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The Burial Witch
An enchanting new novella set in the magical world of Sunday Times bestseller Threadneedle and The Times bestseller ShadowstitchAt home one memorable summer, Miranda unearths a mysterious suitcase in her attic that once belonged to her late grandmother. Inside, she finds a strange and unopenable wooden box.
Determined to discover what’s inside, she ends up enlisting the help of Maya, the owner of a local spiritualist shop, and is drawn into a world of witchcraft, magic and temptation.
As she tries to keep up appearances as the perfect daughter, her discovery threatens to tear everything apart, putting everyone around her in danger.
Can she find a way to stay in control or would the box have been better left buried?
Taking place before events in Threadneedle and Shadowstitch, this is a perfect read for not just fans of the series, but for anyone who loves to be transported by magical fantasy.
Determined to discover what’s inside, she ends up enlisting the help of Maya, the owner of a local spiritualist shop, and is drawn into a world of witchcraft, magic and temptation.
As she tries to keep up appearances as the perfect daughter, her discovery threatens to tear everything apart, putting everyone around her in danger.
Can she find a way to stay in control or would the box have been better left buried?
Taking place before events in Threadneedle and Shadowstitch, this is a perfect read for not just fans of the series, but for anyone who loves to be transported by magical fantasy.
160 pages, Paperback
Published August 18, 2026
About the author
Cari Thomas
9 books834 followersI grew up in the Wye Valley area of Wales and moved to London in my twenties. I worked as a journalist for various publications and at a creative agency, before finally doing what I'd always wanted to do. I quit my job and wrote a book about magic.
I split my days between freelance work and roaming London, writing in cafés and libraries and any hideouts I could find, eating far too much cake and imagining a magical world hidden within today's London. A world of wild, ancient witchcraft. A world of modern fairytale. A world where libraries made of books breathe dusty pages beneath the city and witch clubs serve up magical cocktails and vintage shops sell memories. A world where magic gleams both light and very, very dark. It was fun. It resulted in my debut novel Threadneedle, the first in my Language of Magic series.
I have now moved back West, to Bristol, with my husband and son. When I'm not reading strange magical books and working on my next book, I like to eat good food, watch movies, dance around the kitchen, write poetry and wander the woods, which I believe is the most magical place on earth.
I split my days between freelance work and roaming London, writing in cafés and libraries and any hideouts I could find, eating far too much cake and imagining a magical world hidden within today's London. A world of wild, ancient witchcraft. A world of modern fairytale. A world where libraries made of books breathe dusty pages beneath the city and witch clubs serve up magical cocktails and vintage shops sell memories. A world where magic gleams both light and very, very dark. It was fun. It resulted in my debut novel Threadneedle, the first in my Language of Magic series.
I have now moved back West, to Bristol, with my husband and son. When I'm not reading strange magical books and working on my next book, I like to eat good food, watch movies, dance around the kitchen, write poetry and wander the woods, which I believe is the most magical place on earth.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
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August 4, 2026Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5)
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Burial Witch is a beautifully atmospheric return to Cari Thomas' magical world. While it's a novella, it adds meaningful depth to Miranda's story and gives readers a much better understanding of her life before the events of the main series.
I really enjoyed how this story explored themes of identity, family expectations, faith, and belonging alongside the mystery of the strange sealed box. Miranda's internal conflict felt authentic, and I appreciated seeing the tension between the strict religious environment she was raised in and the pull she feels toward something she can't quite explain. It gave her character much more emotional depth.
Cari Thomas continues to create a version of modern witchcraft that feels grounded, quiet, and immersive. The atmosphere is one of the strongest aspects of the story, and I found myself wishing the novella had been longer so I could spend more time with these characters and this world.
The only reason this wasn't a full five stars for me is that, because of its length, some plot points and relationships felt a little rushed. I would have loved more time to explore the mystery and its emotional consequences.
Overall, this is a lovely companion to the Threadneedle series. Fans of the books will appreciate the extra insight into Miranda's journey, and anyone who enjoys thoughtful, atmospheric stories about magic, family secrets, and self-discovery will find plenty to enjoy.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Burial Witch is a beautifully atmospheric return to Cari Thomas' magical world. While it's a novella, it adds meaningful depth to Miranda's story and gives readers a much better understanding of her life before the events of the main series.
I really enjoyed how this story explored themes of identity, family expectations, faith, and belonging alongside the mystery of the strange sealed box. Miranda's internal conflict felt authentic, and I appreciated seeing the tension between the strict religious environment she was raised in and the pull she feels toward something she can't quite explain. It gave her character much more emotional depth.
