What do you think?
Rate this book
The Orphan Witch
"Mystical, magical, and wildly original...If Alice Hoffman and Sara Addison Allen had a witchy love child, she would be Paige Crutcher. Do not miss this beautifully realized debut!"--- JT Ellison, New York Times bestselling author of Her Dark Lies on The Orphan Witch.
A deeper magic. A stronger curse. A family lost...and found.
Persephone May has been alone her entire life. Abandoned as an infant and dragged through the foster care system, she wants nothing more than to belong somewhere. To someone. However, Persephone is as strange as she is lonely. Unexplainable things happen when she’s around―changes in weather, inanimate objects taking flight―and those who seek to bring her into their family quickly cast her out. To cope, she never gets attached, never makes friends. And she certainly never dates. Working odd jobs and always keeping her suitcases half-packed, Persephone is used to moving around, leaving one town for another when curiosity over her eccentric behavior inevitably draws unwanted attention.
After an accidental and very public display of power, Persephone knows it’s time to move on once again. It’s lucky, then, when she receives an email from the one friend she’s managed to keep, inviting her to the elusive Wile Isle. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. However, upon arrival, Persephone quickly discovers that Wile is no ordinary island. In fact, it just might hold the very things she’s been searching for her entire life.
Answers. Family. Home.
And some things she did not want. Like 100-year-old curses and an even older family feud. With the clock running out, love might be the magic that saves them all.
A deeper magic. A stronger curse. A family lost...and found.
Persephone May has been alone her entire life. Abandoned as an infant and dragged through the foster care system, she wants nothing more than to belong somewhere. To someone. However, Persephone is as strange as she is lonely. Unexplainable things happen when she’s around―changes in weather, inanimate objects taking flight―and those who seek to bring her into their family quickly cast her out. To cope, she never gets attached, never makes friends. And she certainly never dates. Working odd jobs and always keeping her suitcases half-packed, Persephone is used to moving around, leaving one town for another when curiosity over her eccentric behavior inevitably draws unwanted attention.
After an accidental and very public display of power, Persephone knows it’s time to move on once again. It’s lucky, then, when she receives an email from the one friend she’s managed to keep, inviting her to the elusive Wile Isle. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. However, upon arrival, Persephone quickly discovers that Wile is no ordinary island. In fact, it just might hold the very things she’s been searching for her entire life.
Answers. Family. Home.
And some things she did not want. Like 100-year-old curses and an even older family feud. With the clock running out, love might be the magic that saves them all.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published September 28, 2021
467 people are currently reading
13229 people want to read
About the author
Paige Crutcher
7 books387 followersPaige Crutcher is the author of THE ORPHAN WITCH. She is a former journalist, and her work appears in multiple anthologies and online publications. She is an artist and yogi, and when not writing, she prefers to spend her time trekking through the forest with her children, hunting for portals to new worlds.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 640 reviews
January 20, 2022
Happy book birthday to this delicious fantasy thriller🥳🎈
Alice Hoffman’s Practical magic series meet Midnight Library with claustrophobic island vibes!
This is another mind blowing combination of fantasy meets thriller fans should be prescribed to consume at least three times in a day.
Poor Persephone May is doomed! She’s outcast, loner, abandoned, orphan, forced to live in the shadows, changing locations, working at odd jobs to make ends meet, cannot form a true friendship or lust for anyone because as soon as she makes eye contact: the person she sets eyes on gets mad or tries to kill himself/ herself!
She’s cursed! She gotta resign from the last place she has been working at and leave the town immediately. Because another guy she truly likes nearly died as he looked into her eyes!
As she ponders about where she has to go, the universe answers her prayers by sending her a letter from an old friend / or someone she may be called so close to friend as you consider she couldn’t have real one: Hyacinth wrote her letter to invite her to the Wile Island. A mysterious, strange, eerie place she never heard before seems like best match for her to lay low till she plans for her next escape.
Persephone has nothing to lose and this unexpected invitation seems like a sign for her that she finally finds the right place to settle.
As soon as she sets her foot on the island, she gets different vibes. She feels like she’s finally found her lost home and she realizes Hyacinth and her sister grumpy Moira are her cousins see her as their last hope to break the curse that hunts the witches at the island for centuries.
There is prophecy tells only a time walker can be powerful enough to break it and all the signs indicates that Persephone is the one who can achieve this impossible mission. But the other witches of the island: Ellison, Amara and Ariel are adamant to stop her , showing hostility from the beginning.
Hyacinth acts supporting from the beginning, helping Persephone feel like at her home as rigid, stern sister Moira ( don’t worry this is only the facade. She’s so tender hearted and protective like crunchy caramel covered in chocolate) feeds with herbal teas, helping her sharpen the culinary skills instead of teaching to use her powers and control them.
But Persephone is not only witch as like her cousins, she can also travel between worlds, walking through different time zones where she finds herself at the Library of Lost and meets with hazel eyed, charismatic and challenging librarian Dorian who isn’t afraid of making eye contact with her.
Could be finding love at the most unexpected place affect her important mission? Is she powerful enough to break the curse? Will this place help her to find the roots of her real family and learn more about who she is, where she is coming from and what her real purpose is.
Incredible world building, surprising twists, detailed, layered characterization and great combination of fairytale meets fantasy and thriller genres.
Of course Persephone, Moria and Dorian are my favorite characters. And the outstandingly engrossing and riveting storytelling skills of the author made me wish there would be more
books. I rooted for the characters so much.
Overall: I’m giving my magical, witchy, mysterious, heart pounding, mesmerizing, enchanting, fascinating five stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ St. Martin’s Griffin for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
Alice Hoffman’s Practical magic series meet Midnight Library with claustrophobic island vibes!
This is another mind blowing combination of fantasy meets thriller fans should be prescribed to consume at least three times in a day.
Poor Persephone May is doomed! She’s outcast, loner, abandoned, orphan, forced to live in the shadows, changing locations, working at odd jobs to make ends meet, cannot form a true friendship or lust for anyone because as soon as she makes eye contact: the person she sets eyes on gets mad or tries to kill himself/ herself!
She’s cursed! She gotta resign from the last place she has been working at and leave the town immediately. Because another guy she truly likes nearly died as he looked into her eyes!
As she ponders about where she has to go, the universe answers her prayers by sending her a letter from an old friend / or someone she may be called so close to friend as you consider she couldn’t have real one: Hyacinth wrote her letter to invite her to the Wile Island. A mysterious, strange, eerie place she never heard before seems like best match for her to lay low till she plans for her next escape.
Persephone has nothing to lose and this unexpected invitation seems like a sign for her that she finally finds the right place to settle.
As soon as she sets her foot on the island, she gets different vibes. She feels like she’s finally found her lost home and she realizes Hyacinth and her sister grumpy Moira are her cousins see her as their last hope to break the curse that hunts the witches at the island for centuries.
There is prophecy tells only a time walker can be powerful enough to break it and all the signs indicates that Persephone is the one who can achieve this impossible mission. But the other witches of the island: Ellison, Amara and Ariel are adamant to stop her , showing hostility from the beginning.
Hyacinth acts supporting from the beginning, helping Persephone feel like at her home as rigid, stern sister Moira ( don’t worry this is only the facade. She’s so tender hearted and protective like crunchy caramel covered in chocolate) feeds with herbal teas, helping her sharpen the culinary skills instead of teaching to use her powers and control them.
But Persephone is not only witch as like her cousins, she can also travel between worlds, walking through different time zones where she finds herself at the Library of Lost and meets with hazel eyed, charismatic and challenging librarian Dorian who isn’t afraid of making eye contact with her.
Could be finding love at the most unexpected place affect her important mission? Is she powerful enough to break the curse? Will this place help her to find the roots of her real family and learn more about who she is, where she is coming from and what her real purpose is.
Incredible world building, surprising twists, detailed, layered characterization and great combination of fairytale meets fantasy and thriller genres.
Of course Persephone, Moria and Dorian are my favorite characters. And the outstandingly engrossing and riveting storytelling skills of the author made me wish there would be more
books. I rooted for the characters so much.
