I'm pleasently surprised by this fall read. It served a refreshing (dark) setting and use of language with interesting and diverse characters - both human and mythological. While it did touch on very heavy topics, such as domestic violence, I would have preferred a deeper dive into the emotional world of our protagonists - though I expect it might be represented in further installments of this series. The mystery aspect interwoven with the magical aspects of the book was great and I especially appreciated that our protagonist's abilities weren't overpowered like they often are in fantasy books.
I highly recommend giving this book a chance if you want a dark, witchy book with fall vibes.

If you enjoy dark fantasy then this one could be for you. I enjoyed this story to no end. I do wish that it would have been just a tad deeper but overall I could not put it down. The characters were wonderfully done and I could not stop reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for permitting this book to be a Read Now to help members develop their Feedback Ratio in exchange for an honest review.



Review Summary:
This is a paranormal horror-thriller, with a dash of romantasy. The story is set in the fictional town of Ames inspired by the Appalachian region. We follow sisters Jewel and Leona, who are witches known as ‘Granny Women’. Although they are sisters, they couldn’t be more different. Leona is the warm, kind-hearted diner waitress in an unhappy, abusive marriage that all the men are in love with. While Jewel is the larger-than-life, flirtatious and bored housewife who all the men are in lust with. Both sisters are under the watchful eye of Granny Kay, a powerful and experienced Granny Woman who took them under their wing as children to guide them in their powers. Leona has a special power - she can see the dead. And one particular ghost has stuck around. His name is Cale, and is Leona’s best friend and confidant. Jewel can hear him, but cannot see him. Jewel and Leona secretly become involved in a missing person mystery, under the nose of the local constable, which before long escalates to a serial murder investigation. The sisters discover dark, powerful magic at play. And the brunt of it is aimed at Leona. The arrival of two charismatic, mysterious visitors raise the sister’s suspicions and the pair must work together, with the help of Cale and Granny Kay, to destroy the evil threatening to overwhelm Ames.

Positives are that I thought the story was excellent. Intriguing, engaging and exciting. The gothic/horror aspects were written very well, creating vivid imagery and atmosphere. The romance elements evoked genuine emotion of longing, angst and sadness. The action sequences were enthralling. The dialogue was for the most part very natural and organic and lacking exposition. Flashbacks were used as a good narrative tool.

Negatives are that the lore and world-building potentially needed more development and context. There were some inconsistencies. Some of the supporting characters needed more development to make them more interesting and to create more emotional investment for the reader.


4 stars. Nice prose, interesting story and intriguing main characters. It appears that the book is being turned into a series, and I hope they won’t be written as standalone and will be used to develop the supporting characters and the world the author has built. I’m genuinely surprised by some of the lower ratings of this novel as I think the writer has excellent potential. It was an easy read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

FULL REVIEW BELOW. AVAILABLE WITH THE ADDITION OF HIDDEN SPOILERS ON GOODREADS



World-building:


The history of the Granny Women and the other paranormal creatures was a little bit unclear, as was their existence in society. There seemed to be occasional implications that regular humans were aware of them but then at other times it all seemed to be secretive. It would have been nice to have learnt about the first Granny Women, or theories as to how they have the powers they do. The same for the other creatures we came across. The spells and the magic we were shown were really interesting, such as the brewing of potions, creation of hexes and location spells. The lore surrounding Cale, and as a consequence the other ghosts, was a little bit confusing or inconsistent at times namely regarding his own use of paranormal abilities and the effect it had on his apparition. Any time he seemed able to interact with the physical human world the lore started to become muddy. The ghosts of the murdered victims were genuinely terrifying. I also think the author did an excellent job at conjuring the rural American environment. I’m not American myself so I’m not familiar with a lot of its history or the culture of the different regions, but the ‘everybody-knows-everybody’ sense of smallness/isolation in the village was captured well. The dialects, the idioms, the treatment of women and especially the intense religious overtones gave an idea of the region and older time period we were in. It felt like the author had a genuine knowledge or experience of life in this region which inspired the writing.