Cari Thomas continues to create a version of modern witchcraft that feels grounded, quiet, and immersive. The atmosphere is one of the strongest aspects of the story, and I found myself wishing the novella had been longer so I could spend more time with these characters and this world.
The only reason this wasn't a full five stars for me is that, because of its length, some plot points and relationships felt a little rushed. I would have loved more time to explore the mystery and its emotional consequences.
Overall, this is a lovely companion to the Threadneedle series. Fans of the books will appreciate the extra insight into Miranda's journey, and anyone who enjoys thoughtful, atmospheric stories about magic, family secrets, and self-discovery will find plenty to enjoy.
Review of advance copy
Interesting and simple story and plot definitely a quick and easy read
Review of advance copy
I don't know why this is saying it's not published yet, I listed to the audiobook from my library.
May 24, 2026
° ˖✧ 𝓣𝓛;𝓓𝓡 ✧˖°
An intriguing fantasy novella perfect for readers looking for authentic family conflict, a sassy teenager learning to form real connections, and the underlying clash between religion, culture, and magic.
° ˖✧ 𝓡𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 ✧˖°
4.25 ⭐
0 🌶️
° ˖✧ 𝓠𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼 ✧˖°
'You have a soul made of questions, Miranda. Don't deny it.'
...cartwheeling through the grass, like your body isn't sin but a slice of the divine.
Somehow being understood felt like it might be enough.
"...one day you'll find the courage to see that magic is for people who love the questions more than the answers."
° ˖✧ 𝓢𝔂𝓷𝓸𝓹𝓼𝓲𝓼 𝓢𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓪𝓻𝔂 ✧˖°
While exploring her late grandmother’s attic, highly-strung Miranda finds an unopenable wooden box. Determined to discover what’s inside, she enlists the help of a spiritualist shop owner, and is drawn into a world of witchcraft.
° ˖✧ 𝓣𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓮𝓼 ✧˖°
🌱 Coming of Age
✨ Hidden Power
✝️ Questioning Faith
🫶 Found Family
🌈 Sapphic Undertones
🔍 Mystery to Solve
🌀 Ancestral Magic
° ˖✧ 𝓣𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓰𝓮𝓻 𝓦𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 ✧˖°
💥 Family Conflict
🙏 Religion vs Magic
😱 Creepy Dolls
° ˖✧ 𝓛𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓼 ✧˖°
+ Accessible Prequel
+ Interesting Character Backstory
+ Engaging Conflict from many Sources
+ Cultural and Religious Depth
+ Authentic Family Dynamics
+ FMC Sass and Humour
+ Snippets of Poetry
+ Sweet Friendships
° ˖✧ 𝓓𝓲𝓼𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓼 ✧˖°
- Could've been a longer book
- Some time jumps to fit in novella length
- Some Dramatic Reactions
° ˖✧ 𝓜𝔂 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼 ✧˖°
I'm loving getting all these prequels for characters in the Language of Magic series! They're really easy to read and jump into, even if you don't have knowledge about the main books - this one came out after Shadowstitch, but I read this one first and it has no bearing on the main story!
Obviously, as it's a prequel, I had some idea how the story would end based on what I knew of Miranda from Threadneedle - however, the journey that got her there was really interesting. Miranda's not yet ready to break out of her world yet, but she's starting to ask questions and explore her curiosity. I found this novella more enjoyable than The Hedge Witch simply because there were much more conflict as a result!
Miranda is part Nigerian on her mother's side, and it plays an integral part to her exploration of faith and magic. Her immediate family are all Christian, strongly so, but her family in Nigeria belong to a different faith. A faith that references witches and sorcery. As a result, Miranda has a really complicated relationship with her mother, who's tried to shun anything that doesn't match Christian ideals.
This mother-daughter relationship is one of the driving forces in The Burial Witch, alongside Miranda's interactions with her siblings. There's an inherent competitiveness that's fueled by their parents, but it becomes more severe as Miranda learns that there may be more to her and her lineage than previously thought.
I felt that these tough family relationships were represented authentically in The Burial Witch, though obviously on the little more extreme side given Miranda is a teenager. And I appreciated the fact that while Miranda dips her toe into the magical world, it's her connections with her family that take centre stage in this book.
That being said, I loved that Miranda found new people to become closer to, like Maya and Sarah, who encourage Miranda to be her truest self. It doesn't quite work the way they hope/expect but Miranda has grown by the end of the story. I hope that in future books in the series, we'll see more development for her conflict with faith and the people she loves.
