Overall, it was an enjoyable read. I read it quickly which is usually either a good or a bad thing for me. This feel somewhere in the middle. I do wish there was a little more world building and that the pacing of certain parts didn't feel so off to me. I did love the small town witchy vibe and the characters were cute. Overall, I would probably give it a 3-3.5.

I feel very privileged to have been selected as an ARC reader for this book. This book has everything. Mystery, romance, intrigue, and a magical system I couldn't get enough of.

Small town vibes, autumnal charm, easy banter between characters that flows so naturally, and a love interest that sparks quickly but doesn't feel forced or rushed.

The characters feel realistic and relatable.
And the ending chapters had me on the edge of my seat.
It's one of my favourite reads this year 🖤
Congratulations, Maria. I anticipate amazing things from this series.

I requested this book on a whim because the cover intrigued me and ended up enjoying this story more than I expected. Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for approving my request. I will be recommending this book to fellow readers.

This was a really enjoyable book. I spent part of my childhood growing up in Maine and my mom’s side of the family is from Maine, so right off the bat I was able to connect with the general location of the story. I also lived in California for a decade, so I’m familiar with L.A. and SF too, which made it even easier for me to really picture/step into the story. I really love when books take place in areas I’ve lived or visited, it adds an extra layer to the experience for me. I really did enjoy this book. It reminded me a bit of A Discovery of Witches, Practical Magic, Witches of East End, and Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale. This book has the same vibes as those books/series, not necessarily the same plots. For a relatively short book we get a good amount of world building and backstory to explain why Cori ends up in Maine. Though I would have liked a more thorough look at the prophecy and celestial witches, but I’m a sucker for the backstory/origin story so that’s probably just my personal quirk. I enjoyed the author’s take on witches a lot, but once again, I personally would have liked a deeper look at all the different types of witches that roam the planet along with the Mother, Giver, and Other. Maybe in future books that’ll happen? I can’t tell if this is supposed to be a single, one-off book or if it’s going to be a standalone in an interconnected world. I’m a sucker for fated mates, so we’ve got that covered here. Would I have liked more actual romance throughout the book? Yes, but I know that wasn’t possible with the length. Overall, as I said before, this was a really enjoyable book. I loved the unique take on witches, the found family aspect, the fated mates trope, the betrayal by someone you once thought of as family, the world building, the location (I’ve been craving lobster ever since reading this book), and the overall vibe of the book.

I normally read multi-book series so I’m used to a bit more world building and things being drawn out longer than what I found in this book. That isn’t a bad thing, but it’s definitely a change for someone like me. I hope there are more books set in this world that will expand upon the foundation that was set in this book!

I love cozy fantasy romance novels, especially during monsoon season, so you bet that I devoured this in one sitting. This is a fantasy novel set in our world, where witches coexist among us. Our FMC, Cori (or Cordelia), is a Celestial witch that prophesized the fall of dark witches. Which obviously does not sit right with the dark witches and they want her dead. In this world, if you want a prophecy to not come true, all you have to do is kill the witch responsible for it. Hence, Cori grows up alone and in hiding.
Then she moves to a small town as a marine biologist and meets her fated mate (I ABSOLUTELY GO FERAL FOR FATED MATES TROPE) and finds her found family with Adrian's close knit family. I love how natural all of it seems. The romance, tbh, isn't that great. The focus is more on the prophecy and all that comes with it, instead of Adrian and Cori's relationship. But it is a fun read.
I do wish that the world building and romance was more developed. I liked the flashbacks that Cori kept having, it tied up the story pretty neatly. The story is an easy read and words flow easy. The plot is unique, the writing style vivid, and the setting based in a small town of Farley, Maine makes it a 4 star read.
Thanks to the Author, NetGalley, and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op | Maria Eden Books for this ARC.

In the Gray Prophecy, We meet Cori; a witch in her own made up witness protection program because of a prophecy she saw as a young girl. Along the way, we meet Adrien and his family, along with quite the characters from around the town.

This book has nice, fall vibes and is a quick read, it just ended up having a lot of vibes and tropes that fall flat for me. There’s a lot of promise with the premise of this book. There’s a unique magical system for our witches, it’s set in Maine, and the author did a fantastic job at making me feel like I was in this small lobstering town in Maine.

This has all the elements that I normally love in a fall vibes book, and that’s absolutely the mood I was in reading this book…I just was overall uninterested and not invested in our characters and what was going to happen.

This is an urban fantasy for the astrology girlies!
I really enjoyed the little quotes that related to both the story and astrology. I thought that was a nice little touch that also added some ambiance.

