind.

If you like urban fantasy, magical schools, witches, I'd give this a read. I really loved it!

I loved this book. I am a sucker for magic systems and this one did not disappoint. I’m not sure that I’ve read another book specifically about seasonal/weather magic, which made it way more enjoyable.

I think the most surprising part of the book is how atmospheric it is. Each season was described so vividly that I couldn’t help but feel transported to the cold of winter or the lightness of spring. The main character’s connection to each season also felt very meaningful and I loved the descriptions of how each one made her feel or what was special about it.

My only complaint about the book was the main romance. The romantic interest felt too perfect. Even their apartment was described as being perfectly clean… literally not one flaw. Despite that, I still rooted for the relationship to work the whole way through, so it wasn’t that much of an issue.

Overall, a really beautiful book.

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

How could you not be entranced by a book that is described as Practical Magic meets Twister? Clara, like all witches, has the power to control the weather. But Clara’s power is volatile and using it means risking the ones she loves. A novel that is as deeply about magic as it is about our changing climate, The Nature of Witches is an “atmospheric” book that contemporary readers and fantasy readers will enjoy.

Thanks to Raincoast Books for an e-ARC! I think a lot of YA fans will like this one, though personally I kept reading the main characters as 20-somethings. Much of the book takes place at a school that trains witches so I do understand teenaged characters suiting the school setting but I think a university setting would’ve worked better with how the characters come across.

Still, it’s a very intriguing premise that combines magical powers with a more realistic view of Earth and climate change. In Griffin’s book, witches are born on each solstice and have powers directly related to their season and the weather. However, with the ongoing effects of climate change, it’s proving beyond even the power of witches to keep the climate under control. Which is where the chosen one, aka Clara, the Ever Witch, comes in! She can access powers from all 4 seasons but fear of her magic after it caused the death of those close to her has held her back.

I really enjoyed the premise and it’s a fun one to explore a magical school and the wonders of weather and nature. There was just something in the description, perhaps too much of it, that left me feeling detached from the main character and since much of it is a personal journey, I wasn’t as invested.

"Avatar" meets environmentalist witchcraft in this debut novel by Rachel Griffin.

With heatwaves burning through winters and storms running rampant, "The Nature of Witches" takes a look at an Earth on the edge of demise. For years, witches had control of the weather, their magic tied to seasons that brought them strength, but a winter witch isn’t made for battling the sun and a summer witch can’t handle hail. Only an Everwitch who has control over all four seasons has any hope of making headway against the perils they face. But Clara, the only Ever in generations, has seen what her magic can do. And it’s more dangerous than any storm could be.

This book was a beautiful idea with extremely subpar execution and ended up feeling like a series stunted down into a stand-alone. What could have bloomed over the course of four installments was cramped and overly condescended. Seriously lacking in description and with too little time for character growth, the story was simply summary that held no emotional appeal. Any tidbits of interesting magic concepts, character backstories, and world-building were lost amidst a rushed and predictable plot. From the beginning, it was clear that most of the interesting parts of Clara’s story had happened before the book even started. All that was left was an angst-filled romance story that had no room to build or to grow attached to it. 

I rated "The Nature of Witches" a seriously disappointed 2 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the early copy in exchange for an honest review!

Rachel writes a beautiful story of believing your life has limits and learning that you were made for so much more. Clara is an Ever. Her magic is ever changing and evolving. To her that is scary. Her magic changes every season, yet she is expected to change the world. She is one of a kind. She has grown up with such high expectations on her shoulders and when bad things happen to the ones she loves, she doesn’t know how she can be her what she is “supposed to be” and how she can truly love someone again and let them in.

Slowly Clara meets someone who doesn’t let her push them away. With this she is accepted for who and what she is. She learns how she can trust people and how she can let others trust her as well.

We see such a unique look into a magic system I haven’t come across before as a fantasy reader. I think this is a GREAT first fantasy book for those that are hesitant to break into this genre. It is also labeled YA, but reads much older for those that don’t typically like YA books as well. I highly recommend!

