This book was a book that I was interested in right after reading the description. As soon as I started getting into the book more, I couldn’t put it down. You are brought into a magical world of Fae and mystery. I loved the characters in this book, and I loved how creative and unique the story was. Everything is definitely not as it seems in this book, and if that is your vibe, you need to pick this book up! This fantasy was definitely up my alley. !

This is the perfect read for the spooky season! It has all the vibes for a cozy read by the fire. Thank you so much to Olivia Atwater, Netgallary and the publisher for a copy of this book, I really enjoyed it! Anything that has fae in it I know I’m bound to love! Add in a Victorian vibe and I knew it was going to be good! I also loved the character for Winnie she’s a total badass. The book started off slow BUT by the time I finished I’d completely forgotten that and was HOOKED! I definitely need the next book.

Fairy tale mixed with Gothic vibes, so not a cozy book, but still a perfect autumn read! For me, the best part was the lead character as I loved her strength and determination. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

This is a must read book!!! I was hooked within the first few pages and could not get enough! I love fantasy books but this gothic fantasy became my favorite very quickly.

This book was an excellent faerie tale just in time for my fall spooky season readathon. The author did a fantastic job of world-building, and the plot and character development throughout the story were excellent. The story is a unique blend of a dark romance that can still balance the line of a cozy mystery. I plan to read more from the author soon.

Thank you, Netgalley and Starwatch Press, for this Arc!

I absolutely ADORE every Olivia Atwater book I read! They are so perfectly cozy and magical and The Witchwood Knot was no exception! This is the perfect fall book and is a great read around spooky season! I cannot wait to read what Olivia releases next from this world 😍

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! The Witchwood Knot is a gothic fantasy set I. The same universe as Olivia Atwater’s previous novels. The book centers on the mystery of Witchwood Manor and the new governess Winnie’s journey to fix what is happening in the cursed mansion. This book was great. The writing made me immersed in the world and it really made me feel things. Some of the dialogue was so beautiful and well written I just adored it. The main characters Winnie and Mr. Quincy were exquisite and their dialogue together made me highlight passages which I almost never do. This gothic fantasy was a great ride and I would read anything else in this universe.

Witchwood Knot takes place about 40 years after the events of Atwater's Half a Soul in the same universe. I enjoyed returning to this world and to Atwater's writing. Her tone is both whimsical and quite gothic in a great mix of sweetness and danger. If you enjoyed Atwater's earlier novels, this will certainly be another win. I loved Miss Hall and Mr. Quincy. While this is not primarily a romance, the dynamic between these two is addictive. In addition, this story has a ghost cat named Oliver, and who doesn't love a ghost cat. Even if you have never read Atwater, you will be able to understand and fall in love with this world and story. Perfect read for fall with its gothic atmosphere.

Thank you NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the ARC!

This book is the perfect mix of cozy fantasy with gothic and darkish vibes and it works! Good character development, good mystery, and great worldbuilding, this is a strong first book of a series <3

Thank you to Netgalley and Olivia Atwater for providing me with this ARC and can I just say, Olivia is fast becoming one of my must read favourite authors!

This was spellbinding! It was lyrical! It was so much fun!

Olivia Atwater weaves a story as intricate and multi-faceted as the name suggests. Within the Witchwood Knot you will find; a crumbling manor that is haunted, a spunky and no-shits-given heroine who arrives under the guise of a governess to unravel the mystery of the place as well as her own quest, a vanishing Fae butler, a dying matron grandmother, a tyrannical master of the manor, an adorable and vicious cat spirit familiar, macabre and twisted faces in the walls, menacing sprites, ghoulish Fae, cartomancy, necromancy, magic and mayhem, a backstory that has you DYING for more tidbits... shall I go on?

"The world would be more comfortable without us, Miss Hall. But I have never troubled myself overmuch with making other people comfortable. I would rather carry a knife."



This was the perfect autumnal read that was packed full of suspense, but also far more spooky and high stakes than previous works I've read by this author! We really got the Regency Faerie Tales x 100000 here! I'm obsessed with the premise and the set up, this is book 1 and although it stands alone as its own novel, it does great in setting up the other novels in the series. I'm itching to find out more about Bellamira and Clarimonde, and to see what adventures they go on! Olivia always writes fantastic characters, and her approach to writing Fae is one of my favourites. You really get the grotesque and sometimes theatrical side to the Fae in her works - there's a sense of dread and strained nerves beneath every whimsical laugh and dance. The glimpses we have of The Other Side are terrifying, and you find yourself at the edge of your seat as you read about Winifred trying to navigate the twists and turns.