Overall: I’m giving my magical, witchy, mysterious, heart pounding, mesmerizing, enchanting, fascinating five stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ St. Martin’s Griffin for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
September 27, 2021
Let's first just admire that gorgeous cover that drew my attention! That and the premise had me really looking forward to a nice "seasonal' read for me. 🎃🧙🏻♀️
Persephone May (just love her name!) is a lady who has drifted in and out of foster care from a young age. She was abandoned by her family. All of her life she has felt like she has never belonged anywhere. She always felt "strange." If someone stared too hard or too long at her something bad would happen to them. So she kept people at bay. Now, at 32 she finds herself leaving her cafe job once again. She has kept in touch with a lady named Hyacinth (another great name!) by email since meeting her a while ago. The lady in question invites her to visit Wile Island in North Carolina where she resides. Since Persephone has no where to go or be she accepts the offer. This is where her world will change forever!
This book is about finding a place where you belong and a meaning to your life. There's sisterhood, family curses, magic spells and witchery plus another world (in The library of the lost.) This alone should have captured my attention but I'm sorry to say that this book was very slow for my liking. In the beginning the chapters are very long and drawn out. The elements of the different world were sometimes confusing to me. The dreadful language (swear words) used by the witches just didn't feel right. The book lacked excitement throughout but towards the end there was some.
Unfortunately for me this was probably more of a 2 1/2 stars. Perhaps it's because Fantasy is not a particular favourite genre of mine. I think if you like Fantasy and different worlds and witches tied into one you might enjoy this one more than me.
I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press and St. Martin's Griffin for granting me access to this advance Reader Copy.
Persephone May (just love her name!) is a lady who has drifted in and out of foster care from a young age. She was abandoned by her family. All of her life she has felt like she has never belonged anywhere. She always felt "strange." If someone stared too hard or too long at her something bad would happen to them. So she kept people at bay. Now, at 32 she finds herself leaving her cafe job once again. She has kept in touch with a lady named Hyacinth (another great name!) by email since meeting her a while ago. The lady in question invites her to visit Wile Island in North Carolina where she resides. Since Persephone has no where to go or be she accepts the offer. This is where her world will change forever!
This book is about finding a place where you belong and a meaning to your life. There's sisterhood, family curses, magic spells and witchery plus another world (in The library of the lost.) This alone should have captured my attention but I'm sorry to say that this book was very slow for my liking. In the beginning the chapters are very long and drawn out. The elements of the different world were sometimes confusing to me. The dreadful language (swear words) used by the witches just didn't feel right. The book lacked excitement throughout but towards the end there was some.
Unfortunately for me this was probably more of a 2 1/2 stars. Perhaps it's because Fantasy is not a particular favourite genre of mine. I think if you like Fantasy and different worlds and witches tied into one you might enjoy this one more than me.
I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press and St. Martin's Griffin for granting me access to this advance Reader Copy.
September 7, 2021
Paige Crutcher brings suspense, heartbreak, magic, and hope to her debut novel
The Orphan Witch
. Persephone May has been lonely all of her life. She was abandoned at six weeks and grew up in group and foster homes. Baffling things happen around her so she doesn’t stay long anywhere. At thirty-two, she is still frequently moving from place to place. When she displays power accidentally, Persephone knows it’s time to travel again. On her way to somewhere, she gets an email from a person she met a year ago inviting her to Wile Isle, North Carolina. That’s where she heads. But things aren’t as they seem. Who can be trusted? Has she found a place to belong or is this just another nightmare visit?
Persephone is definitely someone you want to find happiness, friends, and a sense of belonging. But much stands in her way, including a 100-year-old curse, a family feud, and much more. She has a lot of character depth and shows significant growth over the course of the novel. The secondary characters have varying goals that keep the story fresh and provide some surprises. It was easy to connect with multiple characters.
The author did a great job of transporting me to this community with believable, but complicated world-building. The setting is largely contemporary, with one chapter set 100 years earlier and a few visits to other worlds, times, or dimensions. I did want the contemporary town to be better described. Other than that, the imagery was extraordinary. Persephone’s odd powers are unique and lend another dimension to the well-written story. Time walking and the Library for the Lost provided unique avenues for the story to unfold.
Despite being somewhat slow in a couple of places, it kept my interest. After about halfway, the action picks up and the suspense and danger builds. Close attention to the detail is important to understanding everything that is occurring. Themes include loneliness, family, family history, sisterhood, feuds, curses, power, greed, subterfuge, love, heartbreak, death, sacrifice, epic clashes, strength of character, and finding one’s place in the world.
Overall, I enjoyed this original and atmospheric novel. It was an entertaining book that was emotionally intense and pulled at this reader’s heartstrings and had a few twists along the way. If you are a fan of suspenseful stories about witches with a fight between good and evil, then you may want to check out this novel. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.
St. Martin’s Press – St. Martin’s Griffin and Paige Crutcher provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for September 28, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
Persephone is definitely someone you want to find happiness, friends, and a sense of belonging. But much stands in her way, including a 100-year-old curse, a family feud, and much more. She has a lot of character depth and shows significant growth over the course of the novel. The secondary characters have varying goals that keep the story fresh and provide some surprises. It was easy to connect with multiple characters.
The author did a great job of transporting me to this community with believable, but complicated world-building. The setting is largely contemporary, with one chapter set 100 years earlier and a few visits to other worlds, times, or dimensions. I did want the contemporary town to be better described. Other than that, the imagery was extraordinary. Persephone’s odd powers are unique and lend another dimension to the well-written story. Time walking and the Library for the Lost provided unique avenues for the story to unfold.
Despite being somewhat slow in a couple of places, it kept my interest. After about halfway, the action picks up and the suspense and danger builds. Close attention to the detail is important to understanding everything that is occurring. Themes include loneliness, family, family history, sisterhood, feuds, curses, power, greed, subterfuge, love, heartbreak, death, sacrifice, epic clashes, strength of character, and finding one’s place in the world.
Overall, I enjoyed this original and atmospheric novel. It was an entertaining book that was emotionally intense and pulled at this reader’s heartstrings and had a few twists along the way. If you are a fan of suspenseful stories about witches with a fight between good and evil, then you may want to check out this novel. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.
St. Martin’s Press – St. Martin’s Griffin and Paige Crutcher provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for September 28, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
June 19, 2021
This book is full of magic and witchy goodness.
Persephone grew up without friends or family. She grew up in foster care and has never felt like she belonged to anyone. Persephone learned from a young age that whenever she got too close to someone and let her guard down that person would have an extremely volatile reaction to her. Now, Persephone is in her thirties and frequently changes jobs whenever things get out of control. One day when Persephone is at work, she forgets herself and her powers affect not just one person but the whole room. So, she flees. As she’s trying to figure out where to go next, she gets a message from an acquaintance inviting her to come back for a visit on the island. Persephone thinks this invitation couldn’t have come at a better time, so she goes and this magical tale unfurls from there.
This story is told in the third-person with multiple POVs.
I thought I would love this book. It has all the elements I normally enjoy: witches, a curse, romance, and LGBTQ+ representation. Unfortunately, I wasn’t as invested in this story as I was hoping. I didn’t really connect with the characters. The writing is beautiful and lyrical, but I found my attention drifting off while reading. I was intrigued by Persephone’s Medusa-like powers. Instead of turning people to stone, making eye contact with her drives people to reckless behaviour.
If you’ve enjoyed books like Once Upon a River and The Binding, you might like this one.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Persephone grew up without friends or family. She grew up in foster care and has never felt like she belonged to anyone. Persephone learned from a young age that whenever she got too close to someone and let her guard down that person would have an extremely volatile reaction to her. Now, Persephone is in her thirties and frequently changes jobs whenever things get out of control. One day when Persephone is at work, she forgets herself and her powers affect not just one person but the whole room. So, she flees. As she’s trying to figure out where to go next, she gets a message from an acquaintance inviting her to come back for a visit on the island. Persephone thinks this invitation couldn’t have come at a better time, so she goes and this magical tale unfurls from there.
This story is told in the third-person with multiple POVs.
I thought I would love this book. It has all the elements I normally enjoy: witches, a curse, romance, and LGBTQ+ representation. Unfortunately, I wasn’t as invested in this story as I was hoping. I didn’t really connect with the characters. The writing is beautiful and lyrical, but I found my attention drifting off while reading. I was intrigued by Persephone’s Medusa-like powers. Instead of turning people to stone, making eye contact with her drives people to reckless behaviour.