Elemental magic has always fascinated me and in The Nature of Witches, it was given a unique twist, making it an enjoyable read. The story centers around the idea of self-love and acceptance, and the prose was beautifully written and had some extremely poignant moments. That being said, it did get a little slow in parts.

In this book, different types of magic are associated with each of the four seasons, and a witch's power is tied to the season they were born in. The witches' purpose is to maintain the Earth's atmosphere, but with the lack of care to the planet, it is in trouble. I absolutely loved this concept. It is so creative and was justified beautifully in the world-building.

The protagonist, Clara, has the mysterious tie to all four seasons and unlike the other witches whose powers weaken during their off-season, Clara's magic never loses strength. However; what Clara does lack, is the control of her own power, which attacks anyone she has ever loved. Clara was an easy character to empathize with, and the juxtaposition of being the most powerful witch who is terrified of her own abilities made for an interesting arc. 

From the start to finish we get to feel a lot of Clara’s emotional turmoil, but there were times when it seemed to get a bit repetitive, ultimately falling flat. I think there was room for more action to continue the momentum of the story and Clara's journey.

In the end, I enjoyed how the author wrapped things up, however it felt surface level due to the lack of detail and clarity. The ending left me puzzled, questioning how or why it worked out the way it did, considering what had already been established earlier in the book. 

Overall, I think The Nature of Witches was a creative and lovely story, and I look forward to seeing what else the author writes.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4059222948?book_show_action=false

With no exaggeration, in all earnesty, this is the best book I have ever read.
To begin, right from the start, I saw so much of myself in this character. She is a member of the LGBT+ community. She isn’t ashamed of it, she doesn’t struggle with it, she never has to explain, she just is. And that is something I really think LGBT+ people need to learn. They can just BE, without having to explain anything.

She changes with the seasons, and struggles with that. I think this-and the changes all witches go through in this novel, is a really good metaphor for people with seasonal depression, or personality disorders and it’s really comforting to see that although she does change, she is still herself. I also saw myself in her in that she struggles with a fundamental part of her that hurts those she loves, and she feels like isolation is the only way to avoid inflicting pain on others.

As someone that cares about the environment, I really enjoyed the way magic works and the role of the witches in this world. I think it’s both a really unique and fresh way to look at magic, but it also manages to feel classic and ancient and just right at the same time.

This is also a story about forgiveness. Forgiving yourself and letting go is one of the hardest things to do in the whole world. It’s even almost as hard as allowing yourself to be forgiven by others. The Nature of Witches explores all the ups and downs of forgiveness in all forms, and gives one of the most accurate representations of complex human relationships that I’ve ever read. It doesn't feel superficial or like fantasy, it feels real, and scary, and true.

But mostly this is a story about love. Love makes us strong, it makes us weak, it makes us better, and it makes us worse. It makes us.

Clara may have the power of every season – as the seasons shift, so too does her magic – but she has lived in an emotional winter for far too long. Ever since she learned that her magic seeks out and kills those she loves most, Clara has cut everyone she loves off and (mostly) keeps her distant from the rest. The biggest problem is not keeping people away but how desperately she wants to be close to them.

The other big problem is that Clara has learned to fear her magic. She’s never realized the extent of what she can do... or even what, exactly, she can do. As the only living Ever Witch, Clara is the sole person with magic that changes alongside the seasons rather than waxing and waning. She’s essential in helping to bring balance back to their damaged world but until she learns to embrace her magic, she’s only as useful as any other witch within their season.

Enter Sang, a Spring witch who’s underlying magic is tranquility. His power to calm her, as well as his openness, trusting nature, and acceptance of Clara as she is, allows her to begin trusting herself enough to explore her magic... even as he becomes its most likely next target.

This is very much a person versus themself story. There’s no malicious adversary waiting in the wings to wreak havoc. Just Clara struggling with her powerful, willful magic and her desperate need for human connection.

It’s a story about love. The loss of her parents and best friend haunts her and she keeps her distance from others because the risk of hurting anyone else (and breaking her own heart again) terrifies her. Yet there is always love. Love for her cat, for her teacher, for the earth, for the seasons… and for Sang.

