I liked her first book but this book just sat wrong with me. Killing people with no justice system, even for my feminist rage filled heart, was hard to root for. I liked the characters but story was waaaaaay too long and it became a slog to get through rather than enjoy.

Witchcraft, woven with strong female empowerment, makes The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn a favorite read of the month for me. It grabbed my attention right away and didn't let it go. I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

Piers Corbin, a woman with a deadly love for poisonous things, fakes her death to escape her abusive marriage and go live with her estranged aunt in the mountains. She discovers she’s a Bane Witch, a woman who eats poisonous plants and fights evil men. While working at her aunt’s cafe and flirting with the local sheriff, she catches the attention of a serial killer, forcing her to eat. Will she be able to catch the serial killer?

I absolutely adored this book! It started in Charleston, and it was so spot-on with the city’s vibe. The main theme of strong women overcoming challenges to become even stronger was really powerful. Piers really embodied that, and she grew so much throughout the story. All the characters were well-written and played a crucial role in Piers’ journey.

I was blown away by the concept of a bane witch. It was so fresh and unique, especially with the poisoning and how it was done. I was totally surprised by who the Saranac Strangler was, because it’s not who I expected at all! Overall, this was such a unique and suspenseful dark fantasy book. I highly recommend it, but definitely check the trigger warnings first!

Ratings: 4.5/5
Spice: 1.5/5

Tropes:
Feminine Rage
Female Empowerment
Fantasy and Crime
Unique Magic System
Breaking Cycles
Gone Girl & Practical Magic Vibes

Thank you so much NetGalley, St Martin’s Press, and Ava Morgyn for a chance to read this arc. All thoughts are my own!

Don't let the cover fool you, this is a dark tale about birthright, revenge, poison, and legacy. This book takes paranormal elements and mixes them with elements of a mystery thriller. There were parts of this book I enjoyed but ultimately, I was not the right reader for this book.

Piers Corbin fakes her own death to get out of an abusive marriage and travels to her aunt's home where she learns where she gets her affinity for poison from. She comes from a long line of witches known as bane witches. Witches who ingest poisonous plants in order to kill evil men. As she begins to use her powers, she attracts the wrong kind of attention.

Again, there were parts of this book that I enjoyed such as Piers learning the truth about herself and her abilities. Unfortunately, there were far too many things that I did not enjoy. I struggled some with the writing and other times, found that I was just not invested in the story enough about found myself turning to other books.

I love witchy tales but this was not the tale for me. Others enjoyed this book much more than I did, so please read their reviews as well.

I was very intrigued by the synopsis of this book. As a lover of witchy stories, this sounded right up my alley. Unfortunately, I didn't end up loving it.

There were several things that didn’t work for me here. The MC Piers was a grown woman, but sometimes felt immature and unlikable. The pace was overall pretty slow, and there was a lot of time spent on certain things that could’ve been better spent elsewhere; there was a lot going on plot-wise as well, which made things even more spaced out. The ending wrapped up pretty quickly for how much time was spent building up the story and characters, and it felt too abrupt.

That said, there were things I did like. There were a lot of strong female characters fighting for a good cause (however morally gray it was). I also liked the earthy/witchy elements, and honestly would’ve loved to see a deeper dive into that throughout the book. Once everything started to come together at the very end, I was glued to my Kindle and needed to know how it was all going to finish.

I don’t think this book was for me, but I can see other people enjoying it.

I support women’s rights…

Especially the right to kill predatory men! The Bane Witch was everything I didn’t know I wanted. Piers Corbin is such a strong and resilient woman, who you can’t help but root for.

The story opens up with her faking her own death to get away from her abusive husband. Along the way, she runs into more trouble than she could’ve ever expected. Throughout all the ups and downs she faced, she still remained strong and steady. Reading about a coven of witches who were created to kill vile men was the type of revenge I could never get enough of.

The Bane Witch is the epitome of satisfying female rage. You will be disgusted by the acts of the men in the book but satisfied with their endings. The bane witches are hero’s we didn’t know we needed.

