Clara is a witch, and wants nothing to do with it. The price of her magic is too high for her the bear, and she's lost too much to it thus far. In this contemporary fantasy, witches have maintained the climate on earth for centuries - but the environment is becoming more dangerous, less controllable, and Clara, an Everwitch, is their only hope. With her magic that's tied to every season, Clara must face her true nature, and decide whether she's going to save the people around her, or choose her own happiness.

An interesting, twisty book with some romantic elements, and an innovative tie-in to the current climate change horrors!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for advance access to this title!

In Rachel Griffin's book, The Nature of Witches, witches have the power to control weather. They use this power to help combat climate change. However, the witches are not able to keep up with the ongoing damage, and are being depleted as they try to help since witches are only at their full strength during their season. Until Clara, an Everwitch with immense power that she is fighting to control.

Clara is afraid of her power. In fact, she doesn't want it because it seeks out and kills the ones she is closest to. To protect everyone, Clara isolates herself and plans to strip herself of her power during the upcoming solar eclipse.

All that starts to change when Clara meets Sang and starts to train with him. She begins to learn to work with her power rather than fighting against it, and she begins to question whether she can use her power to help rather than hurt.

This is a unique fantasy that weaves in isolation, climate change, having faith in oneself, acceptance, love, and friendship. I really enjoyed how Griffin wove in actual science in regards to the climate and eclipse, and I was rooting for Clara. I am definitely purchasing this for my library, especially since I "discovered" this book from a student who could not wait for it's release!

I absolutely loved this! There was so much to love here: the idea that witches each have a season, the nod to climate change, the swoony botanist love interest. I thought the characters were well-drawn and the descriptions perfectly lovely.
The one thing I did want more of was the historical aspect though. We learn there was an Ever Witch one hundred years ago, and our MC even gets her journal and reads it, but basically we learn nothing from it. I really wanted there to be some amazing secret she learns from it!
All in all, this was a fascinating read and I tore through this in twenty-four hours.
Thanks to NetGalley for the free arc.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

<b> I sure as sunlight know what it means to adore someone for no other reason than that they exist, for no other reason than that the universe created such a perfect person from the dust of the stars. </b>

The Nature of Witches is a book about magic and seasonal witches trying to reverse/slow the climate crisis our earth is currently facing, while I loved that aspect of the book and thought it was a lovely way to bring our very real climate fears to life. What this book also does and what I appreciated most was the main character Clara’s journey of self hatred and guilt to self love and acceptance of who she was.

As someone who really struggles with anxiety and self love, this book felt so kind and healing. Am I crying while I write this review? Yes and that’s ok.

This book wasn’t technically perfect and there were times when I left like it was a little too long or got a bit repetitive. But because this book felt like a pat on the back and a caring friend who will listen to you and let you cry if you need to, I’m giving it five stars.

We all could do with a little more kindness towards ourselves and the earth and this book does that.

What a fantastic debut effort.

Witches, united with the changing seasons, control the Earth's climate. Over a century has passed since the last witch was born who could connect with all four seasons. However, Clara is one such witch. She has been born in a time when humans have overwhelmed and overpopulated the world and the witches are at the brink of their magical abilities in attempting to control the inclement weather that has risen in the wake of it. Clara could be the witch to unite all others and control it. Or she could be the cause of everyone's destruction. Her powers have already resulted in the death of those she loves, and the distance of all others she could grow to love,so unless she can harness the storm inside of her it will very likely be the latter.

Fantasy stories in a contemporary setting rarely interest me but I absolutely adored this unique concept and was eager to give this one a go. I was very impressed by both the introduction and execution of it. Just how the witches harnessed the weather was endlessly interesting to read about and I appreciated the focus on the natural world that also featured as a result of this. The book followed all four seasons and the distinct aesthetic of each was aptly recorded. I felt winter's chill just as keenly as the sweltering summer heat and this author's ability to record our ever-altering world was felt more than it was read.

