I must preface my review by saying that this is absolutely not for everyone. The writing is great but the pacing is slow. Things took a looonnggg time to get going, and if you're looking for a fast paced read, you'll have to find something else. But I was listening to the story while driving along the North-South Expressway, flanked by beautiful mountains, and it felt really good.

The story switched between the present and the past, starting off in the modern day with Bennie pulling Motheater from the river. We soon find out that Motheater is a witch, but she couldn't remember her past or how she ended up in the mountain and emerged half-dead. Also, in a relatively funny moment, Bennie asked if she really eats moths (you'll have to find the answer yourself; my lips are sealed). This central mystery - learning who Motheater is, what her powers consist of, and what happened to her - occupies a significant portion of the book.

At some point the story switched to the past. There we follow the travails of Esther, the witch (or as the book calls it, a 'neighbour') in charge of Kire Mountain. Unhappy with the encroachment of the mining companies there to strip the mountains of their riches, she must use every trick she knew to stop them. However, she faced objection from the mining community, who welcomed the promised economic boon and job opportunities.

I find this to be an engrossing read. I've never been to the Appalachian Mountains or live in a mining community, but Codega's evocative writing paints a vivid picture. Motheater's magic is not well-defined, for it seems to allow her to do a wide array of things, but that does not bother me; it seems to make sense somehow given the context of the story. The characters are sufficiently complicated; Bennie and Motheater underwent paradigm shifts, and they had to let go of some stubbornly-held beliefs.

One thing didn't quite work for me: the sapphic elements. I felt that the relationship between Bennie and Motheater didn't quite have the build up to be convincing. Until the end I still felt like they were more friends or partners than lovers.

Would I recommend this book? I don't know; I suspect that personal preferences can play a massive role in whether you'll end up liking this or not. I looked at some Netgalley reviews to get an idea of how people feel about this book overall, and the ratings are all over the place. So I suppose you'll love it or hate it? I'd say this, though: Codega has certainly done a lot of research in the writing of this story, and it worked for me.

The characters are strong and the past and present stories lines are woven together beautifully, creating a cohesive and enjoyable read.

I did enjoy this book but I kept picking it up and putting it down again I never really got that feeling of needing to chapter after chapter.

I really liked the folk tale aspect of the book it gave the book a unique charm. Ontop of that there are whimsical bits in the books that really do just pull you in and then the next chapter there's a typo and you're drawn out which I understand it is an arc after all.

My favourite part was probably Motheaters POV I just loved the setting of her POV. My only real complaint is that Bennie trusted Motheater way to easily and early (idk it might just be me but I hate when a character automatically just trusts another character) and I think that decision had a knock-on effect for the rest of the book because it kind of takes away some suspense by automatically having her trust her.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC!

This was an incredible letdown. The premise and concept sounded great, but this book felt so slow. At least 60% was a complete slog for me. I also absolutely hated all of the Christian scripture connected with the supposed witchcraft. Personal preference for sure, but it honestly ruined it for me.
I think this could've been a little better than it was.

Overall, I felt this book was good; however, I first wanted to point out that the ebook contained many typos. I'm not sure that I've read anything from this publisher previously so I thought it was worth a mention.

I really enjoyed the depth of characters in this book as well as the combination of magic, horror, religious things, and a unique setting. One of the first things that made me want to read this book was the setting: Appalachia. I loved the descriptions of Appalachia, both past and present, that ran through the book, and the connection of a BIPOC and queer main character to the land. I thought the characters were unique and intriguing; I was rooting for them throughout the book. The only downside for me was that the ending felt a bit slow and semi-resolved, but I still think this book is going to make a big splash in 2025.

I'll preface this by saying this was my first time receiving an ARC from a publisher, rather than an indie author, and I'm appalled at the difference in quality.
The book is full of typos, including in the characters' names, with different spellings on one same page, missing full stops, missing words which make some sentences confusing/impossible to understand.
I think I'll give this publisher a pass in the future if this is their standard.

Now onto the story.
This was an okay read. Mostly, I felt it was trying too hard, and ended up being disappointing.

My first thought was that I expected, this being about a witch in the Appalachian, that the witch would be a native. Instead she's a white woman, daughter of a Pentacostal preacher. It rubbed me the wrong way that a white woman was the one centered in a book about magic connecting her so deeply to the land.

