Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
True Rating: 4.5/5

The magic of this book seeped through the pages of this book and into me and I fell head over heels in love with it. Wow, what a beautiful prose. A solid build up with so much teaching, learning, loving and how to fail. Clara was such a breath of fresh air. I loved her as a character. Following her through the seasons as she tried to tame her powers as an Ever, the first in 1000 years.

This story is genuinely a tale of learning how to overcome self doubt, self loathing and growing while doing it. Also, it didn’t hurt that Sang was literally a cinnamon bun. A botanist spring witch? I love him so much! This whole story truly was beautiful and I adored it. Every minute. It was a little slow in places, but I don’t think it detracted from it by any means. I also loved that the MC was bisexual!

If you’re looking for a witchy tale about perseverance with a cinnamon bun love interest, read this!

Witches, each born with an affinity for a specific season (winter, autumn, spring, & summer), procure their power from the sun and use it to maintain Earth's climate. They train at schools for solar magic, working together to restore balance when natural disaster looms. Clara, an Everwitch tied to all four seasons, is both a rare and powerful but her power is volatile and wild seeking out those she loves when she loses control. In an attempt to protect others she isolates herself from everyone and chooses to restrain her magic. Meanwhile witches everywhere are dying, depleted of their magic, as they struggle to control the planets erratic weather. Sang Park, an advanced botany student and spring witch, is assigned to work with Clara to help her learn to control her power. As they work together, Clara's control grows stronger along with their bond placing Sang in harm’s way.

The Nature of Witches is a spellbinding YA fantasy from debut author Rachel Griffin. The cover art is visually stunning and the plot synopsis promised a fresh take on my favorite subgenre> witches. Clara's character is fascinating as a rare witch whose disposition is as changing as the season. Unlike the other witches Clara's power has led to traumatic events which cause her to fear and restrain power rather than embrace it. Sang's character provides a nice balance, the calm to Clara's storm, providing a sweet romantic story about difficult choices. A unique blend of witchcraft and environmental concerns this is a must read for 2021!

I'm not a big fantasy reader. Sure there are some I like but for the most part, meh. So, then why on earth would I request a book that is clearly fantasy? I'll tell you why, the cover. The cover was amazing. However, I was shocked to discover that I enjoyed the book. Is it my favorite book? No, but as far as fantasy goes, it is up there.

This book is beautifully written . Which may surprise some people since the heart of the book is climate change. Clara is tied to each season and is just coming into her own power which allows her to fight the crazy weather.

I will give a more detailed review once the book is released because I don't want to spoil is!

Thank you #NetGalley and Sourcefire books for the arc.

Interesting take on climate fiction. The idea of seasonal witches is somehow a pleasurable concept. It allow vivid descriptions of the seasons and the witches. It was just fun to read.

I absolutely loved this book. It was such a unique take on magic. It was interesting how each witch only had access to their magic during their season (Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring) I feel like I would be jealous during my off seasons, knowing I wouldn’t have access to my magic.

I am sure many readers can connect with the main character, Clara. She often feels alone in the world, being the only Ever witch, who’s magic changes with each season.

Although this is a YA book, I feel like anyone could enjoy it. The writing was done sooo well and kept pulling me back for more. I highly recommend this one. I was disappointed to discover we have to wait until next year for another book from the author!

Witches fighting climate change (and there's a cat!) yes please! This started off kind of slow for me, but it definitely picked up once most of the introductory items were out of the way. I loved the magic and honestly wish we got to see more of it. I thought Clara's emotions were beautifully written, and I definitely teared up a few times while reading. I enjoyed this book a lot, and I definitely recommend it!