An aspect I appreciated far less however was the romantic focus that just as frequently dogged the pages. I felt little chemistry between Clara and her intended and so little inclination to read about their burgeoning attraction for one another.

Despite this, I remained engaged and intrigued throughout. Clara was a strong protagonist and witnessing her growth, in both person and abilities, was a true joy.

Loved Loved Loved this book!!! I first saw this book on a fellow bookstagramers page and love that for ever preorder a tree is planted! That as well as the title and cover alone sold me! Witchy things and love of nature is me in a nutshell so once I fully read what this book was about I new it would be right up my alley. I thought the magical aspect of this book was really unique to anything I've read. I love the message it sends about climate change. At some points I did think the MC's actions and internal monolog were getting a bit repetitive. Whether or not it was international on the authors part I rationalized it as an effect of what she had been through and a example of how a person would think if they'd been through something like that, am I thinking to much into...probably.. anyway. Overall really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to get my copy and preorder goodies in!! From reading Rachel's about pages she seems like a person I can relate to so I very much am looking forward to her future works!

An enchating mysterious read that drew me in right from the start and held my attention throughout. I think my students will love this!!

Huge thank you to Sourcebooks Fire, Netgalley, and Rachel Griffin for providing this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I stumbled upon The Nature of Witches while scrolling through Netgalley and I was instantly intrigued by the title, cover, and synopsis. I love all things w i t c h y so I was very excited to read this. Unfortunately, The Nature of Witches fell flat for me.

I’ll start with what I liked!

My favorite part of The Nature of Witches is the magic. It is such an incredibly cool magic system. Every witch has seasonal based powers based on the time of year they were born. There are Autumn, Winter, Spring, and Summer witches. Each season witch is strongest during their season and can control that season’s weather. Clara is an Ever Witch, an incredibly rare type of witch who is able to use magic of all four seasons. I loved all the scenes where the witches were using their magic. It was so cool to see them control the weather and combat natural disasters like catastrophic tornadoes, heat waves in the winter, floods, etc. If I were a witch in the world of The Nature of Witches I would definitely want to be an Autumn witch. No surprise there since it is my favorite season!

While I didn’t feel especially connected to any of the characters, I did really like two of them. One is Paige because she calls out Clara on her shit and I loved it. Clara could get very frustrating so it was nice to have Paige there to slap the sense into her for me. The other is Sang. He is the most pure and kind person. I really liked how his character affected Clara.

I also loved the message about the environment and protecting the earth!

And now I’ll briefly touch on what I didn’t like about The Nature of Witches.

The plot was just meh. There were moments of excitement during the weather scenes, but otherwise it was pretty boring. I feel like not much happened. And while I know that the stakes were high (saving the planet from environmental ruin caused by non-witches), it didn’t feel that way. It didn’t feel like there was any urgency.

Clara is also a very difficult MC to like. I understand and felt for her struggle with the consequences on her power, but the self-pity could be too much. She came across as very immature at times (which she is only seventeen so I’ll allow it). As I said earlier, Clara could get extremely frustrating so it was great to have Paige there to knock some sense into her. Despite this, I did enjoy Clara’s journey towards self-acceptance and self-love. It was just annoying to read her somewhat whiny narration.

Overall, I thought that The Nature of Witches was just ok. Honestly, the magic and weather scenes saved it from being a one star read. I’m bummed because I loved the concept and the magic is so cool!

Have you read The Nature of Witches? Let me know what you think in the comments!

THE NATURE OF WITCHES IS SET TO BE RELEASED JUNE 1ST, 2021 BY SOURCEBOOKS FIRE.

From the start I was intrigued by the idea of witches whose powers varied with the seasons. Then discovering Clara and the concept of an Everwitch brought even more intrigue. I felt pulled into the story from page one to the very end. The plot was exceptionally paced, especially considering that the book started off with such high stakes and intensity. I didn’t feel like it dulled even through the lulls in the action.

