This is my first Olivia Atwater book and I'm honestly disappointed in myself, because I ADORED this tale. If you want a world with folklore inspired fae, creepy mansions and magic, you can't go wrong with The Witchwood Knot.

Set in a magical version of Victorian England, The Witchwood Knot is an atmospheric, whimsical and adventurous tale about a governess who encounters fae and other creatures in her mission to rescue the young lord of the manor from a mysterious fae. Expect slow but exquisite reveals that honestly make this reading experience feel like the unravelling of a knot, with mysteries to be revealed, realms to be explored and more.

4.5

I loved this book. I have read the Regency Faerie Tales series and it was good to be back in this narrative universe albeit with darker themes. I think this can be read as a standalone, as it mentions some of the characters and events from the previous series without being repetitive or boring.

In this gothic tale, Winnie gets to the Witchwood manor to be the governess to the kid there but soon discovers that there is something deeply wrong. I am not getting into the specifics to keep it spoiler free but I really like the main plot, it was neither obvious nor overcomplicated.

There are some hard themes, sexual harrassment towards both an adult and a child, but I found it well developed and treated with care. The author’s note was helpful too.

The romance was minimal but what we got was both deliciously heart-wrenching and heartwarming. It was a slow burn and I found it apt for these characters and their stories. I usually prefer books with more romance but this author is always able to make me feel a lot through the simplest things.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

So this was closer to a 3.5 for me but I erred on the positive side because I believe if I had read the previous series Regency Faerie Tales this would have been a 4-star read. I loved the dark Victorian vibe and a return to a darker twisted faerie tale after reading so many beautiful romantic ones lately. The only issue I had was that it seemed the author assumed I would already be familiar with the world she had created. So I felt like I was a step behind and would have more appreciation for what was happening if I had the foundational world-building that was no doubt done in the Regency books under my belt. But now I fully intend to go back and read those while I wait for book two in the Victorian series because despite that feeling I am hooked on the world and the characters and want to dive in even further.

The mysteries held by Witchwood Manor are slowly revealed through this story of Winifred Hall arriving to be the governess for the son of the lord of the manor. All is not what it appears at the manor for Winnie isn't a governess, nor does the manor have a butler even though Winnie met Mr. Quincy, the butler, upon her arrival.

I loved this book The first chapter of The Witchwood Knot absorbed me into the setting, characters and mood. I thought the writing was amazing and felt myself slow reading this book to let the mysteries slowly reveal themselves. The imagery built was beautiful as the world of the manor unfolded. I am always a fan of relationship/character development in a story and this tale did not disappoint.

My recent fantasy reads have been filled with action and heated romance, this story was not that. The Witchwood Knot is a fantasy built on prose and character development.

Big fan of this one and I thank NetGalley for this Arc.

Olivia Atwater really continues to write the kind of darker fairy tale vibes books I love. Yes, please.

This book is actually connected to her first series (Regency Faerie Tales), although it is not required reading, and you will find Easter eggs of characters mentioned and a few plots points that happen in the first trilogy.

We follow a young woman named Winifred, employed to be a governess, but is actually undercover. She has some very secret skills that make her uniquely suited to the job. Wini is trying to figure out the disturbing things happening in the house which include ghosts and faeries pretending to be butlers. The staff are all terrified and most have quit shortly after being employed. The lord of the house seems to be oblivious at first, but is he really? And is there something else going on with the faeries? Winifred will have to use all her skills, some advise from her sisters, and a ghost cat, to find a way to save a child and solve the mystery. All the while she's fighting unwanted attention and a stubborn faerie who may or may not be on her side.

Content/trigger warnings: sexual harassment of both a female employee and a child (both stated in author's content note).

Our protagonist Winnie starts a new position as governess at Witchwood Manor, but soon learns something isn't quite right with the place. Several servants have gone missing, the place seems to be haunted and no one can talk about what is actually happening. When her bratty charge is replaced by a piece of wood by the Fair Folk, Winnie is the only one who can help him. With the aid of the malicious Faerie butler Mr. Quincy, Winnie has to enter a dangerous mirror world of the manor to save the young lord.