I didn't like Bennie. I found nothing compelling about her and just couldn't find it in me to care about her feelings or what happened to her. The romance felt forced and rushed. I think Bennie and Motheater spend two weeks together at most and they end up making big love confessions.

The whole thing with an alive mountain was the most interesting part to me, as well as the flashback chapters. I'd have been happy for this book to be a historical fantasy with chapters from Esther and Jasper's point of view, and more background on the magic, and how Esther became a witch. We only get a few lines about the pact she made with the mountain, when it's the centre of the plot.

The writing felt uneven. It was better in the flashback chapters, but had both many repetitions, basic sentence structure, and whole paragraphs accumulating metaphors when one would have done.

Overall, this read like a first draft, and not a book about to be published. I hope it got a good editing pass before then, but if it's just copy editing missing, I'm afraid that won't do the trick.

I read onto the 2/3 point because I was still intrigued about what would happen, but the plot was really slow for 70% of the book, and unravelled in the last few chapters really quickly.

Yeah, uneven would be a good word to summarize this.

I got an ARC from Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.

This was such a beautifully written book. It felt very lyrical and so enchanting. I truly enjoyed reading it so much. The atmosphere was so important and landed so well, I really felt in the presence of witches.

It was truly original and creepy, I really enjoyed!

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Thrown into the river and left for dead by the mining company on Mount Kire, Motheater was pulled from the waters by Bennie. A former employee and current investigator, Bennie hopes that this unidentified woman will be the lynchpin for exposing White Hills for their deadly mining practices that have killed dozens of people since the early 1990s. However, while Motheater struggles to remember her full name, her bones remember Kire and the power she pulls from the land.

Lyrical and atmospheric, MOTHEATER tackles the idea of what people are willing to sacrifice in the name of progress and who has to pay the fee. Part literary fiction, part fantasy, part eco-horror-- this book brings together the old practices and lore of Appalachia Neighbors and the continued struggle with environmentalism v. progress.

This book moves slow, but deliberate; the best parts for me were the flashbacks to Ester's life, while the modern-day plot line with Bennie began to feel monotonous by the end. The characters were well-developed and motivated, and I think Codega did a wonderful job explaining actions through character-building and dialogue. But the best part by far was the world building-- the magic system was intriguing and rooted in old practices, the Appalachian setting was an excellently executed character in and of itself, and the eldritch horror component of this world kept me on my toes.

thank you to netgalley and to kensington publishing for the eARC!

The first 30 - 40% of this book was interesting to me, with the setup of our main character's wants to uncover a conspiracy going on within the mountains of Appalachia that is killing the people. Motheater was also, as her name suggests, interesting, though as more is revealed of her backstory she sort of stagnated for me.
Unfortunately I failed to really connect with any of these characters, and so the story suffered when I wasn't too bothered about what was going to happen to them. The plot was also a little meandering, and very slow paced. I found myself tiring of both of these aspects of the book, and so I also found myself skimming through the pages after the 50% mark.
The relationship fell a bit flat for me, but I think that was due to my indifference towards the characters. Any plot twists I was able to see coming, but it was nice to get Motheaters backstory uncovered at least. The magic was fairly interesting, the connection she had with nature and with the mountains was nice to read about.

t shouldn’t be. The effects of mining are devastating. The rage of subjugation and forced submission by capitalistic greed is bitter. The loneliness of being a powerful woman full of conviction is sharp. This book has teeth and the characters bite.

From the first pages, I was swept up in Benny’s perspective as she struggles to solve mysterious circumstances surrounding local miners’s deaths, including her best friend, in the Kiron mine. Benny’s unabashed doggedness in pursuing this truth was inspiring. The way she immediately entertains Motheather’s powerful magic as a tool to be harnessed instead of rejecting it because it is arcane and cruel won me over. I like a heroine who’s not afraid to embrace the dark and get a little dirty to achieve their goals.

Motheater is not a witch to be trifled with and oh, how I love her. She is jagged and raw. She represented Appalachia itself, as I, an outsider consider it. A unique, often mischaracterized, place many have tried to subdue filled with mystery and danger.

