I loved this book! I was a little skeptical as I read through mixed reviews, but I found it charming and a fantastical look at climate change and how we need our own witches to work alongside us to help correct climate change.

Clara is a young witch at a boarding school in Pennsylvania. All witches are affiliated with a season; spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Clara has immense powers and is connected to all seasons - but her power is unwieldy, and it terrifies her. She has to learn to live with her powers and to control them. Extreme weather conditions are plaguing the area, and it is causing witches to lose their lives - an event that is shocking and scary. All hopes for the future are pinned on Clara, but she has no idea how to control anything, most of all her own self and emotions.

There are beautiful descriptions and explanations about the majesty of weather, and the surrounding Pocono mountains. Clara's learned insights are told in a beautiful, vibrant way. Definitely an interesting, unusual story; I've never read anything quite like this.

I absolutely loved this book. The world building, the magic, and the modern day interpretation of witches left me absolutely enthralled. I could not wait to read more.
The writing style used in The Nature of Witches made me feel so at peace and at ease because the flow of the plot was just so natural. I found myself relating to Clara’s struggles throughout this book and was rooting for her and Sang the whole time.
The whole idea of an Everwitch is such an interesting concept and I felt that Rachel Griffin made this book MAGIC. I would definitely recommend this book to all lovers of Deborah Harkness and Laurie Forest!

3/5 stars. To be published June 2021.
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcefire Books for an ARC.

The Nature of Witches was a unique play on witches and magic - here the witches control the weather and the atmosphere. Most witches have their power based in one season, but Clara is an Everwitch. An Everwitch is extremely rare and has the powers of all four seasons. The earth is threatened by changes in the atmosphere to due shaders (non-witches) taking over lands that should be left to nature and pushing the environment further than it was meant to go. Witches are burning out and dying trying to stop the rapid change in the climate. Clara wants nothing to do with her power, which has killed those she loves, but she may be the only answer to preventing the atmosphere from falling into complete chaos.

Overall this was an okay book and I enjoyed the weather-related magic premise. However I found the relationship between Clara and Sang, who was tasked to help her tap in and accept her Everwitch powers, to be rushed and flat. There was no real build up or connection that was established between them other than he helps to calm her. If you like magic related books, this is a good one to pick up singly because of its uniqueness.

The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin is an advance reader copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book. This is the debut novel for Rachel Griffin and you can't tell, it is full of amazing writing, great character development and a beautiful storytelling. Clara is an Everwitch that changes with each of the four seasons. She begins the book with Clara hating her magic, herself and her life. When Sang enters her life and begins training her, she grows and explores who she really is and what it means. I adored all the layers of finding one's identity, learning to love oneself and others, and the growing environmental problems. This book made me cry, laugh and wish I had it as a teenager. I have been recommending it to everyone I know. I can't wait till Rachel Griffin writes more.

Wonderful writing and a unique premise make this book incredible engaging! The heroine is original, strong, and in the beginning wants nothing to do with her powers, but we see her growth through the book. Well-written and interesting!

I completely fell in love with this one!! Throughout the day, I found myself itching to pick it up just so I could find out what happened next. There were so many times I thought, ok it can end here everything is right in this world. But no, something would happen to unright and put me on edge again. But I finally was able to breathe a sigh of relief when it ended. But it was one of those rides where you have a hangover after. I need another dose.

This story is uniquely woven using the seasons. While the magic system in this story is firmly planted within each season, Clare is an ever witch who is able to use magic to its fullest regardless of the season. This is incredibly rare and she finds herself isolated and afraid of her own magic.

The character development is so strong! Clare goes from being incredibly self-destructive based on fear to learning to love herself.

This book is also a huge analogy for global warming, showing the desperation of earth to be healed from human harm.

I do wish the story had been flushed out a little more and or had smoother transitions toward the beginning. It wasn’t until around 56% that I felt fully invested.

TW: witches can be stripped of magic and it can come across as suicide, Clare is responsible for several deaths.

