The Witch

by Michael Harbron

Lilly Thurman has fled Manhattan and the grasp of Joseph Banbury. For centuries, her power has bent reality to her will, but now, she returns to her hometown of Bridgewater to confront the shadows of the past. But here, the past refuses to remain buried, forcing Lilly to face both her own demons and the ghosts of those she could not save.

In Bridgewater, she befriends seven women, each marked by their own flaws of greed, lust, jealousy, and more. As Lilly gifts them with magic, they embrace their newfound abilities, unaware they are part of a greater test. As their desires consume them, the sinister truth unfolds. They are not who they think they are, and Lilly holds the key to their fate.

“The Witch” is a chilling blend of horror and magic, exploring the price of immortality and the thin veil between life and death. Uncover Lilly Thurman’s origins, her dark beginnings in Salem, and her first encounter with the Devil in this gripping tale of power, jealousy and witchcraft.

Genres: Horror, Fiction

278 pages, Paperback

Published October 4, 2024

About the author

Michael Harbron is an American fiction writer who brings a unique, yet traditional approach to the horror and supernatural genres. From a young age, Harbron was captivated by the eerie and unexplained, a fascination that has deeply influenced his writing. His works aim to unsettle readers through suspense and psychological depth, revisiting the shadowy corners of childhood fears. His debut novel, "Interview with the Devil," exemplifies the blurred lines between reality and the unimaginable. Harbron’s storytelling resurrects dormant fears, proving that true horror lies not in what is seen, but in what is felt.

Reviews

[Spooky Little Book Nerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, this is part of the Interview with the Devil Series. When I asked if I should wait to finish the series to read it, the author said I should read this one in between books two and three.

I was so excited to see my favorite side character get a book of her own! It was so cool to get the history of “the Witch of Bridgewater”. There was something about her from the very first book in the series. She’s so mysterious and just has this calm demeanor even when everything around her is total chaos. I love a strong female character.

This follows her through multiple timelines dating all the way back to the Salem witch trials. There are themes of loneliness, power, envy, religion, mortality, vengeance…and my personal favorite, feminine rage.

She ends up crossing paths with seven women who are giving major Desperate Housewives vibes. These women of course are each flawed in their own ways. The witch decides to gift them with magical abilities but things aren’t what they seem.

While there were a couple of violent and even gory moments, it had a more cozy atmosphere to it. It wasn’t scary or goosebumps-inducing like the other books I’ve read from this series. It would actually be a great one to read in the fall!

Thank you so much to Michael Harbron for making my favorite side character a main character! She so deserved her own book! I recommend this one if you enjoy witchy horror books. It’s a fun one!

[Daniel Penrod · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read, especially if you've already finished his Interview With the Devil series. Definitely reminiscent of The Craft(90s kids, stand up!). Not sure I'd call it scary, but a fun read nonetheless.

[Whitney Warrick · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank heavens I got this awkward, badly written mess for free. I couldn't even make it past the second chapter. Among its many other sins, the book is written in a faux-formal speech that the author can not maintain. The abrupt lapses into a more modern, slangy speech are jarring.

[Susan Schilt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve really enjoyed these books. Yet, I can’t give this one 4 stars.
Firstly: the editing is getting worse with each successive release. Poor sentence structure, weird grammar and inconsistent use of names of MAIN characters.
Secondly: in this particular book, a poorly conceived and constructed use of Salem witch hysteria. There is such a lot of historical data & context to that situation; well used , it would have made the first chapter more engaging. It felt as if the author was lazy.
Lastly, an enjoyable read— but don’t expect it to be literature at its best. The author could do better with the story.

[Lea · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars...first off thank you goodreads and the publishers. I won this Kindle version of the book in a giveaway. I had high hope for this book. It was marketed as a horror but should not have been. I was bored most of the time up until the last 75% of the book. I kept going because I hoped it would get better. It was just meh for me. I also didn't know it was part of a series until I downloaded the book, otherwise I wouldn't have entered the giveaway. There was Witches, the devil, magic, some murder, some DV scenes and a tiny bit of spice. I would not at all classify this as a horror story though.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What A Surprise!

Even though I enjoyed this volume as part of the series - I think I would have enjoyed the tale as a stand-alone just as much. Lilly’s story took her development in a much different direction than I had barely guessed at.

Phenomenal, enlightening and a fitting origin story for a terrific character in the larger scheme of the series. I’m so extremely pleased with this read! Thank you, Mr. Harbron!

On to the next entry - Enjoy!

[Storter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book

I've never read a writer like this before. The first book is, obviously, excellent. Then the second one, also excellent, went to where I never imagined. And this book is the same. Excellent with more turns than the long road home. Between the characters and the plot twists I couldn't put it down. I so can't wait for the next one!

[Jeff Lowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best of the books so far! Excellent read. My biggest issue are the number of mistakes throughout. Misspellings, grammatical errors, and continuity problems, all reported. More to me in proofing and editing is needed.

The characters are well thought and work well together. I truly enjoyed reading this.

[Kayla Wiklanski · Rating 5 out of 5]

What!?!?

Speechless. Absolutely shocked with this story. The build up of characters, history of their lives, and that ending makes this book so good. If you like stories of witches this is definitely one to read.

[Katie Burrows · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top witch

Im so glad to hear more about my favorite character!

My girl has been hunted and betrayed her whole life, and these little stepford hoes think they're ANY match for Lilly?

Ooh I loved everything about this book.

Onto the next book!

[Jessica Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

good continued read

Was nice to get a book with Lilly’s life story in it- as she had an interesting role to play for Joseph in the first books

[Dana Bartram · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Lilly's tale. It's the best book so far in the series. They do get better with each book, brings you into this world more and more. On to book 4!

[Aphrodite the Reader ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lily is by far my favorite character in the entire series so far as of now I am up-to-date with all the books in the series and I cannot wait to see more of her story

[Richard Armendariz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book that dove deeper into her character. I'm looking forward to many more books on the future!

[Alyson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite in the series but interesting

[Bailey Pendleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A time-twisting tale between the Salem Witch Trials and today, packing with surprising lessons on character.

Finished this last night and what a shock ending! The Witch by Michael Harbron was a book I got during a free Bookbub deal. The time flash backs were easily my favorite part, the historical Salem witch trial vibes were 🤌😘. And the present day chaos reminded me of The Craft, because man chicks be crazy!!! This book surprised me in a lot of great ways, and I really enjoyed it. I haven’t read his Interview with the Devil but I will be finishing the whole series now because of this book!