I have to admit I didn't love this one as much as I thought I would based on the description. Appalachian horror with Sapphic characters? Sounded exactly like my kind of book! Unfortunately I found Motheater just so painfully slow in places that it became a chore to get through. The book started very promising, introducing us to the setting, characters, and horror elements but then it tapered off with various time periods and rambling storylines. I agree with other reviewers that this read much more like literary fiction than horror or fantasy. Literary fiction is not usually my personal cup of tea because I find them to be long-winded, too full of metaphors, and boring. And I think that's my main issue with Motheater. It's beautifully written and has an engaging concept but becomes mired in the slow pace.

I liked Bennie and Ester as characters and Motheater was interesting more as a concept than a true character. But, despite the Sapphic themes being a selling point for me I didn't really buy the romance subplot either. I didn't really connect with them or see their chemistry, just Bennie's fascination with this ancient witch.

So I'd caution anyone like me, looking for a fun Appalachian horror story. Motheater is not that. It will certainly appeal to some litfic readers, but that is not me.

“Protect what you love”
4.5/5 stars

This is a complex story, beautiful and haunting, witchy, queer, and unique. Weaving Appalachian folklore with heartache, and grief. Blending the turmoil and anger of watching what industry can do to our world, and the battle of trying to a balance between protecting our people and protecting our environment. How anger can hurt and love can heal. I absolutely loved the unique experience I felt while reading this story, the way it tugged at my own heart, the author slowly tore my heart to shreds and I’m okay with that, the end feeling was one of rawness and hope. This is not a story for everyone, I can immediately see that. However if you love a blend of earth magic, powerful creatures, the pulse of life in a mountain, the joy of finding great love no matter how much time you may have. If you want a story that is going to make you feel, that will permeate your being like the very veins of coal running through this titan of a mountain in the authors story. I recommend this one. My only real issue was in some of the pacing, but I felt that worked itself out 20% or so into the book and then I was absolutely hooked.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the free book.*

I really enjoyed "Motheater", this queer story about an Appalachian witch fighting for nature and against its destruction. I liked how issues of gender and race were included, but the novel could have explored this in more depth - especially through the generations. The magic system was wonderful but also felt a bit wonky, as was the world-building. But I really enjoyed this book!

4 stars

This book is simply extraordinary. The story and world-building are on a whole new level. The characters are so well-developed, making every interaction feel authentic, and the plot is both immersive and compelling.

With mystery, magic, and stunning scenery, it has everything you could want. It’s a captivating journey that grabs hold of you from the start and doesn’t let go. Although I felt as if something was missing—I can’t quite put my finger on it. However it was still an amazing read.

while this has some beautiful writing and an interesting atmosphere of appalachian/southern folk horror in a litfic story, i was disappointed by this personally.

the pacing was quite slow throughout, which made this a slog to read at times. the main characters of motheater and bennie are quite interesting, but i didn't really buy the romance at the end. bennie was definitely mesmerized by this ethereal witch and we had the benefit of more of her POV, but for me motheater had too much going on to really think about romance and her POV was in the past.

this also read more like litfic with folk horror and fantasy elements rather than a fantasy book. which is fine, but i think litfic readers who are feeling like some fantasy/horror will be more satisfied with this than fantasy readers.

i didn't care for the amount of christian scripture and fusion of religion with magic, just personal taste.

ultimately the most disappointing part was that while i loved the female rage and themes of corporate capitalism destroying the environment and nature fighting back, we don't really get that triumphant victory of nature > capitalism ending that would've been v satisfying.

an honest arc review ♡

Sapphic Appalachian horror-adjacent book that says fuck the capitalist mining corporations, sign me right on up! And this ended up being such a phenomenal book. It was slow and quiet in some ways, and I wouldn’t necessarily consider it horror, but as the world is developed and the characters’ nuances are developed, this became hard to put down. I don’t want to give too much away, but Bennie and Motheater are such complex women trying to do their best when forces outside them are making things harder, and the way they work towards their goals, it’s really such an excellent book. I look forward to more stories from Linda H. Codega and definitely would not mind seeing what happens next for Bennie!

Motheater has some great writing, with likeable characters and a really interesting concept, however, the pacing was off at times and I felt the romance plot was not necessary or poorly executed at times.

PROS:
- setting of the Appalachian mountains, well executed
- likeable characters that had depth and individual personalities (sometimes I wanted more about motheater)
- beautiful writing that made the book very atmospheric at times
- witches! I love witches, especially the nature based pagan style!

