To Drown a Witch

by Lindsey Olsson

A criminal and a royal guard are drawn into the hunt for a dangerous witch—and an unexpected romance—in this YA enemies-to-lovers romantasy, perfect for fans of Heartless Hunter.

In Orlonea, the Witch is feared above all else. Reborn into each generation, she is the only person with magic running innately through her veins, able to wield magic with a single thought.

So when guards across the city begin to drop dead, gruesomely murdered by violent and vicious magic, everyone knows the Witch has returned—and no one will be safe until she’s killed.

Toran is the Prince’s Crown, the most highly skilled fighter in the King’s Guard. Tasked with the responsibility of leading the hunt for the Witch, Toran tries to focus on his assignment to forget the ghosts of his past. And after he learns of Nes, a thief with an uncanny ability to sniff out magic, he forcibly recruits her into joining his hunt.

As the two face deadly magic and otherworldly threats, their mutual dislike soon turns to something more electric, and they find themselves drawn to each other in ways they’d never imagined. But the Witch is always a step ahead of them, and with bodies piling up, secrets threaten to come to light—secrets that could destroy everything from the fragile trust between them to the very city of Orlonea itself.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romantasy, Witches, Romance, Magic, Paranormal

352 pages, Hardcover

First published July 14, 2026

About the author

Lindsey Olsson has been dreaming up stories since she first learned to write. After studying creative writing at Elon University, she went on to receive a MFA in writing for children and young adults from Hamline University. When she isn’t covering the walls of her home with book ideas, she can be found skiing and snowboarding, climbing rock walls, or adventuring alongside her husband. She has yet to say no when offered a doughnut . . . or a dozen. To Drown a Witch is her debut novel.

Find her online at LindseyOlsson.com or follow her on Instagram @LindseyOlssonAuthor.

Reviews

[ellie (semi ia) · Rating 2 out of 5]

— 2.5 ☆ .ᐟ ⌗ 🌹 spoiler free + mini review
⤷ hmm it was going good but i didnt care enough

⋆˚࿔ 60th review of the year
arc review

⌗ ꒰ my thoughts ꒱🧹
⤷ ugh i SO wanted to love this but 🥲 it wasn't a bad book per say, it was just really hard to connect with anybody, and it was also super predictable. honestly a rip off heartless hunter 🙏 the first 200 pages were really fun, but the more i continued to read i just did not care. i knew what would happen and the writing wasn't my favorite either

overall i'd love to see what others think of this! also kind of disappointing to market this to 9th graders when it literally says for 'steamy romantasy fans'?? HELLO. please market your books right lol. overall, worth a shot but ehh. curious to see what the next book will be like!

again, thank you to the publishers for an arc copy. all ratings and opinions are my own.

----------------

🌹 — pre-read .ᐟ ⌗

𐔌 ♯┆6.12.26
⤷ AHH a fantasy for june 🙈 i can't wait to try this!! *for fans of heartless hunter* OKAY WELL SIGN ME UP HELLO?? thank you to the publishers for a physical arc! this is out in july 🫂

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed feelings with this one!

There is a lot to like here: the grisly murders and the witch hunt gripped me and were honestly the best part.

But the romance felt super rushed. They meet 25% into the book, and 25% later their interest is pretty clear. They’re enemies on paper only, and get along quite well almost immediately. The ‘enemies’ part does get better closer to the end because of all the twists, but it honestly made me hate them both even more… do with that what you will. I think Heartless Hunter did the romance way better.

Thankfully the mystery kept me entertained enough. Once the clues started coming together and the plot twists hit, I flew through the rest pretty fast. Some were pretty obvious, others not as much. I think there will always be at least one thing you won’t see coming.

The ending was super frustrating though, and ends on a confusing, open-ended cliffhanger. It made me bump down my rating from 3 to 2.5 stars.

─ ✦ ────

✎ᝰ.┊pre-read: You had me at enemies-to-lovers 🤭 I’m so excited to start this!!!

⬫ ⬪ ⬫
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

[Keri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two Words: THE BANTER.