I loved this book. I was rooting for Piers the whole time, while also on edge because of looming serial killer. I had gone through so many emotions while reading it. I’m still sad over some events that occurred but I understand the character growth that came out of it.

I strongly recommend reading this but please look into trigger warnings. Especially with the domestic abuse and rape that occurred/ is mentioned in the book.

Final rating: 4 stars ✨

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for the opportunity to read an ARC of The Bane Witch.

Remember: a very little poison can do a world of good.

Thank you so much Net Galley and Ava Morgyn for allowing me to read The Bane Witch early in exchange for an honest review. Review is linked below.

The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn 🍄🍄‍🟫🧙
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5)

I want to say thank you to St Martins Press, Ava Morgyn, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book before release! This releases March 18th! This was definitely a perfect feminine rage and fantasy book. It was such a great storyline and I had a wonderful time reading this. Beware there are some serious topics discussed in this such as domestic violence and sexual assault.

I love witchy things and this one grasped my attention by not only the cover but the blurb as well. I also liked how this was in modern times which is shocking because I tend to not really vibe when modern vibes are coming off from fantasy related reads but I liked it a lot for this novel.

This was my first book I have read of Ava’s and I plan on looking into her other work now because this book held my attention and I ate every second of this book up as I read it. I genuinely just loved the concept and storyline a lot considering I haven’t read something like this before.
Piers escaped her husband by faking her death by eating pokeberries and then “jumping” off a bridge. Shes able to escape and her journey starts from leaving her horrible past behind full of abuse, she finds her aunt and she learns more about her life and family during the time there. Once she’s there the journey truly starts and the storyline gets so intriguing and interesting learning about the bane witches of her family and their whole story and purpose.

Thank you again for the lovely opportunity to read this before release!
🍄🍄‍🟫The Bane Witch comes out March 18th! 🍄‍🟫🍄

Since her childhood, Piers Corbin has been resistant to poisonous plants without knowing why or how. Now, she needs to flee to survive. She will seek refuge with her great-aunt who is quite a character! She will soon find that her resistance is a shared birthright. She will have to take her place while navigating the close interest of the local sheriff and the local serial killer.

Don’t be fooled by the cozy witchy vibes of the book cover: there is more to it than meet the eyes. This book is like if Mary Higgins Clark suspense books had a baby with Charmed. It's a witchy suspense book: we have <i>villains</i>, well-meaning law officers, victims and strong female characters.

The FMC comes into her power progressively and it's nice to witness her growth... We get to tag along her journey to self-empowerment and to take her control back.

The characters are relatable and flawed and most have some years behind their belt. So it is refreshing compared to the all-powerful, all-knowing teens or early twenties characters that seem to be the majority in fantasy books. The side characters are well rounded as well as the MMC. We love a teddy bear character!

The book started really slow, but once she gets to her destination, it picks up a little bit. The universe, while familiar as it is set in the real world, is well thought as well as the lore and magical system.

As much as the book began a little slowly and the stakes build up progressively, the end felt rush and a little botched. There is a plot twist towards the end of the book who was entirely predictable and it was disappointing. The way the storylines came together were weird and a little over the top. I did like how it ended though. The last page was fun and sassy.

The book would have benefitted to have a trigger warning list as there were quite a few that can be hard to deal with for some of us. Examples are: domestic violence in all its forms, murder, sexual abuse, death and suicide...

Spice-wise, there aren't a lot of scenes, but some can quite be explicit. Readers, you have been advised.

(Review will be posted on Amazon on the release date.)

EXACTLY the kind of feminist rage fantasy that I now want to be reading 24/7 in this current hellscape. This one was amazing!

This book was dark and twisted and a nonstop wild ride. This is a savage picture of what it means to be a woman in a mans world. The way these women come together in the shadows and make things happen, I do not have words. This is darkness that makes sense. Obsessed.