If you’ve enjoyed books like Once Upon a River and The Binding, you might like this one.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
December 14, 2021
Mystical, magical, and wildly original, THE ORPHAN WITCH is a great story from an exciting new voice in fantasy. Persephone May is a witch for the ages, a tough, uncompromising, powerful time walker with a wicked gaze and a heart of gold. Her journey to find her family and herself and the lost witches of Wile Ilse is both rollicking adventure and intimate exploration. If Alice Hoffman and Sara Addison Allen had a witchy love child, she would be Paige Crutcher. Do not miss this beautifully realized debut!
September 29, 2021
Definitely a great read, this book had a great start and it reeled me in. I enjoyed the story of the sisters Amara and True. The word Hinterland used in the story of Amara and True reminded me of The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert. I liked that despite Persephone’s unstable childhood, she was studious and stayed in school. She’s smart and cautious. I liked the sisters Hyacinth and Moira as well as Ellison and Ariel. Why, this book is full of sisters! I don’t have a sister so I’m a little jealous. Loved reading Hyacinth’s journal.
This book started with Amara, in 1919 as she stood at the top of the cliff on an island thinking about lost family and the price of magic. Then the story began in 2019, off island, following Persephone. She’d been living in many different group homes so she never knew of any of her families or relatives. Her dream was to find her lost families but when her eyes met anyone, magick sent them doing harmful things to themselves. Now at 32, working at odd jobs, thinking maybe if she could take a chance and look into the professor’s eyes, the one who comes everyday to get coffee from her. But as soon as she did, he walked straight out into an oncoming traffic. She had to leave town yet again. In her car deciding where to go next, she received an email from Hyacinth, a friend she once met while working as a research assistant, inviting her to visit. When she arrived at her friend’s house, she learned more about herself than she was expecting.
The Orphan Witch was well written and a fun read full of banters. I loved that readers get to know what each characters were thinking, not just the main character Persephone but also characters that are introduced later on like Dorian, Ellison, Ariel, etc. There seemed to be love at first sight when Persephone first laid eyes on the librarian. There were some good twists I wasn’t expecting. The sisters were well liked and I enjoyed getting to know their individual personalities and their particulars. The magic was good and different. The island sounded wonderful.
xoxo, Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.com for more details
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.
This book started with Amara, in 1919 as she stood at the top of the cliff on an island thinking about lost family and the price of magic. Then the story began in 2019, off island, following Persephone. She’d been living in many different group homes so she never knew of any of her families or relatives. Her dream was to find her lost families but when her eyes met anyone, magick sent them doing harmful things to themselves. Now at 32, working at odd jobs, thinking maybe if she could take a chance and look into the professor’s eyes, the one who comes everyday to get coffee from her. But as soon as she did, he walked straight out into an oncoming traffic. She had to leave town yet again. In her car deciding where to go next, she received an email from Hyacinth, a friend she once met while working as a research assistant, inviting her to visit. When she arrived at her friend’s house, she learned more about herself than she was expecting.
The Orphan Witch was well written and a fun read full of banters. I loved that readers get to know what each characters were thinking, not just the main character Persephone but also characters that are introduced later on like Dorian, Ellison, Ariel, etc. There seemed to be love at first sight when Persephone first laid eyes on the librarian. There were some good twists I wasn’t expecting. The sisters were well liked and I enjoyed getting to know their individual personalities and their particulars. The magic was good and different. The island sounded wonderful.
xoxo, Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.com for more details
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.
September 12, 2021
I’m not sure what I was expecting from the beautiful cover and intriguing title, but it wasn’t this. I liked the world and the story had a lot of potential, but there was something in the writing of it that dragged a little for me. All of the characters felt a little flat for me. I wanted to like Persephone more. If ever a character suffered it was her so I felt for her character. Persephone was abandoned an orphan, but she wasn’t ever able to find a family or home. Anyone who looked too long in her eyes met with ill ends causing her to be very lonely. Despite the title this story isn’t about her childhood though, this is the story about Persephone finding her way to an island held together by magic that feels like home. She learns of family, curses, and what her magic really means, but will she master what she needs to in time to end the curse?
October 14, 2021
The Orphan Witch is a very fitting title for this novel by Paige Crutcher. What we have here is a young adult paranormal fantasy about a young orphan girl who happens to be a witch.
Persephone May has been forced to live in the shadows alone as every time she gets close to anyone in life bad things seem to happen to them making Persephone feel as if she is cursed. One day Persephone finds that she has received and invitation to Wile Isle, North Carolina.
The invitation came from Hyacinth who along with her sister Moira seem to actually be family to Persephone. Hyacinth and Moira are distant cousins and along with that they are also witches just like Persephone herself and need Persephone to help them just as she needs their help.
The Orphan Witch by Paige Crutcher for me seemed to get off to a slower start than I prefer but as it got going it did pick up a bit along the way. The characters in this one were alright and likable enough and the story involved was one that was just interesting enough to keep the pages turning. However, I didn’t really find anything overly amazing to wow me with the book in the market of many many witchy fantasies out there so in the end I found this one to be just a so-so middle ground read for me.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Persephone May has been forced to live in the shadows alone as every time she gets close to anyone in life bad things seem to happen to them making Persephone feel as if she is cursed. One day Persephone finds that she has received and invitation to Wile Isle, North Carolina.
The invitation came from Hyacinth who along with her sister Moira seem to actually be family to Persephone. Hyacinth and Moira are distant cousins and along with that they are also witches just like Persephone herself and need Persephone to help them just as she needs their help.
The Orphan Witch by Paige Crutcher for me seemed to get off to a slower start than I prefer but as it got going it did pick up a bit along the way. The characters in this one were alright and likable enough and the story involved was one that was just interesting enough to keep the pages turning. However, I didn’t really find anything overly amazing to wow me with the book in the market of many many witchy fantasies out there so in the end I found this one to be just a so-so middle ground read for me.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
September 30, 2021
Do you love Practical Magic?
Pirates of the Caribbean?
Wandavision?
Then I recommend you go watch those again and leave this book on the shelf.
Here are my notes up to the 60% mark when I just couldn't take it anymore:
I'm reading The Orphan Witch and it's just... Not right somehow? Like it has wonderful elements, but it's told in a confusing way, like not "I can't follow this" but "why is she telling this story in this way?". Also it's an instalove and it's so unbelievable and unnecessary. It's like it's trying to be a more complex version of Practical Magic but missing the heart that made that story work. The lead isn't particularly likeable and the rest of the witches are all idiots letting darkness lead them around by the nose when they should be smarter by now
"a story doesn't reveal every side of itself to every reader all at once" says the hot (questionably) librarian, and that's when the light bulb went on. That's what this author is trying to do. She's trying to tell bits of a story from many different angles and has something BIG planned that she's trying to hide from the reader. She's planning a big gotcha moment for her characters and the reader 🤦🏻♀️ (I skipped to the end, the gotcha was not a surprise at all)
Also, she makes a big deal about the power of 3 but then has every single witch in the story be a pair of sisters? Except for the lead (bet a sister shows up later), and never has any of the witches notice that? The witches all have exactly two daughters and this isn't worth investigating? The author is either trying too hard or only a one trick pony when it comes to character creation... or maybe both. The island were literally called The Three Sisters but then every set of sisters is two? Every set, from every family. And nobody ever mentions this bit of weirdness?
The love story is so cringy. Also it was totally unnecessary. This story should have had no men in it and just focused on female friendship and family.
Save yourself the time and effort...its too late for me.
Pirates of the Caribbean?
Wandavision?
Then I recommend you go watch those again and leave this book on the shelf.
