The Nature of Witches
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- Create Date：2021-06-02 07:19:48
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Rachel Griffin
- ISBN：1728229421
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Mariah Davidson
，
A love letter to nature hidden inside a YA novel。 The writing captured my attention but the story Dept me engaged to the end。
Mayela
，
First of all， thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an electronic ARC of The Nature of Witches ， gifted to me in exchange for my honest review。 Spoilers ahead， read at your own risk！Griffin's premise was promising， a modern world in which magic exists and witches with seasonal powers work to protect humans from natural disasters but are finding it increasingly hard to do so in the face of climate change。 It sounded like it would be whimsical yet highly relevant。 Sadly， the premise fal First of all， thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an electronic ARC of The Nature of Witches ， gifted to me in exchange for my honest review。 Spoilers ahead， read at your own risk！Griffin's premise was promising， a modern world in which magic exists and witches with seasonal powers work to protect humans from natural disasters but are finding it increasingly hard to do so in the face of climate change。 It sounded like it would be whimsical yet highly relevant。 Sadly， the premise falls short due to adragging plot， weak characterization， underused setting， and purple prose。 On the plot， the book starts with protagonist Clara leaving her fellow witches at her magical boarding school in a bind， refusing to use her unique Everwitch powers because， in the past， her lack of mastery over them led to the death of her best friend and her parents。 In the present， they kind of， sort of kill her mentor。 Griffin introduces a ticking clock here， when Clara decides that she'll have her powers stripped by the next eclipse。 According to the - underdeveloped - magic system， witches can lose their powers if they cross paths with an eclipse。 So， we know that an eclipse is coming and that Clara could choose to end her Chosen One suffering then。 However， the stakes remain somehow very low for a story where failure means the end of the world after a series of cataclysmic events。 For nearly 40% of the book， the plot consists of dry， flowery descriptions using words that ring false due to their lack of connection to the protagonist。 We're in Clara's head， but we might as well be in a cottagecore Thesaurus。 Later on， a few events take place in which Clara is forced to use her powers and， once the Love Interest is introduced - a soft but generic cinnamon roll called Sang - the ticking clock is fully forgotten and instead Clara becomes determined to control her powers。 She's tested and she succeeds。 She mouths off her teachers in that typical "I know better" attitude of Chosen Ones。 The climax comes and it's very anti-climactic。 She wins， the world will not end。 She rides into the sunset with Sang。 Well， or flies to London。 Same difference。 As I alluded before， Clara is a poorly characterized Chosen One stereotype。 The one word that comes to mind when I think of her is: whiny。 She's this super-powerful witch who has powers all year round， whereas her peers only have powers during the season to which said powers belong。 And yet， she spends about 95% of the book complaining and hating her powers and crying about how her inability to control them killed her loved ones。 Yet， for half of the book she doesn't even try to learn how to control them， which in turn kills people。 Makes zero sense。 Then， suddenly， through some convenient fast forwarded training sessions with Sang， she not only controls them but discovers new powers。 Clara is bisexual， and a plotline about her romantic relationship with one of her girlfriends （the one she didn't kill） could have been interesting if it hadn't been seen through flashbacks only and present scenes in which the other girl is basically her therapist for her current relationship。 The romance is laughable in that for half the book there's no tension between the two characters and all the scenes fall flat and then， suddenly， the love interest is declaring how much he likes Clara。 Why would he？ She's been nothing but rude and condescending to him。 And then he's declaring how much he loves her， and how she's his forever and ever， ever， ever。 That's a direct quote。 Why？ How？ It felt like Griffin wrote this just so Clara's internal conflict would be activated， since she spends most of the book thinking she can't be in love with anyone for longer than a season or love anyone in any shape or form without killing them。 An interesting but transparently false misbelief。 The other characters are basically cardboard placeholders: Boy Love Interest Discarded， Real Boy Love Interest， Kind Mentor， Cold Mentor， Mean Mentor， Cool BFF and former fling。 They were written very two-dimensional and existed only in relation to Clara。 The setting， a boarding school somewhere nature-y， is underused throughout despite paragraphs upon paragraphs of description。 It felt like it had been inspired by She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and Harry Potter， but the magic of Hogwarts is that you feel like you know it， like you could be there， walk those hallways， turn a corner and see the moving staircases， or run into one of the many students named throughout the series。 Here， I couldn't even picture the school。 There were houses， but Clara lived alone in a cabin。 We barely ever saw her spend time with the other students in a collegiate manner。 Something that also confused me about setting was the choice to have the book take place in modern times。 Clara has a cellphone。 There are cars。 I understand that part of the premise of the book was making a metaphor for climate change and the impending doom， so having these technology devices is a reminder that the story isn't taking place in the 1800s。 