I typically adore stories about witches and this was just the same. Wonderful telling of Magic that includes messages about climate change. Usually over discussion of things like that can turn me away but it’s all so well done. Just a wonderful book.

The Nature of Witches is a beautifully written standalone novel about a witch, her ever-changing magic, and the costs of keeping-or losing-her magic.

Clara is an Ever-witch, the first one in several generations, and no one knows how her magic works. Normally, a witch's power is connected to the season they are born in, but Clara's magic is available to her year round, but with a caveat- the power, and her sense of self, changes with the seasons. And sometimes that power comes with a terrible price,  one she no longer wants to pay. Unfortunately, Clara's magic is of interest to the rest of the community of Witches, and in fact, the entire world-her magic may hold the key to fixing the dramatically shifting climate.

I really enjoyed Rachel Griffin's debut novel, and cannot recommend it enough. It blends personal and global climate concerns in a way I have never seen before, and I was riveted from start to finish.  A must read for fans of the chosen one trope, flowing sun dresses, and weather soaked kisses.

I'm still trying to find the words to describe this book.

This is an enthralling read about believing in yourself. There's a quote I read yesterday that said something like "the difference between success and failure is perseverance" (I read it in French). And it describes Clara perfectly. She hated her magic because it was a wild thing that she couldn't control. The perseverance paid off, she learns how to play with it, and she blooms with this new strength she has over her magic. It's honestly such a beautiful thing to see (read), that when I finished the book I was left with a peaceful feeling. I wanted to cry, to laugh, to hug Clara so much! I really loved her. I love to see her grow confident. It's one of my top 10 reads this year without a doubt.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Fire for the complimentary e-copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved Clara even though I found her too stubborn and I hated her never-ending self pity! The Nature of Witches is an unconventional fantasy with witches who have their unique abilities based on each season’s strengths and weaknesses. An Ever Witch who holds the power to control all seasons but needs to learn how to control her magic without hurting her loved ones. But she holds back because she is afraid to make the same mistakes again! She’s still suffering with guilty feelings, and the pain of losing loved ones. She’s afraid of channeling her real power even though she is forced by her instructors, she keeps holding herself back!
But as an ecological disaster starts to raise and the witches’ population at risk of extinction, she’s the last one who can solve the problem and bring the balance nature needs for healing! Great premise. Thought the idea of Witches tied to magic that can only be used seasonally new and cool. Solid 3.6 star rating.

Okay, this one is a fun fantasy read that casts environmental issues into a fresh light -- I devoured it and was entertained from start to finish!

In this modern fantasy, witches are a normal part of society and have the power to control certain elements of weather and nature based on the season they were born in. Since the beginning of time, witches have helped to keep nature and the climate in balance with their powers, but in modern times humans have polluted and messed up the environment so much, witches can no longer handle it. Enter Clara, an Everwitch who has the power of ALL seasons and is supposed to help bring things back into balance (like any good "chosen one" fantasy). The only problem is, Clara's magic hurts the people she cares about and she wants nothing to do with it, and she's getting a little too close to her trainer, Sang.

Things I liked:

1. I found the magic system to be very unique in this story, and it was interesting to see how witches used their magic throughout the different seasons.

2. The wild swing in weather and out-of-season climate disasters took center stage, which I think is important to cover in these times.

3. The love story between Clara and Sang was so cute and made a lot of sense to me -- I loved their progression throughout the story .

4. The writing! Rachel Griffin is obviously a very talented writer and many parts of this book were very beautiful to read.

Criticism:

1. I thought Clara's character could have been a little more fleshed out. Her conflicts and motivations were a little thin.

2. The ending is based on assumptions one character makes that are not explained at all -- why did he think the thing he suggested (being vague to keep from spoiling) would work? Clara just does it with little to no info on the theory behind the hunch.

3. Witches apparently lose their powers during eclipses (not really a spoiler) because they are being blocked from the sun, but the earth itself blocks the sun every night. So this mechanic did not really make much sense to me.