“Being an Everwitch means two things; you are powerful and you are dangerous.”

Clara is an Everwitch, the only one of her kind. All other witches are bound to the seasons - Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring - with their magic at its strongest during this season. As an Ever, Clara’s power changes to align to whichever season it is. Having been the cause of the deaths of her parents and her best friend, Clara is determined to never let anyone else be hurt by her magic - whether that means living a life of isolation or ridding herself of the magic that she fears so much.

———
My rating: 5⭐️

The Nature of Witches is a beautifully written masterpiece. It’s a coming of age type story filled with the most wonderful prose and interesting characters. I was immediately immersed in the world of witches that Rachel Griffin brought to life. It’s an exciting story full of danger, magic, and love.

I appreciated how the story itself, while magical, feels realistic. Beautifully blending the power of nature with the magic of the witches. With the climate being destroyed by the non magical humans, witches work to bring balance to a world in chaos.

Clara, the main character, undergoes an incredible transformation throughout the book. Many readers will be able to understood her feelings of loneliness, and identify with the fear and anxiety of truly accepting who she is. It’s a journey of self forgiveness, acceptance, and love. And it’s the most beautiful thing to watch. If only all of us knew how truly powerful we are when we fully accept who we are.

I loved this book - I couldn’t put it down, but I didn’t want it to end.

Thank you for this advanced copy. My thoughts are my own.

I absolutely loved this book! I was immediately drawn in by the beautiful descriptions of Eastern, and by Clara's terrible desperation. Clara's a weather witch who is the first Ever in 200 years, meaning she can control all seasons, not just one. But her magic lashes out at the people she cares about, so she has to isolate herself. I loved reading about how her perspective changes as she grows and how Sang helps her accept herself. I wish there was a little more about her life before Eastern, but overall a great story!

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read an ARC of The Nature of Witches!

rating: 3.5 stars

I was interested in this book mainly because of the premise. In this reality witches control the weather and work with humans to keep it under control. However, humans have become too greedy and abuse of the Earth. The whole concept of climate witches and climate change really intrigued me. I think the concept of this book is entirely unique.

The book follows Clara, who is an Everwitch. This means that unlike other witches, whose powers are tied to one specific season, Clara's magic is is tied to all of seasons. As the seasons change, so does she. Clara struggles a lot with her powers, from her own fear of it and the threat it poses to her loved ones to the expectations that are placed on her because of them.

The Nature of Witches was incredibly well written and the concept was thought out and original. I really enjoyed this book; however, I didn't feel a strong connection to the characters, so I found myself wishing for a more complicated plot.

Overall, this was a really quick, enjoyable read and I definitely recommend it if you are a lover of nature, interested in climate change, or like reading about witches!

The Nature of Witches follows Clara, an Everwitch, at her magical school throughout about a year. and so climate change meet climate witches, and its the most unique thing ive ever heard and ever read. plus witches and humans working together?!?! yes i said they are working together and against climate change its so wonderful and beautifully written. and dont be mistaken this book has its angst too, just a little bit of everything for everyone. this book was just so wonderful.

I really enjoyed the book. The characters were interesting, and I was hooked wondering what would happen next.

The Nature of Witches is a YA fantasy book that I absolutely devoured. Rachel Griffin has created an imaginative take in her alternative world, where witches control the weather and work with regular humans - referred to as shaders to keep the weather systems under control.

But shaders have become greedy and are developing more and more of the earth, and it's made the atmosphere unstable, in turn overwhelming witches across the globe.

Witches are categorized by season: Autumns, Winters, Springs, and Summers. Their strengths are strongest in their own season, and their magic reflects characteristics of their season. But Clara is an Ever - she possesses the magic of all seasons, using the magic of each season as she rolls into it. She's the first Ever in 200 years, and doesn't know how to use or control her magic. What she does know is the cost of it.