Here are my notes up to the 60% mark when I just couldn't take it anymore:
I'm reading The Orphan Witch and it's just... Not right somehow? Like it has wonderful elements, but it's told in a confusing way, like not "I can't follow this" but "why is she telling this story in this way?". Also it's an instalove and it's so unbelievable and unnecessary. It's like it's trying to be a more complex version of Practical Magic but missing the heart that made that story work. The lead isn't particularly likeable and the rest of the witches are all idiots letting darkness lead them around by the nose when they should be smarter by now
"a story doesn't reveal every side of itself to every reader all at once" says the hot (questionably) librarian, and that's when the light bulb went on. That's what this author is trying to do. She's trying to tell bits of a story from many different angles and has something BIG planned that she's trying to hide from the reader. She's planning a big gotcha moment for her characters and the reader 🤦🏻♀️ (I skipped to the end, the gotcha was not a surprise at all)
Also, she makes a big deal about the power of 3 but then has every single witch in the story be a pair of sisters? Except for the lead (bet a sister shows up later), and never has any of the witches notice that? The witches all have exactly two daughters and this isn't worth investigating? The author is either trying too hard or only a one trick pony when it comes to character creation... or maybe both. The island were literally called The Three Sisters but then every set of sisters is two? Every set, from every family. And nobody ever mentions this bit of weirdness?
The love story is so cringy. Also it was totally unnecessary. This story should have had no men in it and just focused on female friendship and family.
Save yourself the time and effort...its too late for me.
May 3, 2021
I was drawn to this book by the beautiful cover! I really wanted to love it however, I found this book was just not for me. I did not feel myself connect with the book or any of the characters. It was slow moving and there was not enough action to keep my interest.
Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Net Galley for an ARC in return for my honest review!
Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Net Galley for an ARC in return for my honest review!
September 6, 2021
I need to start my review by pointing out my love for this cover. It is what initially drew me to this book. The title also grabbed me and though I was trying not to add more books to my to-read list I just had to read it.
Unfortunately, this book was not at all what I was expecting it to be. From the title I thought it would be about a child. An orphan child. It is not, not really. Our main character is not a child and though she was an orphan I wouldn't really describe her that way in the book. Either way, I expected this to be a more emotional pull-at-your-heartstrings story.
However, the writing did not draw me in. I found it to be quite flat and a bit repetitive. The story dragged at several points and I found myself skimming descriptions at times just to make progress.
The story did get better as it went on, but I never really connected with it. Perhaps, my expectations jaded my enjoyment a bit. If you enjoy descriptive paranormal stories, you may love this one, but it just wasn't for me.
2.5★
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Unfortunately, this book was not at all what I was expecting it to be. From the title I thought it would be about a child. An orphan child. It is not, not really. Our main character is not a child and though she was an orphan I wouldn't really describe her that way in the book. Either way, I expected this to be a more emotional pull-at-your-heartstrings story.
However, the writing did not draw me in. I found it to be quite flat and a bit repetitive. The story dragged at several points and I found myself skimming descriptions at times just to make progress.
The story did get better as it went on, but I never really connected with it. Perhaps, my expectations jaded my enjoyment a bit. If you enjoy descriptive paranormal stories, you may love this one, but it just wasn't for me.
2.5★
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
January 8, 2022
I’ll admit, I stubbornly decided to read this book despite its overall poor reception because it didn’t seem like detractors were able to articulate specific reasons for low ratings beyond “not for me.” But when that happens on a large scale, it tends to point to a lack of skill and craft, which is indeed the case here. I like the author’s ideas, but in the execution, this book has a ways to go.
The Orphan Witch features a woman named Persephone, who has grown up in the modern American foster care system knowing nothing of her family, and believing herself under a curse: whenever she looks people in the eye, they become violent and self-destructive. After fleeing from her latest job, she decides to go visit a (mostly-online) friend on a fictional East Coast island, where she soon learns that the friend is actually her long-lost cousin—in fact, that she has four of them, all of whom are witches. Persephone must then master her own powers and break a curse on the island.
Plot: This plot is just messy, with a lot of unstructured to-ing and fro-ing between three or four island locations. Persephone’s initial plight—alone in the world and prevented by her magic from connecting with anyone—is compelling, but these problems are resolved by about page 25 (of 340). The story kicks off with her meeting her cousins Hyacinth and Moira, who warmly welcome her into their family, where Persephone is easily able to fit in despite supposedly never having shared a real bond with anyone, and no one on the island (where the remainder of the book is set) is affected by her eye contact curse.
So Persephone then has no stakes for approximately the first half of the book: she’s told she needs to break the curse, but neither she nor the readers are given information about how this is to be done or reason to doubt whether she can. Instead she wanders about talking to her cousins about magic and popping in and out of a mysterious library, in which she receives much ambiguous exposition and has the hots for the sexy librarian. There’s never much tension or reason to be worried for the characters. Indeed, information raising the stakes of the final confrontation significantly, by indicating that real sacrifice will be required, isn’t shared until page 300, when we barely have time to process it before the climax itself.
Characters: This is a character-driven book, and there were a few aspects I liked. Chiefly, Persephone’s cousins: I definitely liked Ellison and Ariel, and to a lesser extent Moira. I appreciate that the book features adult women, mostly in their 30s, but while they fortunately don’t come across as teenagers as is too often the case, they do feel younger than they officially are. I’d have pegged most of them as early to mid-20s, in that underemployed post-college phase where they’re trying to figure out what to do with themselves and waiting for life to begin. It seems especially odd, given their ages and that their family cares about bloodlines and has a tradition of single motherhood, that most of them are dreaming about romance but not one seems to have even considered children.
Persephone herself, unfortunately, I lost interest in as the book went on. I knew going in that she would not be believable as someone who had never been loved or connected to others in her entire life (which in reality would cause severe mental health problems), and mostly wrote that off as the price of admission—I understand why the author wanted to give Persephone that over-the-top backstory and also why she didn’t want to develop the natural consequences, because this is supposed to be more of a cozy tale. Even so, it’s striking that Persephone has zero difficulty bonding with others—she comes across like she’s been lonely for awhile, yes, but just in the ordinary way of an introvert who’s lost whomever she used to be closest to, after having had a loving upbringing.
But there are other issues. From being in her head Persephone seems to be a shy, sensitive woman, but she’s given a bunch of sassy dialogue that just left me confused, as it didn’t seem to come from the same character and it was unclear why she was doing this. She’s a poor problem solver: she can’t look people in the eye without harming them, but despite having a college degree, the job she chose is in customer service, as a barista? In other words, a job where she’s expected to interact with many people, in person, all day long? Has she never heard of call centers, or better, anything that can be done from a computer?
She’s also absurdly genre blind, for a character who has absolutely no excuse. Knowing herself to have powers, her backstory includes having written a book about magic in literature, and at one point she offers her feelings about Harry Potter. But later in the same chapter, she has this conversation:
“Transfiguration,” Dorian said. “You are constantly full of surprises.”
“Transfi-what?”
“You convinced the book to show you its true self.”
“But. . . .” All she did was approach it. “I don’t understand.”
“The reward is yours.”
“Reward?”
“The grimoire in your hands.”
“Grimoire?” Persephone looked down, gripped the book tighter.
Nope. These words would not be unfamiliar to her, if this book believed in itself at all.
Dorian, the love interest, has similar problems. He lives in a pocket dimension and therefore feels disconnected from the rest of the story, and making him a sexy librarian who was a pirate in his past life but has never fallen for anyone before her is eyeroll-worthy, but my biggest issue with Dorian is that he’s supposed to be from the 18th century, and trapped alone in another dimension ever since. (Isolation has had approximately the same effect on him as on Persephone, i.e., none.) And yet, at no point does anything about him—vocabulary, way of speaking, worldview, etc.—ever make Persephone stop and think there’s something unusual about this guy, that maybe he isn’t from her world.
Magic: The magic in this story seems neo-pagan-inspired, with offhand references to the Goddess, third eyes, chakras, etc. It’s also more anything-goes than I like in fantasy (I don’t need to know the rules of magic, but I generally think it should have some), though between this and The Once and Future Witches, perhaps that’s meant to be a feature rather than a bug in “witches” books. This quote sums it up:
“Persephone didn’t attempt to cast a traditional circle or follow any of the rules of magic as she had been taught these past few months [not shared with the reader]. Instead Persephone did what she did best, and listened to her heart.”
Writing: The dialogue is often clunky, and so is the prose itself—there’s a tendency to repeat character names over and over rather than using pronouns, and the organization of paragraphs often feels clumsy as well.
