A big thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollin's for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Margert Rogerson meets Allison Saft (aka two of my all time favorite authors)? yes please!

The Hedgewitch of Foxhall by Anna Bright is a YA fantasy novel that ties back to Welsh history. Magic is fading from Wales—choked off by King Offa’s Dyke, the enemy earthworks that spans the entire border. Even the dragons have disappeared. And now an attack is imminent. Prince Taliesin would love to watch magic die. Prince Dafydd fears it, and the throne. But when their father promises the crown to whichever son can destroy the dyke and restore magic to Wales, the brothers are forced into an uneasy rivalry. Ffion works hedgewitch magic for poor folk, not princes. Unlike the power-hungry Foxhall coven, she uses only what nature can spare. But when the coven’s greed costs Ffion everything, she will need power beyond her wildest dreams to get back what she’s lost. So when Prince Taliesin arrives, begrudgingly seeking a witch’s aid, Ffion agrees to help him—even if it means walking from one end of Wales to the other with the most use-less peacock she’s ever clapped eyes on. Even if it means striking a bargain with Dafydd behind Tal’s back. The fate of Wales depends on their quest . . . and so might the fate of Ffion’s heart.

I LOVED this book, so much so that I think Anna Bright might be another favorite author. It has all the things I love: sassy protagonists, random dragons and unicorns, cottage-core vibes. It's just *chef's kiss*. Though I do admit some of the pacing was off, and I felt like Ffion was a bit of a nuisance at times.

The Hedgewitch of Foxhall was a lovely historical fantasy full of Welsh magic and creatures. I really enjoyed the main characters connection with the earth and magic compared to the coven. The writing was very descriptive, and the setting seemed cozy despite all the upheaval happening. I was able to imagine the scenes very well. I think I got a little lost in the passage of time while the characters were wandering, and the revelation of magic seemed to come out of nowhere. Overall, the book was enjoyable but a little confusing and slow.

Weird pacing and a love triangle where I felt like the loser. I loved the cover and the peak at Welsh mythology but this one didn't hit for me. Also, I understand that Ffion needs to be connected to the earth for her magic to work but the constant focus on and her reveling in how dirty she was was just a sensory nightmare for me.

A very near cozy book to read, I think that it needed a touch more work to keep me engaged the whole time but I still really enjoyed the book

"A Spartan's Sorrow" by Hannah Lynn is a gripping historical fiction novel that immerses readers in the world of ancient Sparta, where honor, duty, and sacrifice reign supreme. Lynn's vivid descriptions and meticulous attention to historical detail bring the ancient city-state to life, transporting readers to a time of epic battles and fierce loyalty.

The protagonist's journey is both poignant and compelling, as he grapples with the weight of his responsibilities and the sacrifices demanded of him by his homeland. Lynn expertly captures the spirit of Spartan culture, exploring themes of duty, honor, and the cost of war.
What sets "A Spartan's Sorrow" apart is its exploration of the human experience amidst the backdrop of war and political intrigue. The characters are well-developed and multi-dimensional, each with their own motivations and struggles. Readers will find themselves emotionally invested in their fates, rooting for them even as they face impossible odds.

While the pacing may be slow at times, particularly during exposition-heavy sections, the overall story is gripping and thought-provoking. Lynn's prose is lyrical and evocative, drawing readers deeper into the heart of ancient Sparta with each turn of the page.

Fans of historical fiction with a focus on ancient civilizations will find much to admire in "A Spartan's Sorrow." Hannah Lynn has crafted a compelling tale of honor and sacrifice that will linger in the minds of readers long after they've finished the book.

I had high hopes for this one, but unfortunately it fell a bit flat. This is a quick read which short chapters and accessible language, which I always appreciate, and I enjoyed the world and the magic system it contained. The early chapters quickly caught my interest, and I particularly enjoyed Ffion as a character. However, I think my main issue with this story is that it switches between three first-person povs, and I didn't find the characters' voices to be that distinctive. I easily forgot whose point-of-view I was reading because they all generally sounded the same to me. I also generally feel like it's better to use third-person if we're following more than two characters, and even then I prefer first-person when we're only following a single point-of-view. I found I didn't care much about the princes in general and sometimes ended up skimming chapters.

I enjoyed this one a lot! I've been learning Welsh, so it was cool to be able to recognize words and phrases used in the book. I enjoyed the magic system, and the fact that which boy I was rooting for shifted throughout the book. Everyone has their own believable motives for going on the journey, besides saving their home, and I appreciated the family dynamics as well.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 3.5/5 stars.