[Lexi · Rating 1 out of 5]

1⭐️

ARC Review

Publication Date: 07/14/26

It might be time to resign myself to the fact that witch hunt storylines are not my type of books…

I really wish that authors and/or publishers would stop using popular books to promote new/up and coming content. It is starting to become a turnoff and, most times, feels like false advertising. To Drown A Witch is one of those examples.

According to the tagline to promote this book, Heartless Hunter has been used to entice readers, who loved that series, to give To Drown A Witch a chance. As someone who both loves the Heartless Hunter series and has just finished this book, I can confirm that these two books ARE NOT the same. Just a few examples:

(1) Where Heartless Hunter is a straightforward witch versus witch hunter story, To Drown A Witch tries to hide who the witch is (it doesn’t take long for a reader to figure out who the witch is.)

(2) Where Heartless Hunter is fast-paced and full of chemistry between the FMC and MMC, To Drown A Witch is very slow-paced, confusing, and there isn’t an ounce of chemistry between the FMC and the MMC.

(3) Where Heartless Hunter is capable of drawing readers in from the very first chapter, To Drown A Witch is capable of drawing readers in for the first few chapter, but just as a quickly makes readers become disinterested by Chapter 7.

I could sit here and list several more differences between Heartless Hunter and To Drown A Witch, but that is not what I want my review to focus on. My point, though, is that anyone who picks this up in hopes to find a Heartless Hunter similarly will walk away very disappointed. I say this because I am one of those readers. And yes, I am very unhappy and annoyed by this fact.

To Drown A Witch reads like a novel with a witch versus witch hunter storyline, but it is slightly misleading. It contains a somewhat murder myself element mixed with magic is illegal troupe and a Royal Kingdom. As I mentioned previously, this book tries to make the identity of the witch all mysterious, but if you read this with its audiobook companion (like I did), you will figure out who she is in the prologue. Nothing too mysterious about that.

My reasons for rating To Drown A Witch a One Star read are as follows:

(1) The FMC, Nes, is very plain Jane. Her main features are her red hair, blue eyes, and her million and one freckles. There is just nothing special or remarkable about her.

(2) The MMC, Toran, is even worse. Like every other male character, he is supposed be strong jawed, beautiful eyes, and a part of the all mighty Royal Court. In reality, Toran is a butt hole who drinks a lot and lies for no reason. Sometime later in the story, he claims to have known who the witch was this whole time and when his conclusions are listed, all a reader can do is roll their eyes.

(3) Altogether, To Drown A Witch is written in a way that is difficult to follow (literally a time up happens and a reader doesn't figure it out until the middle of said chapter), none of the twists truly stick, and I got bored too quickly. I wanted to DNF is by Chapter 10.

There is a huge possibility that I will forget everything about this book two-three months from now. If this turns out to be a duology, I have no intention of rereading this just so I can read Book #2. However, I might find myself picking up Book #2 just to skim it and see how everything comes to a conclusion. While I am planning to make To Drown A Witch my last witch/witch hunter novel, I do think that this book will find its audience. There are a number of other readers who have DNF’d this book (and their reasons are very valid), but anyone who decides to pick this up and read it then they should. Just because this didn’t work for me doesn’t mean it won’t work for someone else.

I want to wish Lindsey Olsson all the best on her future endeavors, especially her writing career.

Thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for granting my request for an Advance Reader’s Copy in exchange for my honest and personal opinion!!!

[Chelsea Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lindsey Olsson, how fucking dare you!?

When the publishers for this story sent me this book I instantly fell in love with the cover. Then I started reading, and my GOD I fell in love with the characters too. We have to two flawed main characters, one who wants to save her Dad from imprisonment, the other who wants to find “the witch”. I thought I was getting a standard witch x witch hunter story but BOY WAS I WRONG!

THAT ENDING?!

I’m pretty sure I should be put in a c-collar for the levels of whiplash I experienced during those final few chapters. Olsson is a master of plot twists and I will be anxiously awaiting book 2!

[BookishKB]

🖤🔮 To Drown a Witch by Lindsey Olsson 🔮🖤

💭 Bookish Thoughts
I'll be sharing my full review closer to publication date.

