This book was really hard to read at times. It has some difficult topics. It is a little slow to start although a lot is happening but you can get invested quickly.

When I first saw this cover I thought it was a cozy witchy book. THIS IS NOT THAT. It is dark and has many trigger warnings. Be sure to check them out.
The Bane Witch is a hypnotic blend of dark magic, feminine rage, and pulse-pounding suspense.
Piers Corbin is no ordinary witch—she’s a poison eater, a Bane Witch, trained in the deadly art of ridding the world of evil men. After she fakes her own death to escape her abusive husband, she stays with her Aunt Myrtle where she learns the ways of being a Bane Witch. And when a serial killer sets his sights on her, it becomes an electrifying game of predator and prey.
With every poisonous kiss, The Bane Witch leaves you hungry for more.

I was unsure how to rate this one. I really enjoyed the first half of this, but felt the second half ended up falling kinda flat. I felt the pacing was a bit odd and that ended up being quite distracting. Overall, I think this one was a bit of a miss for me personally, but i did enjoy the beginning!

This kept me intrigued and guessing until the last page. Empowering, heartbreaking and tense, The Bane Witch is a fantastic read.

Wow- I could not stop reading this book! An incredibly dark fantasy that follows bane witches, a specialized group of women who can ingest poisonous plants to kill deserving men. This book had me on the edge of my seat. It has magic, murder, and female empowerment. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

CW: sexual assault, abusive relationships

From the title I had an entirely other idea of what this novel might be, but it delivered in a very different and fantastic way. Piers, the main character, fakes her own death and from there we descend into a complex twisty thriller full of revenge and feminine rage with a matriarchal hereditary line of ‘bane witches’..

Pitched as Practical Magic meets Gone Girl - I would offer it could be also Weyward meets Mayfair Witches. I loved the looming danger in the darkness, the kiss of an impossible romance, the clock ticking on the pursuit, and the overarching politics of the organization of witches. Bane Witch has a slower pace, close to the main character Piers but not a ponderous one. From the initial jump out of her bad situation, the layers of the story reveal more complexity as she gets closer to her self-awareness and discovery of who she really is and what that means.

The sprinkle of poison really adds a great dimension to the book, giving these witches a specific heritage and making the book rise above with uniqueness. Not to give too much away, when the abilities of the witches are revealed, it’s not so much an ah-ha as a heck-ya, let’s go. I’m equal parts cheering and concerned for Piers, and as much as I’m concerned I’m also afraid of her. The blend is such bliss. 

The writing too, is lovely, with lush descriptions and close thoughts. The botanical elements take it to the next level. There is an obvious deft hand creating the immersive world.

If you’re looking for an innovative thriller with a healthy dose of unique magic and witch-lore this is your book.

Fans of Mayfair Witches, Discovery of Witches, and Weyward should not miss. 

Thanks to @Netgalley and @StMartinsPress for an advanced reading copy.

THE BANE WITCH is a dark, angry, violent take on the green witch story and I loved all of those things about it. Female rage is a powerful thing and especially in this time, this space, we need to embrace it not only in reality but also in fantasy if we are going to stay strong and keep ourselves, and one another, safe.
Piers is a survivor in every sense of the word and while we may not all share her experiences we share the result: social and emotional trauma wrought upon women by men and the hopelessness that comes with knowing we may never see justice. In the world of the novel, however, there is justice and it is brought by a group of special women on behalf of other women and that’s both a very powerful symbol and a powerful motivator; those of us stuck here in the US in 2025 may not be able to convert toxins into a weapon but we can have one another’s backs, speak up for those in danger, and say something when we see something.
There were a few times throughout where I felt a little slammed over the head by the exposition and a couple of places where there was room for trimming but this an ARC so that very well may have happened prior to the book going to print. I would have also liked to see a couple of trans women included in the family but not every book can fight all the battles and internet. Overall an excellent read, Do recommend.

This should have trigger warnings. I liked the premise, I just feel I was completely struck by the detailed amount of abuse in this book.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC!

Ava Morgyn, in my opinion, writes a mixture of magical realism, fantasy and suspense/thriller all wrapped into one. In truth, this is traditionally not the combined genres I gravitate towards. Although, there is something to the raw, vulnerable power in the two Morgyn books I've read. I am hooked by the brutal candor of her writing and the way Morgyn puts into words the horrors and weight of how women must live. I love that she finds dark and twisted power and makes it beautiful in all it's toxicity.

'The Bane Witch' is a glorious story about revenge, justice, and a social commentary about the threats women continue to face in this advanced age. Such innocuous looking men leading to the destruction of generations of women, without penalty. As it relates to specific elements of the story, I wish we had more introspection around Piers confinement between being Henry's wife and then a member of venery. There was opportunity to draw greater parallels to the limitations each party was wrapping around Piers. The books feels unsettled with Piers and the venery's relationship. There will inevitably be future clashes with how Piers envisions her progression and the outdated, traditionalist mindset of her venery. I can also imagine Piers setting out to make individual connections with venery's across the world.