Characterisation:



Leona and Jewel were contrasted really well. Leona is a devout pacifist, obsessed with using her magic exclusively for good and feeling anxious and afraid of her own abilities, especially the mysterious ‘bad voice’ that speaks to her when she conjures her magic. She is unassuming, reserved, pragmatic and the typical ‘girl next door’. She is married to her bolshy drunkard of a husband, Bob with whom he has a daughter Peggy. On the other hand her sister Jewel has no reservations of her powers, using them regularly to drug her husband to then float around the town flirting with every man she sees. She is blunt and hot-headed. Basically Curly’s wife in Of Mice and Men with her bright red lipstick and tight dresses. I really liked how they were both shown to be deeply insecure, but in opposing ways. Jewel would brag and demean Leona about any ability she was better at, but none of that was enough to stop her being jealous about Leona’s powers with the dead. Whereas Leona was in many ways afraid of her own powers and abilities, holding them back where she could lest the ‘bad voice’ persuade her to let loose. Leona was quite frustrating and contradictory at times, when she would avoid doing the obviously smart choice because she didn’t want to kill or cause harm… but then avoiding that choice often increased the risk of harm coming to her loved ones? She seemed to struggle with the bigger picture whereas Jewel was always thinking of the greater good, even if she tried to come across as ruthless and heartless. The bickering and banter between Jewel and Leona was great, very sister-like. Granny Kay could have been a great character, but we didn’t really get to see much of her own personality other than being their matriarchal teacher. She only really gave warnings and advice. Cale was a little bit of a missed opportunity as well. All we really saw of him was his dedication to Leona. He would appear, give whatever advice kept Leona the safest or help her out, then be off. It would have been nice to see his sense of humour, his interests, his beliefs and values. Even the supporting characters Leona served at the diner had a bit more personality. The most pointless character in the whole book was Leona’s daughter, Peggy. Half the time Leona seemed to forget she even existed. I don’t even remember hearing her speak really, all I ever seemed to hear about her was that she’d been given to Isa Mae (the girls’ sister and Peggy’s aunt) to be looked after. She only seems to exist to give justification to Leona staying with her horrid husband Bob, but their relationship was so sparse it seemed like a pretty poor motive. Speaking of motive, the villains motives seemed to be lacking too. They just seemed to be being evil for the sake of being evil - the same could be said about Leona’ husband Bob. We discover why the murders are happening, but not why they are happening in such a brutal and horrific way.

Story:


Forbidden love, ‘whodunnit’, lots of witchy goings-on. Plenty of paranormal and mythological creatures. Magical action scenes and infiltration tropes.

Prose:

Only two issues really. Describing a penis as a ‘carrot’ is just dumb. Old-timey dialogue or not, nobody called it that. The other is during the main action scene later on the word ‘rage’ was repeated one too many times. It was almost like the adrenaline the author was feeling writing the scene made the vocabulary narrow down somewhat. Other than that? Loved it.

I was quite excited to read this book, however I fear it fell into the hole of oversaturation. A small town murder mystery set in an ambiguous time period, we follow sisters Jewel & Leona as they take it upon themselves to solve the case (because naturally, the police aren't equipped to solve it).

But wait! Mysterious men enter the small town and to our shock and awe they have magical powers! With the help of a ghost mentor, the sisters must figure out how to defeat the evil encroaching on their town.

I feel like I've heard this story time and time again, unfortunately this spin on it missed the mark for me.

Book Review: Root and Bone by Jessica Raney

Rating: 3.5 Stars

As someone who loves a good "witchy" book, I was thrilled to dive into Root and Bone by Jessica Raney. The moment I saw the gorgeous cover, I was hooked—not just by the imagery but also by the promise of a tale woven with magic and mystery.