Themes/Ending: I like the book’s focus on sisterhood. Given that theme, however, I don’t like that while Persephone doesn’t technically choose a man over female friends, The ending is all-around weird, really, but given Persephone’s general lack of problem-solving ability it should come as no surprise that she doesn’t consider the implications at all.
In sum, despite the lovely cover I don’t recommend this, and I’m rounding up to 2 stars largely because I feel like the author’s heart was in the right place, and after all, I did finish it. And Ellison and Ariel were cool. I also appreciate that this book introduced me to “The Goblin Market”, a lovely short story in verse: while I don’t entirely buy the connection between that narrative poem and this book, I do think you should all go read the poem!
The Orphan Witch features a woman named Persephone, who has grown up in the modern American foster care system knowing nothing of her family, and believing herself under a curse: whenever she looks people in the eye, they become violent and self-destructive. After fleeing from her latest job, she decides to go visit a (mostly-online) friend on a fictional East Coast island, where she soon learns that the friend is actually her long-lost cousin—in fact, that she has four of them, all of whom are witches. Persephone must then master her own powers and break a curse on the island.
Plot: This plot is just messy, with a lot of unstructured to-ing and fro-ing between three or four island locations. Persephone’s initial plight—alone in the world and prevented by her magic from connecting with anyone—is compelling, but these problems are resolved by about page 25 (of 340). The story kicks off with her meeting her cousins Hyacinth and Moira, who warmly welcome her into their family, where Persephone is easily able to fit in despite supposedly never having shared a real bond with anyone, and no one on the island (where the remainder of the book is set) is affected by her eye contact curse.
So Persephone then has no stakes for approximately the first half of the book: she’s told she needs to break the curse, but neither she nor the readers are given information about how this is to be done or reason to doubt whether she can. Instead she wanders about talking to her cousins about magic and popping in and out of a mysterious library, in which she receives much ambiguous exposition and has the hots for the sexy librarian. There’s never much tension or reason to be worried for the characters. Indeed, information raising the stakes of the final confrontation significantly, by indicating that real sacrifice will be required, isn’t shared until page 300, when we barely have time to process it before the climax itself.
Characters: This is a character-driven book, and there were a few aspects I liked. Chiefly, Persephone’s cousins: I definitely liked Ellison and Ariel, and to a lesser extent Moira. I appreciate that the book features adult women, mostly in their 30s, but while they fortunately don’t come across as teenagers as is too often the case, they do feel younger than they officially are. I’d have pegged most of them as early to mid-20s, in that underemployed post-college phase where they’re trying to figure out what to do with themselves and waiting for life to begin. It seems especially odd, given their ages and that their family cares about bloodlines and has a tradition of single motherhood, that most of them are dreaming about romance but not one seems to have even considered children.
Persephone herself, unfortunately, I lost interest in as the book went on. I knew going in that she would not be believable as someone who had never been loved or connected to others in her entire life (which in reality would cause severe mental health problems), and mostly wrote that off as the price of admission—I understand why the author wanted to give Persephone that over-the-top backstory and also why she didn’t want to develop the natural consequences, because this is supposed to be more of a cozy tale. Even so, it’s striking that Persephone has zero difficulty bonding with others—she comes across like she’s been lonely for awhile, yes, but just in the ordinary way of an introvert who’s lost whomever she used to be closest to, after having had a loving upbringing.
But there are other issues. From being in her head Persephone seems to be a shy, sensitive woman, but she’s given a bunch of sassy dialogue that just left me confused, as it didn’t seem to come from the same character and it was unclear why she was doing this. She’s a poor problem solver: she can’t look people in the eye without harming them, but despite having a college degree, the job she chose is in customer service, as a barista? In other words, a job where she’s expected to interact with many people, in person, all day long? Has she never heard of call centers, or better, anything that can be done from a computer?
She’s also absurdly genre blind, for a character who has absolutely no excuse. Knowing herself to have powers, her backstory includes having written a book about magic in literature, and at one point she offers her feelings about Harry Potter. But later in the same chapter, she has this conversation:
“Transfiguration,” Dorian said. “You are constantly full of surprises.”
“Transfi-what?”
“You convinced the book to show you its true self.”
“But. . . .” All she did was approach it. “I don’t understand.”
“The reward is yours.”
“Reward?”
“The grimoire in your hands.”
“Grimoire?” Persephone looked down, gripped the book tighter.
Nope. These words would not be unfamiliar to her, if this book believed in itself at all.
Dorian, the love interest, has similar problems. He lives in a pocket dimension and therefore feels disconnected from the rest of the story, and making him a sexy librarian who was a pirate in his past life but has never fallen for anyone before her is eyeroll-worthy, but my biggest issue with Dorian is that he’s supposed to be from the 18th century, and trapped alone in another dimension ever since. (Isolation has had approximately the same effect on him as on Persephone, i.e., none.) And yet, at no point does anything about him—vocabulary, way of speaking, worldview, etc.—ever make Persephone stop and think there’s something unusual about this guy, that maybe he isn’t from her world.
Magic: The magic in this story seems neo-pagan-inspired, with offhand references to the Goddess, third eyes, chakras, etc. It’s also more anything-goes than I like in fantasy (I don’t need to know the rules of magic, but I generally think it should have some), though between this and The Once and Future Witches, perhaps that’s meant to be a feature rather than a bug in “witches” books. This quote sums it up:
“Persephone didn’t attempt to cast a traditional circle or follow any of the rules of magic as she had been taught these past few months [not shared with the reader]. Instead Persephone did what she did best, and listened to her heart.”
Writing: The dialogue is often clunky, and so is the prose itself—there’s a tendency to repeat character names over and over rather than using pronouns, and the organization of paragraphs often feels clumsy as well.
Themes/Ending: I like the book’s focus on sisterhood. Given that theme, however, I don’t like that while Persephone doesn’t technically choose a man over female friends, The ending is all-around weird, really, but given Persephone’s general lack of problem-solving ability it should come as no surprise that she doesn’t consider the implications at all.
In sum, despite the lovely cover I don’t recommend this, and I’m rounding up to 2 stars largely because I feel like the author’s heart was in the right place, and after all, I did finish it. And Ellison and Ariel were cool. I also appreciate that this book introduced me to “The Goblin Market”, a lovely short story in verse: while I don’t entirely buy the connection between that narrative poem and this book, I do think you should all go read the poem!
June 19, 2021
Persephone is alone. A product of the foster care system, she feels as if she doesn’t belong anywhere, and when she tries to establish a connection with someone, bad things happen to them. When she leaves her job at a coffee shop, she remembers that a woman she once met invited her to visit, so she heads off to Hyacinth’s home on Wile Island. Hyacinth and her sister Moira inform her that she is actually their distant cousin, that they are all witches, and that they need her help in breaking an ancient curse. I was fascinated by this book at the beginning, but it got confusing, with many arcane details slowing down the narrative. Very disappointed. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC.
September 11, 2021
3.5⭐ Rounded up.
This started off pretty slow, but the magical family drama picked up soon enough and I could not get enough! I wish there had been an epilogue of everyone like a year in the future since I wanted to know what everyone got up to after.
Ah well.
As always, a big thanks to the crew at NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for my DRC.
This started off pretty slow, but the magical family drama picked up soon enough and I could not get enough! I wish there had been an epilogue of everyone like a year in the future since I wanted to know what everyone got up to after.
Ah well.
As always, a big thanks to the crew at NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for my DRC.
May 3, 2021
The Orphan Witch
by Paige Crutcher
St. Martin's Press
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this interesting book!
This story is about a gal that grew up in lots of foster homes. No one wanted her long. She didn't have many friends. Bad things seemed to happen when she was around. Especially if she looked in someone's eyes too long. Even if she liked the person.
It wasn't any better now that she was grown. She had just experienced one of those horrible times where people knew she was very different. She had to move again.
She went to see a friend on an island. What she finds there will change her life. Magic, her history, rival witch clans, and more. She finally gets answers about her past but she may wish she didn't know.
by Paige Crutcher
St. Martin's Press
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this interesting book!
This story is about a gal that grew up in lots of foster homes. No one wanted her long. She didn't have many friends. Bad things seemed to happen when she was around. Especially if she looked in someone's eyes too long. Even if she liked the person.
