The book’s concept is fresh, and the witch-lore is intriguing, but heavy themes of abuse, rape, neglect, violence, and death deserve a clear trigger warning. The first half, where Piers is plotting her escape and trying to disappear on her way to her aunt’s secluded mountain town, is gripping. But as Piers discovers her bane witch powers, the story unravels.

Piers often feels silly, unlikable, and makes baffling decisions—especially with a serial killer on the loose. The romance subplot feels forced, with odd descriptions like comparing her breasts to candied apples, which pulled me out of the story. Her connection to someone whose life she saved was interesting but disappointingly rushed. Half of me wanted to keep reading, while the other half wanted to throw the book. Still, I binge-read it because I was invested, even if the rushed, anticlimactic ending left me unsatisfied. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, the author, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Actual Rating: 3.75/5

I went into The Bane Witch expecting a light witchy read, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Right from the start, the book pulls you in with an intriguing mystery, slowly unraveling pieces of the past that add depth to the present storyline. The comparison to Practical Magic and Gone Girl in the book’s description is definitely accurate—it has that same mix of magic, sisterhood, and small-town secrets, all wrapped up in a compelling “female revenge” narrative.

That said, the main character, Piers, makes some truly baffling decisions. I get that she’s supposed to be a bit naïve, but wow, some of her choices had me shaking my head. Still, the story itself kept me engaged, and the magical realism was well done—subtle enough to feel like it could exist within our world without being over-the-top.

One thing I really appreciated was the pacing through most of the book. It never felt stagnant or dragged out, and I found myself enjoying the way different storylines wove together. The addition of the police officer subplot was a nice touch, giving some balance to what could have been a very one-note “all men are bad” theme.

But then… the last quarter happened. Suddenly, everything started moving at lightning speed, and some of Piers’ choices felt completely out of character. The climax? So corny. I actually laughed out loud at some of the dialogue—probably not the intended reaction. The rushed ending really did the book a disservice. If there had been another 100 pages to let things breathe, I think it would have made a world of difference.

Overall, The Bane Witch was a fun, intriguing read that kept me hooked. If you’re in the mood for something witchy with a bit of mystery and don’t mind a bit of chaos at the end, it’s definitely worth checking out!

I am deeply grateful to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this opportunity to read a digital ARC and provide my honest review.

I'm conflicted with this one. I liked it a lot for the coven, all the witches, their unique magic system blooming, and the main characters' inner conflicts, but at the same time, it's one I wouldn't reread. It's dark and violent and shows how easily men do what they please, and no court or police will bring justice if there's enough money. It's infuriating. At the same time, the author balances it, giving us a sense of community, showing us males who are kind, and ask for permission who also represent the law and care for justice. I am glad I've read this one. The women are like superhero vigilantes hunting down rots of society.

She smiles in the soft light. “We don’t fear men in this house,” she tells me. “Men fear us.”

If you are in the mood for a dark female rage and vengeance book with a witchy twist, this is your story.

Piers Corbin has always experienced PICA, in her case irresistible urges to eat toxic plants, yet without ill effect. What she hasn’t known while growing up is that her urges come from being a Bane Witch, a long line of women who ingest poisonous plants and then use the toxicity in their bodies to remove predatory men from the world. When she fakes her own death to escape an abusive husband and flees to hide with an aunt she barely knows, Piers learns of her family history and abilities. Can Piers utilize her newly discovered magic abilities to overcome an area serial killer who seems to be circling her? Can she balance her chemistry with the local sheriff while keeping herself and her family out of the realm of suspicion as multiple deaths from toxins surround them?

I was completely caught up in the suspense of this story, the eerie atmosphere and bits of fascinating botany lessons. The pacing was perfect until the last bits when it seemed to go off the rails a little bit, with the dramatic bits happening so quickly.

Lots of triggers in this one so definitely check if needed, mostly for SA and domestic abuse. Highly satisfying though, to see abusers meet gruesome ends!

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this book!

I was so surprised by how much I was sucked into this book. Though I've watched Practical Magic, and read Gone Girl, I did not see how this book might be able to weave the two together, until I really got into the story.

Piers is on the run away from her abusive husband, and trying to start a new life. She makes a plan and takes as many precautions as she knows to take and then jumps from a bridge to fake her own death. Things go pretty well at first, except she is more injured than she anticipated and trying to reach her great aunt's place feels further away than she can reach on her own. Her trip is not without incident and she does leave a few loose ends along the way, but she finally reaches her Aunt Myrtle's place where she seems to draw yet another negative energy towards her. However, her aunt also teaches her a few things, Piers did not know about herself.

