The Nature of Witches was above and beyond one of the best novels I have read this year. Like blow me away, leave me crying in a corner because it was so freaking fantastic, best novels of this year.

In The Nature of Witches, each witch is directly connected to the season is which they are born. Once their season passes, their power gradually declines as they become further from their season of power. While their power is reduced, they can still always perform some sort of magic, albeit reduced in potency. Unless of course, you are an Ever, a quirk of fate who can tap into every seasons power. Always at their peak, Evers should be unstoppable. Instead, Clara is scared and of very little use until she meets a new mentor who shows her a new way to approach the magic constantly simmering below the surface.

While this is the tale of a young witch who is scared of her magic, it also has undertones of environmental conservationism and lessons about sustainability of the world we currently live in. It’s a heartfelt ode to love, loss and the feeling of not knowing yourself when everyone else seems to think they do.

I felt super connected to so many of the characters – in Sang I saw the young hopeful self from my teenage years, Clara embodies the underlying doubt we all have when we feel like our peers need us the most, while the various teachers (while sometimes horrible) reminded me that wisdom and experience don’t always lead to the best outcomes for those around us.

With each type of witch apparently having the same personality traits, I was underly beyond belief at the spectrum of outcomes these same traits could produce. In Paige, a winter witch, her demeanour is frigid for the most part, while also being a warming presence for those she loves. In Mr Burrows, also a winter, these personality traits turn him into a cold and manipulative man, determined to get his own way at the expense of others. Through this character development, Griffin shines, allowing the reader to relate and find themselves in most of the characters.

When it comes to the environmental conservation messages in this novel, it works for the most part to be integrated in a semie-realistic manner. It did however start to become a little overwhelming towards the end. Yes, freak weather events happen but I feel like the sheer abundance of them occurring in a single place over the course of a year was a little too much.

I will also bring up here that the very slow burn romantic aspect of this is so cute and squish that I just want to take the two, smoosh them together and make them kiss. Even after the kiss. It could have been overbearing but instead it was a friends to lovers type situation and I am all for it.

LISTEN. I loved this book so much. It hit hard real life topics in a fantasical way. I really love the way Clara was written. How she was cautious about her powers and was fearful but when was put in a position that needed to be done she did it for the people she loved.
I loved Clara. Period. ALSO SANG. Ahh what a cinnamon roll character. Rachel is a new fave writer of mine!

A witchy book about the dangers of climate change? I’m here for it. A witchy book about the dangers of climate change where the love story is ‘traumatized and isolated bisexual witch girl with powers beyond her control’ meets ‘quiet, nerdy, and calm botany witch boy’? AND there’s a pet black cat? Yuuup, I’m here for that too.

I thought the magic system in this world was interesting and unique, and I loved the world-building in general, plus the type of ‘witchy academia’ setting that this book takes place in gave me major Hogwarts vibes. This book was so much fun to read, and is full of beautiful writing and lovably imperfect characters.

Rachel Griffith's debut novel The Nature of Witches manages something rare and special: A truly original premise.

In the world of her story, witches are deeply tied to nature  - so much so, in fact, that they help both control and balance it. Here, each witch is born tied to one of the four seasons and gains specific abilities and powers that flourish at particular times of the year. Except for Clara, who is an Everwitch, the rarest of witches whose powers are tied to every season, and which change with them accordingly.

In theory, an Everwitch's powers are meant to help heal the unstable atmosphere and to somehow prevent it from deteriorating further into chaos. And, to be fair, Griffin's worldbuilding here is fascinating, from the ways that the various seasonal magics differ from and complement one another, to the ways that each season is best suited to solve specific climate problems. Summers train to battle forest fires and droughts. Springs can control thunderstorms and other similarly volatile weather events. Winters face down blizzards.

All in all, it's one of the most original set-ups for a fantasy story I've encountered in some time, not to mention incredibly timely. It often feels like this is precisely the sort of story young adult fantasy should be exploring - how the magic of fantasy can and does intertwine with the problems facing our real world right now.

