I'm not sure if I just wasn't the right demographic for this book or what but I just could not click with it. It had YA vibes but rather mature language and sexual content and it just really threw me off. I'm 36 so I feel like the younger crowd may enjoy this one more. In addition to that, the plot just overall bored me and I probably wouldn't have finished it if I hadn't received the audio for review. That said, I thought the narrator was excellent so I have no complaints about the audio. So if you enjoy audiobooks and want to give this book a try, I do suggest listening.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks for providing me an ALC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Bad witches was the perfect Twitches meets
Halloweentown meets Charmed vibes for adults and I ate it up! I really loved how unique each character was in this story with their own perspectives and interests.
All three FMCs were badass in their own way and I loved each one's fashion sense! It's clear that H.B.
Akumiah has a literal passion for fashion because the wardrobe of each character was a character in itself and I was living for it.
I thought the magic system was really fun and the whimsy of it really gave Charmed vibes. I liked that themes of feminism and anti-racism were present naturally within the storyline.
This book is the perfect lighthearted Witchy read with a diverse cast and plenty of witty dialogue!

Three black women serendipitously meet at a bar on their joint 22nd birthday and a spark ignites a life altering adventure. They develop their hidden powers and form a sisterhood bond while navigating two worlds; the Tipic world they were born in and the magical Realm they were born from.

What to expect:
✨ YA Paranormal
✨ Witches
✨ Magical realism
✨ Other Realms
✨ Found family
✨ Coming of age
✨ Sisterhood


What I loved:
✨The three characters were each unique and well resolved.
✨ I didn’t catch it until the end but I really enjoyed discovering that their named powers were similar to or useful in the careers they chose. So even though they didn’t know about these powers, they were always apart of the girls just simmering under the surface.
✨ This kind of felt like a modern day Sabrina but with the sisterhood of charmed

What I didn’t love so much:
✨ The info dumping was at times exhausting. Particularly in the audiobook format, lists of witches birth details were read out in detail and it was so long that it felt like I was just reading from a text book. This was also how a lot of the world building was done.
✨ The shifting POV was often confusing and frustrating.
✨ While I can appreciate the author showing characters who are as flawed as the best of us, I don’t think the cheating situation added to the story or felt authentic to that particular character.

Thankyou to NetGalley for providing me this ARC

Really enjoyed one - a perfect book to read especially with the spooky season coming.

I would place this under Young Adults - but older YA. I really hope there is a Book 2 I'm very eager to learn more about the girls and the outcome of the witches world.

Super easy book to get into, has a great storyline, I enjoyed all the pov's and the characters.

Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this book

I really, really wanted to love this, but I just couldn’t get into this one. I felt it was a little childish and over dramatic at times. Not for me really.

I LOVE a good witchy read and I went into this one blind. I really enjoyed it but I think I would have liked it more if I had known the ending would be rushed and unfinished. It obviously was set up for another book but I have not seen anything saying that there will be a sequel so I was left a bit unsatisfied. I liked that it was witchy and about friendship, most witchy books are romances (which I love) but I was glad to have something different. I really want to see more of the witch world as I found that so interesting. The narrator was easy to listen to and I flew through it. There were times that the POVs became muddled but mostly this was a fun read that hit the spot for the spooky season!

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank You for the opportunity to listen to Bad Witches by H.B. Akumiah.

There is something about books about Witches that always gets me interested.

This is about three women in their early twenties who share the same birthday and discover that they are witches.

It was again a light-hearted read only their origin felt a bit unrealistic and also the ending was a bit rushed. I suppose to make way for a sequel.

Overall though, it was good time pass and wouldn't be a bad pick, if you are looking to get through something quickly.

This book was fun and perfect to get into the mood of fall. I did find it quite slow, which may have been the narrator. Overall it was enjoyable, but not all that memorable.

H.B. Alimiah's story about three women in their twenties who, on their shared birthday, stumble into one another... and perform accidental magic, is a delightful debut novel.

The women discover they're witches and embark on a journey into self-discovery and training up to become full-fledged witches. The story is funny, heartwarming, and full of the stumbles and bumbles of youth. I enjoyed the magical journey and despite the novel's 400+ pages, the story flies right by.

The ending felt a tad bit rushed to me, but overall this was excellent and I hope to see more!

Marked as DNF on 9/7/24 at 27% | I wanted to like this so badly, but it was just moving too slowly. I was listening to the audiobook and was 27% in with 10 hours left still and it just felt daunting. We barely even knew anything about the magic, the witchy society, and the why all this was happening to all of these girls. I don't need all of the answers in the beginning, but at a quarter of the way through, I should know some purpose and what we're heading towards. Too much time wasted on small details and I just never felt motivated to pick it back up.

Does it sound weird if I say this book about modern witches was thoroughly believable? The people, personalities, locations, etc. all felt firmly grounded in reality, allowing for a solid framework on which to build an exciting new mythology. The narrator had a big job with so many characters but she acquitted herself beautifully. Now the real question: How long must we wait for book 2?