The warm earthy smell, the tang of the ripe berry, the juices running down your chin and throat. What would poison a normal person does not have the same effect on Piers Corbin. Since the age of five, she hungers for the ripe, delicious pokeweed berry. Hunger pains will fill her mind until she finally pops one into her mouth. Piers has also been living a nightmare with her husband Harry. He beats her until she is the color of the berry, tries to choke the life from her. She knows he will do it one day soon if she does not do something about it. What does she do you ask? She jumps off a bridge and tries to swing the investigation to look into her husband, so she can finally make her escape. Piers remembers her Aunt Myrle visiting when she was five. Her aunt told her to remember Crow Lake if she ever needed to find her. This is where Piers is headed. Along the way she uncovers more about herself. By the time she arrives she is ready to hear about her family and how they have survived as Bane Witches.

This is an intense game of cat and mouse between many players. The story is tragic, the Bane Witches purpose is noble and horrifying at the same time. I was completely enraptured in this magical tale of mushrooms, berries, and other poisonous goodness the earths produces. I flew through this book the pages dissolving beneath my fingertips. This is an excellent read if you love all things witchy. Thank you to Ava Morgyn and St. Martin's Griffin for my gifted copy.

This was a dark unique twist on the witch story, I can't say I enjoyed it as the subject matter was very dark and it featured a lot of triggering subject matter. It was a very unique way to tell a story of witches and an interesting twist on magic. It is like a magical realism thriller and it kept me engaged but I will say it took me a lot longer to read as I could only read for bits at a time or I got too sad and depressed. Do not be fooled by the book cover thinking this is a light read as it is not but it is an important and engaging read. The setting was atmospheric, the characters were memorable and the plot was engaging.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for providing me with an eARC to read and review.

That was a good book! The venery stuff got a little confusing as to the hows and whys, but a solid and engaging story. I hope maybe we see Regis and Piers again in future books. I’d like to know more about his parentage. This book is very well written and the characters practically leap off the page. I could picture each of them so clearly.
It never ceases to amaze me how authors carry all of these details around in their heads to paint such a clear picture for us readers. This is one of those reads that fully immerses you in their world.

I started this book so many times but it couldn’t hold my attention. The writing was good and what I was able to get through of the story seemed interesting enough. I don’t know if I just wasn’t in the mood or if the story just wasn’t for me. I will more than likely try again some time but for now I’ll just say it was.

4.25 stars. This felt like it spoke directly to female rage and specifically my female rage. I found this to be a compulsively readable (which was a bit of a problem for me as I started reading this when I had a tight work deadline) and I felt like Ava Morgyn's writing felt really atmospheric and really drew me into the world.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the eARC.

The Bane Witch is a dark, mesmerizing blend of fantasy, thriller, and empowerment. The story follows Piers Corbin, a woman trapped in a toxic marriage who stages her own death to escape. She seeks safety with her strange great-aunt in the mountains. She finds out that she is a Bane Witch, who uses magic through deadly plants and destroys dangerous men.

Ava Morgyn crafts a beautifully haunting atmosphere, blending themes of trauma, resilience, and revenge. The book reads like a mix of Practical Magic and Gone Girl, with rich storytelling and suspenseful twists. Piers’ journey of self-discovery is gripping, and her evolving relationship with her newfound family—particularly her great-aunt Myrtle and cousin Azalea—adds depth to the narrative.

Beyond the magic, The Bane Witch tackles heavy topics like abuse and justice, making it both chilling and empowering. Including a serial killer subplot keeps the tension high, making it impossible to put down. Morgyn’s lyrical writing style makes the story feel immersive, balancing beauty with darkness.

The Bane Witch is a must-read if you love witchy tales with a sharp edge, complex female characters, and a touch of vengeance.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
A haunting, powerful story of magic, survival, and reclaiming power.

