The Binding Spell

by Marisa Linton

WINNER OF THE TIMES/CHICKEN HOUSE AWARD, 2023.
A dark and atmospheric story, perfect for fans of dark
academia.
Morgan
believes her nightmares are over when she moves to the
country. She
confides in a local boy, Joe Harper, whose
secrets seem as tangled as hers. And their time together is magic.



But Morgan’s bad dreams return when her archaeologist
father starts working on an ancient grave.


With every relic unearthed, a creeping horror emerges –
a deadly spell that binds them all . . .



The debut novel from the Times/Chicken House 2023 award
winner, historian and professor Marisa Linton.

A
stand-alone YA contemporary fantasy novel with folk
horror elements.
Spells,
legends, druids and all things supernatural. 

Genres: Fantasy, Folklore

400 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 8, 2025

Reviews

[Caela · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨Unputdownable dark witchy fantasy✨

Morgan always found her nightmares of the Shadow Man terrifying. But when she moves to Weir Hinny with her father and siblings to start afresh, she realises something even more terrifying - perhaps the nightmares weren't dreams, but visions of a dark and twisted reality that lies just beneath our world.

This book is aimed at 14-18 year olds, but as an adult I still found it so very engaging. The atmosphere is evoked from the opening pages. Eerie, dark, but with love between Morgan and her siblings. Everything she does is to protect her family. I was rooting for her every step of the way.

I don't want to give spoilers here, but I enjoyed the weaving in of different themes like the Roman colonisation of England and Wales and what we lost from that in our history, the trauma of losing a parent, and the attitudes to grief and mental health.

There's quite a bit of swearing in it, but this means it reads like how teenagers actually talk! There was a lot of care and craft in the descriptions so you really felt "in it" the whole time, without sacrificing the pace. I read it in one day as I couldn't stop!

I'm hoping there will be a sequel as I'd love to learn more about the lore and what happens next. I can't stop wondering how the characters lives continue, as although it has a satisfying ending, there's definitely some hints they might have more adventures round the corner and I'd love to read all about them.

On a superficial note, the paperback has a gorgeous embossed cover and lovely chapter headings.

If you want an atmospheric, dark fantasy page-turner with heart and magic, then this is the book for you!

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great fantasy book. It’s aged at older teens but it doesn’t matter because it was definitely worth the read. If you can, you will want to finish it in one go. A page turner.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those books where every initial thread eventually comes beautifully back together, leading to a thrilling ending and some very iconic scenes (Im thinking particularly about a certain confrontation...) . It still manages to do this while remaining atmospheric however. And what an atmosphere there is! witchy and nostalgic, countryside walks, getting lost in forests and big old houses, creeping shadows and ghostly figures. There's a bit of everything I like. I particularly enjoyed the sibling dynamic. As someone with multiple siblings, it's often quite hard to find a realistic sibling dynamic of four in books. Often characters can become under developed or forgotten, but I found that every sibling in the book bought something to the plot and felt very real to me. Their relationships towards each other, and how each one related to the other, felt very well-thought out too. I think that accuracy was my favourite part of the book.

[Elena Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!! I enjoyed the romance and the witchy folklore side of it too. The author creates such atmosphere and you can really feel the characters through the page!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great witchy story that I almost missed my stop on the train whilst reading! This would be the perfect autumn/winter read for the spooky-ness and mystery. There is some romance but that's not the main focus and it doesn't need to be with the great family dynamic.
I read it all in one day because I needed to know what was going to happen and thought I could predict it but kept being surprised!
True rating is probably 4.5 as the ending was a little too happy ending-y but I hope there's more to come because I love the world and want to see more of the siblings.

[Maris Vutt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was actually a very pleasant surprise! The book caught my eye when I was wandering around a book shop and stopped at the new releases counter. The description was interesting and I’m very glad I got it, although I was a little hesitant given that the book does not have so many reviews in GoodReads. This was definitely one of the books that got me hooked from the first page.

I enjoyed the Celtic folklore, overall scenery and the characters. The ending was maybe a bit rushed and I would have liked to have some additional explanations about some details, but it was a very good book! I also liked that there was no typical love story, but one that took many turns and twists, plus the fact that the book concentrated on other story lines much more.

[Cara Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, I am obsessed with the cover of this book. It's so beautiful.

Second, the atmosphere is so perfectly done throughout this story. (Whoever put atmospheric in the description is bang on!) It oozes with mystery, magic, folklore and darkness. The main character, Morgan, is a fabulous protagonist and it's wonderful to see her growing into her power over the course of the book. There's romance in there too, of exactly the slightly dangerous kind that would have made me swoon when I was a teen, but it never overshadows Morgan and her journey.

All in all, loved this book!

[Sophia Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t put it down! It was spooky and atmospheric; I loved the folk horror and the romance !

[Maddie Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very lucky to have been there at the release party for this wonderful book. I know all the efforts the author has put in, and how much she adores it. And it pays off.

It’s one of those books that is incredibly difficult to put down. Each chapter is masterfully crafted, and so dense with lore and beautiful descriptions.

The cover and binding is beautiful too - simply looks amazing on my shelf.

If you read anything fantasy at all - you will enjoy this. It’s beautiful, and quintessentially English, dense with history and mythology.

One of those book I’ll go back to for my own writings.

[Nessa’s Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her haunting debut, historian Marisa Linton casts a chilling spell that blurs the line between past and present, myth and nightmare.

The Binding Spell is an atmospheric YA folk horror with the dark academia edge of The Secret History and the creeping unease of The Witch.

When Morgan moves to the countryside with hopes of escaping her disturbing past, she finds brief solace in a friendship with Joe Harper, a local boy with his own shadows. Their bond feels otherworldly, a fragile kind of magic... until her father's archaeological dig uncovers a druid grave and something ancient begins to stir.