This is a beautiful story filled with lovely imagery and interesting characters, along with a sweet romance. It moves at a quiet, steady pace, that pulls at the heart. It has moments of tension and moments of beauty.
It also offers an interesting commentary on climate issues.

What it is, ultimately though, is a story of Clara's journey to self-discovery and self-acceptance, finding her place in the world. Does she keep her magic that will force her to live her life devoid of close relationships, because her magic is drawn to those she loves (with terrible consequences)? Or does she give up her magic for a chance at a normal life?

With the quiet feel that fans of Practical Magic would enjoy, I really adored this story and look forward to more from this author.

I discovered this book on NetGalley. Not sure if you've noticed, but I have been obsessed with NetGalley for the past year. Let me tell you, it rarely disappoints me! The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin was such a creative way to look at witchcraft. We meet out main character, Clara is an Everwitch--the only Everwitch alive. While the rest of her peers are able to only perform one type of seasonal magic, Clara can harness them all.
We follow Clara through her fear of her power; as it seems to target those she loves, against the raging storms and crumbling atmosphere and the inability for the other witches to handle these massive natural disasters.
My first impression: it was a fabulous creative world. It meshed our everyday lives with magic. We had a nice change in love interest, and the author had a great opportunity explore sexuality, but it felt like Clara's previous relationship was simply added just because the author wanted to be inclusive. I had hoped to see more interaction between Clara and Paige.
I loved the fact that the story line threaded in the very important climate change topic; but then... it fell flat. Clara herself was boring—she spent the entire book talking about her feelings and essentially being "tested" when in reality I was hoping she would take the bull by the horns herself. She didn't have gumption; she felt like a very stagnant character in a world that could have made her so much more dynamic. Especially since there didn't really seem to be a main conflict—the weather was bad, and Clara was scared, but that was kind of it. I wanted to know more about Alice; why was the book so important? Why was it such a secret? I thought that was going to be the beginning of our main plot point, but then it becomes forgotten.
This book had so much potential—the world was fantastic and I liked that seasonal shifts of magical power. Overall, this was a quick read and most reviews I've read really enjoyed it, so I highly recommend readers take a chance on this one.

What if magic could control the effects of climate change? What if you are the most powerful witch in century? What if your power, which could save the world, brings you nothing but pain - killing those you love the most?

Clara has to face all of these questions while charting her course. Can she save the world and herself?

Climate Change meets Climate Witches in this Contemporary Fantasy/Paranormal Young Adult debut novel.

Witches have been maintaining the climate for a very long time. Their powers are the powers of the seasons. With the sun peaking in the season they are born.

But the humans or shaders have gotten greedy and off-track wanting more of everything without a thought as to how to it will affect the planet or the weather. They aren’t holding up their end of the bargain. Now the witches' control over the weather is getting spotty. Witches are being depleted just trying to hold things together while the weather is acting like an out-of-control toddler.

But there may be hope. Clara is an Everwitch, she is rare and encompasses all of the seasons. But in Autumn Clara wants nothing more than to lose her magic. The power she has is out of control. She has already hurt people she loved. She just wants it gone so no one will be hurt. But the weather is hurting everyone.

When Winter comes and the world is raging as disaster after disaster kills more witches Clara finally understands that only she holds the power and answers that may save them all. But first, she needs to get control of her emotions and her magic.

Sang, is helping her with that. Big problem. He’s hot. She’s hot. He’s training her and he has a strangely calming effect on her magic. But will that keep him safe if she loses control?

And when Summer comes she will have to choose between her powers and love. Her responsibility to her fellow witches and her own personal happiness.

First, I don’t read YA. So much angst. Not so for this book. I could have kept on reading if only the author hadn’t stopped writing. I loved Clara. A strong female lead and strong female characters. I adored every person in this book. I look forward to the next one.

June 1st, 2021 by Sourcebooks Fire/ NetGalley Review

The Nature of Witches was gratefully provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Nature of Witches follows Clara, an Everwitch, at her magical school throughout about a year. We learn how Everwitches are different from other witches, how witches are connected to nature, There is also a tragic backstory, some light romance, and learning to accept yourself.