The story centers around Leona Monroe and her sister, Jewel Spencer, who reside in the quaint Appalachian town of Ames. At first glance, Ames seems like the kind of place where nothing ever happens, but as we delve deeper into the narrative, we find that appearances can be deceiving. The Spencer sisters hail from a long line of Granny Women—remarkable women with the ability to heal, harness magic, and commune with the dead. When a brutal murder rocks their sleepy town, it becomes clear that the local law enforcement is way out of their depth. This leads Leona and Jewel on an intense journey to uncover the truth behind the chaos that has abruptly disrupted their lives.

What I enjoyed most about this book was the atmosphere Raney created. The blend of witches and and other creatures intertwined with small-town dynamics made for a captivating read. The fast pace kept me turning pages, eager to see what would happen next. This book is rich in dialogue. As I read, I could easily hear the regional accents. What I really loved about this book was the characters. The bond between the sisters felt genuine and reminded me of the relationship I have with my own sister! I also found Cale to be quite intriguing. I hope we will be seeing more of him (fingers crossed).

That said, I did have a few issues. While I enjoyed the main characters, I felt they could have used a bit more fleshing out. Their motivations and backgrounds could have been explored further to make their journey even more compelling. Additionally, I found myself yearning for a richer world-building experience; the magic and lore surrounding the Granny Women were intriguing, yet I wanted to dive even deeper into that fascinating universe.

Despite these minor critiques, my overall enjoyment of Root and Bone remains high. The story's charm and suspense outweighed its shortcomings, and I am genuinely looking forward to what Jessica Raney has in store for us in future installments. If you're in the mood for a captivating tale filled with magic, dark secrets, and sisterly bonds battling against evil forces, then this book is definitely worth picking up!

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

To be honest it was the cover that piqued my interest but I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this one! However I really did. It had all the makings of a good book on a dark rainy night . It was a bit magical a bit creepy and a bit backwoods myth. I loved it and hope it becomes a series.. or at best a trilogy cause I would like more.

Appalachian, magic, murder. I loved this book! Sisters Jewel and Lenora need to band together and utilize their magic in order to save the sleepy town they grew up in from evil.

3/5 stars
CW: domestic violence, abusive men, (off page) sexual violence, murder/blood

Overall, this story offers an interesting small-town murder mystery but with witchy vibes, strong willed and brave women and relateable family dynamics. The story is dialogue heavy and I appreciate the way that Raney used dialect and word choice to really add locational ambience to the story. Leona and Jewel are complex main characters, with the story told from the perspective of Leona. The plot moves forward at a good pace, with lots of folkloric horror vibes.

That said, it feels like something is missing from this book. While we are given a location in the midwest, with small town vibes, we are never given a specific time period for when this might be taking place. While not central to the plot, this kind of world building would help frame more about how and why both the main and secondary characters act certain ways. The magic used by the witches is presented as pretty straight forward, but it is unclear if and how other characters interact with that magic. It seems like the average townfolk both know that the main characters practice magic, but also don't understand that they do. The MCs also use magic all the time and are very bad at hiding it, so its really unclear. I also felt like some of the interactions with side characters (Leona's relationship with her husband and her daughter) feels thrown in just to give extra character flavor with no real purpose. These characters also just conveniently disappear from the story when necessary (like Leona goes days without really talking about where her daughter is?). I also found the subplot with Cale to be both confusing, disappointing and somehwat unnecessary. I didn't realize until after reading that this may be the first in a series, which could explain some of these potential question marks.

A book about witches, yes, please! This book was so enjoyable, it was difficult to put down.

Thanks to the publisher Cursed Dragon Ship Publishing, LLC | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles and Netgalley for this ARC.

A warm and exciting tale of magic and sisterhood. Leona and Jewel are sisters who discover their magical trait of connecting to the dead. Without spoiling too much, it is a riveting Appalachian story that builds character, story and setting through great detail. I have already started to recommend it out for the autumn reading weather, as it has a little ‘Practical Magic’ feel to it.