However， they don't really do much for the plot and they just took me out of the scene abruptly since they felt out of place。 They made it obvious that the magic system wasn't fully developed。 As I said， the prose was too flowery yet fell empty to me。 The words could have been anyone's， there was no reason to believe Clara would have said them。 There were even some sentences that made me pause and wonder if a 17-year-old， witch or not， would have ever phrased something like that。 I read them out loud， they sounded artificial。 The decision to use first person POV and to be very much in Clara's head throughout felt claustrophobic and redundant， since her thoughts were very circular。 Perhaps a close third person omniscient would have served this story better。 The final point of confusion for me， which I am aware is even more of a personal opinion than the rest of this review， is the use of quotes at the beginning of a chapter from a book that， we find out at the end， is written by Clara after the events in the book。 The quotes are the sort of superficial-deep inspirational quotes you expect from an Instagram page that posts only using the typewriter font on a white background。 "You're allowed to love yourself，" "You are stronger than you think，" "There is nothing more powerful than being understood。" They do not serve the story， in my opinion， and just constantly broke any illusion the plot or prose might have created。 I can appreciate all the boxes The Nature of Witches ticks， there's some sexual representation， an Asian love interest， cottagecore aesthetics galore， pretty language， a powerful heroine。 I'm sure many readers will love it， but to me it felt disjointed and devoid of true meaning。 What I liked？ The gorgeous cover。 The concept of natural magic based on seasons， which was unfortunately not sufficiently explored。 The premise as a whole。 。。。more
Vanessa （ve_xo）
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RTC- amazing work！ totally recommend！
Susan
，
Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review。Witches have maintained the climate for centuries， keeping witches and non-witches （shaders） safe。 Until the shaders got greedy， as humans do， and wanted more。 As the world suffers from being overtaxed， weather patterns become more erratic， and witches struggle to keep everything from entirely falling apart。 But now witches are dying from depletion of their magic as they try to save Earth。 It's an Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review。Witches have maintained the climate for centuries， keeping witches and non-witches （shaders） safe。 Until the shaders got greedy， as humans do， and wanted more。 As the world suffers from being overtaxed， weather patterns become more erratic， and witches struggle to keep everything from entirely falling apart。 But now witches are dying from depletion of their magic as they try to save Earth。 It's an interesting take on global warming and how humanity is destroying the planet。It was great to see the concept of seasonal witches in a YA novel and I really enjoyed how Griffin built the laws and parameters of magic around the seasons。 In this world， seventeen year old Clara is an Everwitch - she has the power of every season。 She's the first Ever in generations and her power comes at a cost， when she loses control of it， her power seeks out and kills anyone she cares about。 Her school is doing the best they can to train her， but no one living knows how to train an Ever。 As with most "chosen ones"， Clara struggles with the cost of her powers， and she'll need the help of her friends to figure it all out before it's too late。 Griffin has some truly beautiful imagery throughout this book， and how the witches use their power/get their power is really interesting。 And how GORGEOUS is that book cover？！I don't think there are enough standalone novels in YA and while I would love to have this story continue， THE NATURE OF WITCHES is great on its own and I thoroughly enjoyed it。 。。。more
Jamie W
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I really liked the unique magic system in this book， and how the sections were tied to the seasons。 The author's descriptive writing really brought the natural setting to life。The main character is 17 year old Clara， the chosen one at magic school， the once-in-a-generation Everwitch who can control the magic of all 4 seasons， as opposed to a normal witch， whose power is tied to just one season。 And， for reasons， she doesn't want her special power。Everything is told from Clara's POV， and the stor I really liked the unique magic system in this book， and how the sections were tied to the seasons。 The author's descriptive writing really brought the natural setting to life。The main character is 17 year old Clara， the chosen one at magic school， the once-in-a-generation Everwitch who can control the magic of all 4 seasons， as opposed to a normal witch， whose power is tied to just one season。 And， for reasons， she doesn't want her special power。Everything is told from Clara's POV， and the story is focused on her journey to understanding her magic and self acceptance。 She's overcome with self-pity for the first third of the book， and her defeatist woe-is-me attitude tended to be repetitive and tiresome。 She slowly begins figuring things out， thanks to help and guidance from other characters。 Nothing really happens during the book， except the building of the predictable relationship between Clara and her trainer Sang， and we don't see much outside of the school setting。 It is definitely character driven， not much plot besides the over-arching need of the witches to strengthen their magic so they can help to heal the damage done to the atmosphere due to climate change。I do feel that some world-buiding issues weren't really explained， like how a witch's seasonal power would be affected if they like， followed their season across the globe。 And how was no one able to explain the past Everwitches' magic to Clara？ Wouldn't there be some official record of what it can do？ Also， the mysterious solution tied to the big event at the end came out of nowhere， and was just too convenient。 Overall， this was a light， fast read with lovely writing and a unique magic system， but it was bit too shallow for me to be truly invested。 。。。more