The Nature of Witches is about a world where the are 4 types of witches(for each season) and regular non-magic folk who they refer to as Shaders.
Clara, the main character is a young witch, who is a rare "ever" and her magic is powerful in all seasons. She is still learning how to control and work with her magic.
The author does a good job of explaining the 4 types of witches and how each type of magic works and differs. However, there is no explanation of Shaders- why are they called Shaders? who are they ? The reader realizes they are just non-magical folk, but the fact that they are called Shaders makes them feel more sinister to me, and more of an enigma. I felt like there needed to be just a bit more about them, and maybe a different label.
The story follows Clara as she learns to try and control her magic, and explains what happens when she doesn't. A young man, a transfer student named Sang, arrives to help Clara progress.
This all happens under a background of violent climate change, which the witches have historically been able to control, but things have rapidly been getting worse.
I liked the way the climate change was woven throughout the story, without being preachy. It certainly resonates with the current world situation.
I also liked the way Clara's previous crush was a girl, and there was a lot of teenage longing, and I understand this is intended to be a YA book, which was likely why the author kept the action on the "clean" side, but I did feel it was not realistic, that in the circumstances of the story, Clara and Sang would likely have made love at some point.
I enjoyed the story, and it ended nicely but not with an obvious set-up or cliffhanger for a next book. Still it would be easy to see this as a series. It would also be easy to see this as a TV show/movie.
Thanks go to NetGalley who provided me with an ARC in return for this honest review.

In Rachel Griffin's debut novel, the Earth's atmosphere has become erratic, and all hope lies within Clara.

'The Nature of Witches' follows Clara, an Everwitch whose rare magic is tied to every season, and her struggles to control her own power to be able to combat the unpredictable and dangerous weather.

Clara is very weary of her magic since in the past she has accidentally hurt several people. Another struggle she must overcome to really learn to take control of her magic. When fighting a tornado she meets Sang Park, a handsome Spring witch who will turn out to be her tutor/trainer/loverrrr 😍

“You are the most magnificently disruptive thing that’s ever entered my life.”

Seriously, I loved Sang so much. He was the absolute sweetest, kindest, and most heartwarming character in this entire book! Next to Nox of course...

I don't want to get in to too much detail or I will risk spoiling this book. Just know... I couldn't love this book more. It was a perfect blend of magic and the forces of nature.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to read this wonderful world for my honest review.

I’m so glad I was lucky enough to snag one of these copies from Netgalley. This was a completely original story—I loved the beautifully descriptive weather and the nature in each season, including the decor for celebrations. I could feel the magic and the connection with the atmosphere. Clara’s emotions and feelings were also well described. I looked forward to picking this book back up whenever I could to continue reading. I felt Paige was a good side character that could’ve been expanded on even more. I think this book would’ve had a stronger impact with more world building. The school, perhaps the history there, more interactions with the students, even if she was isolated, she was in the group setting briefly and could’ve expanded on her memories and the culture there. Even more expansion on the world outside of the school, home memories, where she grew up, her family. The shaders. Are they good friends with the witches? How do they work in society together, outside of controlling and contributing to the weather? Were they always so comfortable with the existence of the witches? There wasn’t anything there, really. Sang was really sweet and I liked how they worked together, with the magic and communication. They had some really fun scenes together. They had great chemistry and that, along with Clara herself and her connection and disconnect to her magic and her coming more confident in herself and growth were the strongest points in the story. I felt the pacing was a bit too fast between seasons. Overall, this was an easy, entertaining read that I would gladly share with my teen. I would read more from the author. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC copy of the book.

Imagine being the reluctant possessor of the most powerful magics. Now imagine not being able to control that magic and harming others, being an outcast, not feeling in control. That is how Clara feels as the rare witch who has strong powers during every season, powers she cannot control while those around her expect more than she feels able to give.

Rachel Griffin’s THE NATURE OF WITCHES starts out with a wonderful premise that is both current and creative as she weaves her tale with threads of climate change and the power of the seasons for witches. I love the beauty of the cover. I just didn’t love this story. I tried to connect with at least one character, but no one jumped out at me. Clara was just not a strong heroine and her treatment by others was a bit much. Even her love life (or lives) didn’t ring authentic for me.

What I did love were the rich descriptions of the settings, from the plants to the weather, all well done!

In the end, I could definitely tell anyone asking to read it, because, just maybe it was me, perhaps I was expecting too much or should read it again?

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Sourcebooks Fire! This is my honest and voluntary review.

This was such a delightful read! I’ve been wary of young adult fantasy books lately because it just felt like I’m reading different versions of the same plot.

The reason I decided to go for The Nature of Witches was definitely the refreshing plot. I have never read anything about climate change before, and I honestly never thought I would go all starry-eyed over something like this but the writing style and the way the author makes us visualize magic was so captivating. Not to mention the whole witches/magic/seasons/shaders/climate change concept was so beautifully woven that I couldn’t help but gape at the originality of it all, especially since it feels so in touch with reality.

