The Nature of Witches is a unique YA fantasy novel about Clara, the first Ever witch in over a century. While most witches are controlled by one season, she can use her power through every season. At her magic school in modern-day Pennslyvania, she's under pressure to take control of her power to stop catastrophic future weather events, which are ever-evolving thanks to climate change.

Things I liked:
- The unique storyline! I loved that this was a YA fantasy novel that focused on witches and seasons.
- Griffin's vividly detailed writing. She truly painted a picture of each season.
- Sang. He was such a supportive and endearing spring witch and boyfriend.
- Clara's character development. Honestly, I didn't love her in the beginning as she went through a bit of a self-pitying phase. But by the end, she had grown in the book and on me.

Overall, if you're searching for YA fantasy with a unique twist, I highly recommend checking out The Nature of Witches. What a fantastic debut from Griffin!

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for the ARC - all opinions are my own.

wait this was great??? it's just a really straightforward and well realized story about power and self and community, lovely prose, great character growth. we love to see it!

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.

wow. This book is fantastic! I love the concept of the seasonal witches and that they are all unique and powerful but in different ways! I also love the world that the author created. Its our world but filled with magic, and the non-witches, called Shaders in this world, KNOW about the witches.

Basically, witches control the atmosphere, the weather, all of it. Thanks to humans overrunning the world and global warming, their job is a LOT harder. Thankfully, however, the first Everwitch in a century has been born. Only, she is terrified of using her powers because it has caused her to kill loved ones in the past.

I love the main character and that the biggest enemy in the book is her own fear. I absolutely get why she is terrified of it. Knowing that if she gets too close to someone, she has a high chance of killing them. . .well understandable why she isnt the largest fan of her powers.

You really get to watch Clara grow into who she is and the ending is perfect. I love the interactions between her and her fellow witches. You get to see her gradually come to trust herself and others around her and you get to see her get closer to people.

Overall, I REALLY enjoyed this book and loved getting to know the characters.

The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin was an amazingly beautiful and haunting story about the power of self-acceptance. The story begins in Autumn with Clara hating being different than her peers. Each of her peers have magic that is tied to a specific season, whereas Clara is an Ever-Witch, meaning that her magic changes to match the season. She struggles with learning to control her magic, as she is the first ever-witch in generations and therefore has no mentor to teach her.

In addition to just being a truly engaging story, this one had quotes that I loved so much, I had to pause while reading just to jot them down, Favorite quotes that spoke to my heart:

“There is nothing more powerful than being understood.”

“You are more than your magic. Spend time with people who know that so they can remind you of it when you forget.”

This is Clara's journey from self-hatred to self-acceptance. It is a story of friendship and love and the messiness that can come with both. Overall I would rate this a 4 - 4.5 only due to the fact that the story picks right up without much explanation or world-building. While the magic scheme is developed throughout, it felt like there could have been a bit more attention paid to the underlying nature of each specific magic/season and how the magic was accessed or wielded by the witches.

I will definitely be purchasing a copy of this to grace my shelves. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to read and review this one.

“The Nature of Witches” by Rachel Griffin: Inventive
In this young adult novel of magic and witches, Rachel Griffin has done something inventive. She’s created a different viewpoint on how magic works, a fresh spin that revolves around the seasons and around how humans treat our planet. In her world, just like in the real world, the balance of nature is broken, humanity on the cusp of destroying themselves and the world. In this world, witches can make a difference but not enough and with everything hanging by a thread, they look to the only one who might be able to change things, Clara, a witch with the power of all seasons.
Not only is the concept intriguing but the main character, Clara, is engaging. I found myself wrapped up in the story. I also found the other characters likeable and interesting as well. It is a story that is interesting, that opens with a problem that is not easily resolved and with a character fraught with flaws who grows along with the solution. It is a fun read, with a character that doesn’t give up. And while the answer was one that occurred to me well before the ending of the novel, it was still entertaining.
It is emotional, bright and hopeful but if there is one issue, I wondered why the character of Sang isn’t more developed. Most of the characters, while likeable, read a bit flat and don’t feel as well developed as they could be but are still engaging. Sang is incredibly likeable, but as the romantic lead in the story, he has very few flaws, so this leaves the romance elements not as emotional as they could be. In addition, as an Asian character, I wanted better development. His character ends up being a stereotype of the wise and smart Asian character, which ends up leaving him far less authentic than the character should be, especially with the current issues in society today. A more flawed character would have been far more interesting and more realistic.
Still, the concepts make for a wonderful story and for a young adult novel, it still has a lot of depth and complexity, especially to the world and the problems plaguing society. Given the hopeful tone it is given, it is the perfect tone for the issues we as a society have. And I loved the conclusion to this lovely novel.
Rating: 4 out of 5 seasons

