Currently catching up on reviewing my arcs so I will give a more detailed review in the future!

I really really wanted to like this book. The cover is gorgeous and the idea sounds right up my alley.
But it just felt too slow for me...the characters felt too flat and the mystery of the whole book was just...gone for me because of the flashbacks

I really enjoyed this slow story about Appalachian magic! The character work in this was really top tier.

This was a fantastic thriller. Twists, suspense, tension. The mystery was riveting. I . Right away, I was hooked with how odd this situation was, and things only increased, which had me on the edge of my seat.

DNF at 65% (chapter 25)

I liked this book in theory but I just couldn't connect or really get into it. I do think this is just an issue with me, I just couldn't find the time to really get immersed in the story. It was also just really slow, which I don't personally love.

There are a lot of good things about this story, first and foremost the setting and atmosphere were incredible. The writing really suited this aspect of the story as well. The characters were interesting, but I never really felt connected to them. The plot was good on paper but was dragged out, I don't think this book should have been 400 pages long. Being shorter and condensed down would have suited the story a lot more.

Maybe one day I will come back and finish this book, but as it stands I just don't think its for me.

Thank you Kensington Publishing for providing this arc for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Motheater is a beautifully written book. As we follow Bennie and Esther/Motheater on their journey to fight against the wakening of the Appalachian mountain their town is built on, as well as the mining company that threats to awaken it. This is such an interesting exploration of capitalism, class, and nature versus industry and progress.

I love Appalachian fantasy and this book definitely did not disappoint. It was beautifully and insightfully written.

Bennie lives in a small Appalachian town and investigates a series of shady mining accidents. A strange coincidence ties her mission to a forest witch who speaks in an old dialect and cites scripture. It seems that Motheater may be the key to figuring out what’s really happening in the mines. But with her memory loss, their first task is to help her reclaim her knowledge and power. However, the more they find out, the more connections appear between Motheater and the mountain where people keep dying…

I loved the vibes of Appalachian mountain setting and the folky witchcraft. My favorite aspect was the concept of absorbing moths to receive messages from past souls. I do wish we had gained more insight into Esther’s past before becoming a Neighbour and deeper understanding of her magic and spells. Overall, I found the storyline set in the past more satisfying. A lot of things have popped up but then just withered, e.g. the anti-mining corporation thriller thread. It often felt inconsistent or confusing. At times the pacing felt a bit slow, yet characters motivations shifted so quickly that I found myself lost. I don’t know, perhaps Benny was meant to be a person who cannot make up her mind and is all over the place. To me, it could have been more powerful as a shorter story with more focused narrative. The ideas were compelling but the execution was a tad rough around the edges.

Thank you to Kensington Publishing for providing this ARC for my honest review.

This was such a delightful read! I fell in love with the characters. It's diverse, and deals with important themes like what we're doing to the planet we live on. I'm so happy I got to this gem!

The strength of this book, I think, lies in its characters. I loved the titular Motheater as well as Bennie. Both were engaging, unique, and had great narrative voice. I also found the Appalachia setting and mix of sources of horror --religious, eco, corporate, rural, and witch--were done well. The overall vibe was both compelling and chilling.

However, I found the pacing very slow. I had no trouble differentiating or following the two timelines in the novel, but I think if either narrative was presented separately it would have been stronger. I often found myself caring more about the past than the present, particularly because of my interest in the witches and their specific domains which are really only present in the past.

I also didn’t feel the romantic connections between Motheater and Bennie really worked. Both were great and had strong motivations separately, but having them hook up just didn’t work for me. Others may disagree on that, and I admit as an aroace I may not be a great judge of it.

Motheater is a gripping, darkly atmospheric novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Linda Codega’s writing is both haunting and beautiful, weaving together mystery, tension, and deep emotional moments. The characters feel real and layered, making their journey one that stays with you long after the last page. With themes of identity, survival, and self-discovery, this book offers a powerful, immersive experience for anyone who enjoys a complex, thought-provoking narrative.

I really enjoyed this book! I thought the premise and the writing of this book!!

It was really fun for a debut story about a witch who is trying to protect her home, the writing was good so were the characters, the main problem I had with this book was the length. Maybe about 40 (minimum) pages could be cut.

After getting halfway through, I’m realizing this just isn’t a good fit for me. I’ve been trying to read it since the start of January and the pacing just keeps me from gravitating toward it.

This is certainly a case of it’s not you, it’s me. If you like slower, more atmospheric books with slight folk horror elements, I recommend giving this one a shot.

Bennie saved a strange girl from drowning in the river. It turns out that Motheater, this seems to be the only name she remembers as her own, is an Appalachian witch that lived more than a century before. The two of them collaborate to stop the mysterious deaths that are happening on the mountain.