The problem with this story, unfortunately, is Clara. As main characters go, shes' deeply unlikeable, and spends much of the novel complaining, quitting training, and engaging in long, drawn-out bouts of self-loathing that are theoretically meant to come across as sympathetic, Ibut really do not. You'll find yourself struggling not just to like her, but even to care about her journey

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Fire and Rachel Griffin for this Digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is going to be my love letter, I can already feel it. Brilliant piece of fiction, with such a clever connection to current events, the way we treat this planet and nature around us. An atmospheric world, temperamental magic, compassion and love, all entwined by softness. This book for me was a cup of warm milk before bed in the winter, the first rays of sun after a temperamental storm, a hug from the person you love the most. Just soft, soothing, lovely. It guides you through not only embracing nature and love for it, acknowledging current climate issues but also to self-love, to learn acceptance and finally love yourself.

We follow Clara. She lives in a world whose climate has always been under the watchful eye of the Witches. They worked to balance and help this planet. But the day is here and it has gone too far, and the witches are struggling. Among all nature magic of the witches, Clara is a special one - and Everwitch, a witch that comes in the times of greatest need!

I loved this book so much, it reminded me of love, the comforting, ever-accepting kind. If this is an indication of what @newtimesrachel will write in the future as well, I'll be there to read every book! Brilliant!

Clara is one of the most powerful witches alive but she’s scared to use her powers because she’s accidentally hurt people she cares about. She got better control of her powers thanks to the help of Sang.

The world around her is dying, the climate is changing too rapidly and becoming so powerful other witches are dying, can Clara help the ever increasing chaos around the climate change? You’ll have to read to find out ;)

Rachel’s world building was excellent, she really built up this magical world with all of the nature, plants and weather. She did an excellent job with that.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! I’ve been excited to read this one for a while now.

This story is being hailed as “Practical Magic meets Twister,” and while I agree a little, it was honestly a bit more interesting than that.

I enjoyed the way this story tackled the talk of climate change. In this book, witches get their powers from the each season, summer witches have more access to their power in the summer Etc etc. and they control the climate.

Our MC, Clara, is the only Everwitch (whose powers are tied to every single season), and she’s really the only hope of helping the seasonal witches get ahold of the dangerous weather bursts that come out of season thanks to the rapidly changing climate. There’s just one problem, she’s been training for years without any progress for fear of hurting more people she loves.

And here enters Sang, the witch training her might just be the kick she needs to figure out truly how her magic works.

I think the imagery was my favorite part of this story, and that it would be a great miniseries to see visually one day.

I was so excited about receiving this e-book ARC from NetGalley! I kept seeing it around the internet and I knew I would love it. I love this cover, the title, the premise..all are things that call to me!

When I finally got the opportunity to really dive into this book, I didn’t want to stop reading! I read it every chance I got until I was finished, all in one day. It was a fun, quick read.

In the world that Griffin has built, witches exist and each witch is tied to a season – within these ties lies the magic to manipulate the weather and world during that season. These witches help to keep the natural world in balance, protecting all people from major storms and weather events that would otherwise destroy, like out of control wildfires, tornadoes, blizzards – you get the idea. Clara is a different though – she is an Everwitch, the first of her kind in generations. As an Ever, she is able to manipulate and use her magic all year. And it is not a moment too soon either, as the world is shifting out of balance and catastrophic weather events are happening out of season, and the witches who would normally be able to control this weather can’t do it. It is not their season, and trying to restore the balance depletes them. Clara, however, does not want this responsibility or power. Her power is strong and has caused some very tragic side effects, and she would rather live free, without it.

But the world needs her. And Sang, her new mentor, teaches her how to love her magic, herself, and to open her heart again. I have to admit, I loved the love story in this book. I am usually a give or take on the romance plot line in books unless it is a romance book, but this one I really enjoyed. Sang is a beautiful soul and a wonderful character. He is a spring and has such a joyful magic.

Overall, I really loved this book, and I look forward to reading more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the chance to read and review this book!

This is a brilliant story about climate change and witches who channel their powers through the four different seasons. So you have four different groups of witches- The Summers, Winters, Autumns, and Springs. The author herself was born on a Vernal Equinox and is a proud Spring Witch.

We follow Clara Densmore, but she is no ordinary witch. Clara is an everwitch, the first of her kind to be born in over two hundred years. This means that she can draw her power through all four seasons.

Is a witch even a witch if they do not have a cat?
Definitely not.
Clara's beautiful cat has an equally pretty name: Equinox.