One final element I wish we could have seen resolution with is in regards to Henry. There is finality in that scene in the woods, but the reader's triumph is abruptly interrupted with a quick resolution to the story. For a character to have such dominance over the narrative, I'd have liked more of a bow on his end.

4.5 Stars! My first impression after finishing this book is - WOW!

Piers is the main character in this story, and it starts by her escaping her turbulent and dangerous marriage. A recurring theme in her life is her draw to pokeweed berries, and her ability to consume them without getting ill. She stages her own death, and flees to the Adirondacks causing a mysterious and accidental death in her path. She reunites with her Aunt Myrtle who she remembers from her past, after an unexplained pokeweed incident. Aunt Myrtle takes Piers under her wing and reveals to her she’s a Bane Witch - a witch assassin able to consume poisons and rid the world of evil men.

I love a book with great lore, and this one definitely takes the cake for that. The lore and world building around the Bane Witches in this book is top notch. The magic system is well thought out, while still being unique and captivating. The conclave that takes place about halfway through the book was one of my favorite parts. I am also now Bart the dog's number one fan.

I’ve truly never read a book that combined two genres so well, and in such a satisfying way. This book took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. I am an avid reader of Thrillers and Fantasy, and this book combined both of those genres to create this unique and captivating story.

Piers Corbin barely survives a violent marriage by faking her own death and running toward the only family she knows, and the secret they guard with their lives.

I very much enjoyed the Gone Girl intrigue of Piers plotting her escape and fleeing from a marriage that turned out to be much darker than I expected.

On the other side of that is Piers coming to terms with her family legacy and the power she wields as a Bane Witch.

There is a typical back and forth between her being unable to outrun her magic and struggling to accept it, which was grating at times.

I felt for Piers as she was pulled in so many directions, nearly all of them trying to take her away from a romance that she so deserved as a young woman recovering from a violent marriage.

Overall, I enjoyed the magic and other Bane Witches Piers encounters. I also loved seeing flashes of angry/powerful Piers.

I do think the last few chapters suffered from too much going on at once. But it was a unique read with an intriguing premise.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

I won't be reading this. I've tried multiple times and haven't gotten into it. Thank you though for the opportunity. If I read it in the future I will come back and change this review.

The writing was incredible, the story was amazing, and i am absolutely obsessed. I can't wait to reread this in the fall time for the perfect vibes. I can't wait to recommend to people!

If you need a book to put you on the edge & induce feminine rage— you’ve got that with The Bane Witch.

A story about terrible men & the women destined to end them.

It was downright hard to read about some of these awful people & the things they were willing to do to women 😮‍💨

I loved the suspense of it all, will he/wont he find her? Will she/won’t she end him?

One thing that I found difficult to get into was how the more fantasy / magic aspects of this book blended (or didn’t blend) into a very modern setting. I also found it interesting how it immediately reminded me of the book Belladonna with the poisoning/death aspect, & then there were sisters named Bella & Donna. But I understand it’s a book that heavily relies on botany.

Definitely a darker book than I typically read, but I found it to be well written. Descriptive in a way that was easy-to-digest & also easy to visualize, which I loved.

Piers fakes her own death to escape her abusive husband. She flees to her great aunt’s place, that is in a small secluded town. Piers eventually finds out about her witchy lineage and her deadly power.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a pleasant surprise. I didn’t think I would enjoy it as much as I did. I think the cover and the synopsis made me think it would be more of a cozy fantasy read. However, it was more of a mystery/thriller with fantasy elements, and a little romance. I loved the atmosphere in this story. Most of the story takes place in this small forest town. The setting felt very isolated and eerie. There is a little romance that I didn’t mind. I loved the strong female characters!

I loved the writing and I definitely want to read this author’s other books now!

"The Bane Witch" is the story of Piers, a woman of Charleston, South Carolina, who's been married to her abusive, controlling husband for two years. She understands that if she doesn't flee the marriage, she's gonna die. Piers also seems to have a gift, which she is slowly coming to grips with. She can see her husband's future victims, and knows that he will continue killing women after her.

I especially liked this first half of the story, when Piers is plotting to leave her husband, and then again when she is on the run, trying to vanish without a trace and find her way to the secluded mountain town in the north where her mysterious aunt lives.

It is here, as Piers slowly learns and accepts her gifts as a bane witch, that I feel that the story begins to unravel, at least for me. The love scene with the local sheriff is completely ruined in my mind when Piers' boobs are likened to candied apples. Completely ruined the sexy mood for me and took me to places that had nothing to do with romance. Additionally, Piers makes some dumb decisions that puts the lives of her aunt, her boyfriend, and herself in jeopardy, and then pleads like some sniveling, snot nosed, entitled kid that she will never do it again! Ugh. Hadn't she learned from her mother's mistakes, as her mother had accidentally poisoned her father, and then had her own tragic life? Piers' arrogance in her own decision-making process, one she never completely confronts, is one of her tragic flaws. Her arrogance in her rightness will even inevitably lead to her aunt's death.