The Witchwood Knot is set in the same world as Half A Soul, but could technically be read without knowing the aforementioned series. However, I do recommend reading it first because there are a lot of Easter Eggs concerning Regency Faerie Tales and several characters from that series turn up in Witchwood. I won't spoil anything, but when one particular character appeared on page, I legit squealed.

Winnie was an absolutely fantastic protagonist - she's selfish, a liar, and focused on self-preservation above all. She is decidedly not a good person, hell, she doesn't even like kids. Although I loved her from the very first page, we do learn why she has become that way gradually, as we peel back the wallpaper of Witchwood Manor. Her past and her character development were masterfully done and I identified with her quite a lot.

Mr. Quincy is another character I fell in love with immediately, despite him being somewhat of a mysterious and sinister figure in the beginning. While the romance was not the focal point of the story, in my opinion, the romantic moments were still very swoonworthy. Winnie and Mr. Quincy both had really sharp edges and a lot of groundwork to do before trusting each other. When they did, however, I couldn't help but root for them.

Contrary to Regency Faerie Tales, this is quite a bit darker in tone and handles some serious topics, so be aware of that before reading. There are scenes with sexual harrassment and sexual harrassment of a child, but it's not graphic and the topic is handled with care. Since we're on darker topics, I do also want to point out that this doesn't fall into the harmful depiction of changelings. The young boy in this is not replaced by a Faerie child but by a literal piece of wood. There is no harming or killing changelings in this, which I was very thankful for.

Moreover, the book also benefitted from having two terrifying villains who were both absolute monsters in their own right.

I'll read about anything labelled as Gothic, but to have Gothic written by Atwater was just the cherry on top of the cake. While retaining all of the Gothic tropes we love - like a decrepit mansion, a Byronic hero, and lots of ghosts - this still had the magical world we grew to love in Regency Faerie Tales. While the first series was quite fluffy and, well, fairytale-esque, the darker atmosphere worked immensely well with both the story and within the setting. Atwater's faeries are deceitful, malicious creatures and I loved how she wove together Irish folklore with her own unique mythology.

Since the book is set a few years after Regency Faerie Tales, we learn quite a lot of new information about what everyone has been getting up to and new bits of lore. However, since this was often done in a story-within-a-story setup, the new information was not overwhelming. The book also set the sequels up nicely and, I believe, teased who our future protagonists may be. As might be expected, I'm stoked for this new series. Atwater has really cemented herself as one of my auto-buy-authors now, I will officially read anything she writes.

Easiest 5/5 stars I have given all year, I highly recommend The Witchwood Knot to fans of Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries.

I really liked the writing, the descriptive atmospheric setting and whimsical vibe. While I ended up not finishing, it had mostly to do with my reading slump and is not the fault of the book. I know if I read this another time I would've loved it, so I still gave it 4 stars.

Oh I love this book!

The Witchwood Knot follows Miss Winnie Hall, who becomes employed as a governess for a cursed manor. Winnie is a magician whose goal is to offer protection against the faeries and the curse on the manor. It is set in Victorian England and is a gothic story.

I have a soft spot for gothic books. I think they offer a great atmosphere, and this did not disappoint. It's dark and a bit spooky. The faeries in this book are tricksters and kind of evil. They're disturbing, and I really like that. It feels a lot more in line with the usual folklore, which isn't always reflected in many fae books we see today. I could very easily imagine the setting for this story. Olivia Atwater's writing was beautiful, and I felt like I was part of the story.

I adore the characters. Winnie is very strong and cunning, while still having weaknesses that are contributing to how she approaches conflict. It was so interesting to follow her. Mr Quincy was also a really interesting character. Even Winnie's young charge was great. Their lives are not easy, and you get to know them very well. I ended up feeling deeply for these characters.