Samantha Snavely
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It was honestly more of a 5 and I ended on a 3。5 because it was a quick read to start。 It got repetitive towards the end。
Karen Cohn
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I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my review。I really enjoyed this book， to the extent that I read it over the course of a couple of days。 It is a new and different look at magic， in that nearly every witch in this story has magic tied to one of the four seasons， and is at his/her most powerful during that season。 The exception is Carla， who is an "Ever"， a witch who can use magic from all four seasons， and all year round; Evers are extremely rare， and Carla i I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my review。I really enjoyed this book， to the extent that I read it over the course of a couple of days。 It is a new and different look at magic， in that nearly every witch in this story has magic tied to one of the four seasons， and is at his/her most powerful during that season。 The exception is Carla， who is an "Ever"， a witch who can use magic from all four seasons， and all year round; Evers are extremely rare， and Carla is the first one known in a century。 All witches in Carla's world are born on either a solstice or an equinox， and they attend boarding school for their entire academic career， with a curriculum designed to teach them to use and control their magic as well as the usual academic curriculum。 Because of the rarity of Carla's ability， her teachers are learning how to train her as they go， because they have no experience with Evers， and the usual training methods aren't working。 A new teacher is brought in to try different training methods， and from the start， Carla can't stand him， which significantly impacts the effectiveness of his training methods。 This novel begins in the summer， and cycles through a year， following Carla as her magic changes with the seasons。 A wonderful and different coming of age story， appropriate for all readers who enjoy fantasy， magic， and coming of age stories。 。。。more
Ashley McLeo
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3。5 stars， rounded up。 The description and title grabbed me， as did the unique take on a magic system。 A witch's power tied to the seasons is an excellent idea， and the execution of that magic system is， indeed， great。 There were many ways that the MC， Clara， used her magic that I found to be a breath of fresh air。 The greater world beyond the school seemed interesting too， though we don't see much of it。However， I struggled to connect with the MC， who for half the book was kind of a downer （I'm 3。5 stars， rounded up。 The description and title grabbed me， as did the unique take on a magic system。 A witch's power tied to the seasons is an excellent idea， and the execution of that magic system is， indeed， great。 There were many ways that the MC， Clara， used her magic that I found to be a breath of fresh air。 The greater world beyond the school seemed interesting too， though we don't see much of it。However， I struggled to connect with the MC， who for half the book was kind of a downer （I'm not the only one who thought this， other characters called her out！ So I guess I connected with them， but they didn't have a POV）。 I also tended to skim quite a bit of the training scenes （of which there were many）。 I found myself wishing there was greater focus on a larger plot， or more emphasis on the romance， or something other than Clara needing to control her magic。 I like it when things are changed up and slightly faster paced。 There was also quite a lot of repetition in the book。 Overall， the idea is amazing and there were parts of this book I enjoyed。 If you enjoy slower paced contemporary fantasy with unique magic systems this could be just the book for you。 。。。more
Megan
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A book written within seasons， it's a beautiful story。 The adventure and the spiritual growth for our main character， and trials she overcomes is unbelievable。 I really loved this story。 A book written within seasons， it's a beautiful story。 The adventure and the spiritual growth for our main character， and trials she overcomes is unbelievable。 I really loved this story。 。。。more
Jayla
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I received an advanced ebook for review from NetGalley， all opinions are my own。 I loved how every single character drives the plot forward， and how each character also has their own personality and background。 There’s no hollow characters here。 I very much enjoyed this book， the only thing I would’ve liked more of is a better explanation and exploration of the school and it’s atmosphere。 This is such a unique take on witches and magical systems。 I definitely recommend， especially if you like wi I received an advanced ebook for review from NetGalley， all opinions are my own。 I loved how every single character drives the plot forward， and how each character also has their own personality and background。 There’s no hollow characters here。 I very much enjoyed this book， the only thing I would’ve liked more of is a better explanation and exploration of the school and it’s atmosphere。 This is such a unique take on witches and magical systems。 I definitely recommend， especially if you like witch centered stories。 。。。more
Nic