One of the things that I enjoyed most about this book was the interaction between witches and humans. Especially the sections where Clara describes how witches have been working with humans on climate control issues. I thought it was a departure from so many magic YA novels in which the protagonist must hide their magic.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. The characters were interesting, the plot flowed smoothly, and I was hooked wondering what would happen next.

Witches control the weather. There are Summer Witches, Spring Witches, Autumn Witches, Winter Witches, and every era has an Ever Witch, that has the ability to control all of the seasons. At the Eastern school, Clara is in training to improve her ability and control as an Ever.

Being a witch, in general, has its challenges but being an Ever and the only Ever can be isolating. Clara's magic has hurt and killed people close to her making her fearful of her power and also desperate to get it under control. Until she has complete control of it, her magic seems to have a bit of a mind of its own. Whoever she is close to emotionally, her magic seeks out that person and will hurt or destroy. She has already lost so much.

As the weather starts to get more and more erratic due to climate change and cold weather displays in summer and heat displays in winter, regular witches are being depleted of their magic and dying. Ever is the only one who can have the power to save everyone and everything.

There are obstacles, friends, and loves as in any YA fantasy book, but the journey that I loved in this book was Clara's own. Clara's journey is special because it's a true journey of self-love, self-respect, and acceptance - true deep in your bones acceptance.

Before diving into this book, I had previously read two reviews at opposites (one being five stars and the other one star) so I was curious to see how I would feel about this ARC. Turns out, it's a middle of the road kind of book for me. Not amazing but not horrible either.

Overall, I enjoyed it and for some reason I flew through this book which helped but sometimes, I wished we had a bigger plot. It did feel like nothing much happened other than the FMC's training to be an Everwitch, meaning a witch that can use all four types of magic : Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Also, every time a new season comes, she sorts of become a bit different in her personality but I didn't feel like that part of the story worked very well, I'm not sure how to explain it. The romance was nice but part of me wanted her to end up with her best friend (and ex-lover/ex-girlfriend) Paige but sadly, that didn't happen. I also appreciated what the author tried to do with the environment theme and how she said that humans without magic (I can't remember the term, sorry) needed to basically, get their sh*t together because magic wasn't a solution.

(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

Magic. Romance. Danger When They Mix
Will She Choose Herself, Her Love, or The World?

Dear Readers,

When I was in high school, I cross-stitched a huge picture that said, "We only have one planet," and then I did another that depicted the rainforest. I was very aware, even then, that our earth was in danger from climate change.

So when I got (via NetGalley), an advance copy of a novel that mixes magic and a fight to save the earth from the horrors that us humans wreak on it, I knew I was going to like it . . . and I LOVED it.

The Nature of Witches doesn't come out until June 1, and I normally don't recommend books that are that far from publication. . . but this one is so good that I can't wait.

Clara is an Ever witch, so when the seasons change, her powers change with them, unlike the rest of the witch world, whose powers are linked to only one season. But her magic comes with a real danger - it goes after anyone she loves. Three of her most loved people have already died, and now, she's fallen hard and has to contend with whether her magic with kill the man she loves.

But if she doesn't use it, the world may collapse under a climate crisis that the other witches cannot stop, even with all their weather-related power. And the Shaders (that's us humans) aren't helping with their over-reliance on magic to save them from their own poor choices.

Clara has a big choice to make, and there are a lot of people who want her to choose the way they think best. It's a dilemma true and deep. . . and this book is fresh and unique . . . and honest without being preachy.

If you're looking for a great read to pick-up this summer, pre-order this one.

A new and interesting take on magic and how it is tied to seasons. I really enjoyed the imagery and description. Clara was a great character and Sang fit her perfectly. Note/warning: Clara is bisexual, but it isn’t said directly, just that she had a previous relationship with another female student.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.