3.75 stars rounded up to 4

I need a whole new genre category for this thriller/fantasy combination - Thrilltasy? Fantasiller? Whatever it is, it's a very intriguing combination that made for a novel that's hard to put down.
Read this for:
🍄 A thriller-like atmosphere with both cops and vigilantes chasing a serial killer
🍄Vigilante witch assassins who use poison to take down evil men
🍄A side-romance between the two
🍄A witchy conclave full of interesting characters
🍄A small woodsy town with more interesting characters
🍄More information on poison mushrooms and berries than you knew you needed

The romantasy reader in me wanted more out of point three, but I recognize that that's not the genre this was actually trying to fit into. This is much heavier on plot than it is on character development, and it's good to know that going in. But if serial killers, vigilantes, and a bit of witchiness is your vibe, this might just be the right pick for you. (As these witches largely go after abusers, and there's a fair amount of murder, it's safe to say that you should look up the trigger warnings if these things may be sensitive for you.)

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was very unique and I didn’t mind the modern take but I wish that it was more of a fantasy magical atmosphere. That is the only reason it is a a 4 star for me rather than a 5.

The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn is filled with witches, mystery, and murder. I really enjoyed the FMC Piers journey and her personality was very relatable. On the other hand, I wasn’t a fan of the pacing, the beginning started slow and it was hard to get into the story, and the lack of TW’s where there probably should have been something are the only things I have against this one. The overall story is fantastic and it was an entertaining read that I’m sure many will love!

"The Bane Witch" by Ava Morgyn is much more than its cozy and cutesy cover suggests. I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of it, the blend of fantasy involving witches with mystery and murder. Piers Corbin has always had an affinity for poisonous things, both plants and men. From consuming pokeweed berries at a young age that led to the accidental death of a stranger, to using them to fake her death in order to escape an abusive husband, she hides in the mountains with an estranged aunt. There, she learns that her predilection is not merely a hunger but a birthright. Piers hails from a long line of poison eaters, Bane Witches, who ingest deadly plants and use their magic to rid the world of evil men. While working at her Aunt Myrtle's cafe and honing her skills, she catches the attention a local sheriff and a local serial killer. But this time, she has no need to hide, only to consume. This thrilling novel combines fantasy, witches, murder, and mystery. I loved the storyline that blends witches with my favorite mystery thriller; it is a must-read!

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of Bane Witch. Don't let this whimsical cover fool you this is a full suspense/thriller fantasy and I loved every single second of it. When Piers a young interior designer from Charleston makes the decision to finally leave her abusive husbad she runs to the only person she has left, a mysterious aunt who runs a small number of cabins and cafe in the small town of Crow Lake. She soon discovers that her long attraction to poisonous plants is something that runs in the family. Fans of Adrienne Young and Barbara Davis will devour this book!! I truly didn't know what would happen from one page to the next. I would definitely recommend.

This book was INCREDIBLE!??!??! I'm not usually a cozy book person but this was amazing. Witches. Mystery. Romance. Absolute PERFECTION. While this may not be a genre I pick up often, I will definitely read more from this author. And you should too!

This is the first time I have read a novel by Ava Morgyn. I decided to give it a try because the description of the book was intriguing. I absolutely loved this book and went searching to see if the author had any information about expanding the book into a series. I want more. I need to know if Piers and Regis make it work long term. Piers, running from an abusive husband does something extreme and drastic and sets the stage for a suicide made to look like murder by her husband. Determined to make her way to what she feels will be safety ends up turning her world more upside down than it already is. Discovering family secrets and who she really is bring death, love at a cost and unknown heartbreak. It also brings strength, courage and a new life.

Tbh, I love anything witches, and POISON witches?? YES! The duality of suspenseful plot with cozy setting was great. My only stipulation was the lack of a trigger warning page. As someone who has escaped toxic relationships and abuse, that would've been nice going through. I probably won't recommend unless that is added.

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