Posted to Goodreads: 2/21/2025

This fantasy thriller keeps you captivated till the very end. With poison-eaters, serial killers, and a woman on the run, this book has it all. This book follows the story of Piers Corbin, who is escaping her abusive husband. You then go through her journey to discover what she truly is and has suppressed for far too long... that she is a bane witch. The book does have some fairly heavy topics, so please check for trigger warnings before reading. I was given a copy of this book through NetGalley, and hope that it finds the hands of other readers who will enjoy it!

A surprise five stars! The way the story and characters were revealed in the first third was mind blowing! I judged the FMC till I learned more, which is masterful on the author’s part to walk the reader through her story to empathy!
Interesting world building and take on witches that I love. We are presented with thought provoking challenges that the FMC wrestles through along with the reader.
I loved it; I hope there’s more.

Title: The Bane Witch
Author: Ava Morgyn        
Genre: Fantasy        
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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.

I wasn’t too sure about this at first. It started off slow for me—or I had trouble connecting with Piers at first. But somewhere on her flight to the mountains, I became invested in Piers’ story. I actually didn’t care for her aunt or the other Bane Witches at all, and the small-town kind of gave me the creeps, but Piers herself was a joy to read. I may never look at mushrooms the same way again!

Ava Morgyn lives in Houston. The Bane Witch is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 3/21).

I really enjoyed this so much! Right from the first page I was gripped and invested in what was going to happen. I love the strength and vulnerability shown in Piers. She was so strong when she needed to be, but you could feel her terror and trauma over what she endured. I also love that we learned she was a witch along side of her so the lore was clearly explained in a way that makes sense. Since there isn’t really “world building” in a story like this, I think lore is especially important and it was executed so well

I loved how tense and stressed I was during the second half, and the turns I did NOT see coming. I also really enjoyed the romance. It was just enough that you rooted for them but not so much that it took away from the main story

Overall 4.5/5 - loved this and absolutely I’ll be recommending

Poison, witches, Adirondack area..count me in! What I wasn't loving, the repetition of the plot each time there was a POV change.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

In all fairness, I did DNF this book. I do understand that this book is an advanced copy, but the fact that there were no trigger warnings when there were very obvious places where a warning could have helped, really turned me off from this book. I'm not discounting it entirely, but please make sure a trigger warning list is in place before publishing.

She's been described as Practical Magic meets Gone Girl and there couldn't be a better description. Don't let the cover of this novel trick you into thinking its lighthearted and cozy. Well, to some it might be cozy. If you fall asleep watching true crime shows and love female vengeance, this ticks those boxes. The Bane Witch is graphic and brutally honest when it comes to describing violence (physcial, sexual, and emotional) against women and children. She's also tender and demanding when it comes to Pier's/Acacia's healing. Morgyn had me feeling all the feelings with this novel, anger, hopelessness, suspense, hesistant happiness, even comfort. She also made me wonder if people that are diagnosed with PICA have more to their story than they might know.... This is how villains are made, but are they really villains if they save people?
Karma is a bitch, and she eats poisonous plants.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: When I tell you I am obsessed with this cover, it might be my favorite cover I've ever seen. This was also one of my most anticipated releases of 2025. Sadly, I am bummed. Let's talk about it, I will also have this in a video this year and expand on it.

The short of it is this did not work for me. I DNF'd it around 45 percent. We get off to a fast and fearful start as we witness our MC going through horrific domestic violence and escape. From there we travel to her long lost aunts house where she learns about being a witch and living in a cozy community. At times, I loved the mash up of dark horror and cozy atmosphere. It was tough to go back and forth at times but I mostly enjoyed that. The main reason I didn't like this story is because it became very repetitive, there's a lack of emotional maturity, and a lot of plot of convenience. In the back drop of our MC"s story, there is a hunt for a serial killer. The serial killer addition was my favorite part of the story but it's mostly in the background which is fine, but because of the other aspects I didn't enjoy, I just didn't see a point in going forward. I didn't really care about any of the characters and found myself feeling very annoyed.

