Member Reviews
This book had so much potential, but it just didn't work for me. The world building definitely had it's problems and the story was kind of all over the place. I also wasn't expecting it to end with a cliffhanger. If I'd known, I might have waited until book two and read them back to back.
However, I had no issues with the narration of this audiobook. It was done very well.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.
i loved this cozy witchy book for my October mood reading. the three friendships were fun to follow and I could identify with each of the women's stories. I really wish we had more world building. I was really interested in the witch world and Nadia but we focused more on the other characters. It was kind of like sex in the city with witches and it was a lot of fun.
I was really excited for this book but it just did not do it for me. Immediately the characters felt superficial and the story read way too YA for my liking. For some reason it wasn’t the vibe I was expecting going into this book. There were a lot of unnecessary details which didn’t add anything to the story and then the book just ends. I’m assuming there will be a sequel? Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this audiobook.
Can we take a moment to appreciate how stunning this cover is?
I’m all about fierce, rebellious witches, and this one felt so refreshingly fun! Tipsy girls bonding in a bathroom? Absolutely relatable!
This witty tale of sisterhood was a bit lengthy for my taste, but I loved how Akumiah skillfully sprinkled in magic, effortlessly blending fantasy with reality.
I’m less critical of seasonal reads as long as they fulfill their purpose—letting me escape into an enjoyable, seasonal fantasy! And this one did just that!
Do I sense a sequel brewing? 😉
3.5 stars rounded to 4 for Goodreads
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!
WOW!!! What a great book!! This one had me hooked from page 1! This was a first for me from this author and I will not be my last? I am a huge fan of spooky vibes!! This one was a win for me!
Please tell me there will be a sequel!
For the past few decades, the Witch Sphere has been in turmoil – after an unprecedented betrayal, witches have been given birth to more typics, people without magical power, decreasing the numbers of witches remaining. Nadia is determined to find out why this is happening. Meanwhile, on their 22nd birthday, Maya, Gabbie, and Delali met by chance in a bar and performed an accidental bit of magic. With only a mysterious mentor, the trio find themselves learning all about the world of magic and how to harness their powers. As the girls practice, Nadia notices spikes in the magic baseline and wonders if an unknown group of witches could be the key to solving the Typic Crisis.
It took me a little bit of time to get into the story because there were so many characters to introduce, but once we got to know them all, I was hooked! I liked the world building described; I wish we could have seen more of the Sphere (the magical realm). The book ended a bit abruptly, which I can only hope means we will see a follow up to resolve the problems still going on at the end of this book. This is a perfect fall read.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of this book.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for an ARC of this book. I enjoyed Bad Witches. It was a fun witchy book perfect for spooky season. It was all about friendship and girl power. I would like to learn more abut this world. I think there is a lot the author can do to continue the story.
I don't think this should be marketed as a young adult book because the characters are too old. I think it should be marketed as a "new" adult book.
The book was good, but nothing great. The narrator did a good job, it was just hard when they were reading from at least 3 different points of view with little to no variation between the characters, so if you were forced to stop reading the book for an extended period of time, it was easy to forget who was talking. The story seemed like it could of been a duology, the first half of the book was fun and exciting, but then the story sort of stalled and felt like it dragged on until the final 10% of the book, when all the little pieces came together. All in all, it felt like it was too long for just one book and may have kept my attention a bit more if it was broken up into two books The romance was cute, very PG-13 but also full of diverse representation.
What a delightful witchy read! Narration was amazing and was easy to distinguish between the three mains.
I loved Maya, Gabbie and Delano and their personalities and quirks. They all meet on their joint 22nd birthday, soon discover they are witches and embark on quite a journey together. Although fun, it was also twisty! Highly recommend!!
The audio was fantastic!
Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.
This was a fun breezy magical read that I really enjoyed. Three unsuspecting young typics suddenly start experiencing magical events, and the witch sphere is in chaos. The mother's magic is gone due to the betrayer, the witches have stopped birthing more witches, the happiness rate is plummeting, and the regent is sus. The story follows the three typics as they learn to harness their powers and become friends while navigating their normal 22 year old lives. I really enjoyed the narration and with the twists at the end, I am hoping for a sequel.
Thank you for the ARC!
First and foremost, on the audio production side, Imani Jade Powers can do no wrong. This is such a fantastically put together audiobook.
As for the story itself, I loved Bad Witches. It was the perfect ready for spooky season. For fans of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Bad Witches follows three girls who discover a connection and magical abilities. They begin magical training in advance of a gathering. There's a lot to love here. I thought the characters felt real and fleshed out. I enjoyed the scenes where they trained. I thought it was well paced and engaging. I can't wait for more from Akumiah.
If you're a fan of Sabrina, Charmed and series that are similar you will love this book.
