Thank you to Net Galley and Angry Robot for the ARC. The blurb looked interesting but the actual book was boring. The characters were dull and the plot slow moving.

Thank you to Angry Robot and NetGalley for my arc in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

I really enjoy C.M. Alongi’s writing normally but this book just missed the mark for me.

I thought the magic system was really interesting and I thought the overall story was engaging. However, I did feel that maybe 40%-60% of the story really dragged. I understood that it was for world building and building up our FMC’s character and ensuring that the side characters were fleshed out, but man was it really long between new moments in the overarching narrative. I feel bad because Alongi is a very gifted writer but I thought so much of the world and character building should have been edited out or down. It really cut down on the pacing of the book and really took me out. There were multiple bouts of what felt like my eyes glazing over.

Wasn’t for me unfortunately.

I am glad I got to read this. There was a lot of adventure. So many feelings for the characters! A lot of anger and sympathy. A lot of sadness. And so much joy. There are several difficult themes in the book, but the author did a great job of writing it. There was a lot of world buulding, and it was a bit hard to get into because of that. But once you get a good grasp on who is who, what place is where, it becomes a lot easier. There are many diverse characters, as well. That is always nice to see!

This book has a lot of things that I really enjoy, including found family, emotional depth, and a very interesting plot line! I loved getting to meet our characters and seeing how they grew from beginning to end! The world building was absolutely 10 out of 10! It feels like you can see the world while you were reading it!

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
2🌶️🌶️

Interesting magic system! Loved the underdog aspect of the book and the FMCs personal growth. The FMC is great but you also fall in love with the supporting characters/her friends. The author did a great job getting you wrapped up into caring for everyone’s wellbeing. The love interest is like a sprinkle on top and does not overshadow the conflict/war that is the heart of the plot.

Thank you Angry Robot and Netgalley.

I'll be honest. This book is interesting. I don't think it glorifies or uses any excuses to make our FMC unlikeable or anything like that. However the story is just so different than what I expected. It feels so much more like a series of events. While that is what a book is. In this it feels more like an overarching series with multiple books. CM alongi still did an amazing job. It was enjoyable and interesting.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

This is probably one you should check warnings on before starting as it may not be for everyone. This had so many things that I loved.. found family, Death as a character, interesting magic system. You also got to see Khana grow as a character throughout the story. I could have used a smidge more world building but overall, this was a good read.

Loved this book! I had such a hard time putting it down. If you like fantasy, you will enjoy this book. With magic, witches, and an evil emperor. There's friendship, trauma, healing, and found family. Can't wait to read something else by C. M. Alongi!!

Absolutely LOVED IT! I cannot rave enough about how phenomenal this book was. Not your normal witches vs. demons/gods book

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!