I was enthralled by the magic and the bit of romance though I do kind of wonder if Piers was really ready to jump into a relationship after her abusive situation, so quickly, It's not even a critique, it's just my thoughts after she's been through so much. But I do think it works well for the story. There is a lot going on and quite a few moving parts and characters, but I have to give this book credit for being so engaging and keeping me hooked until the end. I really like how everything was wrapped up as well.

The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn was absolutely enchanting!
No, this is the best type of fantasy! I don’t think I can quite put into words.
Ava Morgyn’s writing is captivating. She knows how to pull the reader into a magnificent and intriguing place.
The story was absolutely engaging and the work that went into the settings was noticeable and superb.
The attention to details in Morgyn’s writing really set the scene and tone.

When I saw this was billed as GONE GIRL meets PRACTICAL MAGIC I knew it was a must read. That mashup definitely fits! This combines many genres - part thriller, part fantasy, part contemporary fiction. It does it well though! I enjoyed the unique brand of witches you get - honestly the witch vibes are really secondary to the story which I appreciated. The setting was fantastic and gave such an eerie vibe to the story. Piers was a baddie and the ending was strong - I highly recommend!

I really liked the idea of this book and I liked the characters and the unique plot. However, parts of the book dragged a bit then the ending felt a little rushed. I would rate this a 3.5 and would recommend it to people that like witchy reads.

2 stars
——————

The Bane Witch drew me in with its cover and description, but I just didn’t love the execution of it. This book needed serious trigger warnings, which was a big issue for me.

Immediately, the writing was a miss for me. It felt like it was trying too hard to be poetic and it just didn’t fit the vibe of the book at all. The idea of this book is really unique and well thought out, but it’s laid out oddly. The faked death aspect of the book was a fun way to start and it did make sense in the context of setting up the entire story. I enjoyed that aspect. The actual bulk of the book, the magic system, was explained a little backwards for me and took away from it overall. We find out what a Bane Witch is with a good clip, it happens early enough in the book to make sense of events. But the little nuances of it get explored after the fact. Piers seeing bits about her marks is explained after the fact despite it later becomes a major plot point. Piers as a person is incredibly unlikable. She’s reckless, her choices don’t fit who she is trying to be. Her relationship with Regis is questionable. The only redeeming characters was really Myrtle. The ending to sudden and ultimately unsuspenseful

I wanted to like this book, but I think I just wasn’t the target audience.

The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn follows Piers Corbin, a unique woman who has a history of attracting poisonous things- from her fascination with pokeweed berries to her abusive husband. She fakes her own death to escape the marriage she’s become trapped in, and discovers her magnetism to poisonous things is more than a coincidence. Piers finds her Aunt Myrtle and discovers she comes from a long line of eclectic women, with each woman being a bane witch. Piers fights to earn her place in her family, all while she hides from darker forces that have caught onto her.

My personal opinions: The writing in this book is impeccable. From the word choice to the descriptions, every element is meticulously crafted to draw the reader in. Absolutely riveting plot, reading this has me entirely wrapped up and hanging on every word. I cannot overstate enough how much I absolutely love this book. Truly, this is the best book I’ve read in a while. The concept was so fresh, Piers was so strong even when facing such despicable evils, and the satisfaction of the ending just left me craving more. I will immediately be picking this book up upon its release date just to have the honor of having it on my shelves. I cannot recommend this read enough.

This book is perfect for lovers of mystery with a fair bit of magic and resilient, powerful women. Thank you so very much to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this e-arc!

4.5 rounded up

I love some feminine rage reads and this really ticked that box. Piers is in a horrible marriage (ie you really should read some cw if necessary) and the only way out she can see if faking her death and finding a long lost aunt.

This has magic. Botany. Poison. And women killing horrible men. I mean!

There were a few lines that I was like wtf (looking at you: foreplay scene where her boobs are likened to candied apples?!) but overall I had a great time.

Thanks to netgalley and st martins press for an eARC

First and foremost teaching your readers some botany (geared towards poisonous plants) because your main character is a witch who eats poisonous plants to unalive abuse men is top tier level writing in my opinion. As a survivor of domestic abuse I love reading about a woman who takes her power back and comes into her own so Piers is my girl!
Would recommend you look up trigger warnings before you pick up this book as it does talk about abuse, assault, murder, suicide, attempted r@pe, and other triggering topics

The concept was fantastic—bane witches consuming poison as a weapon made for a perfect vengeance story. The execution was intriguing, though the pacing felt uneven, with a slow build-up and a rushed finale.

