Witch of the Crimson Coven

by Maria DeVivo

A chance encounter on the roadside leads to a detour into a world more dangerous than she can fathom.

Trixie is a teenage runaway from Indiana—one of many young girls in the 1960s looking to venture west to escape their abusive homes or seek fame in Hollywood. Along with her best friend Cyrinda, she hitches a ride on a cold spring night with a handsome stranger named Trent who seems to be pointing her in a direction she never even considered.

Rather than settle in a big city with unknown dangers, the mystery man tells her of a very old friend of his named Barbara who shelters young runaway girls and keeps them safe from those who would prey upon their innocence. What Trixie doesn’t realize is that sometimes things are not always what they seem, and what lies ahead may be more than she can handle.

Inspired by true events, Witch of the Crimson Cove continues the Dawn of the Blood Witch series!

Genres: Horror

203 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 15, 2025

About the author

Maria DeVivo writes horror and dark fantasy for both a YA and adult audience. Each of her series has been Amazon best-sellers and have won multiple awards since 2012. A lover of all things dark and demented, the worlds she creates are fantastical and immersive. Get swept away in the lands of elves, zombies, angels, demons, and witches (but not all in the same place). Maria takes great pleasure in warping the comfort factor in her readers’ minds – just when you think you’ve reached a safe space in her stories, she snaps you back into her twisted reality.

Reviews

[Lyra Saenz]

Devivo doesn't disappoint in this sultry venture into darkness.

The Crimson Coven lives up to its name. This book is bloody and violent. I didn't know a book could do this, but it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

Trixie's story is one of heartbreak and desperation. As a foster kid who has been passed around and experienced the worst of the system, she wants nothing more than to belong. And she finds it for the first time in Barbara, the lead witch of the Crimson Coven who wants nothing more than to bring her lost children back from the dead. And I live for how fucking sapphic those spicy scenes were!

The most captivating character, however, was Cyrinda. As the tale unfolded, her origins and motivations became increasingly sinister.

Witch of the Crimson Coven is a deep dive, not only into magical mayhem and blood magic, but into the psychology of a teenager who has been treated as disposable her entire life.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[JulieAnn Crane]

Witch of the Crimson Coven offers a new look into the blood witch world. I absolutely loved stepping into Barbara’s orbit and seeing her through Trixie’s outside perspective.

Structurally this book takes a slightly more intricate turn than previous ones. There is a twist that is handled with impressive restraint. Clues were always there—just framed in a way that made me see them differently. When everything shifts, it happens without feeling forced, making the payoff satisfying. And that ending—a final gut punch! Loved it.

Overall, it’s a great 6th installment that clearly signals that power is growing within this world.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kat M]

This was a really well done sixth entry in the Dawn of the Blood Witch series, it had that charm that I was looking for in this series and continued the story perfectly. The horror element worked well and had that concept and that character development. Maria DeVivo wrote this perfectly and was glad I was able to read this. I really enjoyed that this had that suspenseful atmosphere and that the characters worked overall.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Christina Luberts]

This is Trixie and Cyrinda's story. They want aventure and get away from the abuse at home. They want to hitch a ride to Hollywood, but will they make it? Why does this man want her to some named Barbara? Are they really going to be safe? Can they deal with everything? Will they make it?.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[AMBER CLARK]

This is Trixie and, her best friend, Cyrinda's story. It's well written and suspenseful. Inspired by true events.

[Victoria Alvarez]

I think the story was good but left a lot of unanswered questions that I feel should have been wrapped up in the end a little better. I’m also just not a fan of children being murdered in my books but that’s a personal opinion.

[Mika (Michelle) Crum]

I'm going back immediately and read all of Maria's books(I've already read 5 of them and I'll be re-reading those)! I cannot stop thinking about this story. Trixie and Cyrinda took me on a wild ride, like being on a roller coaster and I love it! Seriously, get your copies of all of her books. Fantastically twisted! I highly recommend. Over a year later and I’m still thinking about this book!!