Powerful witches and an ancient curse? What's not to like?

While I felt the book suffered from a lot of exposition and artificial dialogue, I did enjoy it and it kept me reading late into the night.

It also felt like a YA novel - not a bad thing at all! - and maybe if it were classified that way, it would gave a greater audience.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc to review.

Paige Crutcher brings suspense, heartbreak, magic, and hope to her debut novel The Orphan Witch . Persephone May has been lonely all of her life. She was abandoned at six weeks and grew up in group and foster homes. Baffling things happen around her so she doesn’t stay long anywhere. At thirty-two, she is still frequently moving from place to place. When she displays power accidentally, Persephone knows it’s time to travel again. On her way to somewhere, she gets an email from a person she met a year ago inviting her to Wile Isle, North Carolina. That’s where she heads. But things aren’t as they seem. Who can be trusted? Has she found a place to belong or is this just another nightmare visit?

Persephone is definitely someone you want to find happiness, friends, and a sense of belonging. But much stands in her way, including a 100-year-old curse, a family feud, and much more. She has a lot of character depth and shows significant growth over the course of the novel. The secondary characters have varying goals that keep the story fresh and provide some surprises. It was easy to connect with multiple characters.

The author did a great job of transporting me to this community with believable, but complicated world-building. The setting is largely contemporary, with one chapter set 100 years earlier and a few visits to other worlds, times, or dimensions. I did want the contemporary town to be better described. Other than that, the imagery was extraordinary. Persephone’s odd powers are unique and lend another dimension to the well-written story. Time walking and the Library for the Lost provided unique avenues for the story to unfold.

Despite being somewhat slow in a couple of places, it kept my interest. After about halfway, the action picks up and the suspense and danger builds. Close attention to the detail is important to understanding everything that is occurring. Themes include loneliness, family, family history, sisterhood, feuds, curses, power, greed, subterfuge, love, heartbreak, death, sacrifice, epic clashes, strength of character, and finding one’s place in the world.

Overall, I enjoyed this original and atmospheric novel. It was an entertaining book that was emotionally intense and pulled at this reader’s heartstrings and had a few twists along the way. If you are a fan of suspenseful stories about witches with a fight between good and evil, then you may want to check out this novel. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

St. Martin’s Press – St. Martin’s Griffin and Paige Crutcher provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for September 28, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

The Orphan Witch was a magical, witchy, entertaining read!

I felt that the beginning was a bit slow so it took some time to really get into it. I also found the first few chapters were sooooo long and it was hard for me to stay engaged. However, it did pick up about half way and then the chapters were a bit shorter so I felt I was able to pay attention more!

I liked the characters. I wish there was a little more info about the witches as I found their stories the most interesting!! I just loved all the family drama and the info about the curse!

Overall this was a fun book to read. The magic was interesting, the magical library for the lost was a good addition and made the "world building" feel a little more involved. The ending was exactly what I wanted it to be so I was happy about that!

It was a solid 3 star read! Would recommend to fantasy readers and witch lovers!

I absolutely love the cover and that along with the plot is what initially drew me in. The first two chapters pulled me in quickly because writing is very lyrical and atmospheric. I wanted more on Persephone's powers and upbringing before introducing Hyacinth.

I found myself starting to lose interest through chapter three and then decided to DNF at chapter 4. I was rereading paragraphs and pages because I felt my mind drifting. I want to be clear it doesn't have anything to do with the writing, the writing is beautiful! I truly believe the plot just didn't pull me in as much as I hoped it would.

It think this book just wasn't for me, and I would encourage those who are interested in the world of witchcraft to give this book a chance!

Thank you for letting me try out this debut!

Persephone has spent 32 years trying to avoid eye contact, lest horrible things happen to the people that hold her gaze. It’s made her even more of an outsider than her childhood as an unwanted orphan did. When she reconnects with her friend, Hyacinth, on Wile Isle, she learns she’s incredibly special. So much so that she might have just found her place in this world that has always treated her like an outcast.

What an absolutely magical and delightful read The Orphan Witch is. Crutcher has written a fantastic fantasy with strong female characters, who, while sometimes prickly, support each other wholly. Wile Isle is richly descriptive, a home away from home. I loved watching Persephone explore the island, the various locations, and especially her abilities. The Orphan Witch is such a creative and engaging read that it’s impossible to put down. I cannot recommend it enough. Thank you, St. Martin’s, for sending this along!

I need to start my review by pointing out my love for this cover. It is what initially drew me to this book. The title also grabbed me and though I was trying not to add more books to my to-read list I just had to read it.

Unfortunately, this book was not at all what I was expecting it to be. From the title I thought it would be about a child. An orphan child. It is not, not really. Our main character is not a child and though she was an orphan I wouldn't really describe her that way in the book. Either way, I expected this to be a more emotional pull-at-your-heartstrings story.

However, the writing did not draw me in. I found it to be quite flat and a bit repetitive. The story dragged at several points and I found myself skimming descriptions at times just to make progress.

The story did get better as it went on, but I never really connected with it. Perhaps, my expectations jaded my enjoyment a bit. If you enjoy descriptive paranormal stories, you may love this one, but it just wasn't for me.

2.5★

Witches ✅
Found family ✅
Mystery ✅
This book gave me Practical Magic vibes and I absolutely loved it. I also got a little bit of Charmed vibes from it. It is a perfect fall read. I was immediately drawn in by Persephone’s character and couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen. I requested this from St. Martin’s press via Netgalley. Thank you for allowing me to read and review. This book releases 9/28/21

A story that has so many layers to the characters. It's exciting, heartwarming yet frustrating too. You just want to be there with them.

I included this book in a 3 release feature:

3 fun, witchy reads releasing this September:⁠

The Orphan Witch by Paige Crutcher⁠
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling⁠
Witch Please by Ann Aguirre ⁠
⁠
I always want to love witchy reads and there were also comparisons to Gilmore Girls and Hocus Pocus being thrown around on some of these pitches so I was full of anticipation. Unfortunately, I didn't LOVE any of them. I am recommending The Ex Hex if you're looking for cute/funny and Orphan Witch if you're looking for a read to pull at your heartstrings. Witch Please is not making my recommendation list. It was awkward and the male main character is cringe-y. ⁠
⁠
I've got several other witchy reads on my Sept/Oct TBR that I have high hopes for. What witchy reads are on your TBR?

3.5 stars!

I'm finding that coming up with a rating for this read pretty difficult. I love the overall theme, the message, setting and characters but I had a hard time in the beginning of this book which is pulling my rating down.

The story follows Persephone (kickass Witch name btw) who is orphaned and doesn't know her family or witchy history. She eventually finds her family and learns of the curse of Wile Isle.

Sounds pretty sweet.. but the beginning I was so lost the whole time. There's so much complexity with so many different family lineages and worlds that I often had to put the book down just to figure it all out in my head.

I also found that because it wasn't written in first person I had some difficulty connecting to the characters at times, it felt more like a bedtime story I was being told.

About 60% through though things really picked up and I was committed! I ended up enjoying the ending and thought the message was so sweet. It's definitely one worth reading if you enjoy Witchy romance/ family connections.

Thank you so much netgalley for allowing me to read this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I'm so disappointed in my own response to this book... I was immediately drawn to the gorgeous cover and the description lured me in even deeper. It started out very strong. I found Persephone's mysterious eyes and their compulsion to madness a fascinating magical construct, and was really excited for her when she made it to Wile Isle - I couldn't wait to understand her better and to see how things would play out.

Unfortunately from that point the story just sort of lost me... It happens quickly, and without Rhyme or Reason. I do not know why. The writing is lovely. But somehow I never developed any connection to the characters beyond my initial curiosity about Persephone, and just did not feel drawn into their world once it became focused on the history of the island, the curse, and the magic surrounding it all.

I kept setting it down and coming back to it, thinking maybe it was my headspace while I was reading, but after multiple attempts at this I finally had to admit that this one just wasn't for me... I struggle with Alice Hoffman, and many people have compared this to her writing style - a comparison that I do see - so maybe that's why. Definitely take a look for yourself though - there's a lot of great stuff here, it just didn't resonate with me personally...

Paige Crutcher has created a complex magical world with incredibly well-formed and layered characters. I am impressed by the depth of the story. From the beginning of the story, the author is giving us little bits of information. As we learn something new, more questions arise, nicely creating that pull of the plot moving forward. The characters and story are complexly woven together and the author takes her time in revealing all of the twists. As a debut author, Paige has done an outstanding job.

Persephone was a likable character for me from the start. She didn't spend too much time wallowing in her bad circumstances but it was clear they affected all her actions throughout the book. There is a lot of family lineage to understand as the book progresses. Clearly, a family tree would have given away some of the plots, but I found I needed to double-check family connections since some of the characters changed their last names.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-arc. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. This is my honest opinion.

When I saw the title and cover of this book, I was instantly intrigued. The summary sounded like the perfect book (very Practical Magic) but sadly, it was a DNF for me. I got about 20% in and couldn’t keep myself interested. There was something about the writing I couldn’t get into and the characters and plot just fell flat for me. Might try again in the future, but sadly not for me.

What a great book about the true meaning of love. It took me a bit to get into the story, and I was struggling with the main character, Persephone, and her "panic attacks" but once she screwed her head on straight I started to enjoy the book more and my reading pace picked up. I appreciated that everyone really got what they wanted in the end, even if it wasn't the way they'd imagined it turning out. The references to magic were nice, in that they didn't scream of some other widely read magic books, so the author certainly created a world that was more her own, than rely on the world of others.

The Orphan Witch is a paranormal novel with a tiny bit of romance by Paige Crutcher. Ms. Crutcher has created a well-written story that will entertain and keep readers guessing what happens next. I love the characters in this book even though a time or two I wanted to give one a shake. Persephone is an orphan and doesn't know why things happen when someone stares into her eyes. Arriving on Wile Isle she learns she has family and magic. I enjoyed reading The Orphan Witch. It did have a bit of repetition that I thought useless but overall, it's a great read. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an interesting read but I got lost in the middle of the story and the plot didn’t really make any sense to me. The character of Persephone was interesting and her powers with her family’s powers as well were interesting to read about but I just got lost with the curse and how it was to be cured and where she ended up at the end. Also with what was going on with her ancestors who were responsible for the curse on the island and them being trapped there.

Thanks to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

What a magical ride from start to finish. I was transported onto Wile Isle each time I picked up this book. Such a great book and talented writer. Thanks Netgalley!

I liked all the of the characters and the story was well written and interesting.
If you like paranormal then you’ll enjoy this book.

I really wasn't a fan of this book. It felt like it had too much plot and also not enough simultaneously. It takes a LONG time to get going in the beginning, then there's a huge info dump about the curse on the island, then a lot of time passes before anything really happens again. Once the plot does finally get going, it feels like it's crammed into the last few chapters of the book. A lot of the foreshadowing is pretty obvious too--Hyacinth is suspect right away, despite the author's attempts to make it seem otherwise. The feud with the Way sisters also doesn't really make any sense, and it was pretty obvious to me from the start that they'd all end up working together. The main issue I had with this book was the main character Persephone. Throughout the story, she has almost no agency, which doesn't make her a very interesting or relatable main character. She makes almost no decisions on her own--literally the only way the plot moves along is because the wind is pushing Persephone in a certain direction. It just made the book frustrating to read because Persephone never really does anything until the end, and even that doesn't make much sense. She sacrifices herself for people she's known for a few weeks, and apparently lives in the Hinterland for eternity with a pirate-turned-librarian that she met a couple of times. I know it's a book about magic, but none of the characters were relatable at all, For women that were apparently supposed to be in their 30s, they usually acted more like preteens. There also never seemed to be anyone living on the island except the 4 main characters, which was bizarre. Overall, it was just a frustrating read that wasn't very satisfying, which is disappointing, because the idea of a magic island is really cool; the book just doesn't have that much to it.

Persephone has been alone for most of her life. Any time she tries to get close to someone, she looks into their eyes and they go insane. So, when Persephone finally meets Hyacinth and they begin to talk, Hyacinth invites Persephone out to her island home. There, Persephone begins to discover who she is, what she is capable of, and what it means to be connected to people.

This book is a lovely story of becoming for people who loved Practical Magic or the storytelling style of Magic for Liars. It takes you on an adventure through a woman's discovery of love, family, connection, and her own capabilities. The author's lovely descriptions of the island, the family, and the connection between the sisters alone makes this book worth reading.

My complaint is that the main character reads too much like a lost teenager and less like a young woman. I understand that human connection is difficult to master for some people but the decisions and ideas she has feel too much like the thoughts of a teenager, which kills some of the immersion for me. I was shocked at one point to realize she is supposed to be late-20's, not late teens.