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 There will inevitably be future clashes with how Piers envisions her progression and the outdated, traditionalist mindset of her venery.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.

Don't let the cozy cover fool you. This is a tale of the power of women of real darkness in the form of a witchy story. I absolutely loved this book. I love Piers as a women who is recovering and coming into her true power and essence. I love all of the little side characters you meet along the way who support and challenge her in different ways. This book does have some challenging parts to read and doesn't shy away from the ugly parts of reality. I love that it always felt like it was coming from a place of 'good will conquer'. I highly recommend this book that is packed full of action and intensity, but also has heart. If you enjoyed Weyward, this felt kind of similar. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

A Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn is a dark, atmospheric tale of magic, vengeance, and female empowerment. Piers Corbin, a woman with a dangerous knowledge of poisons, fakes her own death to escape an abusive marriage—only to discover she comes from a long line of Bane Witches, women who harness deadly plants to fuel their magic and rid the world of cruel men. As Piers embraces her new power, she must navigate the fine line between justice and revenge.

Morgyn’s writing is immersive, weaving a haunting and spellbinding world where danger lurks in every shadow. The themes of resilience and reclaiming power add depth to the story, making it both gripping and emotionally charged. While some parts of the plot could have been more developed, the premise and execution make this a compelling read for fans of dark fantasy with a feminist edge. If you love stories of witches reclaiming their power, The Bane Witch is one to pick up!

This was absolutely amazing! I very seldom read the plots of books before picking them up, I like to be completely in the dark. This surprised me in every single way!! I initially requested this ARC because the cover was absolutely stunning and I’m a sucker for witchcraft! I enjoyed this story so much, it literally had everything that I need in a book: strong female characters, women dispatching justice against predatory men, witchcraft and a thriller subplot. The pacing in this book was absolutely amazing and had me drawn in the whole time, I also really enjoyed the length it wasn’t too short or long! I really loved Piers as our MC and her story was so well done and the author really took care with the DV storyline. This book is for you if you crave a revenge story, with a little romance and plenty of satisfying female characters! I will absolutely be buying a copy of this book for my collection I just absolutely adored this book.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. “The Bane Witch” will be published March 18, 2025.

4.75

The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn is dark, unsettling, and completely absorbing—but before anything else, let me be clear: this book deals with some heavy subject matter. If you’re thinking about picking it up, I highly recommend checking the trigger warnings first. It covers domestic violence, sexual abuse, assault, rape, and serial killings, among other disturbing themes.

One of the things that really stood out to me was the way the magic is woven into the story. The origin of it is well explained, and the idea of women ingesting toxic plants to take down violent men? Absolutely fascinating. It’s unsettling but also powerful, and Morgyn does an incredible job of showing both the weight and the necessity of their actions. There’s this underlying theme of women reclaiming power in a world that constantly denies them justice, and that really stuck with me.

The atmosphere is another huge strength. The eerie woodland setting, the poisons, the rituals—it all builds this quiet, creeping tension that pulls you in. I also appreciated how the pacing kept things moving without feeling rushed, balancing suspense with just the right amount of reveals along the way.

That said, there are definitely parts where you have to suspend disbelief, especially when it comes to how law enforcement is handled. It’s not a dealbreaker, but there were moments that had me raising an eyebrow.

Maybe part of the reason this book hit so hard for me right now is because I’m feeling so much feminist rage over what’s happening in this country. Reading a story where violent men actually face consequences—where justice isn’t something to beg for, but something these women take—was deeply satisfying in a way I didn’t even realize I needed. It doesn’t change anything in real life, but for a few hundred pages, it felt like it did.

Overall, The Bane Witch is a gripping, beautifully written story about women reclaiming power, protecting each other, and redefining their magic to fit a modern world. There’s murder, found family, botany, and just a touch of romance—plenty to sink your teeth into. I devoured it in just a few days, and while I really loved it, I don’t see myself rereading it—which is what I typically reserve a five-star rating for. So, this one lands at a solid 4.75 stars for me.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Interesting original take on the typical witch coven. Not that a 'bane witch' in and of itself is unusual but the way this author chooses to depict them here certainly is. Ava Morgyn's writing style is always good. It brings you right into the story and makes you care for the main character. There was a really great movie from the early 90s called Sleeping With the Enemy. The beginning of The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn reminds me of that a little. Throw in paranormal elements and morally grey main characters and I'm sold. I used to LOVE that movie and I liked this book too.

Piers aka Acacia is in a terrifying marriage to Henry, a potential serial killer. As she launches her 'Gone Girl' worthy plan to escape his diabolical abuse, we learn about her latent psychic abilities and childhood. Ava Morgyn blends magic with mystery in the most absorbing way with these characters. I liked The Witches of Bone Hill (her debut standalone novel) but she's really outdone herself with The Bane Witch.

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Level: 🌶
Darkness (1=cozy 5=twisted):💀💀
Prose: Very well Written
Pacing: slow build
Character Development: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Piers Corbin has had enough. After years of mistreatment by her husband, she’s ready to make her escape. Without any close family around, Piers is putting her faith in a memory of an aunt who visited her as a child. Two words will serve as her guide – Crow Lake. What she finds on her journey is not just a location but a family and a purpose. She discovers she’s part of a long line of witches, specifically Bane Witches. These powerful women ingest poisonous flora and fauna and use their deadly properties to rid the world of evil men. As she learns more about who she is and what she can do, Piers will finally find a place where she belongs.

This book kept my attention from start to finish. The concept was so unique, and I always love a story about strong females. The idyllic setting is beautifully described, and the relationships between the characters were very well-developed. The justice brought down on very deserving deviants was satisfying.

Overall, a wonderfully written magical realism book that will leave readers wanting more from this author!

The Bane Witch has a solid premise, but it leans too hard into being a shallow revenge fantasy without giving its characters enough depth. The atmosphere is moody and immersive, yet the motivations feel surface-level, making it hard to get fully invested. I kept hoping for more complexity—some moral tension, deeper character arcs—but everything stays pretty one-note. If you're in the mood for a quick, witchy tale with strong vibes but little substance, it’s an entertaining enough read, just not a particularly memorable one.