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.

This was really cute! Fantastic debut novel for H.B. Akumiah. Would be a great lite fall read 🍂🍁It had ROM-com vibes/tone but with less romance and more mystery. Reminded me a bit of Finnly Donovon but with witchy vibes. 🕵️‍♀️🧙 I was bummed that I didn’t get an ending as this is the first in the series and I was left wanting a bit more from the characters. Because of the multiple POV’s I didn’t feel overly attached to any of them. I’m hoping to get the extended character development in the next book!

Synopsis:

In H. B. Akumiah’s lively and charming debut, three young women; A public relations assistant, a teacher, and a former child star walk into a bar bathroom ... On what happens to be all of their twenty-second birthday and, like many twentysomethings, become fast tipsy friends. But unlike most twentysomethings, their night of partying ends with an accidental act of magic. Suddenly, Maya, Gabbie, and Delali find themselves thrust into a world of spells and potions with only a mysterious mentor as a guide. Now these newly discovered witches, and their new-found magic may be the key to saving the world ...

This is the first in a light witchy mystery series 🖤

Three women meet in a bar and discover that they not only share the same birthday but also possess magical abilities. A magical scientist is searching for them as a potential solution to a crisis in the magical world: a declining birth rate among witches.

This premise has the potential to be an engaging first third of a book or a compelling pilot episode for a spinoff series inspired by "Charmed" or "Sabrina." However, the plot lacks sufficient substance to sustain an entire book. Much of the narrative revolves around the main characters experimenting with magic to enhance their careers. At the same time, the central storyline—becoming involved in witch society—only truly unfolds at the 75% mark.

Unfortunately, the quality of writing is lacking. Exposition is delivered in a rather heavy-handed manner, and I found it challenging to relate to any of the characters, as they felt rather one-dimensional and shallow. I also found it somewhat frustrating that the book places significant emphasis on the witches' elaborate outfits. The author dedicates nearly as much time in the audiobook to describing the attire for a grand gala event as to the preparation for the critical spell needed to save witch society.

Additionally, I would like to critique the underlying issue facing the magical society: the low birthrate of witches. While witches are capable of having children who appear healthy and happy, these offspring are born without powers. This raises the question: why is it problematic that witches are becoming less common? Is it merely because society places value on certain traits that newborns do not possess? This premise felt somewhat questionable to me.

To the audiobook: The narrator of the audiobook did an excellent job. It must have been very challenging to convey the essence of emoji-filled text messages, but the narrator managed to make it feel natural.

“Bad Witches” is a clever and unique story of three women living in New York City who discover their magical abilities on the night of their 22nd birthdays. It reminded me of one of my favorite shows growing up, “Charmed,” which was a fun throwback. I was mostly engaged with the story, but it was definitely meant for a younger audience. Because of their ages, I had trouble connecting with the characters. There were parts where I was hooked and others where the plot was moving a bit too slow. I think I just wasn’t the right audience for this book, but I definitely think it’s a great read for fall.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Imani Jade Powers. It’s never an easy task to voice an all-female cast, but I thought she did a great job. She was engaging and enjoyable to listen to.

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

I really wanted to love this but found it just a bit too surface-level. I typically love a witch’s coming of age story but I was hoping for more world building and more depth, and I think that this really promising book could have benefited from a more rigorous beta-reader process before being published to help tighten up the characterization and pacing.

I was initially drawn to this book because of the beautiful cover and the fun description. However, it was not quite what I expected and I had a difficult time staying focused and remaining interested. While I think this is a perfect, fun read for a younger audience, I don’t think it was right for me.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Well this was a fun book to listen too! I really enjoyed the modern approach to witchcraft and listening to 3 young 22 year olds navigating every day life and realizing they have magic. Each character was quirky and unique, bringing different aspects to the story. On the other side, I also was intrigued with Nadia and how she lived in the witch world, the history of the mothers and the "world building". I enjoyed this book, but I did feel like it need a bit more development with the world building and more details into the FMC's magic and how they gained their powers. Why them, etc. And then is this going to be a series?? 3.5 rounded to 4.

This was such a fun witchy coming of age story. Perfect for kicking off fall! This would make such a fun tv series or movie!

This just wasn't for me. Those who love paranormal chick lit will love this but this was simple without being charming and the story was too pedestrian to keep my interest.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book! We’ve all seen the whole teen/tween witch thing done over and over, so it was refreshing to see slightly older witches coming into their powers. The decision to have the “typic” world and the Sphere separate locations was a nice change from the magical school route. I loved the relationships formed between characters, and found the characters pretty well developed making it easy to relate to them.

I did listen to this book on audio, and found the narrator’s voice captured the story very well. The diction was clear, pacing was great, and I had no issues with the playback.