This book is like a mash-up of Nancy Drew and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, set in a post WWII small town. It follows Leona and Jewel, two sisters who are witches. Leona and Jewel confront prejudice and fear from those who misunderstand their abilities as they help the town in crisis. Despite the challenges they face in their daily lives, the sisters are good at navigating both the mundane and supernatural.

When a local girl vanishes without a trace, the town's sheriff turns to the sistsers for help, knowing of their unique abilities. As the sisters delve deeper into the investigation, they uncover dark secretsistersg beneath the town's quaint facade, unleashing chaos and turmoil.

While the plot is interesting, the pacing falters, with some elements feeling rushed or underdeveloped. In particular, the world-building needs more depth and exploration, providing greater context for the supernatural beings. Additionally, character development feels somewhat surface level, with secondary figures lacking depth and complexity. There is also the issue of abuse and the sisters reactions to it that I found confusing.

Despite its problems, the novel has an enchanting blend of witchcraft and mystery. I found myself drawn to the sisters and wanting another book. Hopefully a bit more fleshed out though.

Root and Bone is a really enjoyable, spooky story full of interesting magic and Appalachian culture that I love. It's a little dialog heavy for my tastes, and I wanted some more detailed history of the characters (and a little extra worldbuilding maybe), but the story itself is fantastic. I really love Jessica Raney's use of local sayings and phrases, it really drove home the Appalachian atmosphere of the book. And the cover is gorgeous, of course!! It's great for fans of fast-paced, spooky fantasy with unique magic and strong characters.

Set against the backdrop of a rural Appalachian village, 'Root and Bone' immerses readers in a character-driven dark fantasy teeming with paranormal creatures, horror, supernatural mystery, and plenty of magic.

The plot is filled with perilous challenges and mystical events that keep the reader guessing. The lore of the setting is intriguing, and it would be wonderful to see how this is expanded upon in future installments.

This fast-paced, engaging novel employs a dialogue-heavy style, characterized by colloquial phrasing that imparts an informal and accessible tone.

The story follows sisters Leona and Jewel, two very different witches who, despite their opposing personalities, form a formidable magical team. This relationship is a core strength of the book; their complementary skills and contrasting traits create a dynamic, if often challenging, partnership. Granny Kay’s earthy presence adds wisdom and grounding to their journey.

The emotional undercurrent of the romantic storyline has its touching moments, and any spice is minimal. This book contains some truly dark imagery, both in and out of a supernatural context, which some readers may find triggering including violence, prostitution, and domestic abuse.

Though this novel could benefit from more detailed world-building and a deeper exploration of the already intriguing characters, 'Root and Bone' is an enjoyable read for fans of dark fantasy, horror, and supernatural mystery. Overall, a compelling plot and dynamic characters make it a worthwhile experience.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley, for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was set up to be everything that I should enjoy, that's why I requested it.
This book started out good, and I was really interested. But I am dnfing it at about 40% in, As it seems like the same stuff keeps happening. And now it's just starting to feel long and drawn out

The cover of this book is beautiful and I can just imagine all the special editions and sprayed edges that could be done with this design! I enjoyed this book but to me it felt like it was missing something, it needed something more.

Rating 3.5 ⭐️

This book follows two sisters that come from a long line of Witches, and when women start turning up murdered in their small town they decide to put their powers to use in solving this mystery since the local law enforcement isn't getting anywhere.

I did enjoy this book it was a fun witchy read, and the vibes and atmosphere were there...however I felt like the side characters and the world could have used more. That aspect of the book felt kinda hollow in my opinion.

Still a great read! Especially for spooky season if you enjoy witchy books, and the main characters are done very well! Their witty banter was one of my favorite parts of the book!

HUGE THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND THE PUBLISHER for the advanced reader copy (e-arc) in exchange for my honest review 🥰

I received this book for free. This does not impact my review in any shape or form.