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I love witch stories。 While "witch revels in her powers" is much more my speed， I like the pacing and handling of Clara's reluctance here。 You feel yourself going through the season with her， the romance is charming （and the exploration of past relationships without it ever feeling like a love triangle - love that）， and the payoff is really great。 I love witch stories。 While "witch revels in her powers" is much more my speed， I like the pacing and handling of Clara's reluctance here。 You feel yourself going through the season with her， the romance is charming （and the exploration of past relationships without it ever feeling like a love triangle - love that）， and the payoff is really great。 。。。more
Claire
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Set in a world where witches are tied to the seasons and control the weather， Clara Densmore is a phenomenon being the only 'ever' witch in over a century。 Clara isn't tied to just one season and can use her magic all year round， it changing with the seasons。 Being so powerful has its drawbacks， the biggest being Clara's magic targets those closest to her emotionally and unfortunately she has lost a few of her nearest and dearest including her parents。 As a result， she isolates herself and stops Set in a world where witches are tied to the seasons and control the weather， Clara Densmore is a phenomenon being the only 'ever' witch in over a century。 Clara isn't tied to just one season and can use her magic all year round， it changing with the seasons。 Being so powerful has its drawbacks， the biggest being Clara's magic targets those closest to her emotionally and unfortunately she has lost a few of her nearest and dearest including her parents。 As a result， she isolates herself and stops herself from using her magic to its full potential。 A freak storm and a tragic accident later， that is no longer an option。 She makes a promise to either learn to control her magic or forever be stripped of her powers。The Nature of Witches is at its heart a love story; of friends， family， trusted mentors and most of all the earth and the world we live in。 It had quite a slow start and I struggled to bond with Clara。 I found her quite self pitying and irritating to begin with。 As the story developed and she began to open up and be herself I really started to enjoy it。 I think it's a fair description to say it's for fans Practical Magic and enjoy slow world building character centered stories。 。。。more
Stephanie
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THE NATURE OF WITCHES was a gorgeous， emotional book that is ultimately about a girl learning to love herself。 Clara's character arc -- from a girl scared of her volatile magic， capable of killing those she cares about; to a witch fully embracing her powers -- is very satisfying to read， and one that many readers will be able to see themselves in despite the magical setting。 Clara's internal conflicts over what happens with the next stage after her life would make this book a great fit for older THE NATURE OF WITCHES was a gorgeous， emotional book that is ultimately about a girl learning to love herself。 Clara's character arc -- from a girl scared of her volatile magic， capable of killing those she cares about; to a witch fully embracing her powers -- is very satisfying to read， and one that many readers will be able to see themselves in despite the magical setting。 Clara's internal conflicts over what happens with the next stage after her life would make this book a great fit for older readers， and the unique， season-based magical system will appeal to readers looking for something a little bit different。Thank you to Sourcebooks for providing me with an ARC。 。。。more
Vera
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Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this lovely YA fantasy debut！I enjoyed The Nature of Witches quite a bit， especially the unique magic system。 I love the idea of witches whose powers are tied to the seasons and whose personalities match aspects of those seasons as well。 I also really love the idea that the witches can help stop the disastrous effects of climate change， but they will only be truly successful if ordinary people are bought int Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this lovely YA fantasy debut！I enjoyed The Nature of Witches quite a bit， especially the unique magic system。 I love the idea of witches whose powers are tied to the seasons and whose personalities match aspects of those seasons as well。 I also really love the idea that the witches can help stop the disastrous effects of climate change， but they will only be truly successful if ordinary people are bought into saving the planet as well。 I thought the contemporary fantasy setting worked well for the story being told here， and I thought the world-building was phenomenal。There are a few flaws in the book: the main character， Clara， is a bit annoying， and the plot is fairly predictable。 The book follows the classic trope of "every person in the world gets one kind of magic， but the main character is special and gets ALL the magics，" which I generally find kind of annoying and a bit too tidy。 I think the book might have been better if it had been a team of protagonists， each with a different magic， who had to work together to solve the conflicts。 I also think multiple perspectives could have added a more dynamic nature to the story and given the reader a break from Clara。 Overall， though， this is a solid YA fantasy debut， and I definitely recommend it to fans of the genre！ 。。。more
Aime Sund
