Omg this book right here!!!! I rated it 5 stars because I couldn't give it more. The Witch who Trades with Death by C.M. Alongi is a masterpiece of a book!

The book cover is gorgeous and initially drew me in. I loved the idea of trading a memory for Death's help, it was a fascinating concept and I loved how it played out.
Khana was a great main character to follow!

This book was amazing! I really enjoyed the suspense and overall story development. The magic system is unique and the conflict felt dramatic. There were points that my heart was hammering and other that I was kicking my feet in joy. I very much enjoyed Khana’s story and healing journey.

The way I wanted to love this so badly! It sounded like it was going to be so good and exciting but I found myself a bit disappointed with it.

Nice, lyrical and descriptive writing. So there were some really beautiful quotes in here that I can totally see the annotation girlies LOVING to highlight.

It was the explanations that I had trouble with though. I found that things weren't ever explained when it came to worldbuilding, yet other things were overexplained when they really didn't need to be. It was just kind of weird.

And check trigger/content warnings, I feel like there were some things that not everyone would love to read about if they've had to deal with certain things in life (mainly when it comes to death and loss and grieving, that sort of thing).

I can see a lot of people loving this book, but stylistically, I just don't think it's exactly for me. But I would still recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book. A gorgeous 4 star read book from me. What an exciting plot, vivid storytelling and relatable, rich characters. I could put this book down – absolutely loved it.

A tale of healing, found family, and deals with Death.

Khana was stolen from her home and made the immortal Emperor’s concubine when it is discovered she is a witch. On learning his secret to power and killing his favourite courtier, she flees the empire and ends up in a snowy, cold mountain town.
There, she faces prejudice, but also a home with a group of other misfits where she slowly learns to heal from her trauma and feel happy and safe. But the Emperor won’t leave someone alive who knows his secrets….

This was so wholesome, but it also had a tiny amount of delicious spice that still managed to feel soft and slow.

The characters were heart-warming, the dynamics were hilarious, and the journey of self-worth and recovery was tender. I liked that it showed this abuse from both man and woman and the recovery from both genders too!

<b>"Give yourself the kindness of healing on your own terms.”
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The world-building was also pulled off well for a standalone and I was left feeling satisfied with a well-rounded story. This isn’t even that long of a book, yet I felt fully immersed in the culture, the town, and the small joys one can find working with friends at an inn.

Another thing I loved about- there is incredible friendship AND burgeoning romance. Yet, the plot was still enticing? This is rarely pulled off so well!!

<b>"Exactly, You're Khana's closest friend here," Sava stressed. "She doesn't strike me as the type of person to take that lightly." 
Haz scratched the back of his neck. "No, she isn't. That's part of what makes her so adorable." 
Sava almost choked. "Adorable?!" 
“Like a baby bear. One of these days she's going to be deadly, but until then she's just... cute." Haz grinned. "I can't wait.”
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Thank you to Angry Robot for sending me the physical arc in exchange for a review!