It took some time for the story to really feel like it started. And the pacing of Adrian and Cori’s relationship seemed off to me. They were friends (that didn’t seem to have any romantic tension to me) and then, all of a sudden, they’re more. The build up just wasn’t there. I needed to see a reason for that change, a development. And it felt like the same kind of happens with the pacing of the magic and its use. There’s not much talk of it (at all) and then it’s everything that’s talked about. It would’ve flowed a bit better for me if it was more gradually amped up. Or if the suddenness made more sense. Felt a bit stilted.

But a SUPER quick read!

I love the cat! I will forever love a lil cat companion - in ANY book!

The setting being water-side felt really unique to me. You don’t see many urban fantasy books in that type of location and I REALLY enjoyed that. For some reason, that makes me feel like this should be read in the fall. Also the whole witch-hiding-her-identity thing is also probably why I think this would be a fun and easy fall read!

And I always support the obtaining of bagels! If you know, you know.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My review is already up on Goodreads and my TikTok review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly wrap-up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the ARC.
Cori is a witch in hiding with a massive secret and is counting down the days until her fate is decided.
The setting is modern Coastal Maine which plays nicely into the elemental magic other witches in the town use, creating an atmospheric moody vibe.
The romantic arc leans heavily on the concept of fated lovers, with the attraction being instant but the relationship building over time.
I loved the idea of all the magic but specifically celestial witches, and would have liked to see their powers more fleshed out. This would be very difficult to do in a 300 page book, so perhaps a few hundred more pages would have helped for the world-building. I could have done with less minor characters as I felt that some of them did not add much to the story and instead were "telling" the reader what was happening, rather than showing, which is the style I prefer.
I would recommend this book to romantasy readers who want a quick fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Maria A. Eden for providing me with an ARC copy of The Grey Prophecy.

I am extremely happy that this was the first ARC that I have been provided.

I loved this book so much that I found myself struggling to put it down. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters in this book and the way that witchcraft was portrayed in this book was also amazing.

The plot was so well written that I was always excited to see what was going to happen next.

I absolutely loved The Gray Prophecy and I can't wait for the next book.

Cori was 12 years old when she gave a prophecy that would change the world of witches forever. Other witches put her on their hit list to stop the prophecy from coming true. Fast forward ten years when Cori moves to Farley, Maine. As the date of her prophecy draws near, she is thrust back into the world she spent a decade hiding from – magic, friendship, and family. Cori might also find love in the local Water Elemental witch, Adrien.

I did not realize how much I missed witchy stories until reading “The Gray Prophecy”. This is the first ARC that I couldn’t put down! There was so much to love about “The Gray Prophecy.” The pacing was wonderful in that it wasn’t too slow or too fast. There were a couple of places where there were minor time jumps, but they helped move the story along instead of making readers slog through 100 days of monotony. Already, that makes the book easy to read. Add in the dual POV from Cori and Adrien in shorter chapters, and I just ate up each word. The dual POV was a great way to provide insight into differing perspectives on the same event. I also found that the dual POV helped add more depth to the side characters.

Another thing I loved about the book was Maria Eden’s writing. The story had a great flow that led readers seamlessly between world-building, thoughts, dialogue, and visions. This is a talent that Eden excels at, making “The Gray Prophecy” genuinely enjoyable! She also has a way of connecting traditional lore around witches/witchcraft in a cohesive way that many writers seem to struggle with when creating a paranormal story. Instead of trying to create a whole new world from scratch, Eden takes what most people already know about witches and added her own flair. She then took this traditional lore and explained differences in beliefs within the lore she had created. There was little room for questions due to plot holes. I was surprised at how frequently I found myself saying, “Oh, that makes so much sense,” while reading. The only request I have is more romance, but even that was solid in execution.

Get ready witchy readers! We have a new read that will have you ready for autumn as you dive into the first book in the new Elementals series!

***I received this book as an ARC on Netgalley in return for an honest review.***

Rating: 4.9 stars
WRITING STYLE: 1/1
CHARACTER LIKABILITY: 1/1
ENTERTAINMENT: 1/1
PLOT: 1/1
ROMANCE: 0.9/1

Very good book. Am excited for the next book in series. Would recommend to friends. Best book that I have read in a while. 10 /10!

The Gray Prophecy by Maria A. Eden is a captivating blend of fantasy and romance that kept me hooked from the start. Eden’s world-building is rich and immersive, and her characters are complex and relatable. The plot is filled with intrigue and suspense, and the romantic tension is palpable. Cori, the young witch at the heart of the story, is a strong and determined protagonist whose journey is both inspiring and heartbreaking. I eagerly anticipate the next installment in this promising series. Thank you to NetGalley and Maria A. Eden for the opportunity to read this ARC.