Yes, okay, I did finish this post publication date. I really wanted to like this more than I did, but I found myself reading to just finish it at the end. I love the Welsh mythology and the magical aspects of it. The prose was stunning. But...the craft issues. There's a love triangle that doesn't need to be there (and low-key gave me the ick on both sides of it). The world building is meh. It's a novel with court politics but not much is explained...and someone would be even more confused without knowing early English history.

Also, the short POVs changing.

Like....it wasn't bad but it wasn't like OMG READ THIS.

I was given this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Hedgewitch of Foxhall by Anna Bright is a Welsh inspired fairytale that revolves around 3 characters- Ffion, the titled hedgewitch, and two brothers, Tal and Dafydd, who have been pitted against each other in a competition for the throne by their father, the king.

I love it when I can tell a book is going to be a five star after a few chapters. This book is a love letter to Welsh magic, and the characters' struggles were heartfelt and compelling. Magic is disappearing in the land of Powys, and it is believed to be caused by a dyke, or wall, built across the kingdom to separate them from their antagonistic neighboring kingdom. The point of view switches between the three main characters as they struggle with their personal goals and against outside forces such as bad parents and budding love!

This book brought tears to my eyes as I finished it. And I took my time reading it as I didn’t want it to be over. This stand alone has romantic pining, feisty heroines, dragons, secrets, surprises, and lots of Welsh names, so keep your search engine handy to look them all up.

𝓲𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓲𝓼 𝓱𝓸𝔀 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓲𝓻 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓵𝓭 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓴𝓼, 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝓘’𝓶 𝓰𝓸𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓸 𝓯𝓲𝓷𝓭 𝓪𝓷𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓸𝓷𝓮

𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Thank you to Harper360YA for this arc. All thoughts are my own!

This book was a classic quest style fantasy. While some readers might have found it slow going, I enjoyed the pacing and the time spent with the main characters. It felt incredibly atmospheric and the world was absolutely beautiful. I did love it, but (once again) I felt like the love triangle aspect of it could have been removed. My favourite parts were the bickering between Tal and Ffion, and journey the two undertake together.

Dafydd was a nice guy but at times I found him irritating. He was very indecisive, which was unhelpful. It annoyed me how poorly he thought of Tal, especially after making no effort in speaking to him to understand Tal’s motivations. Despite Tal being presented as entitled, I actually thought Dafydd was the one out of touch with the world. He never seemed to understand how Tal’s illegitimacy impacted his life.

I absolutely loved Tal. I’ve always rooted for the underdog, especially as you could really see how desperate he was to make a place for himself. Tal is entitled, but it’s only on the surface. He has a real sense of how fickle his position and power is, and he’s holding on to it for dear life. His need to be king isn’t because he wants to the king, but because he wants security for himself and his mother. I loved how he schemed and how he was always thinking forward. Tal has a massive amount of development and growth, and I was rooting for him throughout.

Ffion was an incredibly engaging protagonist; she’s a little feral and stubborn, but her morality and strength was powerful. Ffion’s journey was well written and really reflected the history of medieval Wales. I loved how determined she was to help people, whilst also being a little selfish too. Her and Tal were a compelling duo, and I loved their dynamic. While at times I disagreed with some of Ffion’s decisions, I respected her desire to succeed.

Overall, this was a solid ya stand-alone fantasy. I would happily read more works by Anna Bright (just without the love triangle aspect).

Pitched as perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson and Allison Saft, The Hedgewitch of Foxhall is a cosy, pacey romp through a magical Wales, fit with a tricksy forest, a whole host of creatures and numerous charming princes. It stays lighthearted throughout and made for a very quick, easy read — perfect for new readers in the YA fantasy genre.

I enjoyed how feisty our MC is and how she’s determined to make her way in the world, and even as an outspoken love-triangle hater, I wasn’t too bothered by the trope in this book. Overall, I enjoyed the atmosphere and folkloric elements, but would’ve loved more depth overall, as I felt like the characters came off a bit flat. One of the things I love most about Rogerson and Saft is how well they can form deeply sympathetic characters, and I do feel like that was somewhat missing here. But I did really have fun and enjoyed the experience overall!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the digital ARC of "The Hedgewitch of Foxhall" by Anna Bright.