CONS
- pacing; particularly in the second half of the point, I wanted it to build to the crescendo with more intensity, whereas I felt that it was often interrupted with the romance subplots
- romance subplot; the strengths of this book is when they are doing cool nature witchy stuff and you are learning the lore and history, I thought that it was strong enough on its own without the romance. Don’t get me wrong, I love some queer romance, but I felt that that storyline took away from the really great parts about this book
- doing too much; a broad and vague statement I know, but I felt that this book tried to do too much and that left some parts feeling either underdeveloped or just thrown in there.

Overall I think it’s a solid debut and look forward to more from this author as their writing style becomes more refined.

Thanks NETGALLEY for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the strong female characters and it was a unique storyline. The story felt very repetitive and it moved pretty slowly overall. I didn't feel as invested in Esther's timeline, and found myself struggling to read those parts of the story. I enjoyed the setting of the book and reading a story with witchy vibes. I can see how this will work for people but I struggled reading it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for approving me for this eARC!

What I did enjoy about this book was the emphasis on strong female protagonists. Bennie and Motheater (Esther) both were extremely headstrong and stood by their convictions which I really appreciated. They did not feel the need to change their being for others around them even when they were not well received. I think too often we read about characters who feel the need to adapt to others for love or friendship while these two loved each other simply for who they were. I also found the plot to be incredibly unique. It is clear that Codega did their research about the landscape, historical implications, and language, this novel seemed quite authentic. The setting was also very magical and immersive which I appreciated. I felt like I was along for the ride. Jasper and Esther were my standout characters favourites.

My criticisms of this novel are not many but they are aspects that play a bigger role in my ratings usually. The grammar and spelling. At first I thought this was just a character and language choice, but as I kept reading, even the plot development paragraphs were littered with errors. This book needs another thorough glance by the editor please and thank you. I also felt the romantic subplot was unnecessary. Their relationship would have been just as effective without any sexual tension. I tend to feel that way about books in general. I think unless the romance seems organic, I just do not care for it. I did appreciate Bennie's character growth which I think did depend on her coming to terms with aspects of her sexuality however, I feel the relationship could have been left as an unspoken yearning and would have been just as impactful.

Overall, 3.5/5 stars for me and I would look forward to reading more from this author!

dnf @ 44% i really tried to make it further but no dice.

after a month of attempting to read this, i think i'm going to call it quits. picking this up ended up feeling like a chore, and it honestly has put me in a bit of a slump so we aren't finishing this one unfortunately! i rly wanted to love this as the premise, the cover, and the setting were all so intriguing but upon reading it, the characters and the story just weren't compelling to me.

the pacing was glacial, and the characters felt like they were reacting to the same things/events over and over again. i also didn't enjoy the swapping around between past and present as it only contributed to my issues with the pacing. i feel like i would've enjoyed the sequencing more if we had started in the past with esther and then cut to part two in the modern setting when motheater was found. the prose used in descriptors was lush and lent to the atmosphere of the book well, but besides that, i wasn't the biggest fan of the dialogue or the inner monologues of the characters. the modernisms in bennie's are a major culprit of this and they sort of take away from the eerie air of the mountains. motheater and bennie also hardly talk to each other? most of their interactions are motheater performing some variety of odd-witchy-enigma-magic and bennie reacting to it in the same manner every time. motheater felt more like a vengeful nature entity rather than a person, and bennie just felt,,, flat.

something about this just felt stagnant, and i just found myself less and less willing to pick this up again, which is a shame as i was super excited for my first arc.

thank you to NetGalley and Kengsington publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley for the Arc.

Mothereater was a complicated read, as I enjoyed Codega's writing style and the rich world of witches that had been crafted. However, I think that I just might not have been the target audience for this novel, as I struggled to finish it due to the timeline jumping; I would have much preferred for the two POVs to exist as two segments of the novel, with the first half telling Mothereater's backstory and the second half telling Bonnie's story once she finds Mothereater.
With the right audience, "Mothereater" is a witchy novel about nature vs. industry. It follows two women who are connected through time and an accidental meeting by the river.

Even the fiercest rage can’t stand against the warmest love.

This witch hike up a haunted mountain was just everything I needed as a cleanser. The slow-unraveling mystery was such an amazing read and just kept me on my toes every single moment possible. The lore as we’re following two different timelines was very interesting and easy to follow.

