This story was dark & very atmospheric. Set in a mining town in Appalachia, we follow Bennie, who is freshly out of a relationship and lost her job. She finds a woman unconscious near a river and decides to get her some help. I won't say much more as to not spoil anything. This is definitely a slow burn and I enjoyed the journey. Thank you to NetGalley & Erewhon Books/Kensington Publishing for the ARC. This book publishes January 21, 2025.

This was a really interesting and immediately captivating southern gothic. I really loved motheater and the way she is characterized. The prose is also quite beautiful. I would have liked more conversation around the idea of being tied to the land, however. In a place like appalachia with its history of Indigenous expulsion and genocide, it felt strange for this to be left out of the conversation. How is it that motheater, a white witch descended from colonizers comes to have this connection with the land?

Full disclosure, was unable to finish Motheater before my download expired.
I was excited about this one - a queer Appalachian fantasy? As someone who grew up in Kentucky, it sounded right up my alley. Motheater started promisingly, with an interesting hook in Motheater and atmospheric prose. But I had some trouble connecting with the characters and story, leading to my slow reading pace. I am curious to finish this book once it is released.

I wanted to like this one so badly but it fell short for me and caused me to DNF it just before the download expired. On the one had, it does have a very quick start, is very atmospheric and gives homage to the area near/in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (one of my favorite places on Earth). However, the dual timeline set up was hard for me to keep up with because of the writing not grabbing me and pulling me in from the start. The one of our main characters obsession and crime board in her apartment through me off a bit as I was going into this expecting more of a fantasy novel and a little less crime/magical realism kind of thing which is completely on me! I will say the story did have potential so I would still recommend it to others if for no other reasons than the natural setting and the intriguing 'Motheater".

Motheater was not what I was expecting in the slightest. There's a lot I enjoyed about it and some things I didn't.

To start, I wouldn't have classed this as a fantasy. It reads as a lyrical literary fiction with hints of folk horror and fantasy. Which i appreciate. The prose was great, and as a sucker for religious folklore, I really enjoyed the mixing of Christian scripture with pagan witchery.

I loved the setting and the characters, both Bennie and Motheater were interesting, although all bits of Motheater POV were set in the past, it was enough to give us a good understanding of who she is. The Appalachian mountains were a perfect scenario for this tale, and the text was burst full of history about the area and its mining past.
A couple of things that didn't really tickle my fancy were for one, the sheer number of times the word "Motheater" was on the page. It was so many times it kind of lost its meaning. I don't know if this was on purpose, but if it was, I don't really understand why. Another thing that didn't flow as I expected was the romance aspect. While for Bennie, it all made sense as we had her POV set in the present, for Motheater to reciprocate her feelings felt a bit out of the blue, and it just didn't quite fit. A shame, really.

Lastly, I regret to say that the ending wasn't for me either. There was no satisfaction factor at all in it, no great climax on the setting that was put forward. The elements of female rage and the perpetual battle between capitalist progress and nature fell flat with a less than compelling ending.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable reading, and the prose was just the way I like, and I would recommend it to people who like a folk tale and badass women.

Thank you, NetGalley, for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really need to stop getting inspired to check out books on Bookstagram and Booktok because they usually don't work for me. I was expecting Appalachian environmental activism, anti-corporatism, a slower pace and hedge witch magic with with queer rural fantasy.

I did enjoy the dynamic between Bennie and Motheater; their pairing had some sweet moments, but don't expect a romance. The pacing was glacial, which I don't really see as a literary style- there wasn't much interiority or character development, or focus on relationships, which I usually expect from litfic.

I also found the time jumps between POVs confusing especially given ghosts and seances.

The magic system was also confusing to me and strangely Pentacostal-based, which I didn't care for. I also tend to prefer witches in covens with found family rather than grumpy witches who hide away in the woods and still expect to change hearts and minds. I did like the parallels between Bennie's and Motheater's quests to destroy the mining company. Though I felt the author was a little too in love with Motheater's name.