So, awesome first half, annoying as hell second half. Still, this was an engaging read, one that revved up my emotions, definitely. My thanks to Netgalley and the powers that be (author, publishing folk, etc.) for the opportunity to share my bookish thoughts.

"Practical Magic meets Gone Girl in Ava Morgyn's next dark, spellbinding novel about a woman who is more than a witch - she's a hunter.

Piers Corbin has always had an affinity for poisonous things - plants and men. From the pokeweed berries she consumed at age five that led to the accidental death of a stranger, to the husband whose dark proclivities have become… concerning, poison has been at the heart of her story.

But when she fakes her own death in an attempt to escape her volatile marriage and goes to stay with her estranged great aunt in the mountains, she realizes her predilection is more than a hunger - it's a birthright. Piers comes from a long line of poison eaters - Bane Witches - women who ingest deadly plants and use their magic to rid the world of evil men.

Piers sets out to earn her place in her family's gritty but distinguished legacy, all while working at her Aunt Myrtle's cafe and perpetuating a flirtation with the local, well-meaning sheriff to allay his suspicions on the body count she's been leaving in her wake. But soon she catches the attention of someone else, a serial killer operating in the area. And that only means one thing - it's time to feed.

In Ava Morgyn’s dark, thrilling novel, The Bane Witch, a very little poison can do a world of good."

Do you have to be born a Bane Witch or can you apprentice to become one?

Well, this cover is deceiving! The story is both a realistice hard ride and a frantasy revenge story mixed together; and what a ride it is! I was very shocked from the first chapter. I thought this was going to be a fluffy fantasy story and what I got was a strong woman fighting to save her self from a harmful and devious man. From there the styouy just got better and better. I worn't spoil anything, just get read for a ride. If you love strong women this is your story!

This is not a witchy cozy mystery! I repeat: this is not a witchy cozy mystery! Okay, maybe it is, kind of, but it’s also very VERY dark and it contains a lot of triggering material. Please make sure to read my trigger warning list below, especially if you’re sensitive about topics like domestic abuse and feminicide.

That being said, the first 75% was a solid 5⭐ for me: the atmosphere, the descriptive and evocative prose, the high stakes, the powerful “women seeking their own justice” narrative with both pro- and anti-police undertones, the characters. Things got even better once the FMC reached her aunt’s cottage and fully came into her powers. However, the last 25% felt rushed in terms of narrative decisions and execution. It felt like so much planning and thought was put in the core elements of settings, lore and history, character backgrounds and development, romance, atmosphere, etc., but then the pace picked up and things got all over the place (stupid decisions galore!, out-of-character behaviours, underdeveloped events, unrealistic police investigation, men coming to the rescue, urgh!), with storylines coming together awkwardly. It was still worth it, though, and I strongly recommend for people who like witch-coven stories, vigilantes, serial-killer mysteries, hot law enforcement officers, feminist twists and female rage, dark and moody settings, criminal mind games, as well as plants and mushrooms.

Tropes to expect: faking the dead, femmes fatales and deadly kisses, powerful one-of-a-kind FMC, “the hunter becomes the hunted, dating the criminal.

❤️ Empowering woman’s journey
❤️ Relatable, flawed characters
❤️ Dark, yet cozy cottage vibes
❤️ Self-discovery and regaining control
❤️ Captivating and well-thought-out ancient magic system
❤️ Foraging galore!
❌ Inconsistent pace
❌ Some “ick” or “huh?” moments
❌ Lack of trigger warning list
❌ The last 25%

Trigger warnings: domestic abuse (physical and emotional), murder, sexual violence and rape, death, suicide (thoughts and attempt), misogyny, blood and gore, injury and injury detail, child abuse and death, pedophilia, kidnapping, stalking, gaslighting, incest, etc.

Piers is in an abusive marriage and is willing to take drastic measures to escape. She’s always had an odd impulse to eat poisonous plants, and using that to her advantage, manages to escape and fake her death. When she makes her way north and reconnects with her estranged family, she finds out things about herself that throw her world into chaos and give her the means to fight back when ghosts from her past come back to haunt her.

I throughly enjoyed this thriller and thought it was well-paced, but there were quite a few moments where the main character frustrated me immensely. We’re told she’s smart and careful and calculated, but she makes a huge amount of rash, impulsive decisions that put herself and her family in danger. I liked the world-building and magical lore and wished we saw more of the family. I personally would have cut a lot of the romance scenes with the sheriff since I didn’t find him particularly compelling, and the second perspective of the Charleston police officer could have been omitted entirely since it didn’t add much to the plot. On the whole this is an entertaining thriller with a great magical and feminist lean despite a few missteps.

Huge thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgally for this Advanced Reader Copy! All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.