4.25/5

I genuinely enjoyed The Gray Prophecy. I felt like it was one of those books you'd read curled up in bed on a rainy day.

While set in our modern world, Farley felt like a real place (I'm sure these places, or at least in some sense, exist). but vivid detail and fleshed-out showing rather than telling brought me into the town. Each side character came to life, however minor. (Honestly, Jordan was my favorite.) I could imagine conversations between everyone with little mannerisms and quirks described with each interaction.

I appreciated Cori's arc. Sometimes we're stronger together rather than alone and that's okay.

I kind of love books with prophecies. They're usually wildcards.
How all of the different witches and their powers worked was interesting to read.

All in all, it was just a laid-back, but compelling read. I *wanted* to know what happened, which is the important part.

My only complaint is: what happened to Turtle? Where. Is. Turtle?

Lastly, I kind of wasn't interested in a continuation of Enzo's story until I read the short piece of the beginning of his book but then based on what I read - I am kind of interested now. I can't wait to read it.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

As a child, Cori a celestial witch, delivered a prophesy that would shake the world of witches. Since coming of age she has been in hiding as many of those witches believe that only in her death will the prophesy cease to exist.
When she arrives in the small costal town in Maine to take up a research position in marine Ecology, Cori encounters another witch, Adrian. With his control of the water element it soon become apparent to both of them that they are not just fated but destined to face the prophesy together.
This was an excellent read. I loved the interaction between the characters and am glad that there will be more books from this world. Good flowing plot that kept me engrossed throughout, such that I read it in one sitting.

I love a good witchy vibe, and this book delivered! I couldn’t put this book down, the plot was entertaining and well paced. The world building was easy to follow and not super complicated. I am always a little unsure how I will feel about a contemporary fantasy, but I loved it! Especially the little Gilmore girl reference (team Jess forever!). Cori was such a likable FMC, and I was quickly rooting for her. I ADORE Adrian, and loved the relationship between him and Cori. Honestly all the Huxley’s are top tier found family goals. I only wish the book was a longer so we could see Cori and Adrian’s relationship grow and some more world building. Can’t wait for book 2!!!

Must read for:
✨fated mates
✨small town
✨found family
✨touch her and die
✨witchy vibes
✨fall aesthetic
✨magic
✨dual pov

2.5 stars. I liked this but around the 50% mark things just got too disjointed to overlook. Likable characters and unique plot. I think it was too steep to write such an (interesting!) but complicated plot and a genuine memorable romance in so few pages.

This was such a fun and immersive read that combined cozy small-town vibes with exciting magical adventures.

Cori is a witch hiding from a prophecy she delivered as a child. Moving to Farley, Maine, she hopes to keep a low profile until the prophecy comes true.

She meets Adrian Huxley, a local Water Elemental witch, making it hard to keep her secret.

Their chemistry is AMAZING, and you'll root for them from the start.

The plot keeps you hooked with its twists and surprises!!

It's a perfect blend of romance, mystery, and magic that will keep you turning the pages.

Thank you NetGalley and Maria Eden for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Adrian and Cori.
Whatever Maria put in this book was like crack to my soul - witches, beautiful prose, compelling story, it had everything.
Cori is a celestial witch running from a prophecy she delivered years ago which spells her death on a future winter solstice. Her San Fran coven believes that Cori's prophecy must come true to ensure those have used dark magic don't lose their magic. She and her family believe that by running and hiding until the date of the prophecy she can outrun her fate. What she doesn't plan on is hiding in a town with other witches who don't buy into the doom of gloom the prophecy supposedly spells. Cori also happens across a boy (as you do) and boy would he burn the world down for his woman.
I loved the world Maria built and enjoyed every second.

This was quite a fun witchy read. I genuinely enjoyed the writing style of the author and the small town vibes of the book as well as the dynamics and relationships between te=he characters. It was well constructed and very dynamic. I was hooked and this book was right up my alley.

I was so grateful to get to read this as an ARC. I absolutely adored this book. It wasn’t perfect, there were a few things that I didn’t fully understand the motivations behind and I kept forgetting that the setting was modern (although that might just be me because this is a branch out from what I’m used to). I also didn’t think the pacing was always perfect. However, I found myself really caring about and rooting for the characters and it has been a while since a book has managed that so I was really pleased. The main characters were likeable and there were enough spicy scenes to keep it entertaining without it feeling like it was overshadowing the plot. I’m really excited to see what is next from this author!