This book had me hooked from page one! I loved the nuanced and new take on witches and there were definitely some unexpected twists thrown in. Would definitely recommend!

I knew from reading the synopsis that this book would resonate with my soul. Rachel Griffin’s prose was breath taking to me and allowed me to feel this book on such a deeper level. Nature has always fascinated me and to add it to witches who control the weather within the seasons they were born, was truly a beautiful concept. The author talks about so many relevant things, like pollution, climate change, how us humans are using the earth and not taking care of her in return.... these topics are eye opening and makes you really think about the impact you have.

The story follows a young Everwitch (a witch whose magic is tied to every season), Clara, as she learns about her magic and tries to navigate the consequences, she’s had to deal with from not having control of her magic. It’s so heartbreaking to read her loss but then you take this journey with her as she learns to control it and not be afraid and she begins to feel empowered. I loved the inclusion of the mental health aspects; Clara clearly has been through so much and to see how her character strives to better herself along with the support of her friends and teachers.

The descriptions and worldbuilding was pretty darn great! The plot was easy to follow and the story just fell into place; which made it a quick read. I love when everything flows. And the romance was so angsty, sweet and adorable. It came so naturally and effortlessly that nothing felt forced, and oh the dialogue is engaging and realistic.

Overall, the book is one that is a must read. If you love witches, nature, sweet and lovable characters, it’s definitely for you. I would really love to see this on the big screen, it could so easily be adapted.

I never know what to think going into fantasy novels: Will the world make sense? Will I be able to relate to the characters? Will I care about the characters? Etc.

In the case of Rachel Griffin’s The Nature of Witches, the answer to all of the above is, yes.

The beauty of The Nature of Witches is that it’s almost a contemporary YA setting, only the main characters are witches that keep the climate in check. Each witch is born on an equinox or solstice and their powers are tied to that corresponding season.

Every witch, that is, except Clara, whose abilities change to match each season but never diminish. Clara’s the great hope. But she doesn’t want to be. As she faces new challenges, her fear practically drips off the page. It’s not until she discovers the root of her fears and embraces them that she is able to find the balance she so desperately seeks. This turmoil makes for a strong character study.

The Nature of Witches is divided into the seasons, and with each new section comes a new set of challenges. It’s a clever way of pacing the novel, allowing the action to ebb and flow just as weather does in real life. Griffin’s imagery is strong throughout, but excels when it comes to weather itself. Even small moments where leaves encircle someone shine bright.

I wasn’t completely blown away by The Nature of Witches, but it is still worth reading. The story is unique, and you’ll find yourself thinking about the world around you a lot more after reading it.

This book wasn't what I expected, but I liked all the magical/witch-y elements, taken up a notch by incorporating the weather and the four seasons. I seemed to pick up on a lot of "angst"-y vibes, but I did like the romance between Sang and Clara blossoming under the surface. And of course I liked Nox the cat. The final few pages were perfect.

Thank you, Netgalley, for this arc.

In Rachel Griffin’s The Nature of Witches, Clara is an Everwitch. Other witches are born to a season, and their powers are strongest during their season. Everwitches can tap into the magic of every season, but they’re incredibly rare. For Clara, her gift comes with a cost because her magic seeks out those she’s closest to. It killed her parents and one of her best friends, forcing her to isolate herself from others at her school as the administrators pressure her to learn to wield her power.