I still can’t get over the way this book was written. The seasons were described so beautifully, and I loved the way every witch’s personality reflected the essence of their season. It was so easy to imagine how every scene played out with the way magic was explained. And although it’s sometimes hard for me to actually like the main character in a book, with Clara it just came naturally. Also, I was especially fond of the way the love interest wasn’t portrayed as the partner that just comes in and fixes everything but rather someone who slowly and patiently pushed the protagonist to become more aware of her potential.

All jokes aside, I love how everyone here is a tea person and the only time coffee is mentioned is when someone asked for a “coffee mug” to pour their “tea” into!

First of all, thank you so much NetGalley for an early copy!
I totally loved the cover, description and everything about this book was awesome! I loved this story of loving yourself because I don't think many books portray this message. I loved Sang the most! This was an amazing story of love, loss, acceptance and loving yourself. I don't think I will stop ranting about this book any time soon. Thank you Rachel for this gorgeous story! I loved the ending and the way Clara embraced her true self. Although I do feel so sad Mr. Hart wasn't there to see her progress, I still loved it!
This was a 4 stars for sure!💖

I’m so sad because the cover for this book is so pretty but for the life of me, I couldn’t get into this book. I just wasn’t immersed in the story, I didn’t care for the characters and I am so conflicted with the ending.

I think my biggest issue was the pacing. It was so slow and not a lot happens and it honestly pained me to finish this book because of that. I also didn’t understand the world building and Clara’s magic confused me.
I also wish we got more romance and I honestly struggled to connect with any of the characters as they were so bland.
I went into this book thinking two things: witches and climate change and I was so excited for this which is why I think my expectations were so high. I think this book is best going into blind and I know I’m in the minority for not liking this.

Anyway, I think Rachel’s writing was good and I would read more from her in the future, I just don’t think this was the one for me!
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a compelling read. For a story based on a subject of such global significance as an unstable atmosphere, it was remarkably intimate and tender-hearted. I loved the way it stayed true to Clara's personal experience and focused on connection between people and care for nature.

Clara was a sympathetic character, and I kept wanting to comfort her, give her therapy, and surround her with empathic adults who would help her as the girl she was as well as the everwitch. The further along I read the closer I felt to her, and the more I hoped for her to find a happy resolution. Sang is endlessly adorable, and the relationship between them sweet and believable. And I am certain readers to come will be creating personal aesthetics based on which seasonal witch they would be!

This book will stay with me for a very long time I think..

Beautifully done.

I love the cover so much. And the way this is done in seasons is awesome. The writing is beautiful. But I just couldn't connect to the characters or care enough for the story itself. This was definitely a me problem and not the book. I just never can get into books like these.

In this standalone fantasy, Clara is a witch, and in this world, witches battle climate change. This was an AMAZING and relevant premise to today's world, and yet was still fantastically done. This is a coming of age story as Clara comes into her powers and learns to trust herself. The world building left me a bit disappointed, as I wanted to learn more and more about it. Knowing it’s a standalone made this aspect even more disappointing as I won't have a chance to learn more about it later. The characters were the shining star of this book. Well developed, realistic, and just super lovable. I was nearly immediately invested in every character I met, especially Clara and Sang. Overall, wonderful book, wish there were more :(

I think that I enjoyed this book a little more than I should have. Not a bad thing, just a surprise for me. I enjoy YA and I think that when I saw this book I was thinking that it could be good, and then I read a review that mentioned and "botany boy" and I was sad and then I started reading it I was pretty happy. I mean, the bulk of the book deals with Clara dealing with her feelings and her mistakes and control, etc. Basically, she is a version of Elsa from Frozen but rather than concealing her power, Clara lets it go, to an extent, and doesn't know how to deal with it until she is shown the way through trust and risk.

The Nature of Witches is, at its heart, a coming of age story. Clara discovers who she is. She does this with her power, her relationships, and through time. The context of the book is pretty cool and the idea that witches work with "shaders" or basic humans is a neat idea. I suspect that if there is a sequel Griffin will explore that a bit more (I hope she would). I totally recommend this book for anyone who is into witches, YA and coming of age. It's a good read, and while it does get a little redundant it is definitely worth the effort.

I know that The Nature of Witches is a "standalone fantasy," but I deeply want it to be the first of a hundred books set in this world, which sucked me in from the very beginning. Did I tell all of my classes about this book as I was reading it? Yes. Did I then try to figure out what kind of magic I and all of my friends would have? Totally. I read this book the way I used to read Tamora Pierce as a kid: lightning fast and with total emotional commitment to the characters.