I will start by saying by the time I was only 27% through the book, I had already pre-ordered it. I don't often see fantasy books that are taking place in Wales specifically - much less one that tied in real traditions, history, and locations.

Normally I don't like multiple perspective stories... but I loved seeing the events unfold from each characters perspective. This helped show both sides of the uneasy relationship and differences between Prince Taliesin and Prince Dafydd. While their stories may have been good... I especially loved Ffion's side: her respect for magic, and the earth around her really highlighted the beauty in hedgewitches. This is what really sold me on this book. Also slightly spoiling this (but not really): it is so beautiful and heartwarming when all characters gain what was best for them.

5/5
I would recommend this to everyone.

edit: This review is sooo late. I had it typed up, but kept running out of time to post it.

E-arc kindly provided by the publisher, Harper360YA via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I must admit, I wanted to read this one just because of the cover. I mean, look at it. It’s just gorgeous and cozy and forest-y and magical. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy the book as much as I would’ve liked.
The book started very promising and I was very curious about this witch, Ffion, that doesn’t take part in Foxhall’s coven. And so, she’s trying to help people without asking for anything in return.

Everything was very lyrical, with a great and magical atmosphere, a nice and easy prose and short chapters. But as much as I liked the atmosphere, I couldn’t find myself being interested enough in the characters. While Ffion is a great and lovely witch, she cares a lot about the magic and the forest and it’s inhabitants, she actually annoyed me. I didn’t liked how much she kept things to herself just for the sake of it, just because the other characters “didn’t ask”.

The other characters, the two princes, I found them very “meh”. They were flat and I wanted more from them. I was getting annoyed by how much Dafydd was talking about “the girl is his dreams”. On every page he was going back to this girl he’s seen in his dreams for all of her life, which is a little bit strange, I won’t lie. And I couldn’t understand the reason behind it.
I liked Tal more, but he still wasn’t my favourite in the book. We have both of these princes POVs, but they were really short to make an impact on me. It the end, I didn’t care who Ffion chose.

But the thing that annoyed me the most were the love triangle and the miscommunication tropes. They are very strong in this book and I thought authors would stop writing around these 2. I had some DNF-ing thoughts, but I kept reading hoping it would get better. It didn’t. I wanted more from the characters on their own, to see their personalities while being away from everything. All I remember about Dafydd was that he dreamt about a girl, Tal is a bastard and Ffion is keeping secrets and hates her coven which isn’t a coven.
It was too focused on the love triangle, which was a shame, because the main plot of the book was lost.

Oh well.

Bright's fantasy-laden Welsh tale is full of magic and romantic feels. I thoroughly enjoyed her liberal use of folksong throughout the story, which the main character, Ffion, uses to cast magic. It lends a fantastical flavor to this already lush tale. The three main characters each bring something different to the story, with Ffion presenting a strong, fierceness and love of all things wild, Tal lending cunning and charisma skills, and Dafydd his levity, kindness, and care. All three come together in an interesting interplay that is not quite love triangle but still creates some emotional tension to the story.

I love the worldbuilding the most in this book. It is wild and rugged, and the magic itself, which mostly exists in the form of mythical creatures, is so interesting. I enjoyed Bright's reimagining of ancient Wales, and how she wove magic and dragons and familiars into this otherwise semi-historical story.

The pacing is also very nicely done. There weren't any slow moments and the action was spaced well. I always enjoy a good journey-based story, and this book brings that as the main focus of the central characters. I like that this journey is the vehicle Bright uses for the romance. This is not quite an enemies-to-lovers story, but for sure there is animosity that grows into love. It also brings more depth of character alongside the relationship's cultivation, which I appreciate.

Overall, I think this book is just as magical and romantic as I wanted it to be. Anyone who looks at that cover and reads the summary will have a pretty good idea of what kind of book they're going to get and they won't be wrong. Bright delivers. It's an enjoyable fantasy read that I would recommend to any teen who loves magic and fiercely independent female main characters.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC!

The Hedgewitch of Foxhall was a lovely YA historical fantasy filled with magic, romance, and a unique story. Ffion, a Hedgewitch trying to survive alone, joins forces with the king’s spare, Tal, to try and destroy the dyke built by a raiding kingdom to restore magic back to Wales.

This book did a fabulous job of providing three viewpoints, all of which added to the story. I loved the characters and their complicated motivations. I also loved the surprises! I was amazed by several twists I couldn’t predict and I liked how they layered the story. Most of all, I loved the love triangle. It was so well done; I honestly don’t know who was going to be end game at times and I was rooting for my favorite. I liked how it was an even love triangle, not one so clearly set up to make one love interest succeed.

Overall, I’d recommend this book to fans of YA fantasy, historical fantasy, and all things magic!

The cover of this book is gorgeous! The setting, and the plot seemed like something I'd adore but for some reason I couldn't get into this one. I think the main characters were hard to enjoy, I don't know why. I'm sure this is one I'll come back to, and I'm sure people out there will love it!

2.5/5

I was excited to start this YA fantasy inspired by Welsh folklore; the cover is beautiful and there are dragons in the prologue?! Say no more. However, after the first couple of chapters, it lost my interest and fell short of my expectations.

Pros:
I enjoyed the magic system, which was grounded in nature and interconnectedness with the environment. As someone who knows nothing about Welsh folklore, I appreciated the small nods throughout that were explained more in the Author’s Note. I’m also a sucker for dark/cottagecore fairytale vibes, which did shine through at some parts of the book.

Cons:
My main gripe with this book is the heavy focus on the love triangle, which was not executed well and turned this book into a very generic YA when it could have been something more. The “love triangle” element felt very forced, but still ended up taking over most of the story. If the author would have just stuck with the main romance, it would have been much more convincing (and I would have rolled my eyes less).

As far as the writing itself, I was also let down. I think I was expecting the beauty of the prose to match the beauty of the cover, but it fell flat and detracted from the overall story.

Overall, this was a pretty generic YA fantasy that fell into overused tropes. However, if you’re really craving cottagecore/folklore vibes, you might find some enjoyment in it.

Content Warnings: death of parent, animal death, war

There aren't enough words to express how much I adored this book! First, let me talk about the stunning cover. It is absolutely beautiful and it gives me fall vibes. I loved reading about the historical and magic aspect of this book. I enjoyed reading about the many magical creatures mentioned throughout the book. The story was very cozy and adventurous. I adored the characters especially Ffion. She was amazing and I loved how headstrong and rough around the edges she was. The Hedge Witch of Foxhall was an amazing and fantastic read. I can’t wait to read more of Anna Bright’s work. She writes beautifully. Thank you NetGalley for giving me this amazing opportunity. Can’t wait to have a physical copy to share with my students.

Take a dive into a fun and cozy read with bound mates, magic, Welsh folklore and Dragons! It's hard not to root for Ffion (FMC), especially because of her independent streak. She is a feisty one!

Two princes vie for Ffion's heart - one sure he already has it, and one who would do anything to win it. Pitted against the other by their father, the King, the Princes are tasked to do what is necessary to stop the oncoming war, save magic in the kingdom, and prove who shall be named the future King.

Ffion, a solitary hedge-witch, is content to wander the wood with Cadno, a fox who is her familiar. Then the day comes when the Foxhall coven has gone too far in their lust for power and Cadno is no more. In her anger, Ffion agrees to work with Prince Tal in his task which he hopes will garner his father's favor and beat his brother to the crown. Prince Dafydd would rather his father give the job of King to Tal - it's not what he wants, but Dafydd knows he is bound to Ffion and the stakes are high. Meanwhile, magic itself is waning fast and there are some who would keep what is left of it selfishly for themselves.

The two princes start out on separate journeys but then find themselves being drawn together to do what is necessary to aid their hedge-witch in completing her final spell.

Will Ffion have enough strength and time to complete the job she was hired to do? The soldiers are coming... Will the Princes come to terms with their fates? The soldiers are coming... Will the magical creatures return bringing magic back to the land? The soldiers are HERE! Are you ready?

thank you to netgalley for providing me with an arc!

This was a really great story that incorporated Welsh folklore and legends. To be transparent the Welsh names were hard to remember the pronunciation of but at the story progressed it got a lot easier to remember who is who. Ffion served really well as the main character, who did fall into the typical YA trope of young girl who hopes to better the word, however I think the complex family structure that readers learned about did a really good job at explaining why she acted the way she did and why she felt outed from her own community of witches and her family. I think that the love triangle between Ffion and the brother was a little unnecessary as from the beginning the readers kind of know which brother she will end up with, and I do think that the story would have been just as successful had the triangle not been there. I think that this is an excellent book for young readers or new to YA reading that can serve as an intro to fantasy as well as an intro to Welsh folklore!