Clara has a legitimate conflict, because she’s haunted by the cost of her magic. For others, all they see is the power. Former friends and instructors alike criticize her for holding back while she lives with the fear that her power will harm someone else.

There’s a lot about this story that would be ideal for the big screen. I found myself thinking this suited an upper YA teen movie in the Harry Potter vein. The visuals would be stunning. Throughout the story, Clara battles tornadoes and blizzards. And then there’s Sang and his talent for botany and the colorful flowers he uses to decorate the school’s seasonal celebrations.

This story also touches on some real world issues. First, the weather systems witches manage are getting out of control, thanks to environmental damage from shaders (regular people without magic). This is causing a lot of witches to die.

Second, Clara’s dealing with grief and guilt, which many people can relate to. She’s been traumatized by the cost of using her power.

Third, like Clara, many people can relate to the pressure to succeed and how some people are more interested in power than they are in people.

I felt a lot of things reading this book, including a lot of anger. There was a real lack of concern for Clara’s emotional wellbeing, and the one adult ally she had died early on, causing a fresh wave of grief and guilt for our protagonist. None of the instructors or administrators at the school actually sat her down and asked her how she was or offered counseling. Instead, she was constantly bullied to do better and meet their expectations.

Clara wrestles with whether she should give up her power, and it’s easy to think she’s weak because she considered it. However, when you consider how she has to stand up to all the adults in her life to protect herself and others, you realize just how strong and courageous she is.

I suppose many people think it would be wonderful to be born with some supernatural ability that gives them power. Clara’s story explores the disadvantages of being different, even if you are powerful and special.

While some aspects of the story were anticipated, this was an engaging story with an interesting protagonist who gave me a lot to think about. I definitely found myself thinking it’s better to develop an ability rather than have one thrust upon you.

I absolutely loved Sang and it was nice to see a story that centered around such a caring, supportive male figure. Sang was the only person who put Clara first throughout her last year of schooling, and it shows how even the most powerful people need others to help them achieve their potential.

I did feel like the story went on past its ideal end point. It reminded me of The Lord of the Rings movie because there were three points where I thought it was over. I won’t touch on what it was about the ending that I felt weakened the story overall here because it would be a spoiler (see the spoiler below if you really want to know), but it’s just my opinion, and the first 95 percent of the book is thoroughly engaging. 4/5.

I truly embraced this lovely story about the reluctant and scared witch, Clara. The intricacy of the seasonal magic intrigued me with this take on climate change. The author weaves magic out of the weather flawlessly, making me question everything I learned on this subject in school. And now I want to transition my house to be an immersion house. This is a gorgeous story and everyone needs to read this!

I was captivated in a world of witches. It had everything a binge worthy novel needs. Love, suspense, heart ache and energy.

The nature of witches provide a breath of fresh air into the magical genre.

The inclusion of seasonal elements of sources of power, was a concept I really enjoyed as a reader.

I adore reading about witches and all things magic but have found myself tiring of the tropes and stereotypical characters and plot twists - which is why The Nature Of Witches really appealed to me!

Rachel’s writing is impeccable and her plot development is strong - 4 stars!

This is such a cool magic system I love the way the magic is tied to love and emotion. Additionally the witches’ having different seasonal magic and how their power ebbed with the changing seasons was really cool. Seeing how the main characters worked together to figure out how an everwitch’s power differed from the seasonal witches’ power was really interesting. I also enjoyed how the love story evolved through the story and the seasons. The way the seasons divide the different parts of the book was a great touch. The journey through this transformative year was an enjoyable read full of magic.

A devastatingly beauty story about learning to love and accept yourself. This story will stick with me for a long time. Most witches are only strong during their season and are weakened during the other three. But Clara is an Ever which, meaning she has her full powers during every season, making her an incredible powerful witch. But after her magic killed her parents and her best friend, the last thing Clara wants is more magic. She even plans to stay for a solar eclipse that will totally strip her of her powers. After beginning to train with a new student, Clara begins to learn some of the amazing things her magic can do. But when her magic hurts Sang, she doesn't know if it is worth it.
I received this as an ebook release through NetGalley for review, but all opinions stated are completely my own
5*

In looking at other reviews of this book here and on goodreads, it appears that I am one of the few who didn’t love this book. I found the idea and world that Griffin imagined to be very compelling. Unfortunately, the execution did not match the breadth of imagination.