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The Nature of Witches is a fantastic， imaginative story centered around an ailing atmosphere and the witches that sustain it， namely a young Everwitch Clara Densmore。 Most witches only possess the ability to fully command their magic in one season， but Clara's rarity in commanding magic in all four seasons makes her a highly valued individual。 But her gift is not without its difficulties， of course， and her school attempts to help her work through it。 It is not until she meets the intriguing San The Nature of Witches is a fantastic， imaginative story centered around an ailing atmosphere and the witches that sustain it， namely a young Everwitch Clara Densmore。 Most witches only possess the ability to fully command their magic in one season， but Clara's rarity in commanding magic in all four seasons makes her a highly valued individual。 But her gift is not without its difficulties， of course， and her school attempts to help her work through it。 It is not until she meets the intriguing Sang that she begins to question what she is being taught and how she is being handled。As a horticulturist myself， I found the magic system wonderfully imaginative and fun。 The idea of magic being tied to the seasons is believable and even logical for those of us who do live according to the seasons。 Sang's character is well-crafted in the guide and love interest role。 He draws out Clara's shortcomings and helps her uncover the truth within herself。 Clara's character is a well-written arc that taps into familiar feelings of unworthiness， mistrust， conflicting emotions， and loneliness along her journey to mastering her power。 The pace of the story is lively， weaving the seasons into the timeline so that the individual magics all play a part in the story。 I enjoyed learning about the strengths of each season's magic and how they were used to control the weather。 Though this is apparently a post-apocalyptic story， the event itself does not play a part， nor does it need to。 For fans of nature-based magic， young adults seeking their own identities and struggling with their feelings， and happy endings， The Nature of Magic is a perfect read。 。。。more
Brenda Feinen
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Great debut - looking forward to her next release。 Clara is a rare Ever witch- and she hates it。 Her magic caused the death of her parents and best friend。 Since Clara has become an outcast- forced her to move to an abandoned cottage in the woods。 The Headmaster becomes more interested in her training as more witches experience draining and death。 Sang is assinged to Clara as her trainer。 As Clara progresses， their friendship grows; Clara becomes more confident。Great coming of age story - accept Great debut - looking forward to her next release。 Clara is a rare Ever witch- and she hates it。 Her magic caused the death of her parents and best friend。 Since Clara has become an outcast- forced her to move to an abandoned cottage in the woods。 The Headmaster becomes more interested in her training as more witches experience draining and death。 Sang is assinged to Clara as her trainer。 As Clara progresses， their friendship grows; Clara becomes more confident。Great coming of age story - accepting one's abilities as gifts， rather than shortcomings。 。。。more
Nelda
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I REALLY wanted to enjoy this book。 The premise was amazing。 Traditionally， a witch is connected to one of the four seasons and pulls his/her/their power during that 3 month period。 Ever few years， there is an Everwitch born that can pull on all four seasons。 A good magical realism young adult book focused on Climate Control and how we are destroying our planet。 Magical realism is my wheelhouse， and I absolutely loved the tie in with the four seasons， eclipses， and equinoxes。 I enjoyed seeing th I REALLY wanted to enjoy this book。 The premise was amazing。 Traditionally， a witch is connected to one of the four seasons and pulls his/her/their power during that 3 month period。 Ever few years， there is an Everwitch born that can pull on all four seasons。 A good magical realism young adult book focused on Climate Control and how we are destroying our planet。 Magical realism is my wheelhouse， and I absolutely loved the tie in with the four seasons， eclipses， and equinoxes。 I enjoyed seeing the seasons displayed in a different light with the descriptions of how they manifest in the magic descriptions as well as magical abilities。 I’ve always loved my birth season， and I would absolutely rock as an Autumn or Everwitch。 I absolutely love the awareness for the amount of damage done to atmosphere and planet。 Sang is truly a sun-send， and I loved his role in the story。 He was extremely patient and loving while also challenging to Clara in her development as an Everwitch。 Honestly， he was my favorite part of this entire storyline。 I will also give an honorable mention to Mr。 Hart as good teachers are always celebrated in my world。 I will also give a shoutout to Paige who reminded me of my Best Friend。 What’s not to love， right？ Clara Densmore is the answer。 She got on my nerves THE ENTIRE BOOK！！ Honestly， the climax and Sang are the only things that saved this story for me。 The amount of angst that was bottled up in this 17-year old is literally impossible。 One could set their clock by the frequency of her self-doubt， self-pity， and overthinking。 Her ex-girlfriend， Paige， was honestly the only person who really called her out on this and kept her in check。 Lastly， the Sun is masculine energy， and it threw me every time it was misgendered。I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Debra