It would've been nice to have a longer story for Miranda. While Rowan's book felt the appropriate length, it feels as though Miranda's character has more to give. There were some small time jumps, likely done to avoid repetition and move the story along in a short frame, but I'd have enjoyed seeing those play out to really get a feel for Miranda's escalation to overwhelm!
Some other small things that I loved were Miranda's general sass, her forays into poetry, and surprisingly sweet journey of her making friends!
Thank you to Cari Thomas and Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction, Harper Voyager for the opportunity to receive a promotional copy in exchange for my honest review.
An intriguing fantasy novella perfect for readers looking for authentic family conflict, a sassy teenager learning to form real connections, and the underlying clash between religion, culture, and magic.
° ˖✧ 𝓡𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 ✧˖°
4.25 ⭐
0 🌶️
° ˖✧ 𝓠𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼 ✧˖°
'You have a soul made of questions, Miranda. Don't deny it.'
...cartwheeling through the grass, like your body isn't sin but a slice of the divine.
Somehow being understood felt like it might be enough.
"...one day you'll find the courage to see that magic is for people who love the questions more than the answers."
° ˖✧ 𝓢𝔂𝓷𝓸𝓹𝓼𝓲𝓼 𝓢𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓪𝓻𝔂 ✧˖°
While exploring her late grandmother’s attic, highly-strung Miranda finds an unopenable wooden box. Determined to discover what’s inside, she enlists the help of a spiritualist shop owner, and is drawn into a world of witchcraft.
° ˖✧ 𝓣𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓮𝓼 ✧˖°
🌱 Coming of Age
✨ Hidden Power
✝️ Questioning Faith
🫶 Found Family
🌈 Sapphic Undertones
🔍 Mystery to Solve
🌀 Ancestral Magic
° ˖✧ 𝓣𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓰𝓮𝓻 𝓦𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 ✧˖°
💥 Family Conflict
🙏 Religion vs Magic
😱 Creepy Dolls
° ˖✧ 𝓛𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓼 ✧˖°
+ Accessible Prequel
+ Interesting Character Backstory
+ Engaging Conflict from many Sources
+ Cultural and Religious Depth
+ Authentic Family Dynamics
+ FMC Sass and Humour
+ Snippets of Poetry
+ Sweet Friendships
° ˖✧ 𝓓𝓲𝓼𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓼 ✧˖°
- Could've been a longer book
- Some time jumps to fit in novella length
- Some Dramatic Reactions
° ˖✧ 𝓜𝔂 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼 ✧˖°
I'm loving getting all these prequels for characters in the Language of Magic series! They're really easy to read and jump into, even if you don't have knowledge about the main books - this one came out after Shadowstitch, but I read this one first and it has no bearing on the main story!
Obviously, as it's a prequel, I had some idea how the story would end based on what I knew of Miranda from Threadneedle - however, the journey that got her there was really interesting. Miranda's not yet ready to break out of her world yet, but she's starting to ask questions and explore her curiosity. I found this novella more enjoyable than The Hedge Witch simply because there were much more conflict as a result!
Miranda is part Nigerian on her mother's side, and it plays an integral part to her exploration of faith and magic. Her immediate family are all Christian, strongly so, but her family in Nigeria belong to a different faith. A faith that references witches and sorcery. As a result, Miranda has a really complicated relationship with her mother, who's tried to shun anything that doesn't match Christian ideals.
This mother-daughter relationship is one of the driving forces in The Burial Witch, alongside Miranda's interactions with her siblings. There's an inherent competitiveness that's fueled by their parents, but it becomes more severe as Miranda learns that there may be more to her and her lineage than previously thought.
I felt that these tough family relationships were represented authentically in The Burial Witch, though obviously on the little more extreme side given Miranda is a teenager. And I appreciated the fact that while Miranda dips her toe into the magical world, it's her connections with her family that take centre stage in this book.
That being said, I loved that Miranda found new people to become closer to, like Maya and Sarah, who encourage Miranda to be her truest self. It doesn't quite work the way they hope/expect but Miranda has grown by the end of the story. I hope that in future books in the series, we'll see more development for her conflict with faith and the people she loves.
It would've been nice to have a longer story for Miranda. While Rowan's book felt the appropriate length, it feels as though Miranda's character has more to give. There were some small time jumps, likely done to avoid repetition and move the story along in a short frame, but I'd have enjoyed seeing those play out to really get a feel for Miranda's escalation to overwhelm!
Some other small things that I loved were Miranda's general sass, her forays into poetry, and surprisingly sweet journey of her making friends!
Thank you to Cari Thomas and Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction, Harper Voyager for the opportunity to receive a promotional copy in exchange for my honest review.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews