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Gutterwitch
Not yet published
Expected 2 Mar 27In this captivating crossover fantasy, a scullery maid must hide her forbidden magic when she enters an elite witching academy in a world on the precipice of war.
When Joan Scullery stumbles upon a fallen star, she seizes the chance to change her fate. Although sworn to serve her witch-mistress Belinda, Joan asks the star to grant her dearest to become the greatest witch who ever lived. Instantly, she’s made into a fearsome and forbidden thing—a witch with wild magic.
For years, Joan hides her star-given power, as the magic of the wildfolk is outlawed among witches. But when she and Belinda are invited to study at the elite witching university Givenine, she is swept into a world of ancient academia, ruthless politics, and powerful sorcery. While Joan is shunned for her lack of lineage, her magic flourishes, and she finds solace in her mentor Silas and fellow outcast Caspar, the bastard son of a faerie queen.
As Joan’s powers grow, however, she’s thrust into a web of danger and secrets that threatens the fragile peace between witches and wildfolk. With her heart and loyalties divided, Joan is at the front lines of a new war that will shape her destiny and the fate of witchkind forever.
When Joan Scullery stumbles upon a fallen star, she seizes the chance to change her fate. Although sworn to serve her witch-mistress Belinda, Joan asks the star to grant her dearest to become the greatest witch who ever lived. Instantly, she’s made into a fearsome and forbidden thing—a witch with wild magic.
For years, Joan hides her star-given power, as the magic of the wildfolk is outlawed among witches. But when she and Belinda are invited to study at the elite witching university Givenine, she is swept into a world of ancient academia, ruthless politics, and powerful sorcery. While Joan is shunned for her lack of lineage, her magic flourishes, and she finds solace in her mentor Silas and fellow outcast Caspar, the bastard son of a faerie queen.
As Joan’s powers grow, however, she’s thrust into a web of danger and secrets that threatens the fragile peace between witches and wildfolk. With her heart and loyalties divided, Joan is at the front lines of a new war that will shape her destiny and the fate of witchkind forever.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 2, 2027
About the author
Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson
6 books465 followersEsmie Jikiemi-Pearson is a Sunday Times Bestselling author of fantasy fiction, and the inaugural winner of the Future World's Prize in 2020. Her forthcoming novel, Gutterwitch, sold to Penguin Random House after an intense eight way auction. In the UK, the book sold to Bloomsbury after a nine way auction. Esmie's first novel was nominated for Best British and Irish Book at the Tik Tok Book Awards.
Raised between London and Sydney, Esmie is an author of Nigerian, Jamaican, and British-Australian heritage. Her work primarily focuses on people who live at the intersection of identities, whether in our world, or others. She holds a BA in English Literature and Classical Studies from the University of Exeter.
Raised between London and Sydney, Esmie is an author of Nigerian, Jamaican, and British-Australian heritage. Her work primarily focuses on people who live at the intersection of identities, whether in our world, or others. She holds a BA in English Literature and Classical Studies from the University of Exeter.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
Want to Read
April 14, 2025I’m hopping on this NOW
Want to Read
December 1, 2025GIVE IT TO ME NOWWW
Want to Read
August 22, 2025A maid who wishes upon a fallen star and becomes the greatest witch in the land? This is going to be MAGICAL, it's going to give Wicked x Disney core, I can't wait for this one. Wake me up when it's 2027.
Read
July 3, 2026A Deadly Education 🫱🏾🫲🏽 Legendborn 🫱🏾🫲🏽 Darkest Part of the Forest
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Okay, the premise ATE. It feels like a fairytale where the protagonist wishes upon a star (like, quite literally), except apparently the universe doesn’t believe in free gifts and everything comes with a price. Because OF COURSE it does.
And it reminds me a lot of Wicked. It gave me that same dark fairytale feeling that made Wicked so memorable to me, and weirdly enough, reading this felt nostalgic and comforting even when things got properly eerie.
The world-building was honestly captivating. It was dark, whimsical, and a little unsettling, exactly how I like my fantasy settings. The writing made it pretty easy to dive into the story, although sometimes the plot did drag in places. Still, it didn’t ruin the overall experience.
I also really loved that the heart of the story is Joan’s self-discovery. Learning what her powers are, understanding them, and figuring out how to control them becomes this much deeper journey of understanding herself. It felt surprisingly reflective, and I was HERE for it.
But Joan has been through A LOT, and sometimes I felt like her trauma was introduced with all this emotional weight only to be wrapped up a little too quickly. I wanted more time to actually see her healing process, or even better, give me a messier character development arc.
And the main twist… I’m sorry, but I CLOCKED IT. The supposed mastermind was suspicious as hell from the beginning, so when the reveal finally happened, I was basically sitting there like, “Mmhm. Yup. Thank you for confirming my suspicions.” It took away some of the fun of trying to figure out who was behind everything.