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"When the only thing left is your magic when that's all you have to rely on， you'll learn to respect it。"Clara is a unique witch。 Most witches’ powers are tied to one season， and they use their powers to maintain the climate。 But Clara is an Everwitch whose rare magic is tied to every season。 With every season， Clara changes。。。。 Read to find out how （or read the blurb！）There are many things addressed in this book which make it so much more enjoyable。 I loved the unique take on witches and their "When the only thing left is your magic when that's all you have to rely on， you'll learn to respect it。"Clara is a unique witch。 Most witches’ powers are tied to one season， and they use their powers to maintain the climate。 But Clara is an Everwitch whose rare magic is tied to every season。 With every season， Clara changes。。。。 Read to find out how （or read the blurb！）There are many things addressed in this book which make it so much more enjoyable。 I loved the unique take on witches and their abilities。 I also loved how Clara， struggles with her power， with harnessing it， with using it， and the fearing the consequences of it。 she has lost those who matter to her， and she worries about what will happen if she loses control。 She is attending a school in Pennsylvania with other witches learning about their power， their magic and themselves。 She has support， but she also has doubt。I am not a big fan of fantasy but this one won me over。 I enjoy books on witches， and this was a fresh and unique take on magic。This book also looks at climate change， friendship， romance， and acceptance。This is a magical and unique YA read！ Plus， that cover！ Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Fire and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All the thoughts and opinions are my own。Read more of my reviews at www。openbookposts。com 。。。more
Lisa
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Wow！ I loved everything about this book。 From the moment I saw the stunning cover， I was hooked but this captivating debut novel by Rachel Griffin is not just a cover buy。 The Nature of Witches is a stunning love letter to the earth， climate and magic。Clara is an Everwitch （which is rare and she is the first of her kind to come along in 200 years）， and her powers change along with each season making her powers unmatched。 The other witches are either Spring， Summer， Winter or Autumn and their pow Wow！ I loved everything about this book。 From the moment I saw the stunning cover， I was hooked but this captivating debut novel by Rachel Griffin is not just a cover buy。 The Nature of Witches is a stunning love letter to the earth， climate and magic。Clara is an Everwitch （which is rare and she is the first of her kind to come along in 200 years）， and her powers change along with each season making her powers unmatched。 The other witches are either Spring， Summer， Winter or Autumn and their powers are strengthened during their season。This is a story of self- discovery， overcoming fear， mother earth， love， trust， friendship and forgiveness。 You will cheer for Clara from the beginning and be caught under her spell。 There is a cast of supporting characters that you will love as well in Paige and Sang。 I loved it and hope Rachel does a sequel。 I feel there is so much more of Clara's story to be told。 5/5 stars。Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Montzalee Wittmann
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The Nature of Witchesby Rachel GriffinSOURCEBOOKS FireI first want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this incredible story！ Wow， I can picture this on the big screen！ It would be amazing！This is a world where witches help control the weather and other disasters that the regular people （Shadows） have messed up。 （Pollution， global warming， deforestation， etc。）The witches are each born on an equinox and that is their season they are strongest in。 It's been over a hundred year The Nature of Witchesby Rachel GriffinSOURCEBOOKS FireI first want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this incredible story！ Wow， I can picture this on the big screen！ It would be amazing！This is a world where witches help control the weather and other disasters that the regular people （Shadows） have messed up。 （Pollution， global warming， deforestation， etc。）The witches are each born on an equinox and that is their season they are strongest in。 It's been over a hundred years since there has been an Ever， one that has the super power of all four seasons。 Clara is that Ever。 But she also has to find a way to control it。 She killed her parents when she was just five and her friend at school while practicing。 Witches are dying at an incredible rate trying to do this massive job without an Ever。 But she is scared she might kill someone if she lets her power go again。 There are a lot of small but important side things going on and at times。 But I want Clara to zap the heck out of one of the teachers！ He is so mean！ There is a romantic element too。 Sang is a botany student who came to do advanced studies with the mean teacher。 But he has to teach Clara instead。 They develop a bond but it's complicated and sad and wonderful at the same time。It's a teen/young adult book but without a lot of the typical angst。 Lots of great fantasy， magic， friendship development， learning to trust yourself and others， and that touch of sweet romance。 I really enjoyed it and I don't normally like young adult or teen books。 The only teen angst in here is a witch that doesn't want to kill anyone else。 I'd say that's an okay angst to have！ Love the characters， （except one teacher， lol）， wonderful world building， realistic dialogue， and terrific ending！ I want to see it on the big screen！！！ 。。。more
Julie
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Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC in exchange for my honest review。This was a creative contemporary fantasy novel with an interesting premise I have not read before。 The idea that the witches have strength in their power to correspond with their birth season。 There’s love， climate change， pollution， internal struggles， population worries and more。 Compelling storyline with unique characters。 If you enjoy contemporary fantasy definitely give this one a read！
Suzanne （The Bookish Libra）