This didn't work for me but in general the prose was beautiful and if you're looking for a queer Appalachian buddy witch anti-capitalist drama this will be more the book for you than for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Ugh. I had to DNF this around 30%. I was intrigued by the synopsis but I guess I read it too fast because I didn't realize this is a white author writing a black FMC. I know there are two very strong sides to the argument of whether or not that is ok, and both schools of thought make good points. Personally, it is icky to me and I could not get past it. It just felt off. Judging by the other reviews, race relations take up a small part of the overall theme and message of the book (environmentalism and queer love at the forefront) which is even more reason that the author should have just stuck with writing what she knows. A black reader on Goodreads wrote the following, "Bennie's hair and her being Black in a small white town. As a Black woman in America, I could tell the author wasn’t Black from the jump. The half-assed social commentary about living in a predominantly white town, her interactions with the cops, and the weird mentions of her hair going from seemingly standard month-old braids to microbraids (in the span of a day or two, mind you) was a red flag. The kicker was when she called her microbraids (which felt so strange that she kept specifying them) a weave! I was completely floored. How is she gonna have a sew-in and microbraids at the same time???? LOL. The worst part was when she was taking out MICROBRAIDS in only an hour BY HERSELF. I wish I had that power. Don’t get me started on how she picked out and brushed her hair completely dry. Not a single drop of water in sight. The whole scene just pissed me off. Honestly felt more disrespectful than any of the other questionable commentary." which validated the feeling in my gut that I should stop reading. Out of respect for the author and her debut novel, I will not be posting this review publicly online. Thank you for the opportunity to read!

after a disasterous coal mining accident, Bennie with a heavy heart investigates when really was going on in the mines. She finds a mganificent stranger in the tunnels that is to believed to know the truth. All is uncertain with a witch from the Appalachia, but Bennie is determined to find the truth.

I will always appreciate a good Appalachian fantasy / horror but this felt too similar to the vibes of Andrew Joseph White in a way That just didn't seem to deliver. I got from it the vibes of anti-corporation in compound fracture but also the religious scripture of hell followed with us, although I felt too bogged down by the religious scripture tying into the witch vibes part and the pacing of it all really made it hard to slog through. I also wasn't really convinced by the relationship between Bennie and moth eater as it felt like Bennie more admired her for her powers than loved her. The story was all over the place and a lot of plot points were dropped in favor of more mundane boring plot points that were less plot and more just filler. The writing was beautiful but really hard to get into.

Thanks NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!

Well, that was truly something. I got hooked on this book from day one. You’re telling me there’s a queer book with the plot based in mysterious Appalachian mountains and there are a lot of moths?? I’ve got to get my hands on this one.

Bennie - a young black woman in the small Appalachian town is intent on finding out what’s going on with the local mines and countless people that lost their lives in there. She wasn’t ready for what she was to find out. Mysterious woman who’s out of this world and surely out of these times, familiar blue jay, old stories of pain, corruption and magic. Is she ready to fight something ancient, way stronger, than what she will ever be. Who will she become on this journey, and what loses is she willing to take?

From the first page, you can tell this book is unique, the language is mesmerizing and magical, which is maybe why I had so much trouble getting through this book. While I love the mysterious and enchanting vibe Motheater gives, the language in some parts was slowing down the general pace. Maybe it’s just my English that got a bit rusty, or maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for a book like that, but I couldn’t get myself lost in this story. I absolutely love the concept, but I'm slightly disappointed in the execution. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a spectacular take on magic, mystery and all of that intertwined with folklore vibes, but the characters just seem so bland. We have the Motheater (god save me from how many times her name was repeated on each page), who’s surely the star of the show. She has meticulously planned backstory, depth and, let’s be honest, she’s kinda hot. Come on, guys, she does magic and has snake tattoos. Bennie falls a little flat compared to her. All she does is cry about deaths in the mines and about how whipped she’s for Motheater. Ah, yeah, also her main personality trait is being annoyed with her ex-boyfriend.

Was it a bad book? Definitely no. Was I swooped from my feet by it? Unfortunately, also no. Maybe it just wasn’t something for me, but I still think this book is unique enough to give it a try.

Motheater by Linda H. Codega is a uniquely atmospheric read that immerses you in the dark heart of Appalachia. I believe that readers from the South, particularly those familiar with its mountains, will resonate most deeply with its themes. After reading various reviews, I was struck by how misunderstood this book seems to be. Having grown up in the South and spent significant time in the Appalachian region, I feel a personal connection to the story that those unfamiliar with the area may lack.

Codega beautifully captures the essence of small-town Appalachia, exploring generational trauma and the pervasive influence of biblical scripture. As someone who isn’t particularly religious, I usually shy away from scripture in literature, but here it felt integral to the narrative.

The dual perspectives and intertwining timelines added depth to the story, particularly in uncovering the origins of the curse that binds Motheater to the mountain. I was reminded of the podcast Old Gods of Appalachia, which also evokes similar themes of folklore and myth. Kire, as a Titan awakened after enduring centuries of torment from mining, offers a compelling angle for revenge that enriches the plot.