Overall, this was a dark and beautifully written fairytale with a captivating world and a moving self-discovery journey. A little draggy and predictable, but still a very enjoyable read!
════════════════════════
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC!
And it reminds me a lot of Wicked. It gave me that same dark fairytale feeling that made Wicked so memorable to me, and weirdly enough, reading this felt nostalgic and comforting even when things got properly eerie.
The world-building was honestly captivating. It was dark, whimsical, and a little unsettling, exactly how I like my fantasy settings. The writing made it pretty easy to dive into the story, although sometimes the plot did drag in places. Still, it didn’t ruin the overall experience.
I also really loved that the heart of the story is Joan’s self-discovery. Learning what her powers are, understanding them, and figuring out how to control them becomes this much deeper journey of understanding herself. It felt surprisingly reflective, and I was HERE for it.
But Joan has been through A LOT, and sometimes I felt like her trauma was introduced with all this emotional weight only to be wrapped up a little too quickly. I wanted more time to actually see her healing process, or even better, give me a messier character development arc.
And the main twist… I’m sorry, but I CLOCKED IT. The supposed mastermind was suspicious as hell from the beginning, so when the reveal finally happened, I was basically sitting there like, “Mmhm. Yup. Thank you for confirming my suspicions.” It took away some of the fun of trying to figure out who was behind everything.
Overall, this was a dark and beautifully written fairytale with a captivating world and a moving self-discovery journey. A little draggy and predictable, but still a very enjoyable read!
════════════════════════
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC!
September 2, 2026
First, thank you, NetGalley and Random House publishing, for letting me get an ARC of this book.
5/5— stars
A maid wishes to be the greatest witch in the world. I love the premise. It’s so good, and everything else is perfect. This feels so much like Wicked, so if you are a fan, you have to read this.
The setting is amazing. The love interest reminds me of Pietro, but it also feels like its own story. I dare to say it’s better. The descriptions make you feel like you are there. It’s so good, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
- Dark Academia
- Love triangle -ish ( I knew who is was the love interest right away, also ended up hating Silas)
- Politics
Favourite quote:
If you have to hide your true self in order to be loved, it’s not a love worth having.
5/5— stars
A maid wishes to be the greatest witch in the world. I love the premise. It’s so good, and everything else is perfect. This feels so much like Wicked, so if you are a fan, you have to read this.
The setting is amazing. The love interest reminds me of Pietro, but it also feels like its own story. I dare to say it’s better. The descriptions make you feel like you are there. It’s so good, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
- Dark Academia
- Love triangle -ish ( I knew who is was the love interest right away, also ended up hating Silas)
- Politics
Favourite quote:
If you have to hide your true self in order to be loved, it’s not a love worth having.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Gutterwitch is proof that a book can make me feel completely unhinged in the span of one sitting. Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson writes with this energy that makes everything feel a little dangerous and a little fun at the same time. I had to keep putting it down just to sit with what I'd read for a second. This is one of those books that reminds me why I love fantasy as a genre in the first place.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Books for Young Readers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Books for Young Readers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 29, 2026
3.76 stars
⭐️ ARC review ⭐️
What a great Wicked reimagining. Gutterwitch brought its own magic system, academic setting and characters with the familiar feel of Wicked.
I liked Joan’s character a lot and really enjoyed the initial dual love interest potential. At first I was really leaning towards Silas, but I’ve always been a sucked for a bad boy and a forbidden romance.
Some very interesting character arcs and a gripping plot. Definitely need to see where this story goes in book 2.
⭐️ ARC review ⭐️
What a great Wicked reimagining. Gutterwitch brought its own magic system, academic setting and characters with the familiar feel of Wicked.
I liked Joan’s character a lot and really enjoyed the initial dual love interest potential. At first I was really leaning towards Silas, but I’ve always been a sucked for a bad boy and a forbidden romance.
Some very interesting character arcs and a gripping plot. Definitely need to see where this story goes in book 2.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Classic YA is BACK and better than ever!!!!! This extraordinary series opener is the perfect blend of familiarity and originality; WICKED meets SHADOW & BONE meets the pure joy and genius that is Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson. Every single page crackles with magic and I have absolutely no doubt that GUTTERWITCH deserves to be the next YA phenomenon.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This was a really solid, engaging young adult fantasy. I really enjoyed the plot, it was fast paced and enjoyable, with plenty of intrigue and mystery, and a really fun magic system and world! The falling star concept is endlessly interesting as a premise, and I particularly loved the scenes that engaged with this, although I do wish (lol) we got even more detail regarding the magic, the lore, how it all works and the world surrounding the academy. That being said, this is maybe not the aim of the book, as providing something heartfelt and easy to read.
I enjoyed the academic setting, the writing style was great, and I loved the atmosphere the book embodied, like a dark fairy-tale, cautionary and fantastical. There were a lot of particularly poignant, emotional scenes, although I wish these were given more room to breathe.