Coda brings to life the unique culture of Appalachia through distinct dialogue and speech patterns. Benny’s narration is so comfortable and cohesive with other aspects of the novel and is one of my favorite features of this book. The use of flashbacks fills readers in about a small portion of the oppression Appalachia has experienced without becoming a lecture. The magic is earthy without appropriating Indigenous spiritual practices and is just as brought as the wielder. I honestly could not ask for more from this book.

the k you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

motheater has a fascinating premise and one that i was so excited for, i deeply appreciated the homage to appalachia, as a wv girl myself. sadly this book fell a bit flat for me in some areas, while the writing was lovely at times, but the pacing dragged. and though motheater and bennie were both interesting characters, (and i’m always going to stand behind any sapphic story,) their romance just didn’t fulfill what i was here for.

This one is a mixed bag for me.

Bennie is a bit of a sore thumb in her Appalachian town. Not only is she one of the few Black women, but she's also aiming to take down a coal mining company after the mysterious deaths of several miners, including her best friend.

While out trolling for clues of wrong doing she spots a woman in a creek and pulls her out thinking, this is yet another victim of the industry. But who she's pulled out is a witch who's spent about 150 years in the heart of the mountain.

I appreciate that out main perspective (Bennie) is unique to the area and industry, it makes it fresh. I can also understand the delicate balance of coal in Appalachia as both a bringer of survival (jobs) but also destruction (nature).

The romance comes across as a bit one side until suddenly (for no reason) it isn't. I wish that had been built up a little more. There was a secondary romance (at least I'm pretty sure) that sparked without ever being explored.

However the pacing is super slow and frankly chunks of this book are boring. The ending isn't quite as satisfying as I'd have liked and there are several loose ends I'd have liked to seen tied up.

WOW I loved this book! Few people delve far enough into the horror elements of the Bible and Christianity, and that paired with a brutal environment-based magic system resulted in a phenomenally unique and captivating setting. I loved Motheater's chaos and devotion/stubbornness from the beginning and seeing her relationship develop with Bennie throughout the story was very satisfying.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Motheater follows main character Bennie, a woman living in a fictional mining town in rural Appalachia, grieving the death of her closest friend after a supposed mining accident. I was instantly hooked by her Bennie’s personality and characterization, as well as by the setting (a first for me), and the themes of magic and the roll capitalism has on the destruction of the environment.

Esther’s narrative in the past was incredibly well written and such a unique take on magic. I loved her relationship with her friend Jasper, as well as the interweaving and coexistence of queer relationships and religion. Esther’s relationship with her father and the men of her town was tense and well done as well.

Bennie and Motheather’s relationship did feel a little rushed to me – but not to point that it disrupted by experience as a reader. I wish we had gotten a bit more of resolution with Bennie and her ex, Zach’s, relationship – as well as what happens with Jasper in the end.

While the ending fell a little flat for me, I loved the fantasy/horror/folktale atmosphere throughout the entire novel. I truly felt transported to Appalachia during different points in the region’s history, which is a huge testament to Codega’s writing. Looking forward to reading whatever they write next!

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.**

Actual rating: 4.5

Linda H Codega (they/them) presents Motheater, a queer fantasy rooted in Appalachian folk magic and conjure. Readers follow Benethea "Bennie" Mattox as she seeks to discover what is causing miners to die on Kire Mountain. When Bennie finds an unconscious woman in the river, she quickly learns that the woman, Motheater, has lost her memory but not the power that ties her to the mountain. A dual timeline perspective follows Esther a century and a half earlier, fighting the same fight against industrial mining that Bennie fights in the present day. After so long enduring insult, the mountain is prepared to fight back.

I am a resident of Maryland who works in Virginia, but my inherited family homestead is in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Appalachian Virginia. My grandparents married on the Natural Bridge. The mountains that make up Appalachia are one of the settings I run to for peace and rest. I acknowledge that this book probably spoke to me in ways that wouldn't happen for people without those ties, but that makes it all the more special for me.

It is inherently obvious that Codega
has done solid research into the land and the culture of Virginian Appalachia. I have never before read a fiction book that so seamlessly weaves together the influences of the church and the land. The pacing of the book is slow and the writing is rich with description. It's a Southern drawl of a book. It can't be rushed and it has plenty to say, even if the message is only truly picked up on later reflection.