The characters were wonderfully written. I was able to feel Clara’s emotions and relate to her as the story went on and it was a pleasure to see her evolve and grow. The interactions between Sang and Clara were very well written. I felt like their relationship was realistic and I loved seeing them grow close. The flower communication made my heart wrench! They were both such different characters but they complemented each other so well.

One of my favorite parts of this book was how the different seasons of witches were explained. Winter being aggressive and to the point. Summer being full of energy and intensity. It made perfect sense and each season’s description fit well.

My only complaint was that at times it felt overly political with regards to climate change. I felt it lingered and returned to the same issue to drill in a point. While it was a poignant perspective on climate change, I would have enjoyed it more if it hadn’t been so intent on mentioning and reexplaining the crisis every few chapters.

Overall this was a very enjoyable read with a great plot and enjoyable characters. Especially if you’re a fan of anything witchy.

This book was absolutely brilliant. I am in love. I think this could be better characterized as magical realism than any other sub-genre. The magic system is fascinating, and it feels so natural to read about that it gave this lightness to the story that was very refreshing. Our main character, Clara, is really struggling with her powers and with people’s expectations of them, and her struggles are so easy to relate to that you can’t help but empathize with her journey. Her sadness and helplessness brought me close to tears several times, but that just made her triumph at the end even more impactful. For most of this book there isn’t much action going on, this is very much a deep study of Clara’s life and issues, and yet I never felt bored. The writing was beautiful, and I enjoyed every word thoroughly. I need more books by this author.

Clara is something rare, she is an Ever. In a world where witches are linked to their birth season, she switches with every season. Her ascendancy comes as the witches are struggling to control the out of season weather bursts. Clara should be able to use all her power but it seems she can only hurt the ones she loves. When a new teacher and his aide come to the school, will she learn how to unlock her full potential and find unexpected love?

I didn’t love the beginning of the book, but then it built into something interesting and compelling.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think I can give this 4.5 stars. LOVED the seasonal aspect, and that the book is broken up into seasonal sections!

I fell in love with this book and truly did not want it to end!! Everything about it, the characters, the wonderful magic system, the focus on climate, and the language of flowers, just more, give me more!!! In this story, the shaders(non-magical folk) have depended on witches to help control the climate throughout the centuries as we have moved into more and more corners of the Earth and disrupted the worldwide ecosystem. As climate change becomes more prevalent, the witches have been asked to do more and more and put their lives at risk. Witches are born to a season: winter, spring, summer and fall. While a witch always has power, it is only at it's peak during their season, Except for Clara, she is an Everwitch, her magic ties her to every season and her power should be huge in fighting the devastating effects of climate change. However, Clara's magic has a devastating effect on those closest to her and she not only hates her magic but wants to be rid of it. Into her life comes Sang, a fellow witch who helps Clara not only learn about and control her magic, but learn about herself, her value and what is worth fighting for.
From page one, I was hooked. I love the setting of the school and the way each witch is born to a season and their personality meshes with that season as well. It is so easy to understand the struggles that Clara has with her magic and how the tragedies have derailed her life. Her growth throughout the story and her acceptance of who she is, her power, the ability to forgive oneself and the understanding that hiding away from the world is not the answer are just beautifully written. The descriptions of the powers and the working to create or fight against huge storms is fantastic and as a wildflower lover, all the botanical descriptions and the language of flowers is such an added bonus to an already fantastic story!! Sang is a wonderful character and the slow burn romance is *chef's kiss*!!! Cannot recommend this book highly enough, go read and lose yourself in it!!!

It’s very difficult to enjoy character-driven stories when you find the main character unbearable. The Nature of Witches, sadly, didn’t work for me at all because I could not stand its POV character: Clara. There was one line in the book that perfectly described my feelings for her:

“[…] it makes you selfish, defeatist, and weak.”