#TheBaneWitch #AvaMorgyn #DarkFantasy #WitchLit #BookReview #FemininePower

Ya'll. This book was so much darker than I expected it to be, DESPITE the synopsis mentioning a woman descended from a line of poison eaters and a serial killer. The cover said ‘cozy, witchy with some poisons’ but the pages said ‘serial killers and black widows’. Though it didn’t line up with my initial perception, I actually loved this book for exactly what it was - a story of female triumph over the male predators of the world.

This follows Piers Corbin Davenport, an interior designer who is in the midst of faking her own death to escape her abusive husband. Piers is planning to head to the Finger Lakes region of New York to hide out with her aunt Myrtle, who she met exactly one time as a child. While that seems like a risky move, it’s far safer than sticking around with a man that Piers is sure will kill her in the future. She arrives with her fake name and backstory prepared to start a new life, only to find that the tiny, quaint town is home to its very own serial strangler that targets only women. 

As Piers, now going by the name Acacia, begins to settle into her new life running a café and roadside inn, she’s also busy learning about her heritage as a Bane Witch. Bane witches eat poisons and then unleash those poisons on evil men. The poison eating is risky for those close to them, so most remain single and if they bear a son they typically give up the child so he isn’t accidentally killed. The girls are raised to follow the Bane Witch traditions, as the gift will manifest in each of them eventually. Piers, having been raised by a rogue who thought she could seek out a normal life, has a tough time coming to terms with this, but also finds relief in the fact that all the mental health issues she thought she was medicated for as a child were merely attempts by her mother to suppress her gifts. 

The Bane Witch was a compelling read that kept me guessing throughout and though I predicted how a few plot points would turn out, I was nevertheless completely hooked. Piers was admirable, though on occasion her stubbornness and determination to forge her own path made things more complicated than they should have been. I also enjoyed the complicated romantic relationship she developed with the handsome local sheriff - nothing better than a good guy inadvertently falling for an unexpectedly dangerous woman! I also think the consequences of Piers’ choices were explored well and they didn’t just go away because it was convenient for the plot - she had to deal with them. This might be a surprise favorite for the year and I would highly recommend it, especially if you’re ready for change from all the cozy witchy romances!

Not only has it been a women empowerment month of reading for me, but it’s also been a witchy month as well. The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn was a wild ride. Think Practical Magic packed with even more suspense. The cozy, woodsy cover drew me in, but the journey was not even close to cozy.
We begin with Piers Corbin, our FMC, who creates and follows through with an elaborate plan to escape her abusive husband. If domestic violence stories are a trigger for you, I’d tread lightly with this one. Piers shares quite a few disturbing memories, which has the reader rooting for her escape and his downfall.
Piers finds the only family she knows of and in the process learns about her unique hunger. Witches, evil men (including a serial killer), and a wide array of poisonous plants take root in this story of survival. Morgyn threw in a dash of romance to balance the acrid taste of the other male interactions, but it didn’t take away from the storyline.
Thank you, NetGalley, Ava Morgyn, and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Loved the read! Now off to forage.
4.5 Stars

Practical Magic meets Gone Girl?! Yes, please!

Piers Corbin escapes her volatile and abuseive marriage by faking her own death and starting her new life with a long lost relative where she finds out her diagnosed pica is actually a personality trait: she's one in a line of bane witches: women who ingest deadly plants and use their magic to rid the world of evil men...
While hiding within Aunt Myrtle's community, she learns the way of the bane witches, starts a questionable relationship with a local sheriff, and tries to do her part to find and rid the area of a serial killer.

This book [obviously] had all the green-witchy vibes, feminine rage, vigilante-ism, found family, a little romance, and suspense! What a great combo, right? Right. However, there is so much going on in this book...that the pacing was hard for me: the book felt like such a mystery/suspense/atmospheric but also felt slow...
I did appreciate the ending mostly, but wanted more "closure," for Henry, one of the driving forces behind a revenge arc.

PSA: the cover is way cuter than the story ends up being, there is some dark stuff in here, check your trigger warnings!!

TL;DR: a book darker than the cover appears, but recommended for: witch, suspense, atmospheric, feminine rage lovers!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this free eARC in exchange for an honest review.