The small-town setting in the mountains of upstate New York was a highlight. The forests, fall colors, and creeping winter gave the story a cozy yet eerie atmosphere. The quirky town cast added charm, though some characters felt underdeveloped. Aunt Myrtle, however, stole the show with her no-nonsense attitude and tough-love approach.

The writing was easy to read, mostly from Pier’s POV, with occasional perspective shifts that, while useful, felt a bit random. The magic system was unique, but the mechanics behind the different veneries and bane witches could have been expanded on. Some details felt underexplored, leaving a few gaps in the worldbuilding. Maybe it’s just me—I always want to know everything about everything, but sometimes that’s just not realistic within the limits of a story.

Despite its slow start, this was an enjoyable read. The atmosphere, the morally gray witches, and the cat-and-mouse storyline made it worth the time.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this eARC! All opinions are my own.

"A very little poison can do a world of good."

Page turner alert!! I finished this book feeling like I had just spent my entire weekend binge watching my favorite series on Netflix! Seriously, I could not stop myself from devouring the pages. Don't let the cover fool you; this is NOT your typical cozy witchy tale. The Bane Witch is dark, dangerous, and deadly... what a delicious guilty pleasure! Enjoy!

My gratitude to the author, Ava Morgyn, and the publisher, St. Martin's Press Griffin, for the opportunity to read a digital advanced reader copy via Net Galley. I am voluntarily leaving my thoughts on my reading experience.

The premise of this book is so cool! Witches who eat poisonous plants and use their toxic magic to kill evil men is badass and unique, and filled with feminine rage. I loved the dark, dirty and nature components of this book. Based on this I thought I would love the book, but I didn’t love the execution.

While Piers’ identity as a domestic abuse survivor is critical, I felt the whole Gone Girl component of the story was unnecessary as a drive for Piers to discover her roots and distracted from her new life and identity as a Bane Witch.

I also found the intersection of the main plot lines to be forced and undeveloped. Some scenes were hard to follow as characters popped in and out, and some things seemed to happen with no real cause or reason. The climax and ending came on very quickly, leaving me underwhelmed and confused. I didn’t feel like the characters that were set up earlier in the book made choices that made sense with themselves in the end.

Overall, The Bane Witch is a very unique read that just wasn’t for me.

FINALLY -I've been waiting for so long to post my review of this fabulous book: The Bane Witch by Ava Morgan!! Today is her publishing day and, trust me, this is a book you'll want to get your hands on!

Yes, I LOVE witchy books but they have to be somewhat realistic. The story has to be great, the characters have to be believable and I really don't want a bunch of smarmy sex stuff getting in the way of the magic! The Bane Witch was perfection on all fronts!

Piers Corbin has believed herself to be "odd" since she was a small girl. She craves the oddest foods, foods that ordinarily would kill or gravely sicken other people like poke weed berries (sooo pretty.) The problem is, she might have accidentally, not at all on purpose killed someone with her berries. She just can't figure how and she was only five so surely not...

After her mother died she was sent to live her aunt - of course she was - where she learned that she was part of a very secret, very dark coven of mostly overlooked, very powerful bane witches - witches of death. Unfortunately, they hated Piers' mother and Piers doesn't really care for them either. Now, how will they settle this very deadly dilemma? I suppose you should read the book to find out. I can assure, you won't be disappointed and you will be amazed.
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE (not very professional, was I?)

The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn is not what is appears from the cover. Look at this innocuous cover. Does it not appear to be a cozy fantasy? It is not. It is dark and suspenseful, and the items on the cover are poisonous and Bane Witches can ingest poisonous substances to kill evil men. So dark witchy fantasy mystery thriller. This is really a gripping, thought-provoking story about a woman fleeing an abusive marriage to find her only remaining family member and reclaim her power. It is a story of female empowerment.

Piers is our FMC, and that sick asshole she married showed her where he was going to bury her when he killed her. It is suspenseful – she needs to escape the abuse, and later in the story there is a serial unaliver that is stalking the woods near Piers. There wasn’t a dull moment in the entire story, it is quite fast paced, and it kept my attention from the very first page.

I really loved this story and I gave it 4.5 stars. I need to thank St. Martin’s Press and Net Galley for my e-arc. This book comes out today, March 18th.

content warnings: domestic violence, sexual assault, child molestation

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!