It wasn't any better now that she was grown. She had just experienced one of those horrible times where people knew she was very different. She had to move again.
She went to see a friend on an island. What she finds there will change her life. Magic, her history, rival witch clans, and more. She finally gets answers about her past but she may wish she didn't know.
August 1, 2021
In writing THE ORPHAN WITCH, I have written a story that’s close to my spirit. This is the story of a woman who doesn’t fit anywhere, until she finds home amongst friends who become her family. It’s about magic and power and sisterhood, and how unstoppable all three become when put together. I hope you enjoy walking alongside Persephone!
October 6, 2021
3 stars
You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.
This was an interesting contemporary paranormal fantasy. Persephone May is an orphan and has been alone her whole life. She wants nothing more than to belong somewhere, but whenever she tries to forge bonds with other people, unexplainable things happen and she finds herself moving on again.
After one particularly jarring public display of powers she doesn't understand, Persephone receives an email inviting her to visit one of her only friends on the elusive Wile Isle. As soon as she steps on the island, Persephone feels at home, something she's never felt before. It's clear that Wile Isle is no typical island, nor are some of its occupants. Persephone learns that she is a witch from a long line of witches and she may have a part to play in the welfare of the island and its occupants.
I liked the overall general theme of the story and it was well written. The problem I had with the book is that it just seemed to drag on. Maybe it was because Persephone reminded me of Debbie Downer from SNL or Eeyore - everything was always the worst case scenario and everything was so heavy and dark. Even in stories with difficult storylines or heavy subject matter there is an occasional spark of lightness and laughter. I didn't find any of that in this book. Some of the descriptions of places, people or things were far too in-depth and I found myself skimming parts of the book. I had high expectations for this book but it fell a bit short.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. All opinions are my own.
You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.
This was an interesting contemporary paranormal fantasy. Persephone May is an orphan and has been alone her whole life. She wants nothing more than to belong somewhere, but whenever she tries to forge bonds with other people, unexplainable things happen and she finds herself moving on again.
After one particularly jarring public display of powers she doesn't understand, Persephone receives an email inviting her to visit one of her only friends on the elusive Wile Isle. As soon as she steps on the island, Persephone feels at home, something she's never felt before. It's clear that Wile Isle is no typical island, nor are some of its occupants. Persephone learns that she is a witch from a long line of witches and she may have a part to play in the welfare of the island and its occupants.
I liked the overall general theme of the story and it was well written. The problem I had with the book is that it just seemed to drag on. Maybe it was because Persephone reminded me of Debbie Downer from SNL or Eeyore - everything was always the worst case scenario and everything was so heavy and dark. Even in stories with difficult storylines or heavy subject matter there is an occasional spark of lightness and laughter. I didn't find any of that in this book. Some of the descriptions of places, people or things were far too in-depth and I found myself skimming parts of the book. I had high expectations for this book but it fell a bit short.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. All opinions are my own.
November 18, 2021
this was just a hot mess that dragged. all of the characters were very flat. Persephone was stupid throughout most of the book and then at the end she is the one who thinks and fixes everything. I also rolled my eyes every time the word SPINE was mentioned.
I feel the author wanted to put everything into her book and she did, but it just didn't mesh well. I also have questions. Why didn't Persephone have a sister? This book was about sisters who are witches. There was three main and each one had two daughters. Where is the other sister? PLOT FAIL!
also, the relationship between Dorian and Persephone was unnecessary. There were no other men involved in the story at all. Just leave him as a guardian and the love of the family would have been enough for Persephone.
I feel the author wanted to put everything into her book and she did, but it just didn't mesh well. I also have questions. Why didn't Persephone have a sister? This book was about sisters who are witches. There was three main and each one had two daughters. Where is the other sister? PLOT FAIL!
also, the relationship between Dorian and Persephone was unnecessary. There were no other men involved in the story at all. Just leave him as a guardian and the love of the family would have been enough for Persephone.
October 28, 2021
*2.5 Stars*
Witches, curses, and found family.
This book had it all. I enjoyed the author's uniqueness with the curse of the Island. However, this book dragged on for me. Tabitha was extremely gullible. I didn't dislike her, but I didn't exactly root for her either.
The other characters were interesting and I would have loved to see more of them.
Witches, curses, and found family.
This book had it all. I enjoyed the author's uniqueness with the curse of the Island. However, this book dragged on for me. Tabitha was extremely gullible. I didn't dislike her, but I didn't exactly root for her either.
The other characters were interesting and I would have loved to see more of them.
Want to read
August 17, 2021The Orphan Witch was a book that I did not enjoy reading. The witches were stereotypical and the magic a bit boring for me. This was compared to Alice Hoffman's 'Practical Magic' series and I'm not sure why? This was a more fantasy witchy type of story than magical realism which is why I could not connect to it. There was a lot of information dumping in the dialogue which ruined the story and there were too many characters (for my liking) and random magical ideas that did not fit together as neatly as they should have.
This whole book felt off to me and I think there were too many ideas and awkward dialogues between the characters. It was more fantasy than witchy and the storyline felt a bit dated for the genre.
I just could not connect to this story which I struggled to finish. 2 out of 5 stars for me because I liked the beginning of the story and the main character had a unique background that could have been explored further.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with this free ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This whole book felt off to me and I think there were too many ideas and awkward dialogues between the characters. It was more fantasy than witchy and the storyline felt a bit dated for the genre.
I just could not connect to this story which I struggled to finish. 2 out of 5 stars for me because I liked the beginning of the story and the main character had a unique background that could have been explored further.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with this free ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 30, 2021
I loved this story. Paige Crutcher you kept me turning the pages with this book. I relate to Persephone May because she grew up in foster care like I did. No one really loved or wanted Persephone for long. I experienced the same experience. She had very few friends and it seemed like something bad always happened when she was around. Trouble followed her wherever she went. Persephone was so lonely, friendless and without a true family her whole life. She had no idea where she came from or from whom. When she was around unexplained surges of magic seem to occur. She goes to a mysterious island by the name of Wile Isle and through hard work finds out about her past, who she was and where she came from. It includes her history, witch clans, magic and much more. Even though she has always wanted answers about her life she may wish she didn't know. Highly recommend.
I
I
July 27, 2021
I picked this book up because I've always enjoyed stories about witches and the paranormal. This book was a treat in that it was packed with magic throughout. Persephone has always been alone and she longs for family and a place where she fits in the world. She was abandoned and grew up in foster care. She was always looking down because when someone met her eyes bad things happened. Persephone was invited to vist a place called Wile Isle by a woman she had met and liked, Hyacinth. When she arrives she finds that Hyacinth and her sister, Moira are actually her cousins and they all share something in common - they are all witches. Hyacinth and Moira need Persephone's assistance in breaking a curse that has stood for a hundred years - no one else has been able to break it, though many have tried.
Persephone is a strong and determined character who tries her best to do good things. She has to make a very difficult choice that made me squirm - a tough one. I liked the character. One of my favorite concepts from the book is the Library of the Lost and how it functions - very interesting. The book moved well with quite a bit of action.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. The book will be published on September 28, 2021.
Persephone is a strong and determined character who tries her best to do good things. She has to make a very difficult choice that made me squirm - a tough one. I liked the character. One of my favorite concepts from the book is the Library of the Lost and how it functions - very interesting. The book moved well with quite a bit of action.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. The book will be published on September 28, 2021.
February 14, 2022
Paige Crutcher took me on a journey of Persephone May’s coming of age with magical islands and worlds, Persephone being chosen to end a curse. She finds the unique abilities she possessed and always thought a hindrance, are indeed very special. After setting foot upon the mystical Wile Isle she finds out who she is, by family she never knew she had, but always wanted. This is about found family, magic, mystery, a 100-year-old curse, and let’s not forget.. star-crossed lovers. I enjoyed this magical, quite unique Persephone retelling. I even splurged, purchasing a copy for my daughter as fantasy/magical realism are her favorite genres. This is a modern day witchy tale I’m hoping she’ll enjoy.
*Much thanks to St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley for allowing me to read and review the ARC.
*Much thanks to St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley for allowing me to read and review the ARC.