In a world wracked by climate change (so, ours?), witches are born with one of four kinds of seasonal magic, which they use to stabilize the weather. Witches are generally limited in the kind of magic they can wield, but Clara, an "Everwitch" connected to all four seasons, possesses an immense power that offers hope for calming the increasingly turbulent weather at the same time that it sometimes targets and kills the people she loves most. Clara's grief over the pain her magic has caused wars with her desire to learn to control it, and she partners with a spring witch named Sang to attempt to discover the secrets to her unique power. Spoiler alert: they're into each other, and it's very cute.

While the magical tropes are familiar (school full of witches, main character expected to save the world, etc.), there are elements of The Nature of Witches that feel very much of the moment. The focus on climate change, yes, but also the way that Griffin talks about love. The relationship between Clara and Sang has inevitable moments of conflict, but I was struck by the focus on mutual support and consent. These two people care about each other, and they act like they do even when they disagree (I want to pass out YA books with healthy teen relationships like candy at a parade). Also, Clara is bi, but her angst is not about who she loves, it's about the danger and enormity of loving anyone at all. I don't know that I read a single book with a bi main character as a young person, and I would have loved to read this one.

I will order this book for my classroom as soon as it's available, and I will recommend it to all of my magic-loving students. Here's to hoping Griffin decides to write in this world a little bit longer.

"The Nature of Witches" is a book you will not want to put down. The author has created a world where witches and non-witches (Shaders) co-exist, but the Shaders have pushed the witches, who have the ability to control the weather and alter the environment, to use their powers to allow humans to populate and cultivate areas of the world that should have been left uninhabited by humans. This activity has led to extreme weather events (think Global Warming/Climate Change) that the witches cannot control. Moreover, the witches' powers are tied to the seasons, with winter, spring, summer, and autumn witches. During your season, your powers as a witch are at their greatest. However, during the other three seasons, your powers are greatly diminished. This has become quite problematic because not only are extreme weather events occurring more often, but out-of-season events, such as tornadoes in winter or blizzards in summer are occurring. The out-of-season witches are using their powers to try to stop these events, but because their powers are weak, they are depleting themselves and dying at an alarming rate.

The only exception to the rule that witches are strongest during their season and weak during the other three seasons is the very rare occurrence of an Everwitch. At the Eastern School of Solar Magic in Pennsylvania is Clara Densmore, the first Everwitch in two hundred years. The problem is that Clara is not nearly as powerful as she should be and her control of her magic is not nearly as good as it should be. Her magic is attracted to those she cares most about, which has caused the death of her parents and her best friend, and has resulted in both the school and Clara isolating herself from the other students except for group training or events. Clara's fear about her own powers and the ramifications of her powers has stifled her progress. However, with the circumstances for both witches and Shaders getting worse, it is imperative for Clara to overcome her fear, realize her full powers, and control them. "The Nature of Witches" details the efforts of Clara and others to help her calm her fear and discover the full extent of her powers. Through her training, especially with Sang, a botany student from the Western School of Solar Magic, who has the ability to calm others, and who was brought to the Eastern School by his mentor/advisor (Mr. Burrows), under false pretenses, precisely because of this calming ability; the extreme test situations utilized by Mr. Burrows; a copy of the memoirs of Alice Hall, the last Everwitch; and confrontations with Paige, fellow witch and former girlfriend, Clara is forced to come to grips with her power and her relationship with/attitude towards her magic and in the process she discovers important things about herself, and just as significantly, she discovers an unknown ability of the Everwitch that will be game-changing/life-saving. The characters are great, especially Clara and Sang. There is plenty of action. There are some rather humorous moments, but also some rather poignant moments. The story grabs you and doesn't let go. If you are like me, once you start, you will not want to stop until the story ends.

I received a copy of the e-book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

THE NATURE OF WITCHES is one of my favorite books of 2021! As I tweeted to the author, anything with witches in it... I'm sold! The characterizations were so well written. The journey of Clara... wow. The premise is very atmospheric in nature. Witches whose magic is tied to nature.... classic. AND these witches are the one who have maintained the planet???? YES! Everwitches... magic.... oh my, I loved it. An easy 5 star rating!!!!!