As this book did end on a cliffhanger, I assume it is the first book of a series or trilogy. I look forward to reading the next book! Overall, I’d rate this book 4 stars, and would recommend to anyone who likes witchy stories. As this book did end on a cliffhanger, I assume it is the first book of a series or trilogy. I look forward to reading the next one!

🧚🏻A huge thanks goes out to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and author H.B. Akumiah for providing me with a free audio copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Bad Witches - HB Akumiah

Three ordinary women and all they have in common is their exact date of birth. Fate leads them to find each other on their birthday and the magic ignites with them… They have no idea there is a world full of witches outside of the real world.

The story covers the 3 new witches and a witch who is looking for them because they keep using magic out of the bounds of the rules. She has no idea they weren’t born witches and they have no idea they are doing anything wrong.

It was decent enough, Maya, Gabbie, and Delali…. They weren’t great for me. I didn’t much enjoy them until the last 3rd of the book. Nadia, the witch trying to save her world, I liked her but we didn’t get as much of her as I would have liked.

It was definitely a decent start to what I am assuming is going to be a series, (the end doesn’t work if it is not) and it was more fantasy adjacent for me.. Is that even a thing? It wasn’t a heavy fantasy read and I wouldn’t have called it a romance either but maybe that is coming.

3.75 stars

I always have a hard time with witchy books and fantasy, but once I found out the author was Black and so were the characters, I didn’t waste any time requesting this. And I’m actually glad I did. It wasn’t as witchy as I was expecting and I think that light heartedness was what made it to me.

Ok so yes this was fantasy, but it was fantasy light. Which was good for me because I think it would have turned me off if it was anything else. The magic they use is for things that I would use it for lol And I really liked that they showed them doing the spells too. I enjoyed seeing the magic. I do wish there was more, but eh it was ok.

The reason I think we miss out on some of the magic is because we’re too busy getting all these POVs and what they’re doing. I’m not usually someone who complains about POVs, but in this case, there was like four of them and it made the book feel drawn out. And I hated that as soon as I felt like I was getting to know the character, it was on to the next one. But it wasn’t terrible. They all had different personalities and it was easy to keep their voices apart.

One thing I did like tho was the ending. I literally stopped in my tracks when things started going down. As soon as I got down to the last few minutes of this book I couldn’t stop listening. It was such a surprise that I was not expecting. I can honestly say this one caught my off guard. I told people about this book because of the ending alone lol

I wanted more from the fantasy side tho. The magic was on point, but because it was Magical Realism and they didn’t actually know how to use their powers yet, it was mostly filled with them doing spells on accident or learning. I found this to be charming and endearing. And I wish we got to see more of the Sphere. We get one look at the ending, but I wanted way more than that little glimpse. Also, I found it so weird that they were so powerful but they barely knew how to use their specific powers? It seemed like they were using them on accident. Hopefully there’s more on them using their powers anf their powers together in the next one. IF there’s going to be a next one.

This was a very interesting read. I don’t think I would have picked this up if I hadn’t known it was by a Black author lol Although it was long and a bit confusing, it was still very fun. I need some more people to read this so we can talk about it. I need to know which of the girl’s powers you’d want lol

Bad Witches

Where was the world building? Why didn’t we get more details about the trio’s training, the origins of their powers, or why they manifested so late? Why in the world did we spend so much time on the intricate details of every character’s outfit, every single time? Why was absolutely nothing resolved in the end?

I really wanted to love this book, but ended up with more questions than answers.

#BadWitches #NetGalley

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Bad Witches by H.B. Akumiah
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 448 / Genre: Witch Fantasy
Audiobook Narrator: Imani Jade Powers
Duration: 13 hours 8 minutes

If you’re like me and love modern day witch fantasies like Charmed and Practical Magic, then you need to add Bad Witches to your spooky reads TBR. Three very different women meet up in the bathroom of a bar on their 23rd birthday. What are the chances that they’d all have the exact same birthday? Once together, their witchy powers spark and their lives will never be the same again. A witch mentor finds them and helps them hone their powers. They’re also introduced to the Witch Sphere, a world just for witches. I don’t even want to say any more. I’m so excited about this new series. Can’t wait for the next book!

I listened to the audiobook and Imani Jade Powers did a great job narrating.

Thank you, @NetGalley, @BlackstonePublishing, and @Hizzaire for my gifted copy.

Bad Witches was definitely a cozy read. Imagine three perfect strangers who discover that they were born on the same day, and also that they are witches. Of course, with great powers come great responsibilities and the three young women must learn to work together to control their newly discovered powers.

H.B. Akumiah’s debut novel draws on 1990s and 2000s classics such as Charmed, Sabrina The Teenage Witch or The Craft. There aren’t really any surprises in the story, but I easily let myself be carried by the fun and enduring good mood of the storytelling. Imani Jade Powers was a great choice for the narration. She brings an atmosphere of sparkles and craziness to the story, even during the few dead points.

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.