Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for providing a copy in exchange for a review.

Motheater is an enchanting tale set in Appalachia, riddled with the past of the region and wondrous magic. It paints stories of beautiful landscapes, troubling circumstances, and those who may be able to reclaim what they once believed was lost forever. The changing in points of remaining in the third person, helps round out the narrative without it becoming confusing, as well as keeping the narration reliable. There are certain areas of the story that could benefit from a change in pace, either somewhat lagging or rushing, but the full story flows and comes to a fulfilling conclusion nonetheless. It may take some time to full develop your interest in the full story, but once you do, you'll want to see it through to the end. It is an interesting read if you are interested in fantasy with nature intertwined in the narrative.

hank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book to read. This took a while for me to get into and this is completely out of the norm of what I read. I think the bad first is that the word “motheater” was said at least 1000 times it was over kill, we get it we know who you’re referring too.
Also, a lot of the book was the same thing happening it needed to move at a quicker pace it wouldn’t have ruined the plot. Not to completely ruin the spoilers as I read a review and someone hit right on the nail but one of the parts it seems like motheater is an ethereal “being” not a human so to speak she’s hundreds of years old and I do love LGBTQ books but that part seemed a stretch. All in all I enjoyed this book and would rate it 3.5 stars and I would be curious to read something else in the future from this author.

Thank you, NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This 416-page book features magical realism in the Appalachian mountains. Motheater is a witch out of time from the 1880s freed from the inside of a mountain during a mining expansion. Benny found her bottom at the bottom of a creek, presumably discarded by the mining company in an attempt to cover it up.

Benny has been looking to take down the mining company after they caused and covered up the death of her best friend. She and Motheater team up to get the witch’s true name (and thus her memory) back so she can soothe the mountain and stop the deaths.

This book is fast-paced and frenetic with multiple POV and a lively cast of characters. 4/5 Stars

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This was a nice book, I must admit. The writing was beautiful, enchanting even. It really transported me into the story, even though I was at times annoyed by the typos. I think the book delivered what it promised, however, I assume I wanted something more. Something outstanding, that certain spark to make me scream into the void about it.

Bennie's quick willingness to believe that Motheater was a witch seemed a bit weird and despite knowing that set up the story, I would've liked a bit more questioning. I loved Motheater. With my whole heart. The flashbacks were definitely my favourite part of this book, but that might be because I usually prefer the 1800's setting to modern times.

The romance was nice too. I rooted for our two main characters. They had chemistry and I love me a good wlw relationship.

There are not many things I can say about this. It was okay, but as I said it didn't have that something. Though, it gives off witchy vibes and I appreciated that.

love the setting, the characters were fascinating and i was invested the whole time. it dragged for a bit but it recovered quickly enough that i didnt get the urge to put it down for too long and i was always excited to pick it back up

Appalachia in all its glory with its unique magic and sleeping titan is something I hadn’t encountered prior reading Motheater but somehow this entire book made me fall in love with it.
Benny, Motheater, Zach and Jasper are strong main characters as in that they stand out a lot in their own ways which just makes me like them so much. All of them try to save Kiron from the awaken titan who has been sleeping in the form of Kire Mountain. All while Motheater tries to remember, all while some souls fall in love and all while the things you love, need to be protected most.

It was an adventure, a beautiful one.

I love this book! The supernatural seamlessly intertwines with the everyday, creating a narrative that is both eerie and captivating. Codega expertly blends the otherworldly elements into the fabric of the real world, making them feel both believable and integral to the story. The supernatural in this book isn't just an add-on; it's deeply woven into the plot and characters, enhancing the suspense and mystery at every turn.

The setting is another standout aspect of the novel. Codega’s descriptive writing brings the environment to life, making it almost a character in its own right. The locations are so vividly portrayed that you can almost feel the textures, smell the air, and hear the subtle sounds that create an atmosphere rich in detail and mood. The world of "Motheater" is immersive, drawing the reader in with its palpable sense of place.

Overall, "Motheater" is a well-crafted tale that balances the supernatural with a richly described setting, creating a story that lingers long after the final page. If you're looking for a novel where the supernatural feels real and the setting is brought to life with skillful detail, this book is a must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

The first thing that needs to be said about this book is that it really is very pretty. The descriptions of the setting are perfect, and really do evoke a sense of being in the mountains with the characters. The landscapes read beautifully, and the setting absolutely fits the story well. Sadly, I just didn't find that I really enjoyed the characters in terms of them being fleshed out, and I did feel that there was just too much clutter in the story.