While the queer love story between Bennie and Motheater is a subtle thread within the narrative, it’s beautifully woven throughout. Some reviewers felt it was rushed, but I found the moments of connection—like waking up intertwined each morning—were delicately portrayed. The fact that witches aren’t typically defined by strict sexual orientations adds another layer of authenticity to their relationship.

If you’re searching for a witchy, dual-timeline narrative rooted in Appalachian culture that balances excitement with a slow burn, Motheater is the perfect choice. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC of this novel.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. The writing felt lengthy and repetitive, but at the same time, the story and characters kinda rushed – there was a lot of “reaction to” moments, which is not my favourite way to build a narrative. I did not click with characters and writing, which are two pretty important parts of a folk horror / fantasy book with a small, queer romance in it. Now, the other part of folk horror writing is the world building that relates to the characters’ environment, which I acknowledge the writer’s goal to create a nuanced story about environmental themes. I’m curious what the author is going to publish next, since I see the potential and knowledge about those topics.
This book was not for me, but I definitely want to read more queer Appalachian fantasy / folk horror books! (2,5 stars)

3*

I had high hopes for Motheater, and though I enjoyed the writing and the world building, I think the pacing was a little slow and the ending lacked the oomph I was expecting with the aspects of feminine rage and nature vs capitalism.

A folk horror fantasy set in the angry mountains of Appalachia!

The vibes:
folk witch
the wrath of nature
an angry mountain
folk magic
nature as power
moths, birds, snakes

You guys I really wanted to like this more. It started off so strong, I was all bought in and ready to go. I quickly lost interest. I think the right people will love this book. For me, by about 20% in, I was wanting to read something else. I did finish it, barely.

Why I almost didn't finish it:
I found all the characters unlikeable. I felt like this was at times derogatory to the people of the region. Super slow pacing relying on vibes rather than plot, you could retell this plot in one long paragraph. Confusing random scripture lines. Actually all the magic was confusing and not in a compelling quirky weird lit way. Completely shoehorned in queer romance that didn't need to be there and had nothing to do with the plot.

It's not a poorly written book, it just wasn't for me.

I think this book will work well for others looking for something slower-paced, but unfortunately it wasn’t for me. I love the new trend of Queer Appalachian fantasy, and was thrilled for another edition to the genre. However, I found I was struggling to pick this one back up each time; the plot feels very repetitive and stilted (there is a lot of Bennie reacting to something Motheater does, over and over again) and I didn’t like that all of Motheater’s character development was relegated to her past POV. A DNF at 50%

Haunting prose, and as an Appalachian reader I appreciated the richly drawn atmosphere and environmental themes. The story unfolds in a slow burn, and is a perfect read for a chilly October.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for providing me with an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review!

This book was wonderful, wild, whimsical, and queer, and I loved it. Though I didn’t always get the local dialect (since I’m not from the area), that language made the book feel even more authentic. Similarly, when I first started out reading the book, the ephemeral nature of the magic system kind of frustrated me— I’m much more used to a clearly defined magic system. But the more I read, that more I realized that the magic not having concrete rules was kind of the point. It was supposed to be to big and wild for the average person to comprehend— the world is older and more vast than we were ever meant to comprehend, and that’s how Motheater’s magic functions.

I love a book with a rich dark folkloric atmosphere and this did not disappoint! I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, but it did not disappoint!

Thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of Motheater in exchange for review.

4 stars

This book is incredibly hard to describe… I loved the setting, the story, and the writing. It was magical and mysterious while still being relatable to every day life.
Our FMC Bennie is so likable and realistic. I would 100% be interested and curious about a girl I found facedown in a river that was still alive and also had some… special… abilities… but also no memory?

And personally I LOVE a feral little witch girl especially one in tune with the forest and earth as a whole.

As interested as I was to continue each day and see where the story would lead me, it also did tend to drag for some reason. I think partially because it starts so fast paced and exciting and then we get a POV change and have no idea what’s going on and it’s a much slower explanation of things.

I found myself sighing a little when we would get to an Esther chapter until much later in the book when both sides had me on my toes.

I also wish we had a little more background as to what happened between Bennie and Zach? They obviously still cared for eachother but I guess the stress of everything and trying to deal with loss and corruption were just too much?

I also must have missed that this was an LGBTQ story because I was quite surprised when that turn came into play but I loved it. So romantic and totally something I would do in the same situation.

I love a story about how industrialization is ruining things and this was a super fun and unique spin on that.
Overall, this was great and if you have a better attention span than I do you may love it even more. Thank you!

I really enjoyed this book, the plot was well paced and the characters were well written. I look forward to reading more from this author.