This was an absolute hit for me and a surprising one too! Sadly this was my first book that i have read by Olivia Atwater and it will not be the last. I LOVED it from when we arrived at the haunted mansion. Yes I said haunted mansion set in Victorian times, I cant think of a better setting. I was engaged from the very beginning and didn't find myself getting bored at all. This book is set in the same world as Atwater's other series but can be read as a standalone, I felt sad as I new I was nearing the end so I'm going to read the Regency Faerie Tales next!

Thank you Netgalley for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Starwatch Press for providing me with an ARC of The Witchwood Knot.

Faeries, magic, a big spooky house? Yes, please. Winifred Hall must keep the heir to Witchwood Manor safe from otherworldly dangers. Dangers that his father won't admit exist. His grandmother's health is fading adding another layer of complication. Joining the mix is Mr. Quincy, a faerie that claims he is the butler of the manor.

I loved this book so much and will be heading to my local book store to see what they have of Atwater's for sale.

Victorian gothic faerie tale? Yes please! 🙋🏻‍♀️

I reveled in this story of Winne Hall, a dark magician who has been hired as a governess to protect a young charge in house enchanted by the Fae.

Olivia Atwater achieves world-building perfection in the Witchwood Knot. I delighted in the gothic forest and manor setting.

I loved that, even though there is a romance element to the story, the main focus is on Winifred solving the mystery of Witchwood manor and saving everyone she can from the Fae mistress of the Witchwood knot. I really looking forward to reading more about Winnie and her sisters.

I think I would have appreciated this book more had I read Olivia Atwater’s regency faerie books. I honestly didn’t have a clue what was happening half of the time. That being said, the vibes in this were stunning. It was gothic, Victorian, romantic, creepy, spooky. The perfect November read tbh! I’ll definitely be reading the regency faerie tales after this as if they’re anything like this book then I’ll enjoy them a lot!

Book Review 📚
The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater - 4.5/5 ⭐

Yes, I made a booboo again! Not knowing this was combined with another book. But, thankfully, it can be read as a standalone. There's some crossovers but you won't be confused when reading.

Now, after I read The Witchwood Knot I then had to go and read The Regency Faerie Tales (yes, all of them) because I was utterly obsessed with the writing from Atwater. She is my kind of writer, for sure.

I couldn't get over how good this actually was for a victorian Gothic fantasy with some romance thrown in as well! Although Witchwood is much darker then the Regency Tales, but that for me is a huge win. I love a bit of dark and dangerous, and this book does exactly that.

Atwater has an incredible skill in her writing, she handles the description of Victorian era perfectly. She clearly done her research. I was obsessed with the characters (probably the Fae more then anything) but the developer was incredible.

Thank you to NetGalley and Starwatch Press for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

4/5✨


I have to start my review saying that I reviewed an advanced audiobook copy through NetGalley.

“The faeries of Witchwood Manor have stolen its young lord. His governess intends to steal him back.”

“Victorian governess Winifred Hall knows a con when she sees one. When her bratty young charge transforms overnight into a perfectly behaved block of wood, she soon realises that the real boy has been abducted by the Fair Folk. Unfortunately, the lord of Witchwood Manor is the only man in England who doesn't believe in faeries-which leaves Winnie in the unenviable position of rescuing the young lord-to-be all by herself.”

“Witchwood Manor is bigger than its inhabitants realise, however, and full of otherworldly dangers. As Winnie delves deeper into the other side of the house, she enlists the aid of its dark and dubious faerie butler, Mr Quincy, who hides several awful secrets behind his charming smile. Winnie hopes to make her way to the centre of the Witchwood Knot through wit and cleverness... but when all of her usual tricks fail, who will she dare to trust?”

This book was incredible! It had me hooked from the first page, I did not want to put it down. For lovers of cruel prince, this one is for you.

This is such a great gothic fairytale romance. While it's not my favourite of the genre or my favourite from Olivia Atwater, I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

The romance in this was so fun, I just really love a good slow burn. The only thing that somewhat irked me about the romance was a part of the main love interest (if I blocked something out about him it was fine).

I was a bit confused when the blurb happened within the first few pages of the book, but then it made sense later on.

The gothic manor is such a fun setting and I loved that we could to explore it so deeply.

Winnie is a strong character, with so much depth and it was so interesting exploring her and her backstory and finding how she and this book connects into 'Half a Soul'.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me this opportunity!

This was the first book i’ve read from this author so i didn’t realise this was the same world as her other book called Half a Soul. But i was able to enjoy and understand the world quite well. This cover was what pulled me in. Isn’t it stunning? And it did not disappoint. It was a victorian gothic fantasy with a lil romance and no spice. So know that before getting into it.
If this sounds interesting to you definitely check it out!

Genre: historical fantasy, gothic fairy tale
England, Victorian era

Winifred Hall has been many things. Right now, she’s a governess. She’s taken a new role at Witchwood Manor, and while she’s never been particularly fond of children, her aristocratic pre-teen charge is brattier than most. She’s been warned against the house, and warned away from certain rooms. Even the master of the house won’t sleep within its walls. Winnie is familiar with the fae, though, and can sense the magic surrounding the house. She isn’t surprised when she slips into the alternate world of the Witchwood Knot as she drifts to sleep. It’s clear that there’s a curse, but she’ll need to figure out her own role in breaking it.