Plot-wise, a complete 10/10. There was so much at stake and a lot to find out, so everything was just filled with suspense in its own way. You can really distinguish the differences between the two timelines and how much everything is interconnected, which makes for a very fun read.

Bennie is a headstrong woman who only wants to save everyone from unjust and mysterious deaths. She lost everything she knew and her life has spiraled. But even then, she didn’t give up hope.

The Motheater was strong in every time. Her faith and her beliefs made her a powerful force not to be reckoned with. She cares fiercely and loves harder, and will do anything for who she loves. Even if it means losing herself.

Truly, a wonderful read. Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this copy, everything I’ve said were my honest thoughts!

In this hauntingly beautiful queer fantasy set in the Appalachian Mountains, Bennie Mattox, the last witch of the Ridge, finds herself caught between two worlds—nature and industry. The vivid, eerie landscape, full of local language and folklore, pulls you right into Bennie’s life, where wild-earth magic and the constant presence of the mountain feel alive. After the heartbreaking loss of her best friend in a coal mine, Bennie gives up everything—her job, her relationships, and even her reputation—to seek the truth behind the miners’ deaths.

Things take a strange and intriguing turn when she rescues a mysterious woman, Motheater, who has no memory but insists she’s a witch from Appalachia’s past. The connection between them, though subtle at first, builds into something powerful and magnetic, and soon I found myself rooting for these two fierce, complex women as they face impossible choices together.

Their shared determination could change the future of their town, and while the romance subplot felt a little rushed, it still added a heartfelt layer that kept me hooked. The ending left me completely shattered—in the best way. This is one of the most original and compelling books I’ve ever read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the chance to experience this unforgettable story.

A quite captivating read! Was it my favourite? Not really. But Codega really nailed this witchy little book.
I am a little salty at the ending (though that's not necessarily a bad thing). I spent a lot of time reading this book because I couldn't really get through it, but it did get me very attached to the characters.
The worldbuilding and magic is amazing and it has a very strong plot. It went on too long for my liking, but it's still a beautiful book.

This is what real magic looks like. Not the wicca-kind with shiny rocks and pretty cards. This magic is blood and bones and darkness. And I love it.

In "Motheater" by Linda H. Codega, we are introduced to Bennie, who in her search for both justice and revenge on the local mining companies finds the unconscious body of a witch. Motheater has forgotten who she is, but her purpose in this world is clear; protect the Appalachian mountains.

As the story goes on, we get several POVs (or do we?) and through the eyes of the main characters, we are thrown right into the battle between nature and industrialism. "Motheater" takes us for a ride in a thought-provoking, emotional roller coaster, and offers constant reminders that it's not witchcraft that makes our world dark. The use of magic in this book is going to be a punch in the face of certain religious groups who once thought it acceptable (and still do in some areas) to eliminate women solely based on their skills and knowledge, and I am all here for it.

If you are a fan of powerful magic, environmentalism, characters who only get more complex with time, and a slow-burn romance that is intense, but doesn't take over the entire story - then this book is for you.

* * *
Huge thank you to Kensington Publishing for making this book available through NetGalley.
All opinions are my own.

Motheater by Linda H. Codega weaves together the stories of Bennie, a recent employee of a mining company in modern-day Appalachia, and Motheater, a nature witch from the late 1800s.
What I liked:
• The rich atmosphere and authentic sense of Appalachia.
• The tension between progress and tradition, highlighting unintended consequences.
• The region’s folklore and mythology—the witchiness
• The theme of corporate greed vs. community needs
• The awe for the power of nature in both big and small ways
What I didn’t like:
• The pacing felt uneven, with some sections dragging. Stronger editing to reduce repetition could improve this.
• One of the human villains was such a caricature with no depth that I expected him to twirl his mustache and tie someone to the railroad tracks.
• The conclusion regarding the mining corporation’s responsibility felt unconvincing.

Overall, I really enjoyed the ideas and mood of this novel. Motheater was a particularly strong and layered character, with her sections being the most engaging. The final chapters were exciting and provided a satisfying conclusion for the main characters.
Thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

I was very excited for this book. The cover is gorgeous. Queer fantasy! Sign me up.The blurb had me so ready to read however it’s been over a month and I’m still at 55% and have decided to DNF.
I will say I very much enjoyed the setting of this book. Set in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia the whole vibe was very witchy and I loved it. I did however really struggle with the story line and the characters. The writing style just wasn’t for me. I was on the struggle bus the whole time trying to stay on track and find some connection with the characters but I just couldn’t.
I do however think this will be a huge hit with a lot of people.