My favourite part was probably some of the characterisation, and the relationships in the book, especially the character work and the complicated feelings between Joan and Belinda- I loved the complexity here! I loved Joan, her journey reckoning with herself and learning to accept her power, although I do think that more could've been done here, with more time spent dealing with her trauma and, specifically, the ramifications of that trauma on her life and personality now. It could've been more gritty, and her arc could've been less predictable.
The 'villains' were horrifically unlikeable and two- dimensional, which I understand in the sense that there are just some terrible, no good, irredeemable people, and there is no point in getting any closer to them, but from a personal preference perspective, I do like antagonists to be more complex! Anyway, take this one with a grain of salt.
The biggest negative of the book for me was that almost everything that happened was painfully predictable, to the point where it became frustrating that the main character, or even the male main character who was perhaps in a better position to be objective, couldn't figure things out. I saw all of the plot twists coming from a mile away, and although I liked the ending, I found it much less satisfying than I'd hoped, and it was, again, predictable, and dare I say, a little overdone as a trope.
There were also just a couple of elements that I felt weren't handled or justified properly.
Overall, however, I had a great time with Gutterwitch, and if it sounds like your vibe, I would absolutely recommend giving it a go!
I enjoyed the academic setting, the writing style was great, and I loved the atmosphere the book embodied, like a dark fairy-tale, cautionary and fantastical. There were a lot of particularly poignant, emotional scenes, although I wish these were given more room to breathe.
My favourite part was probably some of the characterisation, and the relationships in the book, especially the character work and the complicated feelings between Joan and Belinda- I loved the complexity here! I loved Joan, her journey reckoning with herself and learning to accept her power, although I do think that more could've been done here, with more time spent dealing with her trauma and, specifically, the ramifications of that trauma on her life and personality now. It could've been more gritty, and her arc could've been less predictable.
The 'villains' were horrifically unlikeable and two- dimensional, which I understand in the sense that there are just some terrible, no good, irredeemable people, and there is no point in getting any closer to them, but from a personal preference perspective, I do like antagonists to be more complex! Anyway, take this one with a grain of salt.
The biggest negative of the book for me was that almost everything that happened was painfully predictable, to the point where it became frustrating that the main character, or even the male main character who was perhaps in a better position to be objective, couldn't figure things out. I saw all of the plot twists coming from a mile away, and although I liked the ending, I found it much less satisfying than I'd hoped, and it was, again, predictable, and dare I say, a little overdone as a trope.
There were also just a couple of elements that I felt weren't handled or justified properly.
Overall, however, I had a great time with Gutterwitch, and if it sounds like your vibe, I would absolutely recommend giving it a go!
Want to Read
December 5, 2025Making sure PRH knows I want to be on the mailing list for this masterpiece right now 🥰 📝
Like seriously? Right now!
*WINK WINK* “call me” 😘
Like seriously? Right now!
*WINK WINK* “call me” 😘
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
y’all are not ready for how good this book is.
calling it now, but it’s gonna be the next big thing.
joan is THAT GIRL.
calling it now, but it’s gonna be the next big thing.
joan is THAT GIRL.
Review of advance copy
Quickly becoming one of my top ten authors!
Want to Read
June 7, 2026give it to me nooooowwww!!!! <3
July 30, 2026
Loved this! Though now have to wait for part 2 of a series that hasn’t been published yet… sigh
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Now THIS is a modern day fairytale. Exquisite worldbuilding filled with whimsy is grounded in finding your place in a world that has always cast you aside. This is fantasy at it's very best.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I had the pleasure of getting to read this early and haven’t stopped thinking about it since. From the very first page, I was totally immersed in Joan’s story: a scullery maid who wishes upon a fallen star, and faces the spectacular, wild and terrifying consequences.
The writing is absolutely mesmeric, the plot is addictive, twisty and perfectly paced, and the characters within it are complex and so full of heart. It is a delicious work of fantasy but also an exploration of what it means to come-of-age, to fall in love, to be a friend and to understand your own power.
GUTTERWITCH is the kind of book you lose yourself and your surroundings to. That sweeps you up into its dark and brilliant universe and doesn’t let you go. It was a genuine pleasure to read and Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson is a force to be reckoned with. I can’t wait to see the new life it takes on, out in the world.
The writing is absolutely mesmeric, the plot is addictive, twisty and perfectly paced, and the characters within it are complex and so full of heart. It is a delicious work of fantasy but also an exploration of what it means to come-of-age, to fall in love, to be a friend and to understand your own power.
GUTTERWITCH is the kind of book you lose yourself and your surroundings to. That sweeps you up into its dark and brilliant universe and doesn’t let you go. It was a genuine pleasure to read and Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson is a force to be reckoned with. I can’t wait to see the new life it takes on, out in the world.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews