Guillermo Del Toro’s “Crimson Peake” meets “Practical Magic” in this debut novel from Ava Morgyn, The Witches of Bone Hill.

After finding out her husband has been cheating on her, Cordelia Bone needs a break from reality. When her sister, Eustace, informs her they are the last remaining relatives of a dead great aunt and must deal with the estate, Cordelia decides to use the house to pay off her ex’s debt and get her shit together.

Once they arrive, the sisters realize their inherited estate is worth much more than expected. Their great aunt’s attorney controls every aspect of the house. When they stumble upon secret rituals, peculiar artifacts, and strange visions of their dead relatives, the sisters must uncover their family secrets, including what happened to their mother and deceased relatives.

A haunted house setting will always be superior to any other setting. Morgyn brought the Bone Hill house to life with intricate, gothic details and atmospheric writing. If a book can make me say, “nope, nope, nope,” out loud, it automatically is a three-star read. If you’re horror adverse, I won’t attempt The Witches of Bone Hill, but if you’re like me and love a hair-raising gothic novel, this one is for you,

My only realistic gripe with the novel was the magic system the Bone sisters utilize; the author’s explanations for the runes, recipes, and rituals seemed haphazard and without much thought. Despite the title, their witchcraft took a backseat to the narrative, so in the end, the ins and outs of their magic didn’t matter but would’ve been a personal preference.

Also, the romance between Cordelia and Gordon had chemistry and potential. Still, by the time the book’s second half came around, it floundered and felt like having a romance for the sake of ticking a box. Her ex-husband’s debt issues were also very random and carried little to no urgency in the novel, and it could have been taken out with no problem.

A gothic family saga that floundered here and there, The Witches of Bone Hill had the potential to be a great horror novel for non-horror fans.

This ARC was provided by St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The issue I had with this one is that I may have been reading too many books about witches and was feeling a little uninterested in this story. I unfortunately did not love the narrator and found it difficult to be in her head at all times. I also felt that the story was quite slow at some points. I unfortunately think this one just wasn't for me!

The Witches of Bone Hill had potential, but only manages to deliver in some areas.
The atmosphere of this book was spot on while the pacing made it hard to get into. Then when the pacing picks up, the atmosphere dwindles. There was just a bit too much going on as well (stalker, love interest, the ex, the lawyer, the Mafia lender) and I think if a few elements were focused on more (and others left entirely out) it would have worked better. I loved the magical elements, the sisters, and the family history that is entwined throughout the book.

I hated everything about this book. The main character was unreliable and super annoying. I wanted more witchy things to happen but it’s just a domestic thriller.

This was such a cute read to get you in the Halloween spirit! I will say it was a little creepier and gorier than I was anticipating, but it was still a good read!

This book ultimately didn’t up working well for me, as much as I wanted it to. The writing style just didn’t hold my attention, but I may return to try again next fall as a seasonal read.

The Witches of Bone Hill is the story of Cordelia Bone and her sister Eustace. Cordelia is dealing with the beginnings of a messy divorce and being saddled with her husbands debts when she gets news that her great aunt has died and that she and Eustace are the only remaining heirs and must go to Connecticut to deal with the estate. When they get there, they find out that the estate is large and haunted, and that their family has many secrets. Their aunt’s attorney insists that they must inhabit the old house until the estate is dealt with, and so Cordelia and Eustace are stuck in an ancient house, learning the spooky history of their family line.

I quite enjoyed The Witches of Bone Hill. It took me a few chapters to really get into but by the end I was reading into the wee hours and unable to put it down. The twist was actually surprising, and it was legitimately spooky at times, enough to actually scare me, which is good for a scary book!

I liked Cordelia as a character, but I really enjoyed Eustace and her growth over the book. Eustace and I have some things in common, and so it was interesting seeing myself and some of my experiences through her in this context.

All told, I really liked this book, and I would recommend it to people who like books about witches that aren’t all herbs and tea, or people who like some of T. Kingfisher’s scarier stuff. I got a really similar vibe off this book as I did from The Twisted Ones.

The Witches of Bone Hill by Ava Morgyn

Published: September 26, 2023
St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Contemporary Women’s Literature
Pages: 406
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Ava Morgyn is a native Texan who grew up falling in love with all the wrong characters in all the wrong stories. She is a lover of crystals, tarot, and powerful women with bad reputations. She studied English Writing & Rhetoric at St. Edward’s University in Austin and currently resides with her family in Houston, where she lives surrounded by antiques and dog hair and writes a blog on child loss, ForLoveofEvelyn.com. When she isn’t at her laptop spinning darkly hypnotic tales, she can be found reading, hunting for delicious vegan recipes, or wandering a forest. She is the author of Resurrection Girls and The Salt in Our Blood.