The setting is a school in Pennsylvania with different dorms for the four groups, and immense scenic beauty and space for practice.

So there are the witches who take care of the Earth and then there are Shaders, with no magical powers, who exploit the Earth for their own selfish reasons. They rely on the witches to restore the balance, but years of extensive usage of the planet's resources have tipped the scales of the balance, and the witches bear the burnt of it.

Clara, with her powers is a solution, but she constantly doubts herself. She's torn between reigning in her power so that she doesn't hurt her loved ones ( as has happened a certain number of times in the past ) and letting it free for the sake of the Earth and the crisis at hand which is rapidly deteriorating.
The witches need her help, the Earth needs her; more than that, she needs her self back.

It's a story about discovery; discovery of the self.

The author has successfully created an atmospheric and heart warming read.

Will be putting up links of the review on various platforms shortly.
It is up on GoodReads, Instagram, and my blog.

I am completely in love with this book!! I read it in one sitting! I enjoyed the reality of climate change mixed with magical weather elements. Clara grew throughout the book and I could feel her pain and anxiety through the pages along with her joy and love. I’ve never read anything like it before and I can not wait to read more by Rachel Griffin.

"From a stunning new voice in YA comes the fierce, romantic story about a world on the brink of destruction, the one witch who holds the power to save it, and the choice that could cost her everything she loves.

For centuries, witches have maintained the climate, their power from the sun peaking in the season of their birth. But now their control is faltering as the atmosphere becomes more erratic. All hope lies with Clara, an Everwitch whose rare magic is tied to every season.

In Autumn, Clara wants nothing to do with her power. It's wild and volatile, and the price of her magic - losing the ones she loves - is too high, despite the need to control the increasingly dangerous weather.

In Winter, the world is on the precipice of disaster. Fires burn, storms rage, and Clara accepts that she's the only one who can make a difference.

In Spring, she falls for Sang, the witch training her. As her magic grows, so do her feelings, until she's terrified Sang will be the next one she loses.

In Summer, Clara must choose between her power and her happiness, her duty and the people she loves...before she loses Sang, her magic, and thrusts the world into chaos."

I like the whole weather witches angle, it's very Ozian.

I am in total awe of this wonderfully nature and magic driven book. Rachel Griffin has absolutely outdone herself with her debut. This book is powerful, emotional, magical, detailed and lush with nature. I loved the idea that witches were in control of the changing climate and had to use their magic to try and keep up with the changes. Clara and Sang were such well written characters I felt both of their emotions as they were written. Nox the cat and the cabin were definitely some of my favorite parts of this book, they were perfect for a witch. Clara was an empowering character that has to learn to love herself and take risks and I think that was a really cool message to the readers. The romance was beautiful yet not overwhelming. And this book is SO nature driven and the world building and the descriptions of the world around the witches was just stunning. I absolutely adored this book and I know other readers will too!

Clara is a rare Everwitch, meaning she can harness the power of all four seasons, and the first of her kind in over a century. Her power is in higher demand than ever because the witches are charged with controlling the climate, which is more erratic than ever due to human-driven climate change. Clara's power is also dangerous, seeking out those she loves the most and killing them. As a full solar eclipses approaches, Clara must decide between finally embracing her power and getting rid of it altogether.

THE NATURE OF WITCHES by Rachel Griffin approaches the theme of climate change in a totally new way. I loved the melding the witches' powers with the environment. Clara's struggle with whether or not to accept her power and the risks that come with it is compelling.

I received an ARC of this on Net Galley.