It's perfect even for those who don't love fantasy
I was really surprised in a good way :D
This urban fantasy follows three girls who discover they share a birthday and newfound magical abilities, brought together by fate and guided by an older witch. As they learn about their powers, they become entangled in a larger crisis—witches are becoming scarce, and the future of the Witch Sphere is at stake. The plot explores whether these three young witches might hold the key to saving their world. The author does a great job keeping the perspectives of the main characters distinct, which helps make them relatable and enjoyable to follow. The diverse characters are well-written, with depth and strong personalities that made the story engaging. The mystery around the Witch Sphere's birth crisis was also intriguing. However, I found the story cluttered with unnecessary details, especially when it came to things like the witches' handbook and random name-drops. Listening to the audiobook, it was hard to skip these parts, and the plot itself felt a bit disorganized at times. If you're looking for a light, humorous urban fantasy with strong characters and can handle a weaker plot that ends in a cliffhanger, this could be worth picking up. Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the chance to review this book!
I really enjoyed the narration and the story is delightfully witchy and perfect for the Halloween season. I love the three "Bad Witches" so much but definitely have a soft spot for kind-hearted Gabby. My only critique is in regards to the pacing. I wish the middle section (after they start their training with their mentor but before the gathering) was a bit shorter and that we had more time at the gathering. The ending felt a little rushed and I would have liked to see more of the sphere. All in all this book is a very fun read and definitely one I would recommend to anyone on the looking for their next Witch book to add to their October TBRs.
Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing!
This audiobook is a lot of fun! There are 2 realms, those of the typic, or non-magic world, and the Sphere where most of the witches live. Very few new witches are being born in the sphere and the community is in crisis.
In the typic world, three 22-year-old women end up in the same bar bathroom on their shared birthday and end up having drinks together. Upon leaving, they accidentally create golden threads of magic which not only saves the phone they tried to catch from falling into a street drain, but also bonds them with the strange experience. Each of the women gleefully begins to discover and explore their powers.
This is a cozy fantasy, I enjoyed listening to it on my commute. There is obviously needs to be a sequel and I hope that Imani Jade Powers will also be the narrator. If so, I will definitely be ready for the audiobook!
Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks for this advance copy! 3.5 stars on my first read. I think I will have to read this book again to get more out of it. I loved the idea of this story, but it was so long and there were a lot of characters to keep track of. I was interested enough to read it all (and would keep reading as a series) but it was a struggle at times to stay engaged and on track. I think it'll be better the second time around, especially knowing about the plot twists. I recommend to anyone who likes modern witchy books with creative and unique spins.
This was a fun listen but it was pretty heavy on the plot jumping. Because of that, I found myself zoning out pretty frequently and almost didn't finish it.
The black cover with the rainbow letters made me fall for this book right away.
It catches your eye and for me this was a must read - it's just as magical as the story promised to be!
Bad Witches tells the story about the witches sphere, where you are being born into as a woman.
If you have the mark that shows - only - in the first moment after bird, you are most definitely a witch!
But truth to be told, not every witch knows about there abillitys, and that's the same with the girls in this book.
But when they meet and come together they happen to be able to do quite some extraordinary things.
When there powers are discovered they get a mentor... but with all hapening in the Witches Sphere they get a very special assignment.
The big question is, is everything as it seems?
Bad Witches is a strong written story that has some kind of Sex in the City vibe, when the girls meet each other and come together.
It shows humor, adventure and makes you want to read it till the end!
A lovely and original story that definetly makes you wonder what will happen in the next chapter!
A must read for fans of Charmed, Sex in the City and magical feelgood stories!
What a great "meet cute" of three powerful and bad witches. This is a fun book and I cannot wait to read the second one!!!
This was a fun urban fantasy. It was told from multiple POVs (five I think?). However, the author did a great job keeping the voices of the three main characters unique and easy to tell apart. I enjoyed how well they worked together and individually, and it definitely elevated the experience to have them all be relatable. They had good depth, and there was great diversity for the MCs. I could tell that the author put a lot of work into writing strong characters. The intrigue relating to the birth crisis in the Witch Sphere was also quite interesting.
Something that I didn’t prefer was how often too much information was included. This happened when the handbook/textbook was discussed, and another instance was when the author listed many, many names that didn’t seem to be relevant to know. It also happened in relation to makeup. It definitely got worse as the work went on and since I was listening to the audiobook version it wasn’t possible to skim these parts. I also wish that the plot had been a little less haphazard – it was often difficult to follow, and I just had to sit back and trust that the things happening were happening for a reason (they didn’t always, but that’s fine).
Read this if you’re looking for an easy-to-read and humorous urban fantasy that’s got good characters, a weaker plot, and ends with a cliffhanger. My thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.