Speaking of Winifred, my baby Winnie, what an absolute legend of a character. I love her - literally everything about her. I love her thoughts and her emotions, I loved reading through her eyes I loved learning about her slowly.. I just wanted to wrap her up and protect her but also was so proud of her the entire time! Her and her sisters are just Those Girls I'm so excited for the rest of the series!!!

I won't say much else about the plot because I found going into it not knowing much was the best experience!

My only hesitation in giving it 5 stars was that I found myself a little confused in the final denoument, as things were explained. I think this is partly because I've yet to read Longshadow which may have given more context, so I will definitely revisit this rating after reading that. But for someone just picking up this book, it may take a little while to understand all the name drops and clues to past characters in the previous series.

(Also how fun was it to hear of some of our favourite characters again! I'm gonna go back and reread all the regency faerie tales now!!!!)

This book is the modern gothic I have been waiting for! If The Haunted Mansion, The King & I, and Faerie folklore made a Victorian gothic novel, it would be this…with a sinister twist. I love the SA awareness and how it was incorporated without making her into a weak MC looking for a male love interest to save her, instead she saves everyone. Also love the world building, the seamless weaving of characters backstories into the main narrative. This book really had it all for me. Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for this eARC, I devoured every word!

Olivia Attwatter just became a must read author for me.

A solid fantasy romance! I have read one other Olivia Atwater book, Half a Soul, and really enjoyed it so I was so excited to be given a copy of The Witchwood Knot in exchange for an honest review. This did not disappoint! Set in the same setting of magical Victorian England as Half a Soul, this story follows Winifred, a governess, who moves into Witchwood Manor, caring for a dowager's grandson. She soon discovers her charge is missing and has been kidnapped by the Fair Folk. Winifred, along with the help of Mr. Quincy, the Witchwood Manor's very own faerie butler, sets off on a mission to rescue her charge.

I really enjoyed this one! The story was a bit slow but picked up toward the ending. Overall highly recommend, especially for fans of her Regency Faerie Tales series.

The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater is the first book in the Victorian Faerie Tales, set several decades after the last book in the Regency Faerie Tales series. Even though some of the characters from the first series are mentioned, the Witchwood Knot stands perfectly well on its own, so you don’t need to read the previous books to follow the story.

This book pulled me in from the very start. I really loved the darker, eerie and gothic atmosphere that this story had compared to the previous series, while still combining faerie magic, mystery, and romance in a way that felt both fresh and familiar. The author´s writing is beautifully dark without feeling overwhelming and filled with rich descriptions that bring Witchwood Manor and its dark secrets to life.

I loved following Winifred as the new governess at Witchwood Manor, armed with nothing but her wits and a few iron knives, while dealing with the faerie curse and the mysterious butler Mr. Quincy. I really liked the moral complexity of Mr. Quincy, and especially his dry wit and sharp interactions with Winifred.

As I kept reading, I was not sure where the story would take us in terms of the romance, but in the end, it was one of the main highlights for me. The way the romance developed slowly but with so much emotional depth and honesty, made their connection feel so genuine and relatable. I loved how Winifred and Quincy grew as individuals through their bond and how the balance between their personalities helped build the layers of their relationship. It contrasted so well with the darker, selfish interests of Lord Longfell. And I can’t forget to mention how adorable Oliver, the cat familiar, was. I really loved his bond with Winnifred, especially how protective he was of her.

Overall, The Witchwood Knot is a delightful mix of gothic elements, faerie magic, mystery, and romance set inside a misterious and cursed manor. It’s perfect for anyone looking for a dark and atmospheric read, especially around this time of year. I’m really excited for the next book in the series and can’t wait to see where it takes us next!

I gave this book a rating of 4.5 stars, rounded to 5.

Thanks to Netgalley and Starwatch Press for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Starwatch Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored The Witchwood Know. I was hooked from the moment Winnie is pulling her trunk through the mud.

Winnie serves as the governess to Robert at a haunted mansion in England. Turns out she is supposed to be a magician protector for Robert. . There is quite a cast of characters at the mansion. Mr. Quincy the butler, a cook, and a housekeeper who refuses to live in the haunted house. When Robert is kidnapped she has to team up with Mr. Quincy.

This is a beautifully written gothic romance with faeries, magicians, familiars, and necromancers. I have read several of Atwater's other books. Her prose is always beautiful. This book does not disappoint! I love that Winnie is a flawed character who knows herself perfectly: she recognizes her strengths and her limitations, and she struggles. Atwater has written a wonderful romance that you do not see nowadays. Mr. Quincy may start out as an ambiguous character, but as he and Winnie work together and begin to understand each other, both they and the reader see how well matched they are.

Actual rating 3.5-4.0 stars.

The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater is a Gothic faerie tale set in a fantasy Victorian England. Winifred, or Winnie, an orphan pulled from a traumatic workhouse by a noble benefactor, is called away from London to Witchwood Manor as a favor to the dowager Lady Longfell, ostensibly to be a governess to the lady's grandson, Robert. In truth, Winnie is a black magician specializing in cartomancy, and her true task is to protect Robert from the faerie curse placed on the manor, which is tied to the mysterious Witchwood Knot. Armed with her wits, her magic, and her loyal ghostly feline familiar, Winnie's mission is complicated by the contrarian young Robert, his truly creepy father, and the mysterious butler-who-is-and-is-not a butler, Mr. Quincy.

This novel, the first in a series, draws on several mythologies for its inspiration--mostly from Celtic mythology (more on that here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6002533507), and a dash of Beauty and the Beast. Atwater's book is chock-full of detail; given the historical background she provides for her books, as well as her own personal interest in history, this was one of my favorite parts in the book. This is also a book suited for fans of historical fantasy with a romantic subplot, or fans of romantasy with a subdued romance. Atwater does include a content warning at the beginning of the book, so wary readers are advised to glance at it before proceeding. I personally enjoyed this book for its dark faerie tale elements and sardonic, witty heroine, but suspect I would have enjoyed it more if I'd read Atwater's previous series (Regency Faerie Tales) first for added context.

Fans of Holly Black, Sarah Rees Brennan, Sarah J. Maas, and The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert would likely enjoy this book. I look forward to the sequel, as well as the Regency Faerie Tales!

I think I may adore Olivia Atwater's writing. It is quick and imaginative and with a dash of romance that feels like the coming together of equals rather than being shoe-horned in or taking over the twisted plot.

Employed as governess, Winnie Hall arrives at Witchwood with her own agenda - to understand what has happened to the house and where the doors into faerie have disappeared. But the fae are not the only monsters in the house, and Winnie must find her way through these and her own past in order to unravel its secrets.

It's imaginative, links with the Regency Faerie Tales series, but without requiring an exact knowledge of them, and Atwater always does her research, representing the historical societal norms and values alongside the fantasy without detracting from either.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. Perfect book for spooky season. I was up reading it late last night and then had nightmares of faeries and deals and felt a presence in my dreams. Woke up shaky. Lol guess that's a testament to Olivia's writing.

it was a quick read and Winnie was a lovely fmc. Strong and stoic. Seeing her come into herself little more was great. Im looking forward to the sequel.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the earc in exchange for an honest review.

The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater is a delightful blend of magic, mystery, and heart. Atwater crafts a vivid world filled with endearing characters and whimsical charm. The plot is both engaging and unpredictable, with just the right balance of tension and warmth. Fans of enchanting stories will find themselves captivated by this novel’s clever twists and emotional depth. A truly magical read!

Such a great continuation of Atwater's fae world but with an exciting shift to the gothic from the whimsical. Still great fun but with a bit higher stakes and more edge. As with her other books in this world you don't HAVE to have read all the other books first but it will make some of the references have more impact. Definitely hoping she does some more stories in this vein in her world!

I had to sit with this book for awhile. I wasn’t sure if I liked it or not, but it was a really unique story! If you’re a fan of gothic novels, I think you will enjoy this work. The characters aren’t morally upstanding, but I think that’s part of its interest. Taking the good and forgiving the bad as long as you are striving to help others. The setting was very fun to feel immersed in.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!