Overall, though, my criticisms are pretty surface-level nit picks, and this book was an enjoyable little fantasy that made me tear up a little at the end. If you love witch stories (like me), I would definitely recommend it!

This is now my new favorite book about witches. The story talks about witches working with the weather in four groups: spring, summer, fall, and winter. They make sure their seasonal climate is controlled. Then there is Clara who has the rare ability to work with all the seasons. I really enjoyed the characters. This was a new idea about witches to me. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

This was a really great book and I’m absolutely kicking myself that I didn’t get to it sooner. I think that it came out around the same time as some other over publicised books and this one disappointingly seemed to drop into the background for me. I loved the femininity and the pace of the book especially

This was super enjoyable and I especially enjoyed the author's take on elemental magic. I could have used a little more fleshed out world building, but if there's a second book I would definitely pick it up.

This book absolutely blew me away! The magic system is refreshing and unique, and the tie in with current weather issues due to global warming was appropriately done. Clara is such a relatable and easy to like main character, who shows immense growth throughout the entire book. There such sweet, tender moments that just clenched my heart, and then moments that had my blood boiling. To say this book spoke to my soul would be an understatement. Beautiful writing, well written plot, and fantastic witchy read. Highly recommend!!

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley. Did not influence my review.

I fell in love with this book via instagram. The naked hardcover was beautiful and then I read the synopsis and I hoped it would be a book I enjoyed. I love witch stories and this one did not disappoint. It relies heavily on elemental seasonal magic. I loved that Clara as an Autumn witch in the beginning. Autumn is my favorite season. There was a love story, but this book is so much more than a romance. It's a coming of age story, but also a great book on climate and climate change.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced review copy of ‘The Nature of Witches’ by Rachel Griffin. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

There were some really cool elements to this story with elemental witches dealing with climate change that the normal people refuse to take seriously. I liked the seasonal magic aspect a lot and how most of the witches and their magic were tied to a season. I also liked how the language of flowers played into the story. That was a very pretty visual.

But throughout the story I found Clara very frustrating. As an ever witch, she has all this power to help but she just wants to get rid of her magic. I get that she was traumatized by not understanding why her magic went after and hurt the people she loved, but the world needed her help. And maybe that’s the point that the burden of fixing things shouldn’t be on just one person but I still found Clara a little frustrating in that respect.

Overall I would recommend this story and I would definitely pick up another book by this author.

4/5 stars

First, this is one of the most physically beautiful books I’ve ever read - the cover art is stunning and the hardback art is also.
I will preface this by saying I love anything witchy, so I went into this knowing I would love the idea of this if nothing else. I loved the authors world of seasonal magic: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter witches each with the ability to affect weather patterns and nature special to their season. Our MC Clara is an Everwitch though, meaning she has the ability to use every season with her magic.
Clara has trouble controlling her power though, she’s always done everything she can to tamp it down. Because when she loses control she doesn’t just hurt people, she kills them. She’s lost both her parents and best friend to her magic. She figures the best thing she can do is isolate herself and hopefully have her magic stripped from her on the day of the solar eclipse. But, the weather patterns are getting unpredictable and unseasonal weather is more and more infrequent causing the witches who try to tame these types of weather to be depleted.
Clara is the first Everwitch in over 100 years, and her teachers think she is the one to save them. They bring in a special teacher from the West coast, along with a tutor for her named Sang. Clara has to try to learn to control her magic without letting anyone get hurt. At 17 years old she is both moody and stubborn. I know some people have said they didn’t like her because of this. But I know I wasn’t the only one who was completely emotional and self-involved at 17. Though the pacing was very fast, I still found myself connected to her on this level.
I loved watching her grow and seeing her relationships with her peers, particularly Sang, develop.
I really hope there’ll be a sequel to come!