This book depends on one of the classical YA tropes - the once in a generation protagonist that isn’t in control of whatever their power is. It’s a tripe for a reason and is sometimes effective. In this case, Clara lacked a lot of depth and her backstory simply lacked clarity. We get a lot of worrying and isolation over a perceived cause of her best friends death. Like many teenagers, she’s totally unable to see past the fact that her power or lack of control doesn’t result in death. Everything in her world is of total extremes and that would be fine if there was actual pacing in the story. There isn’t though, it’s just her training without stakes that I as a reader actually care about.

I think that this could have been a great world but so much time was spent on Clara whining, being stubborn, and no build up to an actual problem. The ending felt rushed with no thought put into readers actually caring about what happened to the world.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

This book was meh. It often felt as if the characters were one dimensional and that their biggest personality trait was their magic, I had a hard time connecting with anyone. Clara is an Everwitch, the only witch for some reason that is not connected to seasons (like a specific one, she is connected to all which is rare and she's the first in 200 years to appear) and protecting the planet, atmosphere and such.

The romance in the novel was short and not really captivating or having me root for them, I just could not fall in love with the idea of a romance when they don't feel real. I enjoyed, how the novel was cut into parts (with the seaons so summer, spring, etc) it was nice to have a place to put the book down and made for a nicely structured read. I was so excited about this read but in the end, while this was one of my most anticipated read it feel into that branch of urban fantasy that would have been so much better as a traditional fantasy. I enjoyed how the climate change was woven in the story and their powers.
Clara was just too annoying and bratty for me. While it is addressed by other characters with her, it has little to no effect in the end.

For me the book wrapped up too nicely for how it was all along, it felt like a Disney ending to a otherwise new adult book. It completely threw me off, the writing is very flowery which I usually love, but bearing in mind our MC is 17 it felt weird and just added to the annoyance I felt toward our MC.

An unfortunate flop for me,
2/5 stars.
Bookarina

I'll be honest, contemporary fantasy and witches are not my go to fantasy. Two things about this book intrigued me enough to request an eARC... the cover and "meets Twister" in the description. What is it about weather that is endlessly fascinating?

In The Nature of Witches, it is the witches who control the weather and protect our atmosphere. All the witches are tied to a season, except for Clara. Clara is the only Everwitch. The only witch whose magic is tied to all the seasons. She is supposed to be the most powerful witch in existence, someone who is desperately needed as the shaders (non witches) have over taxed the planet and the witches are struggling to control the massive and unpredictable changes in the atmosphere. But Clara is afraid of her magic. Afraid of how she and it changes each season and afraid of the damage her magic can cause.

There is a lot to love about this book. I absolutely loved the climate change awareness aspect and the magical take on the issue. And Rachel's writing is gorgeous. I often struggled with Clara's attitude and general self pity, but the writing and, quite honestly, Sang (a recent graduate brought in to help Clara control her magic), kept me going. Clara's self pity ebbs and flows through the book, but it was very strong through the first third and I admit I was beginning to consider not finishing. I've discovered that it's a character trait I really don't like and for a long time it basically was Clara's only trait. Thankfully she does start to open up and look beyond the fears that cause her self pity, even if those issues do make regular reappearances. By then I was loving the writing, the story, and (as I said earlier) Sang, and could weather Clara's bouts of doubt and fear better.

The other thing I really loved was how the book was broken into seasons and how the magic of each season affected Clara's personality. You can tell it's hard for Clara to feel such huge shifts within herself, but it allows both her and the reader to really see the beauty and magic of each season.

Overall, The Nature of Witches is a gorgeous book both inside and out. Rachel really helps you to see the beauty of nature and the seasons while taking you on Clara's journey to figure out who she is and what her magic can truly do.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The nature of witches is the debut of Rachel Griffin. I always love stories about witches and therefore I just had to read this one.