Root and Bone, by Jessica Raney, is a paranormal woman’s fiction about two sisters trying to stop a serial killer from targeting the innocent. Leona Monroe is a witch who is approached by the local sheriff to investigate the disappearance of a young woman named Mary. After enlisting the help of her sister, Jewel Spencer, the two witches uncover a series of horrific murders that expose the prejudices hiding in plain sight.

I like how Raney describes Leona and Jewel's relationship. Leona reminds me more of a “traditional” woman, someone who would gladly sacrifice her own happiness for the sake of others. And it definitely shows with the townsfolk: there’s Bob, a husband whom she tries to please but can’t, Dorval, a ghoul who relies on her for sustenance, and Cale, a ghost that she fell in love with but can never have. Jewel, on the other hand, takes what she pleases; she’s impulsive, and would probably rather set herself on fire than listen to a man. What unites them is Granny Kay who, despite her tough demeanor, tries to instill into the sisters a sense of love and devotion to one another and the craft. I would imagine that while neither sister approves of each other’s lives, I’m happy they support each other however they can, no matter the insults they trade. 

This contrasts with people like Levi and Joshua who, though they try to care for each other, frame love in the way of control. They want complete and utter dominance from their community, calling women who challenge them abominations, whores, and misfits. It’s the same pride that allowed them to kill women like Mary and Karla, the arrogance that pushes them to consume but never give back. They remind me of a warning someone once gave the modern churches in America; if a church doesn’t have a community garden, classes, or a pantry (food, clothes, or otherwise), they’re stealing from the community. The werewolves aren’t much better if the sex trafficking isn’t anything to go by. Unfortunately, their attitudes also remind me of Jewel and, to an extent Leona, especially if they allow their egotism to run rampant.

Side note: I grew up in the Twilight era. Every girl (and a couple guys) I knew, whether they read the books or not, were tearing each other apart; Team Edward vs. Team Jacob. Even after Twilight and the whole Fifty Shades of Grey debacle, vampires and werewolves were still "innovative" love interests (aristocratic vs. animalistic, wildly possessive either way). It was funny how undesirable Raney portrayed these loveable, terrifying monsters.

I do wish the story was more fleshed out; Mary’s murder would’ve been a terrifying mystery in and of itself. I also would’ve liked to read more about Bob and Peggy; I felt the subplot would’ve incorporated elements of the Southern Gothic genre in a way that could've complimented the story. I felt that Joshua and Levi could’ve had more of an impactful introduction as well; when I first read about them, it seemed they were just thrown in there into the supernatural mix. In essence, there was just a lot of potential that wasn’t explored.

Nonetheless, I liked the book. It was a good plot, even if there were a lot of unexplored turns. As such, I would give it a 3 out of 5 stars.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! The atmosphere of witches and dark creatures in the small town was really captivating. While the character backgrounds felt a bit vague and the world-building could have been stronger, it didn't take away from my enjoyment. Jewel was definitely my favorite character—strong, unafraid to get her hands dirty, and fiercely protective of her loved ones. Her relationship with Leona was also a highlight for me. The story did speed up towards the end, and some events felt a bit rushed and unexplained. I also didn't fully understand the motives behind the killings and found some of Leona's decisions puzzling. The book leaned more towards mystery and paranormal vibes than horror. Overall, if you're looking for an easy read with a cozy feel and an intriguing supernatural murder mystery, I'd definitely recommend giving this a try.

I was really excited to read this book but unfortunately it really just didn't hit the mark for me. I found I didn't really connect with the main character and got a little lost in the setting.

Root and Bone by Jessica Raney is a paranormal mystery set in a sleepy Appalachian town which means I was predestined to fall in love with it.
What I loved
- Well done mystery plot
-character development and story arc are tightly woven together
-excellently handled dialogue

Honestly, my only gripe is that it felt like there is so much more to be explored here with these characters. I hope the author intends to write a sequel.