✨What to Expect
• Enemies to Lovers
• Royal Guard MMC
• Thief FMC
• Witch Hunt
• Forced Proximity
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: July 14, 2026
Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

[tai ⋆☀︎.]

After finishing Part 1, I decided not to continue with this book.

I felt the author had plenty of time to establish a solid plot and give readers a better understanding of Toran's and Nes's motivations, making us invested in their journey. Unfortunately, that never happened for me within the first 28% of To Drown a Witch. The story lacked a firm sense of direction, both in its plot and worldbuilding. Even after reaching that point, I still didn't understand why resolving succession issues through a duel between the Prince and the Crown was considered a reasonable solution.

The writing style also didn't work for me. It often felt overly busy, especially during scenes that called for a stronger sense of urgency or action. While I can appreciate descriptive prose, here it frequently clashed with the pacing of the story.

I think the comparison to The Crimson Moth raised my expectations too high. Both books share certain elements, but in my opinion To Drown a Witch executes them less effectively, which made the similarities highlight the book's weaknesses rather than its strengths.

Thank you Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Andi]

I like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me a read.

I liked the idea of this book, the execution of it ... well, it could use some work.

It's held up with this very flimsy tale of a witch who is out for revenge, muddled and mixed in a story about a prince and his alternate vying for the throne. The alternate is a captain of the guards and well, he has some emotional baggage when it comes to witches since a previous expedition to kill one caused his wife to die in a ship sinking.

He is paired up with a female who is spunky, but kind of has that hots for him (60% in and both of them have the hots for one another but it's not quite clear on how strong the hate is for one or the other). The female has a talent of seeking out other magical users in a world where witches exist, and people can leach magic from trees in a forest.

The world building is flimsy, the thing is billed as a romantasy so expect a lot of focus on how both parties can't stop thinking about the other (which is confusing since we saw the male lead trying to drink his sorrows away from what happened to his wife previously). She is anti-cop / government / guard because they kill a lot of witches by drowning them in a well. It just doesn't make sense but because, well, ROMANTASY, it will happen!

I really think that there could be a story here, but at 60% in I was getting too annoyed with it because it was all talk but no substance.

Out of respect, choosing not to rate due to not finishing.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 ⭐️ - I love a Witch/Witch-Hunter story, so when I saw To Drown a Witch was being compared to Heartless Hunter, I had to pick it up. Though there are definitely overlaps between the two books, I don't think To Drown a Witch does the plot, mystery, or the romance as well. But overall, I found this to be an entertaining, fast read despite a few issues.

Part of the reason it's such a fast read is that there's pretty minimal worldbuilding. You get a few short explanations on the magic here and there, and the setting is kept vague. I did wish the world and magic system were more built out, but the lack of detail meant we jumped straight into the plot.

I really loved our main characters and their banter. Nes is witty, confident, and competent. Our MMC Toran is coping with grief and dealing with alcohol dependency, which is a heads-up if that's a sensitivity for you. Beyond the grief, he doesn't have many other personality traits. I liked their dynamic together. I'd say the the romance is closer to reluctant allies to lovers to maybe enemies, which I always enjoy.

So, lots to like here, but there were also a few glaring issues that kept pulling me out of the book.

A lot of the things that happen don't make sense. Some are minor details like our FMC is on the run from her old boss, but goes home every night to her apartment which is in the same building as his business. Others are bigger, like throughout the mystery, we leap from clue to a really convenient solution that isn't explained, so I found myself having to fill in the gaps. The ending twists are the biggest example because this book is dual POV, so the last 15% or so only works if neither character ever once thinks about what they're planning to do. All these issues stacked on top of each other made the book a little incoherent and hard to wrap my mind around. If you're the kind of reader who holds onto details (like me 🙋🏽‍♀️), these issues may frustrate you. If you're not, you'll probably have a good time.

The ending encapsulates how I feel about this book. It didn't make a ton of sense, but it was so entertaining and shocking that I'm definitely going to read the next one. If you're looking for a well built out world and a coherent plot, I would avoid this one. If you want a fast and twisty Witch vs. Witch Hunter story, this one is worth a look.

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the ARC!