I also just felt like there was a lot of ground that was trodden over more than once in the book, and the characters seemed to be responding to the same actions over and over again. I think there's the bones of a great story in here, but I didn't get as much of a sense of it as I would have hoped. I also just feel like I could have had a lot more of a connection to the book if there was a solid thread of a narrative throughout, instead of the patchy approach to the events of the novel.

Thank you to NetGalley & the Publisher for allowing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book was interesting! It was different than I thought it would be but for the better. It's got a really solid, unique take on an Appalachian folklore/magic & I really appreciated that.

The concepts of magic, how it works, what it does, etc. is so down to Earth realistic it's almost uncanny. It really makes you wish you could walk out in the woods and just barter with nature for favors. Ugh. However, something about the way the novel begins had me thinking "is this actually a murder mystery novel?" And that vibe never fully went away. This was probably just a "me" thing but it did feel a little odd, like I was expecting to uncover a greater mystery that never appeared.

I do think the characters and the plot were a little bland. From time to time I would feel the story dragging. I also wasn't a fan of the relationship in the book, it felt a little shoehorned in, though not un-likeable.

Overall a very solid 4 stars!

Motheater follows Benny, she used to work for the town's mining company but it killed her best friend. Now she is restlessly investigating and is convinced the company is knowingly killing people and she will do anything to stop it. And then one day she stumbles upon an amnesic half-dead woman who proclaims herself a witch and tells her it's not the mining company, it's the mountain. Kire is alive and pissed at being mined into. And they must find a way to stop it before it's too late.

Motheater is definitely an atmospheric novel. The way Codega crafts her setting and sentences is impeccable. And yet, I found myself struggling to finish the novel. I honestly think it was just fine. Every trope and concept used sounds excellent : folk horror, messy witchcraft, words of power, chaotic bisexuals... but I found the execution lacking. Maybe I just did not get the writing style but I just couldn't fully get into it. Moreover I found that the flashbacks about Motheater's past were clunky and hindered the pacing of the story. Motheater's past and life are very interesting it just did not fit well into the flow of the story. Also it was weird to learn everything about her before she could remember it herself.

I think it is a fine book if you like slow and atmospheric horror novels. Bonus points because the ending was very strong and the romance was cute.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of the book.

You can find my reviews on Goodreads, The Storygraph, and Fable.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book!

"Motheater" might honestly be my favourite book that I've read since discovering NetGalley. This story feels like a Mike Flanagan show in book form and I loved every second of it. All the bits of folklore scattered throughout the story made me feel like I was reading a fairytale with some of the most loveable characters as protagonists. The care and love with wich Codega wrote them and the discourse surrounding mining companies and how they affect Appalachia brought me to tears! I highly recommend this book to anyone that still isn't over the ending of The Haunting of Bly Manor!

DNF @30%. I could not connect to either character. Their motivation lacked passion, and the alternating timelines weren't the most compelling to move the story along.

It just felt very stagnant and I found myself wanting to read other books to supplement this read to give me some kind of joy/entertainment.

omg just look at the cover....so surreal and beautiful.
just like the story.
the total vibe is enchanting and very mysterious, lore like.
overall it was good book minus some parts I did not enjoy. I won't be mentioning them.
You should read make your opinion.

Something I wish I had known before I picked up this book is that it contains two storylines, one set in the present and one set a hundred fifty years ago because two timelines rarely do it for me and this book proves it yet again. 

The first few chapters were great. I got a good sense of the setting and theme and was excited to read on. But then the timeline of the past came along and somehow I did not care for it at all. I lost my motivation, resulting in me ending up in the downward spiral of not grasping what I've read and thus getting even less motivated, even for the parts set in the present day, and I DNFed the book..

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. In all matters of fair discloser, Lin Codgea and I have mutual friends, though I myself have never met them.

Motheater is a delightful book exploring what it means to belong to a land and what happens when that which capitalism eats, decides to eat back. I recommend this book for people who love queer witches, the Appalachia’s, and really fucking hate capitalism.