There is a bit of romance. It's a slow burn, and it's definitely not the story's main focus. However, once we got those little moments of romance, my heart was captured. I had to highlight some quotes because they were so romantic, and I want to remember them.

I found some parts to be a bit slow, and I wanted just a bit more action. Some scenes I think could have been more suspenseful or tense. However, this was still a really great read, and I'm looking forward to reading more of Olivia Atwater's work.

4.5 stars. Well, I just finished this at 5 a.m. and haven’t been to sleep yet, if that gives an indication of how much I liked this one and couldn’t put it down. I loved Winnie’s steeliness and snark, the late-blooming romance, and Oliver the cat familiar. I’m especially excited that it looks like this book begins what will be a series-long narrative arc.

I recommend reading the Regency Faerie Tales series in its entirety before this one for maximum enjoyment.

The Witchwood Knot
Victorian Faerie Tales, Book 1
by Olivia Atwater

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Sci-fi and fantasy, General Fiction , Romance


What a fantastic FMC Winnie is, never mind touching deaths whiskers, she'd give them a good tug and give him a lecture at the same time. Is she scared – yes, of course, but it doesn't deter her from what she feels is the right thing to do.
Of course that plunges her deep into danger, in a scary manor, with some weird and not so weird characters, and a vulnerable young charge to look after. When, despite her best efforts, he's stolen away by the faeries she's determined to rescue him and needs all the help she can muster to get in – and out – of that dangerous realm safely
I loved the deceptiveness of this story, of working out who was in danger, who would, could help and what Winnie could do to help those caught up in the trap. Then of course who was and wasn't trustworthy, who were more than they seemed and what on earth poor Winnie could do without bringing others into even more danger. I so enjoy Fae stories where its not all romance and sweetness but where the fae are dark, difficult, dangerous and mortals need to tread very very carefully.

Stars: Four, another fun read, very different to the usual Fae stories.

ARC supplied by netgalley and publishers

Unfortunately this didn’t work for me, I kept trying to power through but the story took much too long to unfold with so much time spent on explaining the details of absolutely every crevice, hall, door, and aspect of the house, that I found it hard to stay focused on Winnie.

Gothic fantasy with Atwater's brand of whimsy. I enjoyed alot of this. Would highly recommend as a spooky mood read. I did have some issues with pacing and world building. It got a bit confusing but Atwater's characters and quirky writing kept me engaged anyways.
Thank you to netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Read this if you were ever attracted to the Rat King in the Nutcracker. I’m in my Dark and Twisty Era and this was ohhh sooo good. Faeries, magic, shadow daddy, gothic mansion. This aptly named story *feels* and reads like the unraveling of a tangled knot. Every detail is exquisitely crafted. Impeccable storytelling and a delightful read.
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Publication date: November 28, 2023

This is my first book by author Olivia Atwater. The book is promoted as a dark fairytale and while it is fairytale-ish, I’m not sure I would categorize it as dark.

Winifred Hall is invited to an English village to be the governess for a young spoiled lord of the manor. But it’s his grandmother that has summoned her and the role of governess is a cover for her dark magician magic.

Dark fairy magic is running through Witchwood manor and Winnie needs to figure out how to get to fairy to right a few wrongs. Her first evening at the manor she wakes to an alternate version of the house called the Witchwood Knot, where the fairies and magic run free. Each evening while she should be sleeping Winnie ventures to the knot in search of answers.

When the young Lord Robert goes missing, Winnie must go deeper into the Witchwood Knot to uncover the secrets needed to defeat the powerful magic that has the young Lord trapped.

I liked this story but didn’t love it. There was potential for it to be great but I felt the magic and fairy details could have been better explained. I did enjoy the writing though so would be interested in another book by this author. This is a 3 star read for me.

#NetGalley #oliviaatwater #thewitchwoodknot

The Witchwood Knot is a historical fantasy novel set in Victorian England. Winifred Hall is hired as the governess of a young boy who is heir to Witchwood Manor. Upon arriving, she realizes that the manor is infested with Fae, who torment the human inhabitants. She also realizes that her charge was stolen by the Fae and replaced with a changeling. To get him back, Winnie has to solve what is truly going on in Witchwood Manor.