Burner Kindle Book Blog

[Clarabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

J’avais vraiment envie d’aimer ce livre et il possède des éléments qui m’ont beaucoup plu. L’ambiance est sombre, les meurtres sont macabres et la chasse aux sorcières est captivante.

En revanche, la romance m'a laissée sur ma faim. Elle m'a semblé trop rapide pour être crédible. Les deux protagonistes se rencontrent et très vite l'attirance est actée. Ils cessent d'être de véritables adversaires. Même si les nombreux rebondissements de la fin viennent compliquer leur relation, je ne me suis pas attachée aux personnages.

Et comment ne pas penser à Heartless Hunter ? Lui est membre de la Garde Royale, elle est une voleuse. Ils doivent collaborer pour retrouver la Sorcière. Ils ont leurs secrets et se méfient l’un de l’autre. La dynamique fait donc penser à Gideon et Rune, sans égaler la tension et l'interdit de leur relation. Et puis l'alchimie entre Nes et Toran reste moins addictive.

L’enquête reste cependant entraînante, avec de nombreux indices pour prévoir ce qui va arriver et d'autres qui surprennent vraiment. Attention, la fin est ouverte (une suite est attendue). De plus, c'est parfois à la limite du YA avec des condamnations et des meurtres violents. Le héros est aussi présenté comme alcoolique. Et puis l'ambiance à Gadore est bien glauque.

Bref, c'est différent de ce que j'avais imaginé (oubliez la vibe Heartless Hunter). Je conseillerais davantage ce livre comme un conte noir teinté de fantasy que comme une véritable romance.

[Mackenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up!

I can't pinpoint it exactly, but this ultimately wasn't my favorite. I found both main characters to be unlikable, and the twists were either predictable, or strayed too far on the edge of ridiculousness that it didn't make sense for the story, feeling forced. This also lacked elements I really enjoy in YA fantasy stories. I was missing the found family vibes, the angst I love in enemies to lovers, and all the strategic scheming. I do think it's fair to market this as similar to Heartless Hunter (that is what actually made me request this), but I just think, unfortunately, it pales in comparison. All the being said, it held my interest enough for me to keep reading, and the ending captured me enough that I not only felt it fair to bump up my rating, but I think I'll pick up the sequel too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest review! All opinions are my own.

[Ashley Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to HarperCollins and Netgalley for the chance to read this arc.

To Drown a Witch was ok. Nothing outstanding or memorable really. The book was fast paced but confusing a lot of the time. Im still not 100% sure how magic works. The final 15% of the book was very chaotic and I struggled to wrap my head around certain bits. I didn’t see the ending coming anyways so it definitely wasn’t a predictable read. What I did love was the chemistry and banter between Nes and Toran.

I’m assuming after that cliffhanger ending there will be a sequel but i’m unsure whether I’ll pick it up or not.

[QuirkyTofurkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I had this story figured out. I was so confident in my predictions that my interest had actually started to wane around the 75% mark. Alas, I was committed, so I persevered.

I OWE THE AUTHOR AN APOLOGY. I could not have been more wrong. I am sorry for losing faith. I am sorry for doubting you. I am sorry for having an outrageously inflated opinion of my detective skills. You. Fucking. Got. Me.

The last quarter of this story is pure DRAMA. Now I need book two like yesterday. I am absolutely chomping at the bit to find out what is happening with our little princeling.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group, and Lindsey Olsson for the advance reader copy and for keeping me on my toes. This review is voluntary, and all opinions are my own.

[marionrjj · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,75⭐️
franchement les 100 dernières pages c’était surprise sur surprise

[Jenn Norris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC copy of “To Drown a Witch”! This is my honest and completely voluntary review! 😊🖤

“To Drown a Witch” follows FMC Nes, a hired hand from “The Ditch”, and MMC Toran, the Prince’s Crown, an unlikely pair, that partner together to find the witch and bring her to the king. From there, the king will decide her fate. There are several bumps along the way but, the ride is well worth it!

The characters are intriguing and magnetic. The adventure that these characters go on is very interesting and compelling. The world is very well described and easy to picture. The story is beautifully written. There are several twists throughout that keep you on the edge of your seat. I read this book in one day, had it not been for having to work, I would have happily read it in a single sitting! The magic basis in this story is captivating. I went in blindly and so happy that I did! Jumping into this story was the absolute perfect way to spend an afternoon!

