Member Reviews
This was a fun witchy read. Perfect for spooky season, or just anytime. While I am a fantasy reader, I appreciated the ease of this book and not needing to be a heavy fantasy reader to follow along. Loved the millennial references!
Very interesting magic system. Enjoyed it until the end when it left a ton of things unresolved. If there is going to be a second book that that's one heck of a cliffhanger. If not then I should probably dock it another star. Otherwise I thought this was overall a fun read. The audiobook is fantastic!
I really enjoyed this book. I almost never read "fantasy" and this goes in that direction to be sure. But it was like Sex in the City with witchcraft and other realms. It was truly fun start to finish and I would actually be interested in a sequel. Very well done!!
The cover is so simple and yet I was instantly curious. I ended up loving this book. It felt like I was hanging out with my girlfriends the whole time.
It’s September 1 in NYC and three girls meet in a bar bathroom. They’re strangers and they’re all celebrating their 22nd birthday. On a whim, they decide to spend the rest of the night together.
After that night they loosely keep in touch but are brought back together once they find out they are witches. And really strong witches too.
With the help of a mentor-witch, they learn how to use their powers. As a final test, their mentor tells them to do a spell to bind the powers of the unloved regent witch who rules over the magical world.
I loved these characters, I wish I could hang out with Gabbie, Maya and Delali (and that I had magical powers of course).
The narrator was also amazing and I’ll definitely be picking up the next book.
4.5 stars
In this debut novel, we follow four different characters: Mya, Gabbie, and Delali, who are living in the non-magical world as ordinary people in New York City and Brooklyn. On their 22nd birthday, which coincidentally falls on the same day, they happen to meet each other in a bar, and their magic awakens. After experiencing a series of chaotic events, the three join together and find a mentor who teaches them about their magic. Meanwhile, in the magical world known as the Sphere, Nadia is working with the W.H.O. to solve the crisis of “typic,” where witch babies are being born without powers. Suddenly, everything starts to change. As these four navigate their respective worlds and the transformations within them, sinister events begin to unfold.
Initially, I planned to rate this book much lower because, let’s be honest, much of it moves like a snail in molasses. There are entire passages filled with unnecessary details, like textbooks and menus, that do not contribute to the storyline. Additionally, the story follows four characters within a limited timeframe. However, when I reached the last quarter of the book, I realized this was the beginning of a series. The focus on world-building and backstories became clearer, prompting a shift in my understanding. Unfortunately, I didn’t see any indication of a series in the descriptions, but the writing and the ending certainly imply that this is the first of many, possibly even a trilogy.
While recognizing that this is part of a series doesn’t change the slow pacing, it does shift my appreciation for the book. We are constructing an intricate magic system across two different realities, and it’s fascinating to see three young women discover this world while building relationships among themselves. I hope that when we move on to the second book, there will be a strong bond established, allowing the story to start with momentum.
I appreciated the depiction of sisterhood among these women as they spent time together while managing their own lives. I enjoyed witnessing their evolving relationships and building confidence. The magic system itself is intriguing, sharing both similarities and differences with typical witch magic in fantasy literature. The pacing could have been improved, and better editing to eliminate unnecessary text would have greatly enhanced the reading experience. Overall, the book is entertaining, and the last quarter shifts the tone and expectations. This is a solid debut, and the narrator, Imani, is exceptional at her craft.
I wanted to love this book, but I think I am officially just too old to connect with characters in their 20s. It does hit that insecurity of trying to find yourself, but I just felt like it was a bit too slow for me. It just didn't hit the same as I think it would have if I was younger.
3 stars
This was an easy listen. It was fun and I really liked how the women came together and tried to figure out their situation. I got a little lost in the sauce in some places but the narrator was great. I wish I had understood a little better some of the situations but it seemed like a great first for a series? Hopefully more to come.
This story felt all over the place for me.
What should be a fun witchy 'girls-on-a-mission' story had a LOT of world building and too many characters to pay attention to.
The beginning of this book was long and hard to get through, also very difficult to distinguish what was most important in between the introduction of characters, world building and magic.
By the middle and the general climax, I was FINALLY starting to like it and then it was 85% and I felt sad because I finally started to connect to the characters. And then the ENDING was the actual best part and of course gives a cliffhanger moment.
I'm hoping the second book is better.
I received this story as an ALC from NetGalley, and I thank them for letting me read & review 🤗
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