While I enjoyed the aspects of elemental magic and thought that the idea of witches controlling climate change was an interesting one, climate change in and of itself doesn't make for a very plot-driven story. The Nature of Witches is character driven, and unfortunately, I found the main character Clara a bit bratty. I really need to like and want to root for the main character in a chosen-one trope, and I couldn't connect here.

The set up for romance was pretty obvious, and I don't normally mind that, but I felt like I was being shown these two characters forming a romantic attachment because it worked for the plot. I never felt any real chemistry between them. Overall, I liked the idea of seasonal witches, but the execution of the story was a miss.

I've read a lot of supernatural stories before and this book really stood out for its originality. Although the story is about magic, it touches on real-life environmental issues. Very thought provoking. Never read author before and can't wait to read more of her work.

Absolutely amazing novel. I was hooked from the first chapter until it was entirely taken aback that it was over. I’m officially a follower of this author, and will preorder anything that they release. The writing style is so refined and the world building is so unique and oftentimes complex, I find myself telling all of my friends to pick up this book, and keep an eye on upcoming works.

Clara is an Everwitch, whose power is rare, dangerous, and vital to controlling the planet’s increasingly erratic climate. While most witches have power that ebbs and flows with their dominant season, Clara’s power remains strong and evolves throughout the year. This book follows Clara as she learns to trust her magic and use it to help her fellow witches save the world from destruction.

I really enjoyed this book’s take on magic and witches. Rather than potions and spells, the witches in The Nature of Witches have strengths that align with a particular season. There’s a huge focus on weather and the seasonal cycle, with celebrations on the equinoxes.

I’ve always been fascinated with the seasons and have wanted to be more in tune to them, eat what’s in season, etc. I would love to read more about this kind of magic!

I loved that Clara was open to loving anyone and didn’t focus on anything other than who the person was and how they made her feel. Let’s see more of this in books!

What a phenomenal debut novel! Rachel Griffin is an exciting new voice in YA fiction and I am so delighted to have been able to enjoy the excitement of her first release. While I know she does not (yet) have plans for a sequel to THE NATURE OF WITCHES, I'm going to remain hopeful! I will eagerly anticipate the release of her next novel and highly recommend her debut to anyone who enjoys a great escape - YA, fantasy fans and even those who may not think either of those genres is their "cup of tea."

Rachel Griffin is a debut to watch. Her prose it atmospheric and she has a true talent for turning world into an additional character. The premise of climate controlling witches is both beautiful and heartbreaking at times and Griffin wields the potential with a deft hand that does not feel like a newcomer to the scene.

“But I like winter. Winter is the truest of the seasons. It’s what remains after everything else is stripped away. The leaves fall. The colors fade. The branches get brittle. And if you can love the earth, understand it when all the beauty is gone and see it for what it is, that’s magic.”

CW: death of a loved one, grief, loss.

The Nature of Witches is a young adult fantasy stand-alone about a world where witches help with the climate; their magic depending on the season of their birth. When it is their season, their magic is strongest and they have abilities attributing to that season. As the climate deteriorates and becomes more frantic over time, the witches lose control they previously had. But Clara is an extremely rare witch known as an Everwitch who possesses the magic of all seasons. However, she struggles with the power of her own magic after traumatic events that happened in the past as a result of her power. The fate of the world’s atmosphere is in Clara’s hands - if she can control her powerful magic and use it to help the planet.

This was an enjoyable, quick read. I sank into this atmospheric story and sped through it due to the easy writing style. For a standalone, it was good and I enjoyed it for what it was. It was evident that the author has a lot of knowledge about nature and weather and did a great deal of research for this book. I also enjoyed how much the author wrote about each season and the beauty in them all.

The premise of the book is better than the actual book, unfortunately. The characters in this story felt flat to me. I found the main character frustrating, stubborn and melodramatic. Her reluctance throughout the story despite being a once in a century Everwitch that the world is depending on was totally infuriating. In terms of other characters- they didn’t feel fleshed out, their connection to Clara felt forced and I think their only purpose was to drive the narrative forward. Some parts felt totally unbelievable and there was no chemistry whatsoever.

