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!

Narrated by Imani Jade Powers
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Story by H.B. Akumiah
3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This story took me a little bit to get into as I found the beginning a little slow but it definitely picked up about half way through. The story is intriguing enough that I would continue the story.

This was such a fun witchy read for spooky season. 😍 I really enjoyed all 3 of the characters and their personalities. There were a lot of lol moments because these gals were so funny together. The narration was great also. 🥰🎧

This was a real fun, quirky, cosy, lighthearted listen that I really enjoyed.

The narration was great & it was the perfect listen when you need something light & easy in the background

This just wasn’t for me. I got bored and there was way too much info dump .

I do not recommend it.

3.5 ⭐️

I enjoyed “Bad Witches" by H.B. Akumiah. The book introduces Maya, Gabbie, and Delali – three Black women who coincidentally share a birthday. Their spontaneous celebration forges a magical bond, creating a strong sisterhood. As they explore their newfound abilities, they navigate two different realms: the enchanting Sphere and the ordinary Tipic world.

The concept of a decreasing number of witches being born and the integration of scientific inquiry to solve this enigma was quite captivating. However, I had a challenge while listening to the audiobook because there were numerous characters with similar voices, making it difficult to follow the plot at times. Nevertheless, I did appreciate the narrator's performance. I believe having a physical copy of the book would have enhanced the reading experience.

Big thanks to H.B. Akumiah, Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks and NetGalley for the ARC! “Bad Witches” is on sale now.

This was a fun and easy read! I loved the dynamic between the 3 girls, that they were so different but worked so well together! The narrator did a good job! The ending definitely left it open for the next installation of the story!

4 Stars!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy!

Publish date: 08/20/2024

An interesting and fun debut novel! Definitely a cozy millennial witch vibe. I have heard some reviews about it feeling a little like Gossip Girl, and I can see that. Two worlds collide - the Witch Sphere and the Typic (non-magical) World when three strangers meet in a bathroom, and discover they have more in common than just sharing their 22nd birthdays. Maya, Gabbie and Delali decide to celebrate their birthdays together, and a strange incident ends up uniting them and taking them on a strange journey. Meanwhile, the Witch Sphere is in turmoil. Witches are giving birth to Typics, and witches are dying out.

If you are looking for a cozy autumnal/witchy read, consider Bad Witches!

I was given access to the audiobook, and the narration was great too. I hope there will be more coming within this world-I would love to dive back in!

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for granting me access to this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I struggled with how to review this book.

Things I liked:
- The diversity: most of the key witches are black women. We need more of this kind of diversity in this genre, please!
- The premise around fewer and fewer witches being born and the way scientific research is being used to try and figure out why.
- The narration of the audiobook is excellent.

Things I didn't:
- The story had way too many characters that didn't sound very different from each other, and that made it hard to follow.
- The amount of detail over things like lipstick and nails. I recognize that some of this is culturally relevant, but I found it bogged down the story.
- The romance felt random and the plot as a whole was chaotic without clear progression and a very abrupt ending.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

For an audiobook the narrator was good. There are three main characters, and honestly I had a hard time keeping track of which witch was which. Which can be a me issue as sometimes character names do not stick. But I think this particular story would benefit from multiple narrators.
The girls were relatable, and I liked them. The story was good I liked it.
I will recommend it for fans of Charmed, Urban Fantasy, Sabrina the Teenage Witch. It was a good read before spooky season.

I don't even know where to begin. I loved, loved, loved this story. I was a big charmed fan growing up and this gave that but soooomuch better. I loved every character, I can't wait to see what happens next on all fronts. Definitely a book I'd highly recommend!

Bad Witches was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I felt like it was a bit more of a YA book, as it seemed to turn down some lingering rabbit holes that really didn't contribute too much to the overall plotline. As a result, a lot of it felt like it dragged a bit. However, there was a lot to like about this book as well. I appreciated how the three witches interacted; they weren't instantly BFFs and still had their own lives. I also liked the back-and-forth in the sphere. Overall, I thought the book was interesting and will definitely thrill the right audience.

This is the definition of a SLOW BURN. It took way too long to get to the witchy vibes and I got so overwhelmed with the amount of characters. I’m sure lots of people will love this but it wasn’t for me

This one is a DNF for me. I just couldn't get into it. Unique premise, but execution didn't live up--too much information right from the outset, perhaps. I hate rating a book negatively--we can't love every book we read or listen to--so I'm giving it 3 stars because I feel pretty neutral about it.

Bad Witches is a ridiculously fun read, but don't say I didn't warn you – there are enough characters to fill a witch's convention! Fortunately, they're all uniquely awesome and easy to love. The story is a wild, entertaining ride, and I'm dying for more – fingers crossed for a sequel!

I don't feel like this translates well to an audiobook. The jumping timelines and being in 3rd person just made me very confused. I really wanted to love this Audio, but I'll definitely be planning on picking up the physical copy!

This was an interesting, more modern twist on a witch story. I enjoyed watching three very different people try and figure out what to do with the fact that they have magical powers!

This book started out fun but became confusing. Lots of different characters and switching POVs. I liked where it was going but found myself lost.

I listened to this audiobook in about a day and a half! The narration was great and the story kept me hooked. I actually found the characters to be pretty mature despite their younger age, and I enjoyed reading about them. I especially loved crafty Gabbie - she put a spell on a Michael’s employee, how could I not?! I really recommend this for a fun witchy read this fall - it’s the perfect kick off to spooky season!

Thank you Blackstone Publishing for the #gifted finished copy and ALC to review and feature.

Oh wow. Oh WOW!! Okay, I’m going to admit that I absolutely picked this book because of the cover. Just look at the colors and how they shift—Scroll for the colors because I couldn’t pick just one—but this was absolutely a PERFECT witchy read.

Expect 👉🏼 Witches (but they don’t know it), multiple worlds, political upheaval, magical training, predestined friendships

Three seemingly human girls meet on their twenty second birthday. They don’t have much in common except a magical event that they may or may not have imagined. But these strange things keeps happening. And when an older witch offers to train them, it’s too good of an opportunity to pass up.

The beginning of this book has quite a few character’s POVs. But it doesn’t become clear fairly quickly who everyone is. And though the narrator does not specify whose POV she is narrating, it’s not difficult to decipher. I flew through the audio and I’m really hoping there is a book two in the works 👀😅

4.5/5