Do you want a novel about a magical vigilante who uses a familial gift/curse to murder abusive men? This is a real "female rage" and vengeance story fully committed to the bit and without a hint of remorse. Be prepared for a myriad of bodies and dark happenings, for monsterous men require monsterous acts in order to be to be aptly named.

TW: domestic abuse, rape, death/murder, physical assault, mentioned csa, disordered eating associated with magic powers (this is explained as a family phenomenon, not something anyone could just do), suicide attempt (that's staged as an escape from an abusive marriage)

Right from the first page we have a distinctive voice that's so unaffected and dry it's impossible to look away from. The narration style isn't asking the reader to relate or empathize or even understand. We're here to hear a story, the events won't stop regardless of our personal feelings on the morality of the events that follow.

I love love love when we have a novel with what is functionally a female serial killer pursuing her passion one cadaver at a time. This is a tale of self-discovery and reclaimation of a life lost via the taking of many, many others.

Horrible things happen every day and people keep on keeping on, which is just what Piers Corbin does after every failed death. Ingesting poisons that should kill her one way or another, only to have another fall in her place. The birthright of her family of <i>Bane Witches</i> or poison eaters who rid the world of the monsters masquerading as normal men one deadly snack at a time.

Piers has a lot to make sense of in her quest of self-discovery, most importantly perhaps what it means to be free. Will she embrace the life of her female relatives or strive for some facsimile of a normal life like her mother failed to do? Is community a boon or a cage? Will her abuse ex-husband find her before she hunts the serial killer stalking women in the woods?

Our secondary protagonist is a cop who Piers saved the year before. Called serendipitously with his partner to investigate Piers suicide (unbeknownst that it was staged), Emil Reyes becomes obsessed with the case. He knows things are not as they seem, the husband is hiding something insideous. With his own past watching both his mother and sister barely escape abusive partners, Reyes will be damned before he lets Piers' ex-husband walk free.

Piers couldn't have planned this development, fate electing to smile upon her with her case assignment. The detective could have just written things off as a suicide and closed the book, yet instead she received someone who literally can't stop himself from seeing justice through. Fair warning the sudden shift in his first chapter is quite clunky and tonally dissonant from the rest of the novel, yet subsequent chapters more easily flow with the rest of the text.

The comp titles are perfecftly apt, from someone who has watched both films numerous times. I can't speak on similarities to the actual novels themselves however, as I haven't gotten around to either of them yet. We have a tight knit family with secrets who do small acts of magic to even the scales and bring ruin upon those most deserving.

I wish I was a Bane witch!
This book grabbed me right away and I hated putting it down.

Piers Corbin has always had an affinity for poisonous things --plants and men. First the accidental death of a stranger after she consumed pokeweed berries to now her husband whose dark proclivities have become concerning.

To escape her volatile marriage she fakes her death and makes her way to her estranged great aunt's home in the mountains. Once she arrives, she learns that her need to consume poisonous plants is more than just hunger, it's a birthright.

She comes from a long line of Bane Witches, poison eaters, women who ingest deadly plants and use their magic to rid the world of evil men.

While she tries to earn her place within her family legacy, she's working in her aunt's cafe and flirting with the small-town sheriff who helped her find her aunt's place. She's also managed to catch the attention of the serial killer roaming the area.

It's time to put her magic to use.

Thanks so much to the author and SMP for this ARC to review.

Ava Morgyn’s Bane Witch is a dark and gripping tale that weaves magic, revenge, and feminist themes into an enthralling read. The novel follows Piers Davenport, a woman trapped in an abusive marriage who orchestrates her own disappearance—only to discover that something far more dangerous lurks within her. As she flees to a remote forest town in search of a new beginning, she uncovers secrets about her lineage, a powerful and cursed inheritance, and a dark magic she may not be able to control.

Morgyn’s writing is immersive, with rich world-building that brings the lore of the bane witches and their rituals to life. The novel delivers intense suspense, layered with themes of survival and reclaiming power from those who seek to control and harm. The story kept me engaged, constantly challenging my assumptions with unexpected twists. The supporting cast, particularly Piers’ eerie and enigmatic family, added depth to the narrative, making the world feel hauntingly real.

That said, the book isn’t without its flaws. Some of the metaphors—like a particularly jarring candied apple simile—feel out of place, and the climactic showdown, while surprising, felt too brief given the tension leading up to it. Still, the overall execution of the novel is strong, making Bane Witch a compelling and atmospheric read for fans of dark fantasy and witchy revenge tales.

Final Verdict: A spellbinding story with gripping tension, a well-developed magical system, and an empowering message—though the climax could have packed more punch.