December 29, 2021
This book gave me severe vibes of Practical Magic and Charmed (movie and original TV show, respectively). Even the colors on the cover are reminiscent of the cover of my copy of the book Practical Magic. The title sums up Persephone, the main character, very well, as her orphan status largely morphed her past and who she is stepping foot onto Wile Isle, and the witch part of her reshapes part of who she becomes after arriving on the island. Fantasy is my favorite genre, and when witches are involved I am usually very happy. Wile Isle felt magical, and experiencing it new through Persephone's eyes was wonderful. Traveling through time and space was fun and exciting. The Library for the Lost felt like a character unto itself just as Dorian, the librarian, insists it is. Flashbacks through Hyacinth's diary and other events worked well. The story is told with multiple POVs, and at first I worried that would give too much of the mystery away, but the author is careful about only revealing enough to keep the reader drawn to the next page. Great novel. I only wish I knew how the cousins react after the events at the end.
October 1, 2021
Tis the season for cozy reads with witches and magical atmospheres! Crutcher's new release, The Orphan Witch, is a novel based on hope, family, sacrifice and love.
The characters are complex with secrets that push the plot into unique twists and turns. Persephone is an orphan cursed with what she perceives as a look that can quite literally kill if she isn't careful. Between her past and the curse giving her an inability to make deeper connections, she craves what many take for granted in life. Her character is almost heartbreaking at times. There is a deep bond of sisters underlying the story that I really enjoyed. Even when things are at their worst it was heartfelt to watch the different witches and their dynamics create and break bonds. A dose of romantic interest sparks the pages and while it was a low simmer on the steam index, I did feel it toed the line of insta-love. However, based on Persephone's past it is pretty understandable. Plus, Dorian isn't easy to turn away from for us bookish folks. I did notice I wasn't connecting to the characters as much as I would've liked though and I couldn't pinpoint why.
The magical elements are a mixture of classic witchy spells intermingled with parallel world travel and elemental powers. I enjoyed how the combination comes together to create the climax towards the end. The story is a slow-build and there is a pretty large informational load in the beginning. Alternating POVs and a third person narrative lead the reader through Persephone's finding of family and her powers. I found this novel to be more about family and bonds instead of action and steam. This takes readers on a journey through connection with a sprinkle of drama and romance here and there. I could totally see this being a series on the Lifetime channel for October, at least that is how it was playing out in my head as I read.
Overall, The Orphan Witch is a cozy, witchy novel. Though I prefer more paranormal fantasy romances with action, I believe readers who enjoy the more slower paced familial novels will devour this beautifully written story. Thank you SMPRomance and St. Martins Griffin for the gifted digital copy in exchange for an honest review. Audio available by Macmillan Audio is narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. All thoughts are my own.
The characters are complex with secrets that push the plot into unique twists and turns. Persephone is an orphan cursed with what she perceives as a look that can quite literally kill if she isn't careful. Between her past and the curse giving her an inability to make deeper connections, she craves what many take for granted in life. Her character is almost heartbreaking at times. There is a deep bond of sisters underlying the story that I really enjoyed. Even when things are at their worst it was heartfelt to watch the different witches and their dynamics create and break bonds. A dose of romantic interest sparks the pages and while it was a low simmer on the steam index, I did feel it toed the line of insta-love. However, based on Persephone's past it is pretty understandable. Plus, Dorian isn't easy to turn away from for us bookish folks. I did notice I wasn't connecting to the characters as much as I would've liked though and I couldn't pinpoint why.
The magical elements are a mixture of classic witchy spells intermingled with parallel world travel and elemental powers. I enjoyed how the combination comes together to create the climax towards the end. The story is a slow-build and there is a pretty large informational load in the beginning. Alternating POVs and a third person narrative lead the reader through Persephone's finding of family and her powers. I found this novel to be more about family and bonds instead of action and steam. This takes readers on a journey through connection with a sprinkle of drama and romance here and there. I could totally see this being a series on the Lifetime channel for October, at least that is how it was playing out in my head as I read.
Overall, The Orphan Witch is a cozy, witchy novel. Though I prefer more paranormal fantasy romances with action, I believe readers who enjoy the more slower paced familial novels will devour this beautifully written story. Thank you SMPRomance and St. Martins Griffin for the gifted digital copy in exchange for an honest review. Audio available by Macmillan Audio is narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. All thoughts are my own.
November 14, 2021
Paige Crutcher has created a complex magical world with incredibly well-formed and layered characters. I am impressed by the depth of the story. From the beginning of the story, the author is giving us little bits of information. As we learn something new, more questions arise, nicely creating that pull of the plot moving forward. The characters and story are complexly woven together and the author takes her time in revealing all of the twists. As a debut author, Paige has done an outstanding job.
Persephone was a likable character for me from the start. She didn't spend too much time wallowing in her bad circumstances but it was clear they affected all her actions throughout the book. There is a lot of family lineage to understand as the book progresses. Clearly, a family tree would have given away some of the plots, but I found I needed to double-check family connections since some of the characters changed their last names.
Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-arc. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. This is my honest opinion.
Persephone was a likable character for me from the start. She didn't spend too much time wallowing in her bad circumstances but it was clear they affected all her actions throughout the book. There is a lot of family lineage to understand as the book progresses. Clearly, a family tree would have given away some of the plots, but I found I needed to double-check family connections since some of the characters changed their last names.
Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-arc. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. This is my honest opinion.
October 21, 2021
I requested this book for review on NetGalley (Thank you!!) for the cover and the title. Witchy books intrigue me so I was excited to delve right in. My heart broke for Persephone as soon as she was introduced to us in the story. It does start a little bit slow as we learn about Persephone and the world she is in. It picks up as soon as she steps foot on the island. There is magic, mystery, family secrets, romance and more. Pick it up! It's about a 4-5 hour read, which is my ideal length.
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
November 17, 2021
Bit of a disappointment. I'm not sure what motivated me to read this book, but this is not my taste.
Persephone is a grown woman in her 30s who bounced around the foster care system her whole childhood. Persephone then references her low self-esteem and desperate craving for family all the time. Since I was a quasi-foster kid in high school, then worked in child protection, and now my son is technically a foster kid, this part appeals to me a little. But the author exaggerated the protagonist's desperate desire for family at the expense of all else.
Did Persephone go to college? I know nothing about her academic interests or career ambitions. How exactly did she spend her 20s, apart from feeling anxious and experiencing social problems?
The story begins with Persephone traveling to an island, whereupon she learns that there are four female distant cousins of hers there. She soon learns for sure that she is a witch, as are all these other women. But Persephone's own witch status shouldn't have come as too much of a surprise to her, because Persephone had already displayed massive powers since childhood. We learn in the first chapter that she had made a foster sister just flat-out disappear for days. Persephone didn't display magic that could be characterized as realistic. Not precognition or healing or something else small. No, Persephone was blowing all the fuses in the house from an early age.
The fact Persephone still had such low self-esteem, while all the while knowing perfectly well that she could kill people with a thought? I find unrealistic. And how is it that I know nothing about this woman's academic or career interests? Why had she never tried to monetize her supernatural abilities? I get that she didn't have control of her powers until halfway through this book. But I still find it unrealistic. Why didn't she present herself to the U.S. government, or some eccentric millionaire, and just point at a flowerpot and do something to it?
The cousin witches that Persephone meets are weirdly queer. As in, at least 3 of these women are some category within the LGBTQ community. I'm gay, so my problem here isn't that I want to be homophobic. But, rather, I hate this trend in literature lately where writers act like it is some great victory to quietly make a character queer without addressing homophobia at all. Like, these women are supposed to be in their 30s, like me, but we don't hear any of them express any sense of internalized homophobia, even in a flashback scene to adolescence. This is unrealistic and weird. I'm out and married now, but people of my generation really struggled with accepting our orientation.
Also, super weird for Persephone not to meet these people and say, "Huh. Like, three of my cousins are lesbians. What are the odds of that?" I'm not saying that Persephone would be homophobic herself. Just that it's odd for her not to comment upon this.