I have always been fascinated by witches, so anything about witches, sign me up! Of course, not all books about witches are good, but thankfully this one by Rachel Griffin is. In this witchy world, witches can control the weather. This is a very powerful tool, especially in a time of climate change and extreme weather. But the weather is so crazy with its changes and extremes that even the witches are struggling to try and keep it in check, which puts the entire population at risk. Normally, I might check out when a story turns to the "only one person can save the world" trope, but in this case, it is actually a lot of fun to read. Clara, the main protagonist, is the only witch who can keep the weather in check, but there is a caveat--she will lose those she loves if she uses it. It's a veritable Sophie's Choice, but Clara chooses to start training to use her erratic powers properly despite knowing what it means. All is (sort of) well until she falls for the man teaching her. I felt terrible for Clara through most of the book, having to make a terrible choice to save humanity and to fight her feelings. But despite how horrifying a choice she has to make, I couldn't put down the book, needing to see what happens in the end.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Fire and Rachel Griffin for this Digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Nature of Witches by @rachelgriffin is a YA Fantasy stand alone that combines elemental magic and climate change.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Clara is an Ever witch, the first in many years, who has the ability to embrace all four seasons’ magic. But her abilities are hampered by her grief and fear. As other witches try to battle and contain the raging climate changes, Clara has to face her fears, overcome harsh challenges and learn to manage her magic in order help save her fellow witches, the environment and the people she loves.

I was drawn to this book because of its cover, title and the elemental magic aspects. I enjoyed this book’s fast pace and the storyline that addressed climate change. It’s a well written book with relatable characters and lyrical descriptions. If you’re looking for a quick summer read, put this on your TBR for June.

Though I believe my younger high school studenrs--freshmen and sophomores, mostly--would love the magical realism in this book, it fell a bit flat for me. This is the author’s first work, so I can to an extent overlook the heavy-handed use of cliché similes and metaphors, but the book also had preachy political undertones, which I choose magical realism specifically to avoid! The author had rudimentary talent, but she would serve her audience better to stick to telling a great story.

Thank you so much for an ARC of this unique combination of witches, climate change, AND magical powers. WHOA! This book had it all. Compulsively readable and an engaging storyline that draws you in from the first chapter. I think this book has a lot of appeal for voracious readers of fantasy, particularly those looking for a different take on witches and their interaction with the world around them. If you're a deep fan of YA fiction written in a similar lens of other magic-centric authors, like Alice Hoffmans Practice Magic then this just might be the book for you.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Nature of Witches is an incredibly unique read. A fast-paced read that I couldn’t put down, grabbed by attention and held it. The imagery was wonderful and it’s clear that Griffin is an amazing writer. The Nature of Witches held deeper meanings about self-love, grief, and tackled the very real issue of climate change in a unique way. The story gives a new take on witches and a world that was beautifully written.

In The Nature of Witches, we follow Clara who is not only a witch but an Everwitch. The witches have their full power during their individual season. Being an Everwitch, Clara is extremely powerful and is terrified to get close to anyone for fear of harming them. She possesses the powers of all seasons. With Clara being the only Everwitch in 100 years, she needs learn to control her powers because the weather is changing and becoming more erratic and she’s the only person who can help. My favorite characters enters here. Sang is a friendly, swoon-worthy botanist who is chosen to help train Clara. Sang is compassionate, understanding, and wise. The two work together to not only control Clara’s magic but help heal past wounds that haunt them.

Overall, the story was wonderful and I definitely recommend it for people who like YA fantasy with added romance. It’s a unique storyline and the writing is beautiful. I love the climate change messaging. I also loved the fact that Rachel Griffin is a certified weather spotter for the National Weather Service! The Nature of Witches is truly wonderful and worth the read.

Release Date: June 1st

Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire, Netgalley, and Rachel Griffin for the advanced copy to review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publish for the eARC of this book.
3.5/5 stars.
Not going to lie, I requested it based on the cover and read the synopsis as an after thought. Then got even more excited because WITCHES and NATURE and CLIMATE CHANGE ALLEGORIES.

This book is powerful. I can see it becoming popular. Clara is an intricate, intriguing protagonist who struggles with self-worth and the fate of her destiny resting on her shoulders. She's never been able to love herself or others. This book treats her autonomy as the main focus, and it was beautiful to read the growth through the trauma Clara had experienced.

The writing itself is also beautiful. The descriptions of the different kinds of magic and literally all of the writing is just ugh...so GOOD. So beautiful.

The climate change portion speaks to a near future, but it's a solution far outside of our grasps since we have no witches to help us.

3.5/5 stars though because it did take a while to get into, and there was a moment where Clara figured out stuff...and then did a 360 purely because of a plot necessity. It was frustrating to read because it felt like all the character development had gone out the window at that point.

A beautifully written story with an important overall message about the state of our own world as we know it. I loved it! Can’t wait to see more from Rachel Griffin.