Her friendship, then romance with Sang is sweet. In particular, there is a time when they are unable to be together. Instead, they communicate through nature. Spring witches can grow flowers based on their emotions and that is what Clara and Sang do. Day by day they share a single emotion at a time, responding to each others’ newest flower. It is a beautiful if bittersweet part of Griffen’s story; a time of healing, forgiveness, and unity even as they are apart. She admires him so much for his honesty, his passion for plants, and his constant kindness and acceptance of her.

Thanks to Sang, Clara is able to find her way to the next season.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for sharing this book for an honest review.

A great debut novel following the life of Clara - an ever witch- who wants nothing to do with her power in time when witches are need more than ever to help stabilize weather. The premise of this book was super intriguing witches against climate change? Sign me up! But also the fact that each witch had a season and could only really effectively use their magic during it was a cool new take! I loved the relationships and the characters that developed throughout the book for that ending! Very fantastic and can't wait to read more from Rachel Griffin in the future!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!!

I loved this! The changes of the season as well as changes in Clara. That is such a parallel to how there are times people change character so quickly too. I think a lot of readers will relate. I loved her character growth and evolving skills and emotions. Sang is definitely a right fit for her. He is calm and patient. He gives her room to grow rather than the others that tend to smother her. The witch system was fascinating as well. I could read about their training and education all day.

Definitely recommend for older young adults with the implied sexual content.

The concept of this book—witches and weather events—was pretty brilliant. Climate change is clearly a passion of the author’s. Clara was just a hard sell for me, personally. I wanted to like her, but I honestly liked Paige more. I’m probably a winter witch, which explains that. I enjoyed the journey we went on with Clara—the meadow and the romance in particular was compelling—but I think it fell a little short of the hype. I think I was expecting something a little less angsty. I wish there had been more explanation about the magic system—it was a little disjointed and I really wanted to understand better.

Don’t get me wrong, it was still a good read. I enjoyed it overall.

I received an ARC copy for an honest review. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher!

This book felt like a breath of fresh air.

In this modern set world, there are witches and those without magic. The witches are tied to a different season, and then there's Clara - an Ever witch. While the rest of the witches' powers wane during off season, Clara's change. She can control all.

The setting of this book is in a magical school, where the witches are learning to use their powers, so they could help with environmentally broken world. This theme was so heartbreaking. The world is literally falling apart from ever changing weather - extreme tornadoes, wildfires, and rains. The witches are the ones that are trying to stabilize the atmosphere and calm down the storms. But they can't keep up. And the only hope at this point, is the unique witch, Clara.

Clara is fighting with herself - fearing of harnessing her own powers, fearing of hurting others, fearing of forever being alone.

The story flowed so well. It was fast paced, even if it was melancholy with the constant reminder of how lonely and fearful Clara is. The lyrical and beautiful writing pulled me in, with almost poetic connection to nature and how magical it is when working with it.

Oh, and let's not forget Sang. I just want to hug him. What a beautiful soul that deserves all the fandom!! Seriously, all the fantasy lovers need a Sang in your life (black tea/honey/wildflowers). And of course Page - the badass best friend. I wanted so much for that girl.

So here are some things to keep in mind for this one:
-environmental devastation
-magical school setting
-LGBTQ+ rep
-unique magic system

Thank you so much to FireReads for my review copy. I'm so glad I got to enjoy all the seasons with Clara.

It’s hard to lose yourself to fiction when it purposes an actual real life issue. That’s the only real problem I had when reading this title. The cover was freeing and the blurb eye catching.

What did I like? When you put aside the climate change issue the book was sweet and had a important message. Clara felt like nothing until she learned to believe in herself. Some of the romance aspects were very cute but you had to make it to the end of the book. In a way it was a clever book but I had to push through it.

Would I recommend or buy? If your not sensitive about climate change this is a unique story idea. I enjoyed Clara and Sang’s romance blossom and her fight against herself to just be her. It’s a unique story. Four stars but I had to really push myself.