🌒 Why It Works:

* Folkloric tension — eerie graves, pagan relics, and rituals seep into every page, making this a slow, immersive creep-fest
* Complex characters — Morgan and Joe are damaged but compelling, and their connection feels beautifully tragic
* Scholarly depth — Linton’s background in history adds texture and authenticity without slowing the pace
* Stand-alone strength — it’s rare for a debut fantasy to feel this complete and satisfying in one book

Linton delivers folk horror that lingers long after the last page, perfect for curling up with when the wind howls outside.

[Sarah Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Those of us who have waited a long time for a true successor to those authors who created a golden age of fantasy literature - Alan Garner, John Gordon and Susan Cooper to name three - have finally had our patience rewarded. It's no surprise that it took the visionary Barry Cunnigham to discover Marisa Linton and publish her 'The Binding Spell' through his incomparable Chicken House Books. Linton draws upon all that those masters of the genre gifted us: the seductive mystery embodied in the British rural landscape, the folklore and oral traditions associated with it, and the creeping sense of foreboding that infused every page of their writing. You'll love this book if you loved 'The Owl Service,' 'The Giant Under the Snow' and 'The Dark is Rising.' And Linton's climactic showdown between good and evil rivals the spectacular set pieces that Susan Cooper excelled at. Throw echoes of M.R. James and Robert Graves into the mix and you have, as Barry Cunningham says in his introduction to this book, 'folk horror at its finest.' Please, please, please Barry and Marisa - bring us the sequel soon!

[MielH · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book! I read this over a weekend because I couldn’t step away. Full of Celtic lore, a dark forest filled with shadow creatures, and the mysterious Grey Malkin, The Binding Spell both delighted and surprised me with its depth (the nature of grief, what we’re perhaps missing in our fast-paced, rational lives) and its twisty, turning plot (who can Morgan trust? What’s “real”?).

Morgan, the lead character, is both strong and interesting and didn’t do what I expected her to do, which was extraordinarily refreshing. I loved watching her gain more confidence in her abilities, even as she struggled with juggling family, living in a new place a far cry from London, and her past.

Linton’s descriptions of the natural world are so lush and dreamy, especially as she contrasts the more Celtic elements with harsher modern-day environments. It made me long to visit Wales and take more time to immerse myself in more wild places.

I’ve already recommended this book to my sister and several friends, as it’s such a rich, well-plotted, scary (at times), and magical novel. I hope there’s a sequel (and I’d so love to see this made into a movie!).

[Amberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started and finished date – 26.09.25 to 29.09.25.
My rating – Three and half Stars.
This book was okay read and I did enjoy is book, but I didn't love is book also I was a little bit disappointed. I think people who like bittersweet in the hollow by Kate Pearsall or gorse by Sam K. Horton may like is book. The writing was okay, but it took some time to get used to also the ending of book was fine. The atmosphere was okay but bit bland and the world building was okay also magic systems was interesting, but I would have it to be flash out bit. I really like the folklore in the book, and it was favourite parts of the book also I would like author go into more detail about the folklore in the book. The paced of plot was well structured and steady paced. The characters were okay, but they needed to flash out bit more.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This could have been a five star read had it of been 100 pages shorter. I absolutely flew through the first 200 page, I read them in one sitting as I just could not put this book down. The atmosphere, the characters, the plot .. all had me drawn in. However, something happened after this and I just lost interest. I feel like it was dragged on unnecessarily and for approx. 100 pages nothing really happened. When it came to the final part of the book I struggled to absorb myself back in because I had already lost interest. This is by no means a bad book, and there are so many excellent elements to this story. I just wish the middle part had been cut out.

[Carey C · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Binding Spell is a mysterious, creepy and atmospheric folk horror. I love this concept – teenager Morgan moves to a new village with her brothers and sister. Their father is an archaeologist whose latest dig unearths all sorts of darkness and mystery into the siblings’ lives and Morgan is forced to find her inner power to protect them, all the while battling her own demons. There’s an edgy romance but Morgan is at the heart of the story. The writing style is evocative and lyrical and I thoroughly loved being immersed in Morgan’s world. I really hope this will be a series!!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morgan
believes her nightmares are over when she moves to the
country. She
confides in a local boy, Joe Harper, whose
secrets seem as tangled as hers. And their time together is magic.



But
Morgan’s bad dreams return when her archaeologist
father starts working on an ancient grave.


With
every relic unearthed, a creeping horror emerges
a deadly spell that binds them all.

[S R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is brilliant, I would highly recommend it. It is classed as "young adult" but was on the shelf as science fiction and fantasy (presumably due to the amazing cover). It is full of twists and turns and the story would appeal to all age groups from early teens up to 100! Give it a try. Here's hoping for a sequel.

[Deirdre Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting at the beginning. In the middle I lost interest. Kept on reading but felt like there would be more to the story. It reminded me a lot of the spiderwick Chronicles. A bunch of inexperienced kids against a whole lot of evil with some witchcraft and a druid in the mix.

[Tharushi Pramodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Binding Spell by Marissa Linton had an interesting plot with good potential, but some parts felt a bit dragged out and unnecessary. The pacing could’ve been tighter, though overall it was still an enjoyable read with a solid storyline.

[Melissa Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. Liked the character and the plot twist.

[Farhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5.. well-written book. Good story. The only thing is, seems like a YA book than adult. Still, good story.

[Cherilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book, but the dog.... THE.DOG. really?

[Kaiden Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Look Morgan at times made me want to scream bc she just didn’t listen however I very throughly enjoyed this

Grey malkin best character 10/10