And even though Clara was called out like that, her behavior throughout 90% of the novel was selfish, defeatist, and weak. Sure, she went through something traumatic and I understood that, but she was filled with so much self-hatred and self-pity and refused to do anything to change her situation even when the people around her tried their best to help her. She just ran away from everything, always. I couldn’t stand that \o/

The main point of conflict in the book also didn’t work for me at all. Clara was supposed to be a very powerful witch, an Everwitch, but due to the previously mentioned trauma, she refused to work with her powers and had a lot of issues with her magic. Her reasoning was that she didn’t want anyone to get hurt, which is ok. Except that! her refusal to learn how to control her magic got people hurt several times throughout the book 🙂

The romance also didn’t work for me. I didn’t find it was well developed and I didn’t buy the chemistry between Clara and Sang. The connection between Clara and Paige was more interesting to me, but nothing came from that.

I was also really bummed that there the entire element of climate change and witches being attuned to said climate wasn’t really explored beyond training scenes. It would have been so interesting to read about real efforts regarding reversing the damage “shaders”–which also weren’t explored at aaaaall beyond a few mentions and one (1) scene–did to the world and possibly having Clara, the Everwitch, be at the center of that change. But no. Nothing of that in this book aside from a passing mention that things were changing right at the very end.

I really didn’t like this. And I think I’m so upset about it because the premise sounded so fun??? but my issue with Clara’s entire personality, since the plot’s major focus was solely her, ruined the reading experience for me.

When I first requested to be allowed to read The Nature of Witches, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve long been a fan of books that have magic in them, and if they tie that magic to witches, I’m especially intrigued. So, I was super happy to be given the chance to read this book before it was released. I was so not disappointed.

The Concept
Rachel Griffin’s concept of witches and magic in this book are unique and beautiful. The concept of witches being tied to the sun and that they each have their own season in which their magic is strongest makes a lot of sense. The concept of the Everwitch, whose magic is strong year-round – but with the current season’s magic – is brilliant.

The Dose of Reality
In The Nature of Witches, we get a taste of reality. The atmosphere is going crazy – because just like in the real world, the people are destroying the planet. We also get a dose of reality in the way that Clara hates herself and her magic when we first start out. We get to see her learn to deal with her trauma, love herself, and love her magic. We get to see Clara grow. Rachel Griffin handles these topics in a masterful way.

My Favorite Characters
Clara is my favorite character. Her struggles mimic a lot of people in the real world’s struggles – although hers are tied to magic and ours aren’t. But the lessons can still be learned from Clara’s journey. She’s a complex character and I loved reading about here. She’s smart, sassy, and has anxieties and fears just like the rest of us.

I also loved Paige. Although we only get to see bits and pieces of her, she’s a fun character. She’s as cold as her season, but that’s to be expected… she is a winter after all. She’s just an amazing character because you can tell that beneath the cold exterior she cares for Clara.

Sang is probably my second favorite character. His love, his patience, and his refusal to give up are the reason Clara is able to grow as much as she does during the course of the book. He’s a character who is easy to fall in love with and he’s the perfect companion for Clara.

The Conclusion
The Nature of Witches is Rachel Griffin’s debut novel and this novel is set to be a smash hit of a debut. I was blown away by this book – all of it’s twists, all of it’s turns, all of the emotions you feel as the book goes on. The turmoil Clara holds inside herself, the guilt, the trauma will break your heart and warm you as she learns to let go of it all.

This lovely book was like a gust of fresh, cool autumn air complete with the crinkle of rustling leaves. The various seasons were so beautifully described and the way the author incorporated them into this idea of naturalistic magic was exquisite.
Clara was a sympathetic, strong character, while Sang was the perfect complement to her. He is full of a quiet strength and support (dare I say that he’s a cinnamon roll?) that seems rare in a male love interest in novels, which is a shame because it’s my favorite.
Overall, this was a truly well written, beautifully descriptive debut novel. I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future.

Well this was a fun story and I enjoyed it quite a bit. The magic was interesting and reminded me of the TV show Motherland in a way. I’d read a sequel.