I absolutely cannot wait for the second book in the duology to continue this story! I will most definitely read from Lindsey Olsson again in the future. This book is well worth the read. I completely enjoyed my time with the characters and I wait for the conclusion of this tale with bated breath. Definitely recommend reading if you love fantasy! 😊🖤

5 🌟

[Angie | conciliabule__ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 ou 3,75/5, je sais pas encore.

J'ai envie de dire que c'était mieux que Heartless Hunter, qui est le livre le plus souvent mis en comparaison dans certaines reviews ou dans le marketing (mais il faut dire que je trouve cette duologie surcotée).

Le livre est divisé en trois parties, avec le POV de Nes, une voleuse, et celui de Toran, un garde royal et dauphin du prince.
On passe d'une partie à une autre après de grosses découvertes et, plus on avance dans l'intrigue, plus les révélations s'enchaînent. Certaines sont prévisibles, mais dans l'ensemble, elles restent surprenantes. J'ai trouvé l'intrigue aboutie, bien travaillée et suffisamment captivante pour ne jamais avoir envie de lâcher ma lecture.

Le worldbuilding est plutôt classique, entièrement basé sur la chasse aux sorcières (ici une seule), avec une magie interdite qui prend parfois des allures de drogue. Le système de magie est assez léger, mais il parvient tout de même à se démarquer.

Les deux protagonistes ont une sacrée personnalité, très bien décrite.
Toran vit un deuil et un échec qui le font sombrer. Ça change du héros puissant et sans faille. Il nage dans sa peine et ses doutes, mais conserve suffisamment de mordant pour poursuivre ses objectifs.
Nes a du bagou, elle est intrépide et piquante dans ses répliques, ce qui donne lieu à des échanges parfois comiques.
L'enemies to lovers est cohérent, très bien respecté même, mais il m'a manqué l’étincelle qui aurait pu me faire frémir. Peut-être ai-je simplement lu trop de romantasy de ce style.

Les personnages secondaires auraient mérité un peu plus de développement, mais on sent que l'autrice souhaite construire un found family pour la suite.

En somme, une romantasy divertissante qui saura séduire les fans de sorcières. Si vous avez aimé Heartless Hunter, il y a de grandes chances que celui-ci vous plaise également. Je ne me suis pas ennuyée une seule fois. Il y a très peu de moments de répit, mais tout s'enchaîne parfaitement. Que ce soit les péripéties ou les scènes plus romantiques, tout est bien lié, sans jamais donner l'impression de vouloir cocher une liste de tropes.

Le livre audio, avec sa double interprétation, est un vrai plus pour l'immersion.

Très curieuse de savoir la suite, vu cette fin trépidante.

Merci à NetGalley et aux éditions Lizzie pour le service de presse audio.

[Beaureale_books · Rating 3 out of 5]

To Drown a Witch avait tout pour me plaire. Le résumé promettait une quête captivante, une chasse à la sorcière et un duo improbable, le tout dans un univers de fantasy qui m’intriguait beaucoup.

Malheureusement, ma lecture m’a laissée un sentiment mitigé. J’ai trouvé que le début était très long à se mettre en place. L’univers et les personnages sont décrits avec beaucoup de détails, mais le rythme peine à décoller, ce qui a rendu les premières centaines de pages assez lentes.

À l’inverse, les 150 dernières pages concentrent presque toute l’action. Les événements s’enchaînent enfin et deviennent vraiment intéressants, mais j’ai eu l’impression que tout allait beaucoup trop vite. Certaines scènes auraient mérité d’être davantage développées pour laisser le temps aux émotions et aux révélations de prendre leur place.

C’est donc une lecture qui m’a laissée partagée : un univers prometteur et une fin riche en action, mais un déséquilibre dans le rythme qui m’a empêchée d’être totalement conquise.

Merci à @robertlaffont et @gleeph pour l’envoi ✨

[Haley ♡]

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own

OOO immediately caught my eye once I saw
-enemies-to-lovers
-romantasy
-witches
- fans of Heartless Hunter

sign me up

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/4 rounded up to 4.