I am working on a video which this will also be featured in and I will explain more. But that is what I want readers to know about my experience.

DNF for me at chapter 3. The writing style is very slow for me personally. I like the concept but I think the execution is not quite what I was hoping for.

This book had me hooked from the first page. It was unlike anything I've read before. The characters and world building were done extremely well. I am going to be reading more from this author soon!

This was absolutely sensational!!! The main character and all other characters were perfect. This book completely inspired me. It touched parts of my soul that have been hurt deeply before, as I am certain it will with so many. This book is a light and a work of encouragement. Down with the patriarchy, up with the bane witches.

“A very little poison can do a world of good”.

Your verbiage and delivery were that of a readers dream. I hope to see many more from you so similar to this!!

Mostly DNF @ 38%, skimmed through the rest.

Initially gripping premise but hampered by a main character who was always several steps behind. Could be enjoyable for those who really like cathartic good-for-her plots and slower one-detail-at-a-time writing styles.

Why I chose it: It sounded so good, like it would be cathartic justice and have lore about the witches, their abilities, how it works. I was hoping for more slice-of-life watching the MC realize her powers then finding like-minded supportive women, learning how to use her powers, resulting in many unlikeable and asshole characters dropping like flies and how they try to hide that, culminating in a big witchy justice scene.

What I liked:
-Intriguing premise
-Escaping a toxic relationship
-Abuse survivor empowerment and revenge
-The good-for-her moments

Why I DNF’ed
-Overly naïve, one-dimensional main character that felt written to serve the plot
-Frustratingly slow pace while we wait for the main character to catch on to the obvious and it’s too repetitive once she does
-The plot drags out with too much foreshadowing
-Romance felt underdeveloped and I wasn’t feeling it
-The jealous, competitive, prove yourself angle within the family killed the catharsis
-Hoping to explore a unique world of poisoning powers and bane witchcraft but it was mostly family drama and too explainy.

📚 Format: Advance Reader’s Copy from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley

The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn is a solid paranormal thriller mystery. A female witch blood line whose sole existence is to seek justice on behalf of woman unable to defend themself. They ingest poison in order to take the lived of rotten men who slip through the judicial system. Our main character thought she had escaped an abusive husband in order to start fresh and be independent when she finds out she a Bane Witch and a strong one. She has to decide if she can commit to her new destiny and worry about her past catching up to her.

I loved the story lore and the characters in this one and felt it was wrapped up successfully. Ave Morgyn is a new to me author who I will definitely be reading more from in the future!

Piers Corbin hasn’t had an easy life. Her childhood was marred by the death of a stranger at an early age, her relationship with her mother was strained, she has had to take medications for a condition that makes her crave poisonous plants, and she has found herself married to a man, who turns out to be just as poisonous as the plants she craves. In order to escape her dangerous husband, she fakes her own death, and sets out to find shelter with her Aunt Myrtle. Once she reaches her aunt, a family secret begins to unfold, and Piers finds the purpose behind her cravings are much more than a pica diagnosis, and that she comes from a long line of bane witches, who use their magic to take the lives of evil men.

I will start out by saying a lot of the subject mattered covered in The Bane Witch is heavy and disturbing. This is a book that I highly suggest checking the trigger warnings, before reading. It contains domestic violence, sexual abuse/assault, rape, and serial killing, just to name a few.

I was really drawn to the execution of the magic in this story. The origin is well explained, and the idea of women ingesting toxic plants as a way to carry out justice against toxic men, was a powerful message. Morgyn really does an amazing job in using the magic to give power to women, while showing how victims of these horrible crimes are denied justice time and time again.

Piers made for a great main character for the story. She has finally made an escape from her abusive husband, but her unknown past throws obstacles in her way, as she fights to reach her aunt. I felt sad, angry, and hurt for her along the way, because she’s not only fighting the escape from her husband, but family secrets, and a magic she doesn’t understand or have any experience using. She faces a lot of conflict from all sides, but I think she has great character growth, by the end of the story.