Moody and atmospheric. I've been in the mood for gothic stories this fall, and Witchwood Knot really fit the bill. The haunted house with an alternate plane of reality (rather than thriller-haunted) blends with the Victorian era to settle a thick air of magic throughout the pages.

At its soul, the book is a gothic faerie tale with the powerful - either human or faerie aristocracy - hanging on to the shreds of power in the face of a changing world. As a narrative, it’s the story of a woman who has taken on a difficult task, and is often in over her head but uses determination and wit to resolve matters. Winnie is a mature and self-aware heroine to traverse the two worlds of Witchwood Manor and Witchwood Knot, carving her own path and facing her fears alongside her trusty sometimes-dead feline companion Oliver.

I loved every moment of Witchwood Knot. The prose is beautiful, the conflicts with the fae are as mature as the heroine, and yet there’s enough whimsy amidst its pages to laugh and find moments of a levity to keep the book firmly inside the fantasy realm and outside of horror.

Thank you to Starwatch Press and NetGalley for an eARC for review. WitchwoodKnot is out 11/28.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of The Witchwood Knot. This first installment of the Victorian Faerie Tales series did not disappoint! My Olivia Atwater journey started last winter when I read Half a Soul and loved it! In preparation for reading this ARC I finished the Regency Faerie Tales series and plan on reading the novellas next. That being said, I think it is helpful to have read the entirety of the Regency Faerie Tales or else certain points may be confusing.
What I liked about this book was the romance and the atmosphere. This series seems like it might be a bit darker than the previous one, and I don’t mind that. The main character, Winnie, is a bit of a mystery at the beginning of the book. I liked how the characters’ backstories were written as fairy tales interspersed between chapters. Having read the previous series, I also really like that we’re beginning to learn some Faerie history! I’m really excited to see what the rest of the series will be like. I will be reading the next installment.

I fell in love with Olivia’s Regency Faerie Tale series so I was incredibly excited to read the Witchwood Knot, a story set in the same world as Half a Soul. I was even more excited to find out it was set in the Victorian era which is one of my favourite periods to read about.

The Witchwood Knot is a gothic, fantasy romance with a much darker tone and themes in comparison to the Regency Faerie Tale series. Both series are connected so I highly recommend reading the prior before the Witchwood Knot.

Olivia is the queen of writing faerie stories. They have such a whimsical, delightful quality about them and never fail to satisfy.

The Witchwood Knot does have a slower pace but if you can stick with it it’s well worth it. The eerie setting sets the tone for the book and provided a gorgeous backdrop for the story to take place.

Filled with beautiful prose, clever plot lines and witty characters, the Witchwood Knot oozes with charm and will provide the escapism that fantasy readers long for.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of the Witchwood Knot to read and review.

thank you to netgalley for providing me with the arc!

this was cute! I was a big fan of the regency fairytales series that Atwater did. I felt like this new book (series?) was a really good change up in how the stories are presented. The Witchwood Knot was definitely a darker plot line and I liked that the love plot line was not the main focus out of all the plots. I liked the "gothic" element of the story and how the house was alive in some ways, it added an extra creepiness! I also enjoyed how previous storylines/characters from the regency series were tied into the new cast of characters in this book. Poor Winnie and her tragic backstory. Mr. Quincy starting out as a morally grey villain was a really interesting plot device and I was really waiting for his scenes. Atwater is a great atmospheric writer and anytime a new book comes out I can't wait to see how she has set the time scene!

I received this as an ARC from netgalley.

Loved it! I’ve read the Regency Faerie Tales series and thoroughly enjoyed it, so was excited to get this. It did not disappoint - Atwater writes a great swoon-worthy, slow burn romance that has you parsing through banter and accidental hand touches. The Witchwood Knot is no exception! Might be one of my favourite romances between her characters; they knew where they stood with each other, made cunning moves and avoided the miscommunication trope (bless). And that piano scene…had me kicking my feet. The book’s non-romance plot was intriguing, but definitely looking forward to getting more information into that larger plot line in the next book.

I don’t know if it’s marketed that you need to read the Regency Faerie Tales first, but I would recommend at least picking up “Half a Soul” to get more details into magic system for the faeries and magician.

Overall, excited what I had hoped for!!

I have greatly enjoyed this author's dark and twisty tales of faerie, and this one might be my favorite so far. Winifred was a character after my own heart - hurt and abused in her youth, she has kept herself apart and distant to stay safe, only to find that her cleverness and magic can only take her so far, and she will have to make connections in order to achieve her aims. I will eagerly await the next tale in this series, and continue recommending it widely, especially to fans of the Emily Wilde series, who need more stories of wicked, complicated fae.

Ehhhh this one really wasn’t for me. I just couldn’t get into the prose or the story as a whole. The plot itself felt very slow and it took me a lot longer to get through this book than expected.

I haven’t read anything else by this author, so it is possible that her style just isn’t one I can read well and relate to. Unfortunately for me, this was definitely not a home run.

