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.

"Bad Witches" by H.B. Akumiah was an absolute delight! The world-building is immersive, blending magical politics seamlessly with the “typic” world we know, creating a hidden realm that feels as thrilling as Diagon Alley, but with a sleek, futuristic vibe. The three protagonists really stand out—not just as archetypes, but as fully realized characters. I was worried they’d fall into familiar roles: the naive teacher, the glamorous socialite, and the level-headed realist. But each had surprising depth and relatable struggles, making their journey feel fresh and engaging. What I especially loved was that this magical coming-of-age story unfolds at 22, a time when life’s big questions hit differently than in typical teen fantasy. These witches aren’t discovering magic alongside puberty—they’re figuring out what it means to live authentically as adults. It’s a smart, fun twist on the genre that’s perfect for anyone navigating that post-college, "what's next?" phase of life. Highly recommend!

This was a great first witchy read for the fall but it ended in a CLIFF HANGER lol that I wasn't expecting but I am looking forward to the next book. I did get a little confused a times during the narration remembering which character was being read but I don't think you would have that problem reading it physically. The story was really interesting and I only figured out the twist a couple of pages before it happened which usually I can figure them out before it gets to that point haha. Imani Jade Powers did a really good job with the narration of this one. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks for gifting me the audio of this book.

DNFed. The narrator can make or break an ebook, and this narrator did no favors for the story. She was monotonous in her narration. She made the story sound vapid and pointless. I could not differentiate the characters from one another. Every female character seemed the same, as did the male characters, and I gave up the book in frustration after about 6 chapters. I'm still not sure what the point of the story was, except multiple women were celebrating their 22nd birthday.

Besides the title and the gorgeous cover, the synopsis grabbed my attention effortlessly. I’m so glad I read this because I loved it. This book is the embodiment of black girl magic and it deserves ALL the praise. It’s reminiscent of Twitches and That’s So Raven with a hint of Harry Potter, but it stands alone with uniqueness and originality. The characters felt so real with their flaws and quirks, and that twist towards the end? Shocking and so smart! This book is going places. You WILL be hearing about this book this spooky season and the attention is so well earned!

The Description of this book was intriguing to me and I am so glad I requested it.
This book was great from the beginning. I wasn't sure how exactly it was going to unfold but they way it did was perfect and fun!
3 young women who don't know they are witches are suddenly thrown into the Witch Sphere which is in turmoil. They end up being called to help after they go through some training. The women trying to navigate this is comical, shocking and interesting. The only thing that I found annoying was when the witch training book and articles were being read as if they were scientific reports.
All in all I enjoyed it so much that I was really bummed when it ended.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for this arc.

The book is really intriguing and mysterious. In the beginning, I felt the pace was a bit slow and then the story picked up when three young women accidentally discover their magical abilities. The world changes for them. They find themselves in the world of spells and a purpose to fulfill. It’s like a secret society. They are both shocked and curious. While a lot of things are going on in the witches world. Witches are giving birth to human babies, they are being threatened and there is a mystery of a witch sphere. So Maya, Gabbie, and Delali has a purpose to fulfil but will they be able to do it? The book ended on cliffhanger ( There are still unanswered questions). Not a major cliffhanger but unanswered questions. Can’t wait to read the next book.

This was a great book in terms of character development and world building. I felt it was a bit more of character driven and the narrator did a great job. I am hoping to read more about the witches sphere and hope all the secrets and truth unveils in next the instalment.

Thanks to the Publisher and Author.

I had a fun time with *Bad Witches* by H.B. Akumiah! The story follows Maya, Gabbie, and Delali—three Black women who discover their magical abilities after an impromptu birthday celebration. The mix of everyday life and witchy vibes was really cool, especially as the trio navigates both the magical Sphere and the regular world. I loved the unique twist of witches becoming fewer in number and how scientific research was tied into the story. The audiobook was great, though the large cast of characters with similar voices made it tricky to follow at times.

While the pacing could’ve been smoother and some characters felt a bit underdeveloped, I really enjoyed the overall story. The strong bond between the three main characters and the world-building around the Sphere and the magical organizations kept me hooked. The ending had a wild plot twist that definitely left me wanting more, and I’m really hoping for a sequel!