How fun of a premise is that?? I read this book during spooky season because I thought the vibes would not disappoint. They certainly did not! Gothic mansions, magic, curses. Yes, yes, and yes. I liked Winnie as a main character and enjoyed her putting the pieces together to solve what was really happening at Witchwood Manor. The Fae in this world are much darker than I think we usually see, which I really enjoyed. I thought we were really going to see strong, dark Fae villains. Aaaannndddd then the romance starts.

I think I would have liked this book more if it stopped before the romance. I didn't understand it at all. I guess I'm just not into love interests with tails (to my boyfriend's relief), or really rude non-humans as well (also to my boyfriend's relief). That part of the story didn't work for me.

Overall, I had a good time reading this book and recommend it if you're looking for a gothic fantasy read. I'm knocking it down a couple of stars for the romance and the tail, so 3.55 stars from me rounded up to 4. Thank you to Starwatch Press and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, my thoughts are my own!

Thank you Netgalley and Starwatch Press for allowing me to read a digital ARC of The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater in exchange for my honesty review.

Cardan walked so Mr. Quincy could run.

But seriously, if you have any issue with rat rails then this book might not be for you. Luckily, I could and did enjoy this release by Atwater very much! At first I was unsure about the romantic aspect of the book (i wasn't sure it was going to happen at all) but by the end of it I was very happy with how the relationship between Winnie and Quincy progressed. I liked seeing two people take back their autonomy and go after what they truly want.

I don't think it leaned into the gothic themes enough for me, but that didn't take away anything from the book for me. I enjoyed it enough to finish it within 24 hours of starting it and will definitely be keeping my eye out for future sequels.

The world-building was good, a bit confusing, but I caught up to speed quickly. I loved our FMC and thought the romance was done well. The heavy topics were done seamlessly.
I am looking forward to reading more by this author!

I have loved the Regency Faerie Tales series by Olivia Atwater, I read all of them in preparation for this!

I am so glad she did a gothic version of this!!! Totally my favorite out of them all!

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up adoring this book. It was twisty and fun and magical with fae and a spooky house. I will note that I think going in having read her Half a Soul series will better enrich the experience

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I absolutely loved everything about this book, absolutely everything.

We meet Winnie, who has arrived at Witchwood Manor where she has been hired as a governess for the Lord's young (and spoiled) son Robert, it turns out that not only is Winnie not a governess, the manor is also haunted! Winnie was actually hired as a protector for Robert in the form of a magician to protect him from all kinds of fae folk. Along the way we meet Mr. Quincy (the not-butler with red eyes), a cook who knows her way around the house and a housemaid who only steps foot inside to work and returns home every single night, refusing to sleep in the manor. Low and behold Robert is kidnapped by the faeries and Winnie must do all she can to get him back.

This is a gothic fantasy (with a small, tiny bit of romance) set in Victorian England, but with a twist, with a whole mix of faeries, magicians, familiars, and necromancers. Atwater's description of her characters, her settings and her attention is detail is phenomenal, the amount of research that went into the book is mindblowing, and I am absolutely here for it, it absolutely paid off!

We get a wonderfully strong FMC who takes absolutely no sh*t which I love to see and characters the blend so nicely together, you are rooting for them from the very start, even if you don't like them! Woven in between chapters are 'real-life' faerie stories which were a lovely addition, it really brings the story to life. Also a special mention to her kitty familiar Oliver, this really tugged on me with three cats of my own, I love him.

I cannot wait for the next book in the series (!) and I can't believe this is the first book I've read by Atwater, when she has a whole host of them, I can't wait to delve further into her worlds!

This was a standout of the year from me, if I could rate it higher I would.

What to expect:
• enemies to lovers
• gothic fantasy
• strong FMC
• haunted mansion
• magic + faeries
• bloodline curses