I loved the story, the magic, the concept, the cover. I loved Esther and her flashbacks, the urban fantasy mood of this book, the "industries and men vs nature" debate that's the core of this story, the gentle but strong bond between Bennie and Motheater.

I didn't like the slow (TOO slow) narrative, the ending (that was a little confusing - maybe beacause english's not my main language?), the strange relationship between Bennie and Zach, the non-resolved plot about Bennie's best friend.

Overall, I liked this book but since I wanted to LOVE it, I'm not totally satisfied.

A hungry mountain. A witch with no memories. And a woman reeling from loss, trying to solve the mystery of why people are dying. Motheater came out swinging with finding a dead woman in a river and didn't let up from there. Bennie and Motheater race against the clock to try and put a mountain to sleep before it rains down destruction all along Appalachia. We also get to see Motheater's past, filling in the blanks of memory before Motheater can do it herself. We see the witch she was and the witch she is trying to be again. The romance aspect of it didn't quite hit for me but I loved the story of the pain that still lingers in the mountains.

Motheater by Linda H. Codega feels like a story born from the mountains themselves, raw, eerie, and deeply tied to the land. As someone from Southwest Virginia, this book felt incredibly close to home, not just in its setting but in its understanding of the unspoken histories, the weight of industry, and the folklore that lingers in Appalachian air. It follows Bennie Mattox, who is grieving the death of her best friend in a coal mine accident when she stumbles upon something far older and stranger than she ever expected. Motheater, a witch bound to the land, has awoken, forcing Bennie to face the connection between the past and present, between survival and destruction, between who she was and who she is becoming.

What I loved most was how this story wasn’t just about reckoning with the past, it was also about moving forward. Bennie’s journey isn’t just about uncovering old wounds but learning how to heal, how to find strength in unexpected places, and how to build new friendships even in the aftermath of loss. The mountains keep their secrets, and so does this book, but it leaves you with a sense of hope, of resilience, and of belonging. If you love Appalachian folklore, slow-burning horror, and stories about finding connection in the most unexpected places, Motheater is the book for you. It was truly magical.

An incredibly interesting and impactful story. Taking fantasy into a new world by delving into Appalachia and the impacts of Mining, positive and negative, on the community and environment.

Filled with the beauty and the complexity of Appalachia through the lens of fantasy; this book is delightfully complex, queer, beautiful, intellectual, and all around a fantastic read!

This book started off really promising. Witches, slow burn queer romance, badass fmc’s. A little over halfway through, I figured the story was on its way to wrapping up. And then it didn’t. Then it continuously added things in the story that made the story longer. And longer. And longer. Honestly, it could’ve ended 15-20 chapters sooner. Or at least cut all the filler that really wasn’t needed.

Thanks for the advanced ebook for review, from NetGalley!

This really didn't work for me but it was likely a case of a "it's me, not the book.' I'm generally a fantasy reader, so having magic and bible quotes mix together in a dark setting really irked me, although I generally understand why it was done. The two different POV's tended to be fairly repetitive, and the ending was WILD. There were a few times I was tempted to quit but overall I'm not terribly unhappy I stuck with it. Just slow going for me.

I do find myself still thinking about it, and I'm trying to decide if that's a good or bad thing, but it certainly wasn't unforgettable, so there's that.

If this review of Motheater sounds wishywashy, It's because I really am uncertain how I feel about it! It's definitely on the darker side of the track as far as the magic goes, so do please keep it in mind if that bothers you. (it was just about almost too much for me.)

Benethea «Bennie» Mattox happens upon a young unconscious woman, who not long after sprints unto the woods. When Bennie takes her in, she hopes that this strange magical woman can be just what she needs to stop people from dying in the mines.

The atmosphere in this novel is what truly sets this book apart from others. The Appalachian/ southern folk vibes are impeccable. However, it simply was not enough to keep my interest for the long run. I struggled to keep my interest on what was happening and at 35% I gave up. I might pick this book back up later, but for now I just couldn’t get through it.

The pacing was very slow throughout and I just could not be bothered to care for the characters.

I’m confident that this book will find its right reader, and that many will love it, but it sadly was not me. This novel is probably a better fit for lovers of literary fiction rather than that of fantasy readers.

Big thanks to Netgalley, Kensington Publishing and the author Linda H. Codega for allowing me to read an E-arc of this novel.

Linda H. Codega's Motheater is a wonderful feast for the senses. I loved everything about this book! If you are into Appalachian folklore\ magic with a side of every day problems, or just a good story. This is your book!