This was a rollercoaster of a ride and I will be eagerly be awaiting the second book. The ending, omggggg. The story itself and the way the magic worked was unique. I like that magic was seen as an illicit underground substance, it was a fascinating way to build the world around that. The concept of one Witch existing at a time and the magic being passed down upon the Witch's death made this also a fun mystery of "who done it?"

I would say this is more New Adult than YA.

Can't wait for the next installment and to see where this story goes.

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC of this story

[Cecilia]

10%

[MyNeverEndingTBRList]

DNF at 48%.

I think a lot of people will love this, but it wasn't for me.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.7 because it was so easy to read and I breezed through it.
What didn’t work for me:
-insta love
-characters were neither likable nor memorable (dual pov about 50:50)
-nothing made sense

[Carina · Rating 3 out of 5]

To Drown a Witch is one of those books you can easily binge in a day. The pages kept turning, the mystery unfolded at just the right pace, and the final twists definitely made the story stronger.

The dark atmosphere was my favourite part. A city ruled by fear, forbidden magic, and the legend of the Witch created a setting I really enjoyed exploring.

That said, I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd read a lot of these tropes before. While the story is entertaining, it never quite found a unique enough voice for me, and I struggled to fully connect with the characters. I also would have loved a little more depth to the magic system.

An enjoyable YA romantasy with great pacing and a strong ending, even if it didn't completely cast its spell on me.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @harperfiction for the eARC!

#ToDrownAWitch #NetGalley #Bookstagram

[katiebbooks💌 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to NetGalley for an ARC of To Drown A Witch.

Okay now THIS is exactly the Romantasy I’ve been wanting for so long!!!!!! The twists & turns. HELP!!!!! I’ve just finished it now and I am speechless. I need book two immediately as I fear I may not cope. This is one of my favourite reads of this year, I absolutely loved it. The ending?!?!?!?!?!?! MY jaw has still not been picked up from the floor. WHAT?!??

The plot and the magic system was so different to what I’ve read before, a much welcomed fresh take on one of my favourite tropes. I really enjoyed that aspect of the book, as you find a lot of Romantasy has similar plots or magic systems, but this was so different, in the best way and I was invested from the prologue.

I also felt throughout reading I couldn’t trust the characters POV of everything (if you’ve read it you know exactly what I mean) and was weary of everyone, and the style of writing has you on the edge of your seat, but in the best way, I was almost nervous because I kept thinking hmmmm?!

This is a stand out Romantasy of 2026 for me and I absolutely will be recommending to everyone.

* screams *

[Kelly Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okaaaaaaaaaaay!!!! This is marketed as similar vibes to “Heartless Hunter,” which I LOVED. And while it is a similar witch hunt, the story and plot stands on its own! INITIALLY, I was going to give this a solid 3.5 stars. The beginning was a wee bit slow-going, but I’m a sucker for a witch book so I obviously kept going. It definitely does pick up the pace, however I was raising my eyebrow 🤨 at occasional ~situations~ that felt like glaring plot holes to me. But that’s MY BADDD. I didn’t recognize your game Lindsey Olsson. Everything does make sense in the end, I was just being a doubtful hater. And the ending… jaw on the floor. I’m obsessed and NEEEEED a sequel.

“To Drown a Witch” is YA, and lemme tell ya. If I was 15/16 & reading this… yeah. It would HIT. And don’t get it twisted, it still does hit at 28. But you have to have some whimsy about ya!!! So if you’re a whimsical adult who loves witches, enemies to lovers, betrayal, loss, and love… then you’ll like this!!! 4.5 stars overall 🌟

Thank you Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a sucker for novels about witches, and I love a good hunter-and-hunted story. I had high expectations going into this book since it was compared to Heartless Hunter, one of my favorites reads the year it was published. While To Drown a Witch had some great moments, it wasn't without its issues.

I thought the book was well written, and the pacing was excellent. The story wastes no time introducing the heroine, the hero, and the other key players. Overall, I liked Nes and Toran as characters, but unfortunately, they lacked depth. I also thought the romance developed a little too quickly. However, the author added a twist that I never saw coming, and I thought it was executed really well. It was something I'd never seen done in a story before.