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I'm always up for a good witchy read and this one was fantastic。 I loved the unique magical system that basically had witches maintaining the climate as they draw their power directly from the sun， with it being strongest during the season of their birth。 They're struggling to keep up with the changes to the climate brought about by humans， however， which has caused the atmosphere to become increasingly erratic。 Clara is their own hope of stabilizing the atmosphere， as she is the rarest of all I'm always up for a good witchy read and this one was fantastic。 I loved the unique magical system that basically had witches maintaining the climate as they draw their power directly from the sun， with it being strongest during the season of their birth。 They're struggling to keep up with the changes to the climate brought about by humans， however， which has caused the atmosphere to become increasingly erratic。 Clara is their own hope of stabilizing the atmosphere， as she is the rarest of all witches， an Everwitch who draws her magic from the sun and from every season of the year。 I thought the author did a brilliant job of creating such a unique magical system and tying it to something like climate change， which is so relevant and something we can all relate to。 As fascinating as all of the magic and all of the action-packed scenes surrounding the witches and their attempts to stop climate change， what really captivated me about this story was Clara's personal journey。 As the only living Everwitch， she is completely alone。 People try to help her master her magic， but no one fully understands how it works and how to harness it to its fullest potential。 When we first meet Clara， she hates her magic and refuses to use it at all because it killed her parents and her best friend because she couldn't control it。 My heart broke for Clara and I longed for her to realize it wasn't her fault so that she would stop closing herself off from others who love and care about her。 The Nature of Witches is at times heartbreaking and terrifying， but yet also hopeful as Clara slowly comes to embrace her magic and how life changing it can be。 If you're in the mood for a beautifully written standalone fantasy about the unlikely combination of witches and climate change， The Nature of Witches is a must-read for you。Note: 。。。more
Julia Ember
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This is one of those books where the writing is so emotive you feel it like a gut punch。 At its core， it’s about learning to trust， learning to love while being seen as a whole person， flaws and all， healing and learning self forgiveness。 The magic system is very unique and I loved the alternative version of climate change。 I absolutely adored it and will be thinking about this enchanting novel for a very long time。
Emily
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I had to DNF this book。 I realized that it just wasn't for me。 I really think I've started to outgrow a lot of teen/ya stories （I am not the demographic this book is for）。 I think the intended demographic will like this story and be able to relate to the main character。 It has a reluctant hero trope， which is not a favorite trope of mine。 The character felt selfish and whiny， perhaps by the end of the book she grows， but I just couldn't get through it。 I had to DNF this book。 I realized that it just wasn't for me。 I really think I've started to outgrow a lot of teen/ya stories （I am not the demographic this book is for）。 I think the intended demographic will like this story and be able to relate to the main character。 It has a reluctant hero trope， which is not a favorite trope of mine。 The character felt selfish and whiny， perhaps by the end of the book she grows， but I just couldn't get through it。 。。。more
Amy
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For as long as anyone can remember， witches have helped control the weather， from simple climate changes to creating or diffusing intense weather patterns。 While each witch's power and strengths are magnified in their own birth season， it fades the rest of the year—all except for one， Clara。 As a rare Everwitch， Clara's magic pulls from all four seasons， making her the most powerful witch of her time; the only problem is she has no idea how to control it， leaving disasters in her wake that take For as long as anyone can remember， witches have helped control the weather， from simple climate changes to creating or diffusing intense weather patterns。 While each witch's power and strengths are magnified in their own birth season， it fades the rest of the year—all except for one， Clara。 As a rare Everwitch， Clara's magic pulls from all four seasons， making her the most powerful witch of her time; the only problem is she has no idea how to control it， leaving disasters in her wake that take those she loves the most。 With climate change on the rise and the atmosphere constantly changing， unprecedented disasters start to surface， threatening the world around them。 While the witches of each season come together， they aren't strong enough alone， and their only hope lies with Clara。 However， learning to control her magic opens the door to more than just a vulnerability of magic， but vulnerability of heart， and it's a sacrifice she is unwilling to take。 Clara's life has been heartbreaking agony。 Her magic only leads to a path of total destruction， ripping away everyone she has ever truly loved。 Clara has made her choice; she will save those around her and succumb all her magic on the upcoming equinox。 But just as her choice is made， fate steps in， and the patient， kind， and endearing Sang enters her life。 For the first time， her feelings for another person carry through each season， and Sang awakens a power within Clara she never knew existed。 Now Clara must make the ultimate decision， embrace the power she was born with， or lose it all。 In a story that explores the power of climate change， one girl must weather the cost of embracing the person you were born to be against the fear of losing it all。 Enchanting as the changing of each season， The Nature of Witches captures the beauty of learning how to love yourself first and embrace fear in order to make the best change in the world， you。 