The book takes place on earth and in our world with the exception that there are witches whose powers are connected to the season. The witches try to work on the state the world is in, but that gets harder and harder each day.

Our protagonist Clara is an everwitch who has the power of all seasons and she changes with them. This is very rare and she could be the key to solve all the problems. But she isn’t trained and can’t really control her powers. She adapts to situations very quickly and tries to make the best out of them. And while Clara is a good protagonist a lot of people took advantage of her and manipulated and belittled her. This was really sad and I wish she would have followed her own path more. She should have time to grow and instead she is forced to do things by the people around her.

Sang is the other person we learn the most about and he trains Clara. He is also a love interest, however the romance is very brief and I didn’t really feel it. But often the characters stay very flat and they are only reduced to their magic and not their personalities.

The story is mainly set in the school where the witches are trained. The training methods are often very forced and sometimes unnecessarily brutal and only aim to awaken Claras power no matter who else could get hurt. Otherwise, there was the mention of a world beyond that, but sadly you don’t get to see that. There was also not really a major plot line and sometimes it slowly moved on with no real aim or destination. Something I did really like were the wisdoms A season for everything at the beginning of each chapter and they were very memorable and inspirational.

Overall, The nature of witches is a book with a very modern and environmentally conscious approach to witches and I really liked it. But there were also some aspects I didn’t fully like and therefore this books gets 3 stars.

(ARC kindly provided via NetGalley in exchange for a review.)

The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin takes a new spin on contemporary fantasy and uses unique worldbuilding to tell a powerful story about change.

Clara is not like other witches. Usually a witch belongs to a season. While they have power all year round, they are strongest in their season and their magic is specific to that. But Clara is an Everwitch—all of the seasons combined. She burns hot in the summer, and immediately cools on the first day of fall, and so does her love. That’s not the only reason why she’s alone, though. Her magic is extraordinarily powerful, and it seeks out and attacks those she holds too closely. It killed her parents and her best friend, and so she is determined never to get close to anyone again. She keeps herself isolated in a cabin, away from the rest of her school, afraid of her magic.

Unfortunately, her magic is just what the world needs. Witches have always kept the natural world in balance, protecting humanity from dangerous storms and wildfires. As the non-witches, or “shaders,” continue to push the world to its limits, however, the climate becomes more and more erratic. Witches are dying in record numbers as they stretch their powers to their limits. Clara’s special powers might be the solution. Her school pushes her to learn to control them. But when she accidentally kills her favorite teacher, Clara is more determined than ever to rid herself of her powers once and for all.

Hoping to push her, the school brings in a new teacher and his mentee, Sang. Sang is a spring witch who loves plants and might be the kindest person Clara has ever known. She knows she can’t risk falling in love, but the more time she spends with him, the more she wants to give up everything to be with him. Things become more complicated, however, because Sang encourages her not to fear her magic. As she becomes more and more comfortable with her powers, she’s not sure she can part from them. Does a world exist where she can both embrace her powers and not fear losing those she loves?

The most compelling aspect of this novel was the concept, particularly the magic system. I was fascinated by the idea of tying magic to the seasons. The author really develops and leans into this concept. For witches, your season not only determines your powers, but also your personality. Winter witches are colder and more reserved, while summer witches are passionate. In addition, the author uses this concept to make a statement about climate change. I appreciated the message because it was subtle instead of preachy, but incredibly powerful.

One area where I struggled was connecting to the characters. For me, the reading experience is all about falling in love with a wide cast of characters. This novel had very few. I did not dislike Clara, but I also never fell in love with her. As the novel went on, I began to empathize with her more, and I did like watching her growth. The one character I did love was Sang. He was sweet, pure, and perfect. He made Clara a better person, and ultimately, I liked her in the end because of him.

Another positive was the beautiful writing! All of the descriptions, from the setting to the intense storm scenes, were detailed and stunning. I would read this book over again simply to savor the writing.

For lovers of contemporary, elemental fantasy and sweet, hopeful love stories, this is the read for you!