I've really enjoyed Olivia Atwater's work in the past so had high expectations for this one. Unfortunately it didn't resonate with me as I had hoped. As I've only read one of the Regency Faerie Tales and am unfamiliar with all the characters of that series, I was confused when people were referenced and felt like I was missing something important for a large percentage of the book. Even though The Witchwood Knot is the beginning of the Victorian Faerie Tales, I'm not sure new readers will be able to fully immerse themselves into the world and its characters without first reading the prior series (and this world is worth immersing yourself in!). However, readers with more knowledge of this rich world, will find this book more enjoyable.

The Witchwood Knot is the latest of Olivia Atwater's historical fantasy books, though set in Victorian England rather than Regency. Many characters and events from those books are referenced in this, so I am not sure if it is the best starting point. This book had many of same strengths and weaknesses as the previous books, so if you like those you will probably enjoy this, and vice versa.

The story follows Winnie Hall, a magician taking a job as a governess in order to investigate a cursed manor at the behest of the manor's lady, while keeping her grandson safe from harm. It has a gothic atmosphere inspired by Wuthering Heights and the like, but I didn't find it particularly dark, just less lighthearted than Atwater's other books. The writing was as clear and easy to read as usual, and the book was short and clipped along at a good pace.

I liked the protagonist, Winnie, for her cunning and common sense. She has no trouble defending herself or dealing with dangerous situations, which was nice, but she was also kind of too competent and hard to frighten. I think it would have helped to sell the dark and eerie mood if she had reacted less casually to some things. Of the rest of the characters, the undead cat familiar was my favourite. The villain was easy to pick out immediately (partly a consequence of how few characters there were, but it didn't help that Winnie instantly disliked him) and the love interest, Mr Quincy, was just okay. I was not fully convinced by the romance. I think we needed more page time between him and Winnie for their feelings to be believable, given how their relationship starts.

Overall I did enjoy this and recommend it, and I will continue reading books in this series.

Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

My favorite book yet from Olivia Atwater! Congratulations to Ms. Atwater as she has now officially become an auto-buy author for me. I seriously cannot get enough of her books!

I would describe this story as Sherlock Holmes meets An Enchantment of Ravens. It has all the Victorian posh, mystery, and the delightful cruelty of faerie kind. While I do love all faerie stories, whether they be gentle or tricksy, I do enjoy the darker faerie tales the most. Faeries that will outsmart you at every turn, the ones you can't trust with your name, the courtly mannerisms and deadly secrets. This has all that and a smart FMC with a no-nonsense attitude and her own secrets.

Winifred Hall, or Winnie as we come to know her, accepts a governess position at the infamous Witchwood Manor. The Manor is said to be cursed and none of the servants, save for dear Cook, will even spend the night under its roof. At the behest of the heir's grandmother, Winnie is charged with the education (and (secretly the protection) of the young, spoiled heir. Winnie is not particularly fond of children, especially this one, nor does she care at all for his father, the Lord Longfell, but she has her own reasons for coming to the Manor. It isn't too long before the pompous boy is absconded away by the faeries, forcing Winnie to save him by whatever means she can, even if it means allying with the capricious Mr. Quincy.

I will say that the beginning of the book is slower, but the exploration of the characters and setting is well worth the payoff once things pick up. It's rare to find a book that is character and plot-driven, and I think this was done very well. The romance, while minimal, was paced nicely and I was very satisfied with the way their relationship developed, as well as their character arcs individually.

Now, while I do not think it is entirely necessary to read the author's previous works, I do recommend reading the Regency Faerie Tales series to have a better grasp of the overall world-building and some background knowledge, as I think it made this story much easier to understand, and it made it much more fun when little snippets of past characters were mentioned.

Thank you Starwatch Press and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Starwatch Press, Netgalley and the author Olivia Atwater for letting me read in exchange for my honest review of The Witchwood Knot.

First of all, I LOVE the cover 😍

And it started really good with the atmospheric vibe you get, but I think it could be more elements to really get that goth vibe cause I missed that. I didn't see too much of the gothic part unfortunately.
And the plot wasn't something that really stuck with me. I like the characters but I had high hopes for The Witchwood Knot and it didn't live up to it but it had potential to be a great story. I wanted even more of the Victorian gothic vibe through the book.

But the way the author write is really good. This is my first read from the author so I see a potential for me to read something else from her again.

This was not quite the right book for me but I can see it being a great one for other readers 😉

I rate it 3 ⭐.

This was a wonderful gothic fantasy with just a hint of romance.

First of all, the world building was fantastic. I immediately got immersed into the world the author created and I never felt confused about anything. There was also, thankfully, no painful info dumping. The world was created so naturally.

Winnie was an amazing main character. I loved how her character developed throughout the book. The small details that were given about her personality and history were amazing. She's such a strong character that I immediately started rooting for. (Her and Oliver the cat's relationship was amazing!).

Mr Quincy ended up being a much more in depth and relatable character that I initially anticipated and I grew to adore him! There's so much more I want to learn about him and his history. I would love a spin-off story about Cook and her time with Mr Quincy.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.