I really enjoyed this! I love a good witchy book and this was a breath of fresh air! I loved the characters. It felt really organic, from their first meeting to the sleepovers. They weren't suddenly besties, it grew as they got to know each other and accepted each other quirks. Its so relatable. The story and world building, its giving 90's Sabrina the Teenage Witch meets The Bold Type. Some good witchy shenanigans as they're learning. This would make a really good tv show.

Definitely recommending this!

WITCH ERA ALERT! This was so fun and wonderful, it has to be on the TBR of every single spooky-season reader. 3 young adult witches coming into their power with attitude - need I say more? What fun the audiobook is - I highly recommend tandem listening and reading along!

Thank you to NetGalley for this audiobook eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received this audiobook from Blackstone Publishing on NetGalley - thank you!

It was a fun and lighthearted read with interesting and diverse characters. Watching the protagonists grow and change was even more exciting than the magic aspect of the story itself. I loved that despite their personalities being so different, the girls found a way to work together as a team. I also enjoyed all the modern life references including social media, restaurants, stores, clothing brands etc. It was perhaps because of all these details that I cared much more about the NY trio than about Nadia and her storyline. The way the world of the Sphere was designed seemed much less consistent and convincing to me than the NY setting.

The story seemed stretched out a bit and I wouldn't mind if it were shorter. On the other hand, I wouldn’t want to miss the descriptions of clothes, nails, restaurants etc. :)

I wonder what my perception of the book would be like if I read the ebook instead of listening to the audiobook. I wasn’t a fan of the narrator’s rendition of certain voices.

I would recommend this book to all fans of urban fantasy, especially now with the spooky season approaching!

What a fun and charming book. Perfect for all ages. I found the story entertaining and was excited to see where it would go.

The audio was great. Well narrated and a fun listen.

This book will be a perfect read for spooky season.

Thank you Netgalley for the early copy for my review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the opportunity to read Bad Witches by H.B. Akumiah, Narrated by Imani Jade Powers in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of Bad Witches had me hooked. The Witch Sphere, a society in turmoil, coupled with the struggles of a declining witch population, offers plenty of excitement for world-building and political intrigue. Nadia’s introduction hints at a more mature, high-stakes narrative, which had me ready to jump in and see how her role would unfold. However, the novel quickly shifts its focus to Maya, Gabbie, and Delali, young ladies who stumble into magic on their 22nd birthday.

While the three new witches are likable, their somewhat immature energy feels more suited to a YA audience. I did enjoy some of the lighter moments, but it became repetitive and I found myself more and more eager to get back to Nadia’s perspective.

I’m confused as to why we never dive into how Maya, Gabbie, and Delali came into their powers. The lack of information about their parents or backgrounds felt like a missed opportunity, and I found myself questioning key parts of the world-building. The POV switching added to the confusion, and while the narrator, Imani Jade Powers, did an excellent job with the audiobook, I still had trouble keeping track of which character was speaking at times.

The ending felt abrupt and unresolved, leaving key questions unanswered, such as the nature of the “Typic” Crisis and the fate of the characters. Without a clear hint of a sequel, this lack of closure was disappointing. Fans of witchy books centered on female empowerment and identity may enjoy Bad Witches, but it might not hit the mark for readers looking for a more adult-focused narrative.

I am a new fan of magic/sci-fi, so I still feel like I am finding exactly what I like. I felt like this book would be fun for those into YA books. I found the premise of the story very fun, but I was left really wanting more. I felt like the characters were very likeable, but could have used more inner conflict or just conflict in general. Also, I would have loved to hear more about the history of the witches. I feel like other parts of the story could have been shortened to develop those parts.

This was SO FUN! It feels just like the tv show Charmed. Three Black women turning 22 on the same night meet at a bar under very interesting circumstances and they soon discover they've all become witches. We follow them through their training and upheaval in the witch world.

I absolutely adored this - I can't believe I haven't seen more hype around this book. It will forever be on all my witchy TBR book rec lists!

The diversity of this book was more than appreciated. The BPoC witch community is well represented here. I found myself skimming more and more through the mundane details. While detail is appreciated it became a bit tedious at times. This was an ARC audiobook from Netgalley. I really liked the narrator, my only complaint there was it was hard to discern the different FMCs because there was barely any distinction between them. The conflict and the resolution were fine, but there was very little detail about the after and then it just abruptly ended. I truly believe without the romance and fluff, and maybe a little more distinction between the characters, this would have been a 5★ read.

A fun read just in time for spooky season! In Bad Witches, author H.B. Akumiah set up a refreshing storyline that left me anticipating the next installment as soon as I finished. And I can’t forget to mention Imani Jade Powers as narrator of the audiobook. Her soothing voice was simply spell bounding for this cozy read.