The atmosphere was arguably the best aspect in this book, something that felt tangible and immersive through the author’s writing. But the world seemed very limited, with only a few places in North America being mentioned. This felt at odds with the fact the subject matter of the story was about worldwide climate change. It’s only towards the end of the book that larger world implications are inferred. However, I liked the real world tie in to our reality when it comes to a declining climate and global warming. It was a close to home subject that created an emotional tie with the book.

The actual plot of this book was predictable and I was frustrated with the way we kept going back and forth and in circles particularly with the main character. There was a lot of repetition that I found unnecessary. The pacing was also really off in my opinion; the pivotal moments were over in an instant. The stakes didn’t feel that high to me at the points when they were meant to. But I was interested enough to keep reading; I was invested in what was going to happen even though I felt I could predict it. A lot of what happened in the book felt very convenient to propel the story forward. The ending felt rushed, cheesy and unbelievable.

There were plot holes that I couldn’t ignore, and I also struggled to fully understand the magic system and how the seasonal magic actually worked. Despite the magic in action being described, I still found myself confused and unable to grasp the magic by the end of the book.

There’s a big romance subplot which I wasn’t expecting, which again felt predictable and extremely convenient. However it was one of the more interesting elements to this story.

Overall, it was okay but it absolutely felt as though it was lacking something. It’s not a new favourite as I thought it would be and I am a little disappointed. I did like the bisexual representation and the subjects surrounding grief and trauma. There were also a number of beautiful lines; I’d be interested in reading more of Griffin’s work.

A timely, romantic read, but not what I expected. And I am conflicted by that.

At Eastern school, witches learn how to best use their magic against weather events that arise. Witches possess magic based on the seasons they were born in, and it is during that season that they are at their strongest every year. Clara is a rare Everwitch, able to use each type of seasonal magic. The problem is she has barely any training, little control over her magic, and she wants nothing to do with it. She simply has to make it to the full eclipse next summer so she can have her powers stripped and be able to love again without hurting anyone. When a graduated student takes over her training, Clara's determination to hate her magic fades as she falls in love against her better judgement.

As I said earlier, this contemporary fantasy was a timely read, given the current climate change situation with weather extremes and that the people who can make a difference simply ... don't. This actually hit a little too close to home for me, since my region has seen some very uncharacteristic and historic weather situations over the last six months, with heat waves, flooding and snow. I don't think Griffin intended for the extremes she wrote about to be seen quite so quick after publishing this, but it certainly added some gravitas to the story. I really liked how it integrated with the seasonal witch magic to show that too. For example, Winter witches are useless against heat waves in December, and Summer witches are at their least powerful at that time. Really clever world-building to up the stakes for the story.

I quite like Clara. Her plight was rather heart-breaking. She believes that her magic is so volatile that she will accidentally kill anyone she loves with it, and it has happened. Once with her parents when she was younger, and last year with one of her best friends. As such, she has chosen to isolate herself from anyone who might care about her and is counting down the days until she can get rid of her magic, even though an Everwitch is the best hope they have to counter the awful climate situations. I think her character development over the year the book takes place in was well done. It was very believable and relatable as she shifts through each season, different types of magic rising within her, and it was interesting to read about how they each change her personality.

I think what kept me from enjoying this book was the romance. I was not expecting this to be so heavily-romance based. Don't get me wrong, Sang is a wonderful love interest! A true cinnamon roll with a nerdy obsession with plants and the best personality. Book Boyfriend material hands-down. However, much of the book revolves around him and Clara and their growing relationship, and it's very soft. For fantasy romances, I need there to be a bit of an edge, some stakes that hit hard, to keep me interested, and I didn't find myself wanting to read large chunks of this. It made the pace feel a little slow, even if I did want things to work out between them. So yeah, I'm conflicted.

Despite that, I'm not finished with this author just yet and am absolutely looking forward to her sophomore novel. It looks like it's another witch book so I am totally interested!