To get my criticisms out of this way, this book is a slow dry start, that will make you wonder why you’re reading it. The first 75 or so pages of this book honestly failed to capture me. So much so that I put it down for 2 months planning to DNF, and only just came back yesterday and pushed through to the second 1/3 of the book. Furthermore, (spoilers for the conclusion) <spoiler>while the story initially goes in on the anticapitalist themes of unfettered industrialism, in the final 1/3 Codega pulls back to center it around the follies and hate of one of Motheater, the titular character. Which I feel like diluted whatever message Codega was going for, for a half-way hybrid between both.</spoiler> Finally, while the romance was sweet, I personally did not find it convincing. It somewhat appeared out of nowhere. While it worked because of the strength of both characters, together I found them less appealing than individually.

For the things I enjoyed however? Those were far more innumerous. Lin Codega has clearly done their work both in researching for this book, and in how to write a book, because for a debut novel, it is spectacular. Many of the pitfalls, such as flat characters, poor pacing, and uneven prose, Codega has managed to masterfully avoid. Nothing about this book felt tired, or rote, or like I had read it a thousand and one times before. Furthermore, while the initial 1/3 of the book was quite dry, after that the book became a much easier read, so much so I finished it in a matter of hours. Both Motheater and Bernie are fantastic characters to following, and I found them both delightful and well-defined.

TLDR; This book is a fantastic debut, and delve into a genre of fantasy I honestly don’t think we get enough of. Hell yeah! Weird Appalachian magic!

I absolutely resonate with characters who live in the middle of nowhere. Bennie is definitely that main character who is going to stick with me for a long time. I wish I could explain how she came alive for me on these pages. From the first moments, Benethea fishing a stranger from the river felt like pulling me into her life as well.

"There was something like smoke in her heart." Ah Bennie. The journey you are on.

More than a personal journey, this story thrums with the heartbeat of nature and what people are doing to it. Naturalist stories have always been my love language, and magical realism with a naturalist bent is my idea of beauty. From the crunch of leaves and the smells of the woods to the juxtaposition of "civilization" and the mining town, Codega's writing swirls like a rushing river and drags the reader in. Anyone who has spent any time in these mountains will understand.

And Motheater herself is a mysterious character who somehow works her way into your very being. There's a reason she's the title character. And everything runs deeper than you can imagine in this story.

"Kire Mountain wasn't a kind place, wasn't keen on visitors. Kire wanted me alive."

It's a story of Big Bad Wolves. And maybe a Little Red or two. Or perhaps Nimue. And on a deeply personal level, the biblical allusion to Ruth.

Cordega uses the phrase "hurt and hope" - both dangerous - to weave a tale full of each, a story so deep it resonates long after the final page. Earth magic, to be sure.

There’s just something about rural settings with messed up magical things happening there (and being based on real life places and problems) that really compels me, and this book was no exception.

The story is told in dual perspectives/timelines - in present day we follow Benny, a woman trying to figure out the unusual disappearances - her best friends’ amongst them - of miners on the mountain of Kire. Her hunt for discarded bodies turns up a strange, alive, woman calling herself Motheater, claiming she is a witch with missing memories. Could this chance encounter be the way to unlocking the mystery being deaths of those living and working on the mountain?..

This book might not be for everyone, with the amount of scripture being cited, but I personally found that to be an interesting take on how religious texts can be blended with natural world magic, and the fact that it’s based on real life churches in Appalachia? Chef’s kiss. I truly appreciated how the author took just a few characters and a pretty limited setting, and managed to make a fleshed out, full story, without making it feel constricted.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a culturally rich, atmospheric read, and especially for the fans of Quinn Connor!

This is a beautifully rendered and atmospheric novel set in an Appalachian mining town. It explores political violence and environmental justice with some fantasy and horror elements. I love books where the sense of place is strong, where the setting is a character that affects the people and propels the plot. There were a few times I got a little lost in the plot, but I will be reading more from this author.

This book is a weird, witchy, queer horror/fantasy/romance hybrid. There is a lot going on, but it all seems to work together to create an intriguing plot with well-developed characters!

This is one that I think it really gonna blow up. What a terrific debut novel.
I love a good folk-horror adjacent story, and this really clicked with me. I'm gonna read it again in autumn, where it feels like it was *made* to be read during.

This is another one I'm gonna be pushing on every single person I know with taste that even remotely resembles mine. I'm gonna be so annoying about this