The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin follows the story of Clara, an Everwitch, whose power is strong in every season. Unlike her fellow witches who thrive in a specific season, Clara’s magic is strong year round making her rare. In fact, there hasn’t been a witch like Clara in a century. But, with great power comes great responsibility and Clara has already had moments where her powers have controlled her instead of her controlling her powers. She has lost people because of the strength she has within, and she is tired of changing with the seasons. In summer, Clara is passionate but in autumn she becomes colder, not as attached to people as she was the season before. This seasonal change in personality and demeanor is exhausting for Clara and she dreads the approaching autumn change.

With all this inside, Clara is ready to get rid of her magic. She is willing to become a shader, a person without magic, just so she is no longer different, no longer expected to be special and do marvelous things for the world. But, the world is changing. Shaders are slowly destroying the planet and the witches who are responsible for keeping natural disasters tame cannot keep up. Clara has her mind set, she will wait for the total solar eclipse (a natural phenomenon with the ability to strip a witch of their powers if they are outside at the time) instead of running from it. After all, what are the changes that a total solar eclipse would happen exactly where she lives? Clara sees this as a sign and a chance to live a “normal” shader life. Will she strip herself from her powers to become a shader? Will Clara face her fears of being too powerful and use her magic for good, or is too much for her?

The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin is well written and interesting. I was sucked into the story right away and invested in Clara’s journey. Though the main character is a witch she faces same internal conflicts that are relatable to many. Clara is stuck in a place of not believing in the magic she has within her. Her magic can do great good but so far she has only seen the worst it can do. I live stories about witches and magic so I was definitely excited to read this novel. I love the natural aspects of the book, and the journey of trying to love and believe in yourself despite prior unfortunate events. I think everyone who loves this genre of books with magic and witches as a storyline should read this book. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Clara is an Ever; a witch who can hold the power of all seasons unlike her fellows. With an inescapable fate tied to helping save the earth from tumultuous and unexpected and rather unnatural disasters one would think a witch with a wealth of magic would be the answer. However, when that witch has been ravaged by pain and tragedy, how is she supposed to give life to something she not only fears, but cannot begin to understand?

This story follows a young girl who needs hope, light, and trust to develop her skills as well as set herself free.

From blame. From fear. From hurt. From regret.

She could give it up-her magic, but then she couldn't help others, least of all herself. Although, if she did relinquish it, might she live a life without feeling incomplete and scared all the time?

Only taking chances and believing in herself....and maybe a leap of faith in love will lead her into the future she feels is out of reach. Will she see her dreams realized or will she lose everything?

This story is full of self-discovery and gaining confidence. Of self-love and learning. With beautifully rendered prose, I found myself smiling with delight and loving the vividly painted images that came to me as I read Clara's story. I felt kinship with Clara as she learned to love herself and her magic, as she learned her strengths and overcame her weaknesses. She is perfectly human while also being utterly magical. I loved her story in its entirety. This novel was a truly remarkable debut.

The climate change crisis collides with seasonal magic in this creative new novel from debut author Rachel Griffin.

At the heart of this story is the tender, developing relationship between Clara, an Everwitch with the rare ability to draw power from every season, and Sang, an aspiring Botanist who helps her to learn to control her substantial power.

Haunted by memories of the destruction her powers have caused in the past, namely the death of her parents and her best friend, Clara tries to distance herself from Sang to prevent him from getting hurt.

Love, of course, has other plans.

Clara is such a well-developed character, balancing her constant desire to help people with her fear of hurting those she truly cares about. Griffin deftly depicts this struggle between acting for the greater good and selfishly putting your own needs first.

And haven’t we all faced that dilemma?

I was initially hesitant about the climate change subplot, after a negative experience at bizarre Fringe festival musical with a similar premise. And there are certainly moments where the initiative seems forced, especially at the beginning.

Overall, however, the premise works, and I was invested long before the halfway mark.

If you’re a fan of magic and romance, I would definitely give this book a chance, and I hope to read more adventures from Clara and Sang in the not too distant future.