The worldbuilding, however, wasn't as developed as I would have liked. I had trouble understanding the magic system. I wasn't sure why some people who drank the elixir gained magical abilities while Witch's power seemed to be innate. The prologue briefly touched on the origins of magic, but the explanation felt too vague and left me confused.

For most of the book, the story flowed along nicely, but once we reached the Siren's Hair scene, where they were laying a trap for Witch, things became shaky and confusing. There were several twists from that point through the ending, but they only left me with more questions. Who exactly was Damari? How did the Prince fit into the story? I honestly thought To Drown a Witch was a standalone, but based on the ending, it's clearly setting up a sequel.

I enjoyed To Drown a Witch for the most part, but I wish the characters and the world had been more fully developed. Even so, I'm still curious to see where the story goes now that the Prince has entered the picture. It also would have been nice to get a few scenes or flashbacks featuring him.

[Cyd’s Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for approving me to read this book, I’m rating it 4.5 stars rounded to 5.0.

I had a lot of fun with this one, it had powerful themes of feminine rage, sacrifice and persecution of women, it was giving a little salem witch trial vibes and I liked it.

In this story we have a history of the people versus the witch, people seem to die when she’s around. And out of fear of the witch women and girls are persecuted, this leads us to our two main characters, one is a girl navigating her ties to magic although illegal and how she’s scheming her way through survival and freedom of her father, and then you have our MMC who’s loyal to the king and in pursuit of the witch to bring this all to an end. Now our two main characters have a tense bargain that is a means to an end, but it does bring about this forced proximity vibe that I was living for.

There’s some twists and betrayals, and some heart warming moments through allies and loyalty you don’t quite expect. Magic seems to cause absolute havoc in this story, and the way it ended felt mysterious and I really need more.

[Annika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, Penguin Young Readers Group, and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

3.25 ⭐ I have to say what made this book for me was the very last chapter. I wasn't expecting it, and it definitely makes me want to read a sequel to get more tea on what happened there. I would secretly love if that allowed for there to be a pivot in the romance.

Overall, the story was good. I slowly read this while reading some other books. The characters we do meet feel complex with their backgrounds and what they've experienced. The world felt immersive enough, and the way magic was used was felt fresh. I think the romance should have been much more of a slow burn as it just happened too quickly.

I do think the twists at the end were entertaining. It did remind me of how Metal Slinger ended. I do think this book does it better, but more context throughout the story would have been nice since we have dual POV.

Lastly, I did wonder if there should be a content warning given there is a character that has to make themselves throw up to use their magic...

[Danni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley & Harper Collins UK for the ARC of To Drown a Witch by Lindsey Olsson.

This YA romantasy hooked me straight away with its dark, witchy vibes and forbidden magic. The story follows Nes, who must hide her dangerous abilities while trying to free her imprisoned father, alongside Toran, a disgraced member of the King’s Guard tasked with hunting a deadly witch. Their uneasy partnership drives a plot full of intrigue, betrayal, and some genuinely shocking twists (that ending!!!!!).

The pacing kept me turning pages, and I loved that the story stayed mostly within the city, making it easy to follow without heavy world-building. However, the romance didn’t fully land for me—the shift in feelings felt a bit rushed at times, despite the slow-burn setup.

It did give me Throne of Glass vibes, which I enjoyed, though it lost a little originality because of it.

Overall, a twisty, addictive read and a solid 3.5/3.75 stars—I’ll definitely be picking up book two when it’s published .

[Tyla 🧚 🗡️ ☠️ 🩸 🖤 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Netgalley ARC ⭐
I absolutely ate this book UP. It was so addictive. Very fast paced!
I was like is it witch x witch hunter? Is it enemies to lovers? Is it even romance subplot? I literally didn’t know which way it was going. There’s a lot of twists in this, some I seen coming, some I didn’t!! The rope & well scene had me SAT.
I’m somewhat confused by the end. Was the woman at the very end made out to be Loriana or Nes? 🫣 and what happened to Nes after?! Abrupt ending and I don’t feel like it rounded up very well? UNLESS, There’s another book???? I need answers!!!!