Let me start off by saying that I don't normally go for this type of book. But I figured I'd give it a chance and was very surprised. I liked that this book highlighted climate control as it is an issue that deserves to be addressed. I also really enjoyed the magical aspect of the book and found myself intrigued by how it all worked. I was not a fan of Clara, the MC. She was whiny and stuck in her own head even as everyone around her constantly tried to reassure and comfort her. It's overemphasized how powerful and necessary she is to the world. Still, this did little to slow the momentum of the story. It had quite a bit of action and as time goes on you realize there is even more to the magic than initially thought. It was the strong writing that allowed Clara to remain palatable and keep the story moving. By then end, I was thoroughly enjoying the story and was sad it came to the end. I would recommend this book to others and will keep an eye out for more from this author.

Clara never asked to be an Ever witch. Life would have been much easier if she had been a witch with seasonal powers, like everybody else, but no. She had to be born with powers in every season, the first Ever in over a hundred years. With a power she's afraid to use because it is most attracted to people that she loves, and it has already killed both of her parents and her best friend. She can't wait until the eclipse, when her powers will be sapped and she'll be able to get close to people again! Until then, she's living alone in a cabin behind the school dorms, staying as quiet and unnoticeable as one can when everyone thinks she has the power to save the world.

Except, a new teacher has come, and while he is an ass, his teaching assistant is way too cute, too sweet, too EVERYTHING. He wants to help her embrace her full powers, stop being afraid of getting close to people, and actually LIVE. But can she?

Reader Notes: OMG, I couldn't put this down! I love Clara, and Sang, and even the awful teacher had his moments. The characters and emotions are so real, I forgot that I had to learn about an entirely new world while I was reading it.

What an interesting premise and unique storyline. I think this is a great telling and relatable for anyone looking for an introspective coming of age tale. That being said, I found the characters to be a bit one note and the relationships fell flat. I think this would work well for anyone that has a deep love for witch lore and different takes on the use of elements and seasons/weather.

Thank you netgalley for the advanced readers copy.

I received an early e-arc of The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I thought the concept of this book sounded cool (and it has a pretty cover!), Kinda urban fantasy? Witches whose magic is tied to the seasons? A cute love story? A witch who has the power of all the seasons? Yes, please.
The Nature of Witches opens with the main character, Clara, having trouble dealing with being an Everwitch (her magic is tied to all seasons), she's also dealing with grief and PTSD caused by accidentally hurting her loved ones because of her magic, the story then follows Clara's healing and acceptance of her magic. The book features a bisexual MC, a cute, supportive friendship to romance that's kinda slow burn, and a love interest that helps Clara become more comfortable with using her magic.
The magic system was one of the best parts of the book, I read a book with a similar magic system to this called Seasons of the Storm, but the seasonal magic in that book fell flat, whereas the Nature of Witches dives deep into seasonal magic, its ties to the earth and climate change. I also just watched Fate: The Winx Saga, and I'm getting similar vibes from this book, from the magic system to the school setting and the problems that Clara is dealing with using her magic.
4/5 stars, I would recommend if you're looking for an urban fantasy standalone featuring witches with seasonal magic and a cool (well written!) magic system!

What if you were the most powerful witch of your generation?

What if that power killed your best friend?

Witches have maintained the climate for centuries, but as shaders (Non-Magic people) continue abusing the earth, the witches control begins to falter. Clara is an Everwitch, a rare powerful magic tied to all 4 seasons. With the weather becoming worse, Clara must learn to use her power despite the pain it caused in the past.

I read this book straight through in like 4 hours.

The world building in this book is fantastic, probably in part because of how similiar to reality it is. I enjoy the building of a great big fantasy world as much and the next person, but sometimes I just want to get into the action ASAP. In this book I didn't have to read 200 pages of world building before I got to the action.

This book focuses a lot on climate change, but not really in a preachy way. It makes it pretty simple to understand.

It took a little bit for me to become attached to Clara, but once I was I couldn't put the book down. The romance was cute, but I like that it wasn't the main focus of the book. It was really about learning confidence and self acceptance.

Overall a wonderful book with great lessons all around.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.

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!

ARC received from Netgalley and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review.

This books premise had me super interested, but I ended up not loving this one. I thought the book would feature more commentary on the climate and environment with the romance weaved throughout, but it ended up being a typical YA romance. I don't mind a romance book, but given the premise I thought it would have a bit more substance anchoring it.

Additionally, the book never felt like there was any real stakes or conflict for the protagonist, Clara. Her issues with using her magic end up being solved incredibly easily, and the sort of twist that helps her solve her issues wasn't really expected or satisfying.

Overall, this wasn't my favorite book. I think I was just expecting too much substance out of it. I do think there are some readers out there that this would be a good fit for, which is why I am going with 2 stars. Personally, not for me but I could see heavy readers of YA romance liking this one

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?