Bennie and Motheater are easy leads to follow through the disorientation of the woods and the wild. I appreciate that Codega let the book be naturally queer rather than forcing a front and center romance that would have been unnecessary and potentially detracted from the core plot.

My only real complaint was a bit of a fast wrapup at the end compared to the relatively steady build to that point. This ultimately was the reason for the half star deduction, but I have reason to think this story will take root and grow to be one I only love more over time. I have already pre-ordered a physical copy.

I am thrilled to have had the joy of reading this book and am even more excited to escape into the mountains. Looking forward to whatever Codega writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

Unfortunately, I had to DNF @ 30% :(

I really wanted to like this book but I just couldn't. The pacing was too slow for me and it felt like at times it just dragged on. I also didn't find the characters that interesting nor relatable but that is not to say that the book was entirely bad. I liked the writing style, it flows nicely and it's easy to read and at times it has a poetic quality to it. The theme of the book is also interesting and current but it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

DNF @ 60%

I just couldn't get into this. The plot moved incredibly slowly, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but when the pacing is slow I need to be able to care for the characters in order to be invested in the story. And I just couldn't connect to them. Bennie is just... there, I guess. She has a noble motivation of wanting to prevent more miners from dying on the mountain, but she's weirdly passive. Her narrative is heavily focused on helping Motheater, which makes sense, Motheater is supposed to be the big mystery, but it makes her own backstory feel kind of shallow and unexplored. Speaking of Motheater, I did not care for her at all. I couldn't help feeling annoyed by how she is so stubbornly against progress just because she wants to protect her mountain, but at the same time doesn't give a shit about the other mountains getting mined. (Or, like, the environment in general. She only cares about HER mountain, and that's it.) I also found the romance to be really forced. It was not necessary at all, and Bennie and Motheater have zero chemistry.

Anyway, I don't think this book is bad, it just really didn't work for me.

This book seemed right up my alley, mystical, dark and really atmospheric and then I was really disappointed while reading. I get what the author was trying to say and I appreciate the depth in which they went about this but the book just couldn't retain my attention. I never felt particularly interested in the unraveling of the story, nothing gripped me and with this my time slot on netgalley ran out and I couldn't finish the book.

“And then, under her hand, Bennie felt Kire breathe.”
3.25☆|5

Sometimes there are books out there that you want to read so much and that look really nice, and full of potential. So you try and try, but for some reason, it just doesn’t entirely make it. I fear that Motheater by Linda H. Codega might fall into that category for me.

I wouldn't say that I have disliked it, but let's say that I was expecting to love it and that instead I simply liked it. However, I don't have big issues with this book; if anything, I have positive things to say.

First, I really, really liked the setting and the story ideas. The themes of nature and witches were interesting, and it was really nice to read! Likewise, I really liked some characters. I had some troubles with Bennie at some point — she seemed a bit… inconsistent somehow? — but I have ended up liking her as well. And Motheater, oh dear gods. I adore her. She was bewitching, lacking better terms, and I think the flashbacks were my favourite parts of the novel. Also, for some unknown reasons, I really liked Jasper; he seemed nice!

The point that is responsible for the fact that this hasn't done it for me was probably the pacing. The author had everything. A charming plot idea; good characters; their writing is fascinating and makes you want to go deep down into the book, but it seemed to me that the main problem was the pacing. The first half was… a bit slow? It took me a really long time to get into this book, and it's a shame because the potential was there! I really got into it for the 2nd half, and yet, I have found some parts to go too fast. But it was mostly the slowness that broke it for me, preventing me from fully entering the plot.

But also, I do think that this is Codega's debut novel, therefore I am still looking forward to their next one, as I really liked their writing style and the way they constructed their plot. I do believe that some people can and will enjoy this book. In fact, I did enjoy it, just less than I thought I would. So I would still recommend it, somehow. Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC, this one goes out on January 21st!

I have a lifelong love for Southern Appalachian, so I may be slightly biased! This was a delightful magical and queer story with strong anti-opression/ anti-capitalist vibes.

I ended up reading it in like two and a half days because I wanted to see what would happen. The author does a wonderful job of giving you an inkling of where the story will go while still throwing some curve balls on the specifics.

Overall I highly recommend it!