I received a complimentary copy to read and voluntarily left a review!

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of THE NATURE OF WITCHES. by Rachel Griffin. This book had a really cool premise of witches whose powers are associated with seasons which affect when they are in strength and how they can affect the weather and even their personalities. I also really like the main internal conflict for the main character Clara where she thought she had to choose between love and her powers and how she resolved that and the romance between her and her mentor Yang. I also like the earthy nature vibes of the whole thing. My favorite part was the little quotes at the start of every chapter that were a lot of wise, deep sayings. I highlighted a lot of them.
Despite all these good things in theory, in practice I never got very into this book. I think weather magic just wasn't that exciting to me, especially since a lot of the main action involved her influencing the weather and I skimmed most of those parts. I mostly cared about the relationships and the Clara's personal growth and skimmed to get the gist of those things and just figured the weather worked itself out. I never felt any connection or intensity to any of that. I never wondered what was going to happen.
Thus, this book gets a middle of the road rating from me because it did has a lot of aspects that I liked about it, but somehow it really failed to suck me in—I'm sure there are many who will feel differently.

The nature of witches is an YA urban fantasy focused on Clara, a girl standing out from other season witches for being the only Everwitch alive among them. While the book shows a new aspect of the familiar witchling theme and holds many potentials to itself, there are still many common flaws made throughout the book.

Plot: To be honest, this is just the well known chosen one trope wearing new clothes. So indeed everything is predictable. The nice thing about it is that most of the events are wrapped up nicely and well coordinated so that story doesnt get messy.

World-building: the magical system probably got on my nerves the most. Despite having a firm base of elements, almost everything else mentioned was sloppy, from the vague description to the non specific explanation. The mechanism seems more spiritual, yet the professors and students still carry out tests and experiments like they are scientists. It's just not adding up with so many details remaining mysterious: How did existence of witches come to shaders' knowledge? What do the shaders do to "cooperate" with witches? What causes the blizzard, the tornado, cloudburst, stuff like that, all of the sudden? The story just goes on solving problems without revealing the source to it.

Characters: I know people will hate characters like Clara but this time I tend to give her a pass since she's young and lost people she loved a lot and everyone grieves differently. But it's sad that her personality was built on just that and not anything else. A horrible character treatment imo. Sang, on the other hand, is an absolute babe. Clara won the whole package. Chemist, botanist, cottagecore influencer and free therapist? He's versatile. The other characters are just meh, somewhat Harry Potter-ish one dimensional.

Other details:
• Many magical features are forgettable. Put a name on it if you want people to memorize it!
• Mr. Hart being a great loss to Clara but barely mentioned or even if he is, he just sounds like a random person.
• What's the point of repeating how miserable Clara has been in almost all chapters about Nikki and her parents if we never know what exactly happened to them to cause that misery?

I could not get into the story. I am hoping it was just me. I set it aside and will pick it up again in the fall. Should I read it, I will post a review across the boards. Thank you.

I liked this a lot! It's a unique take on witches and I was really interested in the magic system & how it connected to nature. I liked that the character is emotional and finding her way. Will definitely recommend.

So, this one was definitely something different! I enjoy the whole fantasy and especially novels about witches so, this was right up my alley!
Each witch has their powers based on a season of the year (winter, spring, fall or summer), but our MC is an Ever witch. Being a Ever witch gives Clara the power to pull powers from any season. This power scares Clara because she is constantly afraid that she won't be able to control her powers and is afraid because she doesn't want to hurt anyone that she loves.
What was good about this book:
The whole atmosphere of the book, I loved that it covered climate issues.
The love story.
Paige the loyal friend who had her back.
I loved the school vibes, I have been looking for something extra like this since I have been missing Harry Potter lol
All of the freaking acceptance! I loved that!
What was bad about the book:
I hated the self pity of Clara, she does this way too much and it may be a character flaw but it almost made me stop reading the book a couple of times.
and that's it!
If you are looking for a good magical book then this is definitely one that you should pick up! It was a great one!