This was such a brilliant book. I loved how the storyline evolved and came together. The imagery was beautiful, the characters were so memorable, and the story flowed smoothly.

This was a perfect mix. There was drama, comedy, romance, and just a touch of magic. I loved Cordelia and Eustace. Their connection and dynamic felt very sisterly. I loved their comical moments and their familial moments.

Gordon was a perfect leading man. His connection to the sister's journey was deep. The way this story unfolded was deliciously brilliant. It is a difficult book to put down.

The twist was well done and not at all what I had expected. This was a beautiful story about family, forgiveness, history, and moving forward.

Every few books or so I get the urge for a little magic, a little fantasy, a witch or two. So, whenever one pops up that looks intriguing, I grab it.

I also have to admit, that typically with magic books, I tend to get lost. There is usually a lot going on, and it’s nothing familiar, so I read and usually enjoy it, but a lot of times I am confused. I am happy to say that I don’t think I was confused once in The Witches of Bone Hill.

Cordelia Bone learns that she and her sister have inherited an estate from a great Aunt. They didn’t even know the aunt existed, much less an estate. Cordelia is thrilled because thanks to a shady soon-to-be-ex husband she is rolling in debt with even the mob after her. She plans on a quick visit, a quick appraisal, a quick sale and boom back to her now debt-free life.

However, she didn’t plan on it being so creepy, or with so many questions about her family history. Does she come from a line of witches? And who is trying to scare her off of the property? Why did her mother leave and never tell her about the family?

A good solid witch book, not really scary, but with a slow build of excitement that ended dramatically!

Unfortunately I had to DNF this one, but I hope other readers will enjoy it. I had a hard time getting into the story and eventually had to put it down because it didn’t seem like it was the book for me.

I really like witchy stories and jumped at the chance to read this book. It starts with two sisters learning of an inheritance then the fun begins and they have to fight for their survival all while trying to figure out what kind of magic they inherited. The first half was a bit tough to get into but the second half of the book flew by and I struggled to put it down.

Thank you SMP for the advance copy.

I tried on multiple occasions to dive into this book but I just cannot get into it. Unfortunately it is a DNF for me.

I thought this was about one thing but it turned out to be another. I loved it though.

All the magic is there. The ups and downs. The family secrets. A wonderful novel from start to finish.

This author did a fantastic job with this book. It had all the things I enjoy when reading. Well written and a few surprises along the way. This book is so good.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

Five big stars from me.

This book sounded intriguing but I didn't love it. I found it sluggish and hard to get through.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martins Griffin for my advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

Ava Morgyn wrote an engaging and entertaining sibling paranormal story. It has lots of atmosphere, history, and drama. I did guess who the villain is and why right away, but I enjoyed the journey the women took to get there. I really hope there is a sequel because I want more of the two women and Eustace didn’t get a love interest in this book. I read The Witches of Bone Hill in one sitting. It was that good.

This one will appeal to fans of fantasy that focuses on family dynamics. It wasn’t exactly what I was in the mood for, so I found it to be a bit slow. Others will surely enjoy this more if they enjoy magical reads.

The Witches of Bone Hill by Ava Morgyn
Paranormal, fantasy, horror.
Sisters Cordelia and Eustace inherit a house from a great aunt in Connecicutt they must live in. The house comes with a dynasty trust, a carriage house with a groundskeeper, and a crypt full of dead relatives. They will need to learn the family secrets, face off an enemy and reverse their mysteriously declining health issues.

The flowery language and over-abundance of descriptions of the first few chapters had me stalled for a long time. Plus adversarial relations are difficult for me.
I skipped a lot of the long descriptions in the first few chapters to try to move forward but found eventually that I was missing pieces. Lots of secondary characters, death, ghosts and bones.
Overall, it was a depth of history of the family the sisters needed. I did enjoy the grow room at the end, with all the micro greens and vegetables and the way the sisters had grown to accept and even appreciate each other.


I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

Witchy fiction is my favorite 'sub genre' of fiction and The Witches Of Bone Hill did not disappoint! It was a little more creepy at times than I expected (I'm not a horror fan anymore) but I throughly enjoyed the book overall!

There is something I always love about a Victorian mansion. It seems like they become another character in novels and this holds true in this one.
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Coredelia’s life comes crashing down when her cheating husband upends their relationship and entire life. When she receives a call from her older sister that their great aunt died leaving them the mansion she heads to Connecticut thinking all her problems are solved. Family secrets, ghosts and a mystery kept me turning the pages.
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Thank you #StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really did not care for this one at all. Unlikeable characters made finishing this book a chore. Also, there was so much happening in the plot. Mafia, witches and crime Oh My!