Blending the forces of nature with matters of the heart Rachel Griffin delivers a powerful story of love， acceptance， and heartbreaking sacrifices。 With strong， honest， and believable characters， readers will fall for the gentle botanist Sang， root for Clara， feel for Paige， and despise those who are out for their own gain。 This is not a story about a witch coming in and saving the day; it's about loss， grief， fear， and having the weight of the world depending on you。 This story is about the tangible relationship we have with our environment， the impact we make on this world， and the power we have to make a change。 With an additional side-note， the beautiful and powerful quotes highlighting each chapter should be a published book all of their own。 For more reviews， giveaways， and body paints of book covers including this one please visit my instagram page: https://www。instagram。com/p/CO-jGymrGMw/ 。。。more
Heather
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*3。5For centuries， any witch born in a specific season has had power over that particular climate。 But now， with the climate changing at a rapid pace and the atmosphere becoming more erratic， the only hope lies with Clara。 As an Everwitch， Clara has the rare ability to harness the power of every season at any time， but it comes at a dangerous price。 Whenever Clara taps into her power to a large degree， someone she loves dies， so while other witches revel in their powers， Clara resents hers。 With *3。5For centuries， any witch born in a specific season has had power over that particular climate。 But now， with the climate changing at a rapid pace and the atmosphere becoming more erratic， the only hope lies with Clara。 As an Everwitch， Clara has the rare ability to harness the power of every season at any time， but it comes at a dangerous price。 Whenever Clara taps into her power to a large degree， someone she loves dies， so while other witches revel in their powers， Clara resents hers。 With the increase in dangerous weather， Clara has no choice but to push herself to the limits and try and control the volatile charge within her。 Clara starts to train with Sang， whose steady， quiet presence has a way of calming and centering Clara。 As the pair spend more time together， Clara starts to understand and discover facets of her magic she never even thought possible， but after a close encounter with Sang， she retreats into her reclusive self worried about hurting yet another person she cares about。 With the summer eclipse fast approaching， Clara must decide whether to keep her magic despite all the heartache it caused her， or make the ultimate sacrifice of letting the eclipse strip her of her magic forever。This initially caught my eye since it was described as being a mix between Practical Magic and Twister， so that intrigued me right off the bat。 Griffin's writing was lush and （pardon the pun） atmospheric， and the way she weaved together all these different magical elements was such a joy to read。 She made you feel for Clara and all the hardships she faced and you just wanted her to be happy。 I loved seeing her and Sang train together and how he opened her up and made her vulnerable yet stronger at the same time。 There were times I found her a bit bratty and hard-headed， but she ultimately grew on me by the end。 Aside from the characters， my favorite aspect of this was the magic system。 It was unlike anything I've ever come across before， and I liked how it was different for every season。 There were a few bits in here that I thought could've been paced better， but overall， this was enjoyable。 。。。more
Jacy Sellers
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I truly embraced this lovely story about the reluctant and scared witch， Clara。 The intricacy of the seasonal magic intrigued me with this take on climate change。 The author weaves magic out of the weather flawlessly， making me question everything I learned on this subject in school。 And now I want to transition my house to be an immersion house。
Shari Suarez
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Witches help control the environment。 However with climate change things are getting dire and witches are having to use their magic out of season。 Clara is a rare Ever Witch who can use her magic in all four seasons。 Clara's magic can be dangerous and uncontrolled which has caused the death of her parents and her best friend。 She isolates herself on campus and intends to have her powers stripped during the next full eclipse。 Clara is paired with Sang Park， a botanist and calming Spring Witch。 He Witches help control the environment。 However with climate change things are getting dire and witches are having to use their magic out of season。 Clara is a rare Ever Witch who can use her magic in all four seasons。 Clara's magic can be dangerous and uncontrolled which has caused the death of her parents and her best friend。 She isolates herself on campus and intends to have her powers stripped during the next full eclipse。 Clara is paired with Sang Park， a botanist and calming Spring Witch。 He helps train her but Clara begins having feelings for him and is terrified that her magic will seek him out and kill him。 Can Clara trust herself and her power？I loved this book。 The premise is amazing and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough。 。。。more
Priscila Patatas
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This ARC was offered in exchange of an honest and unbiased review:•2，5*Pros: Queer lead。 Features badass witches， even male witches。 Showcases the enchantment and beauty of elemental magic， a true ode to the elegance of the four seasons。 Very important focus in the climate crisis and global-warming， how the world is at an imbalance that is worsening day by day。。Cons: Unfortunately very dull and slow-paced。 No emotional connection。 Over-descriptive。
Hayley Rutherford
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