Motheater by Linda H. Codega is a mesmerizing debut novel set in the hauntingly beautiful Appalachian Mountains, blending folklore, magic, and deeply rooted themes of nature conservation and industrial conflict. Codega’s writing is poetic, vivid, and powerful, crafting a world that feels both timeless and immediate. The story centers around Bennie and Motheater—two women from vastly different times and backgrounds who are united by the wild magic of their world.

This review will 100% contain spoilers because I'm incapable of talking about a book without them. Sorry.

1 STAR

*sigh* This review is going to be as tough for me to write as this book was for me to read. I had been trying to read this book for almost two months, and usually at that point, I would DNF it, but I was determined to finish it. I mean, come on: sapphics, Appalachian magic, and sentient mountains?! Sounds like a dream, but it was so far from it. I know I sound harsh, but I had such high expectations for this book, based on the description and the beautiful cover, and I was fully let down.

Now, let me get into what didn’t work for me in the novel (I had much more nuanced notes starting from the beginning of the book, but alas, those disappeared when I reset my Kobo °(°.◜ᯅ◝°)°):

It was soooooo slow. And I'm talking MOLASSES slow—which reminds me of a simile used in the book that really ground my gears, but I'll get into that later. I honestly felt no sense of urgency that an entire Tiamut-sized mountain was going to burst from the Earth's crust because of the pacing. I really think the flashback scenes were the culprit for me; they broke the pacing too much, and I felt like things weren't progressing at the same speed as the current timeline. Something so exciting would happen to Esther, and then the chapter would end, and all the excitement fizzled because I had to read about Motheater and Bennie eating a sandwich or something.

Unnecessarily lush writing. I will say the writing shines the most in the flashback chapters. It felt 100% more genuine, and the metaphor hit in those parts. This was lost in Bennie's chapters; I felt like Codega tried too hard to make it sound modern to distinguish it from the flashbacks, and many of the lines/dialogue sounded corny.

Ex 1: "Jasper's hand in hers was warm and dry, like clay along a hearth. As he followed Esther, frowning slightly, strange emotions flitted across his face. Confusion, desire, draw."
That was still beautifully lush but painted a clear picture.

Ex 2: "Helen looked up from her coffee, slow like sap, deliberate, coordinated."
Just the juxtaposition of slow-moving dripping sap with the looking-up motion was enough to make me stop reading and say, "Huh?" The metaphor contradicted itself with the imagery, making it feel pointless. This might sound like a complete nitpick, but that's what I started to notice once I became so disinterested with the plot.

The word 'absolutely.' Don’t even get me started. I swear to god it was used like 12 times in the span of 2 chapters.

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 specified 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.

I had way more to say about the book but just got pissed off writing that last part. This was fully a 2.5/3 star book until I wrote that last paragraph.

Also, the ending?? Is Esther a snake or what? I hate ambiguous endings. SMH it's giving pseudo kill ur gays

"I received this novel's ARC through NetGalley (a huge thanks!) and I couldn't be be more overjoyed that I was given this opportunity because for me, "Motheater" was an extremely positive reading experience due to of a multitude of factors.

Firstly, Linda H. Codega has an amazing writing flow, which is consistent throughout the entirety of their novel. In addition, their subtle, natural humour made the read very enjoyable. Codega's language isn't overly complicated either and is even further enhanced by their beautiful writing quality and style.
Secondly, I immediately fell in love with the lively personalities of the protagonists. Both Motheater and Bennie immediately bewitched me, and they only grew closer to my heart as the novel continued. Even the secondary characters were well fleshed out and had me genuinely interested in their stories.
Furthermore, the plot confronts the reader with an awareness of the nature around us, which I deem very important. Codega describes the soul of nature in such a way that genuinely made my heart ache as I was confronted with the daunting effects of its destruction.
Fourthly, I was thrilled by the POV switches, which I had not been expecting. Motheater's chapters had me constantly on the edge of my seat despite knowing how her past would ultimately end! The switches of perspective were also very refreshing and added a lot to the story.

To conclude, when I first picked up Motheater, I had never heard of the author, Linda H. Codega, before rest assured, I will purchase any future books of theirs as I loved the book from beginning to end! 10/10 would recommend. I will purchase a physical copy as soon as the novel is released!"