Some of the plot lines, especially involving law enforcement, need a good bit of suspension of reality to move past. And I also felt conflicted with part of the story mentioning the venery never lies to one another, but then Myrtle and Piers continually plan to lie to the venery.

Overall, I feel like The Bane Witch is a poignant story of women taking power over their abusers, and protecting other women who are victims of abuse. The magical realism brings a beautiful background to the beginning of the power these women possess, and how new generations of women are changing and finding ways to evolve the calling of their magic.

I took a risk with this one. It’s not my usual type of book but I was excited to read it. Overall it had a super fun idea and premise and I was extremely intrigued but I just couldn’t get into it. So I guess I’m heading back to my usual genre

I liked the idea of this book. I think it took too long to get her into the bane witch club. Also super sad about her Aunt Myrtle.

5 stars for this spooky, dark, disgusting, and witchy book✨. I neglected everything else in my life to read this all day because I couldn’t put it down. My favorite elements included the “Gone Girl” type thrill, the unique magic, the deadly use of poisonous flora/fungi, and the found family/sisterhood. The writing was interesting and the story was captivating. In this case, suspending disbelief was easy. This is a worthwhile read!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. 🖤

The Bane Witch- Where do I begin? I was so so grateful to receive an ARC of this book, especially because current events have really led me into my feminine rage era. This review has my honest thoughts about the book.
First, a little synopsie: Piers (who has an interesting origin to her name, we later find) is a woman stuck in a more than bad relationship, and she has been desperate to find a way out, to the only family member she knows she has left- an aunt who is a bit odd, but kind, who takes in strays at her little cabin outpost, oh! and she teaches Piers about how she has the magical power to consume poisonous plants to use against men. against predators. Will she get away with those actions? Or will the cute sheriff hot on her tail figure out what's going on?
Okay, so this book hooks you from like page 3 on her escaping her troubles a la Gone Girl. It's like the start of a thriller novel and very exciting! Now when I started reading this book, it did take me a few chapters to adjust to the prose of it all- Ava uses a lot of metaphors and similes with very descriptive scenes- it felt like reading Hawthorne with The Scarlet Letter, but with a much more modern, thrilling storyline, if that makes sense. It was really quite beautiful once I adjusted to that style.
Now, the story. Oh, how I loved Aunt Myrtle. She was the perfect balance of kooky and smart, firm and loving. Honestly? She's what I aspire to be. She took Piers in to nurture at first, fought for her like she was her own child, but also tried to knock some sense into her. The rest of the Venery? A bit of a wild, diverse bunch, so there are some I despised, some i didn't mind, and some who seemed very cool. Their test for Piers seemed tough but this girl was up for a challenge!
Lastly, for anyone who has been wronged by a man. If you have also been at the receiving end of a man using his power against you, I hope you feel the same satisfaction in this story that I did. Because bad people exist, yes, but we have to find a way to fight back. And while most of us cannot eat pokeweed berries to do it, we can find our coven, our venery, and fight back together, to use our fear as power. And remember: a little bit of poison can do a world of good!
Honestly, this book was a near perfect story for me. 4.5/5 Stars and it is one I'm going to be recommending for a while!!

Wow—this book was everything. The Bane Witch is a dark, spellbinding mix of Practical Magic and Gone Girl, with a murder mystery wrapped in a magical, feminist package. It was haunting, intense, and deeply compelling.

Piers Corbin’s story is one of survival, vengeance, and power. Her journey—from escaping an abusive marriage to discovering her birthright as a Bane Witch—was absolutely gripping. The lore behind the bane witches and their ability to consume poison to rid the world of dangerous men was so unique and fascinating. I loved the emphasis on female power, sisterhood, and justice.

That said, this book does not shy away from dark themes—there’s heavy content surrounding domestic, physical, and sexual violence, so proceed with caution. But if you love eerie, atmospheric stories with morally complex characters, this one is a must-read. I can’t wait to read more from Ava Morgyn!

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was good, but it had too many plot points that muddied the story overall. Some of the best plot points get overshadowed and the plot is a bit messy.