Do you think that I, as a gay reader, am so thrilled to read about a fictional universe where gay people face no homophobia? You think I'm going to cheer that straight people are reading this, and now they're going to feel further justified in telling me that homophobia doesn't exist anymore? Every year my husband and I watch parents march their kids past our house on Halloween, avoiding our prominent pride flag. When I tell my straight coworkers about this, they are quick to tell me that this could not possibly be because of homophobia. (My gay coworkers nod and agree with me that homophobia sucks.)
Despite all the magic being thrown around, this felt like contemporary women's fiction more than fantasy. Very much more in the style of Alice Hoffman, and not J.R.R. Tolkien. Too much focus upon how quaint the small town was, and the possible romance Persephone is considering; not enough description of an actual fucking magic system. There are very few rules to the magic here at all.
Also, there were a lot of female characters. Demasiado, really. This became problematic when all of them were witches and family members, made up of pairs of sisters. There were nowhere near enough physical descriptions, so it became difficult to keep track of who was who.
In fact, now that I think on it, I would say it's fair to say there wasn't much imagery throughout the whole novel. There were more sensory details about the bakery than there were about anyone's appearance.
Lots of people criticize characters for insta-love. Here, the issue isn't so much Persephone's male love interest. Rather, the problem was this fanatical devotion Persephone displays for these cousins she only just fucking met. The author was trying to give us some nice feminist stakes. But Persephone's fondness for these women feels all out of proportion to the fact she has barely met any of them, and their relationship is not earned. We hardly see Persephone have any true light moments with any of these women. A scene of Persephone getting into a water fight while washing dishes with a cousin would have been welcome. That would have humanized an underdeveloped character while also establishing some sense of the relationship having been "earned."
If there is going to be a sequel, I do not plan to seek it out. I labored through the final 20 percent of this novel. It was not pleasant.
Persephone is a grown woman in her 30s who bounced around the foster care system her whole childhood. Persephone then references her low self-esteem and desperate craving for family all the time. Since I was a quasi-foster kid in high school, then worked in child protection, and now my son is technically a foster kid, this part appeals to me a little. But the author exaggerated the protagonist's desperate desire for family at the expense of all else.
Did Persephone go to college? I know nothing about her academic interests or career ambitions. How exactly did she spend her 20s, apart from feeling anxious and experiencing social problems?
The story begins with Persephone traveling to an island, whereupon she learns that there are four female distant cousins of hers there. She soon learns for sure that she is a witch, as are all these other women. But Persephone's own witch status shouldn't have come as too much of a surprise to her, because Persephone had already displayed massive powers since childhood. We learn in the first chapter that she had made a foster sister just flat-out disappear for days. Persephone didn't display magic that could be characterized as realistic. Not precognition or healing or something else small. No, Persephone was blowing all the fuses in the house from an early age.
The fact Persephone still had such low self-esteem, while all the while knowing perfectly well that she could kill people with a thought? I find unrealistic. And how is it that I know nothing about this woman's academic or career interests? Why had she never tried to monetize her supernatural abilities? I get that she didn't have control of her powers until halfway through this book. But I still find it unrealistic. Why didn't she present herself to the U.S. government, or some eccentric millionaire, and just point at a flowerpot and do something to it?
The cousin witches that Persephone meets are weirdly queer. As in, at least 3 of these women are some category within the LGBTQ community. I'm gay, so my problem here isn't that I want to be homophobic. But, rather, I hate this trend in literature lately where writers act like it is some great victory to quietly make a character queer without addressing homophobia at all. Like, these women are supposed to be in their 30s, like me, but we don't hear any of them express any sense of internalized homophobia, even in a flashback scene to adolescence. This is unrealistic and weird. I'm out and married now, but people of my generation really struggled with accepting our orientation.
Also, super weird for Persephone not to meet these people and say, "Huh. Like, three of my cousins are lesbians. What are the odds of that?" I'm not saying that Persephone would be homophobic herself. Just that it's odd for her not to comment upon this.
Do you think that I, as a gay reader, am so thrilled to read about a fictional universe where gay people face no homophobia? You think I'm going to cheer that straight people are reading this, and now they're going to feel further justified in telling me that homophobia doesn't exist anymore? Every year my husband and I watch parents march their kids past our house on Halloween, avoiding our prominent pride flag. When I tell my straight coworkers about this, they are quick to tell me that this could not possibly be because of homophobia. (My gay coworkers nod and agree with me that homophobia sucks.)
Despite all the magic being thrown around, this felt like contemporary women's fiction more than fantasy. Very much more in the style of Alice Hoffman, and not J.R.R. Tolkien. Too much focus upon how quaint the small town was, and the possible romance Persephone is considering; not enough description of an actual fucking magic system. There are very few rules to the magic here at all.
Also, there were a lot of female characters. Demasiado, really. This became problematic when all of them were witches and family members, made up of pairs of sisters. There were nowhere near enough physical descriptions, so it became difficult to keep track of who was who.
In fact, now that I think on it, I would say it's fair to say there wasn't much imagery throughout the whole novel. There were more sensory details about the bakery than there were about anyone's appearance.
Lots of people criticize characters for insta-love. Here, the issue isn't so much Persephone's male love interest. Rather, the problem was this fanatical devotion Persephone displays for these cousins she only just fucking met. The author was trying to give us some nice feminist stakes. But Persephone's fondness for these women feels all out of proportion to the fact she has barely met any of them, and their relationship is not earned. We hardly see Persephone have any true light moments with any of these women. A scene of Persephone getting into a water fight while washing dishes with a cousin would have been welcome. That would have humanized an underdeveloped character while also establishing some sense of the relationship having been "earned."
If there is going to be a sequel, I do not plan to seek it out. I labored through the final 20 percent of this novel. It was not pleasant.
September 6, 2023
Love just about anything to do with witches. I try to get my hands on any witchy story I see come out. I was excited with this one as it sounded interesting and had such a lovely cover. Sadly, it did not hit the mark for me. I struggled reading it. The characters were lackluster and the writing was only subpar. I tried to finish it but, alas, I gave up a little over halfway through.
August 9, 2021
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Orphan Witch started off a bit slow for me. We enter into this magical world and get to know who Persephone is. Now she has no control over her own magic but she always say it as a bad thing. Mostly because of how people in and out of her life reacted towards her. So when things go a little crazy, she ends up taking a random trip to go meet an acquaintance.
I don't think she was necessarily going for answers right then and there but once she stepped onto this mysterious island - she felt at ease a bit. At this moment, I was very intrigued with what was going to happen on her adventure.
I lowkey adored her meeting Dorian and I had so many questions when it came to him being involved. Then there's her cousins who definitely kept me on my toes the entire time. Especially since she kind of just walked into this huge family feud and got all kinds of whiplash from it.
Other than that, the magic was actually pretty interesting throughout the book. I still have some questions about the different kinds because we didn't get that much detail for it all. Plus the family grimoire was barely mentioned after we saw it and I just wanted to see what else was in it. Honestly, I have so many unanswered questions but I've already devoured the last page.
Not sure if we will get another book due to how this one ended.. but I wouldn't mind getting a prequel about their aunt's or grandma's. This family had so many secrets and I don't think we got them all out in the open.
The Orphan Witch started off a bit slow for me. We enter into this magical world and get to know who Persephone is. Now she has no control over her own magic but she always say it as a bad thing. Mostly because of how people in and out of her life reacted towards her. So when things go a little crazy, she ends up taking a random trip to go meet an acquaintance.
I don't think she was necessarily going for answers right then and there but once she stepped onto this mysterious island - she felt at ease a bit. At this moment, I was very intrigued with what was going to happen on her adventure.
I lowkey adored her meeting Dorian and I had so many questions when it came to him being involved. Then there's her cousins who definitely kept me on my toes the entire time. Especially since she kind of just walked into this huge family feud and got all kinds of whiplash from it.
Other than that, the magic was actually pretty interesting throughout the book. I still have some questions about the different kinds because we didn't get that much detail for it all. Plus the family grimoire was barely mentioned after we saw it and I just wanted to see what else was in it. Honestly, I have so many unanswered questions but I've already devoured the last page.
Not sure if we will get another book due to how this one ended.. but I wouldn't mind getting a prequel about their aunt's or grandma's. This family had so many secrets and I don't think we got them all out in the open.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 640 reviews