Nascent Witch

by Melissa Bobe

"An entertaining, engaging blend of millennial romance, occult fantasy, and witch-chick lit."—Kirkus Reviews"With an initially brisk pace that settles into a steady simmer, author Melissa Bobe takes a cauldron of familiarity and nonetheless brews it into something undeniably engaging and entertaining that is sure to keep readers turning the page."—The BookLife Prize Critic's ReportSela Glaser is hurrying to one of her many temp jobs when she nearly runs over a talking cat named Sable. He reveals that Sela is a soon-to-be witch and he’s going to be her familiar. For a twenty-seven-year-old failed artist with heaps of student debt and no career prospects, this is pretty ground-breaking news. As Sable prepares Sela for her Nascent Eve, a witch’s ritual initiation, she finds herself dreaming of witches she’s never met before. Then, Sela meets what very well might be the man of her dreams, or at least the one to save her from an endless purgatory of dating apps…if only she didn’t have to hide her witchy destiny from him. But when Sela’s Nascent Eve goes awry, she and Sable learn that unseen magic from her past is starting to wreak havoc on her already chaotic present, putting that witchy destiny of hers in jeopardy. Sela has to figure out how to control her powers before things get worse, but a visit home reveals that fixing the past might be much more complicated than Sela or Sable realize. And when the witches from Sela’s dreams begin to appear in real life, questions arise about exactly what kind of witch this frazzled millennial really is. All of this would be a hell of a lot easier to deal with if Sela didn’t have a magical stalker interrupting all of her most romantic dates, and if her familiar’s ice cream addiction wasn’t driving her further into debt. But what’s a witch to do?

Genres: Fantasy, Witches, Fiction, Paranormal, Ebooks, Magic, Contemporary

338 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 22, 2020

About the author

Melissa Bobe is a fiction writer living in New York. She is the author of the books NASCENT WITCH, ELECTRIC TREES, SEASON OF THE WITCH, and SIBYLS, along with many short stories. After a decade of teaching college English, during which she earned a PhD in literature along with a few other degrees, Melissa now works as a youth librarian. She's the creator of The Writing Hive and The Hive Press, and a moderator for the New York City Society of Wayward Writers. Melissa and her husband have five rescue cats (and one beloved kitty spirit) who, despite their humans' best efforts, have little reverence for the many wonderful books in their home.

Reviews

[Lezlie The Nerdy Narrative]

I read this book as part of my allotment as a judge for SPFBO9, so the star rating will be withheld until a later phase.

Author Melissa Bobe reminds me very much of the main character from NASCENT WITCH, because she wears a lot of hats: She created The Writing Hive, The Hive Press, she's a Municipal Liaison for the NYC region for NaNoWriMo AND works as a youth librarian while still finding time to write books!

I was immediately bewitched by NASCENT WITCH . (hehe) I was caught up in the flurry of meeting the main character, Sela Glaser, when she met Sable - the talking cat who unceremoniously announced he was her familiar and she was going to become a witch on her upcoming 28th birthday. Can you just imagine having an insanely busy day at work and this talking cat comes out of nowhere and drops that bomb in your lap? Yeah, me either.

Now, it's not as easy as it sounds. First, Sela and Sable (who isn't really a cat, that's just the animal form he takes) must learn to work together as a team. While this book is whimsical with a thread of danger, the magic of the witches and their relationships/bonds with their familiars was surprisingly involved and explained thoroughly - I absolutely loved learning alongside Sela and Sable.

Their budding friendship had me laughing throughout the entirety of the book. They each possess healthy doses of snark and witty comebacks that were highly entertaining. I loved watching their relationship develop and how they learned together and from one another as they prepared for Nascent Eve, the night when Sela would be able to perform the rituals required to become an initiated witch and begin to cast spells.

Sela and Sable's sarcastic exchanges were not the only source of humor. As Nascent Eve approached, Sela's powers began to manifest in unexpected ways...and neither her or Sable knew how to reverse or counter any of it! They do seek help from another witch/familiar pair, Alexander and Lyla - and I fell in love with them instantly. Honestly, I loved every character I met in this book, even Pluto who was an actual honest-to-goodness housecat. Y'all - I even wished I had a little sister after reading about Sela's relationship with her sister, Natalie. This book really was magical!

There was a little bit of romance sprinkled in that was so wholesome and enjoyable. Of course when Sela is experiencing unintentional bouts of magic, dealing with a new roommate who couldn't control when he was a cat or suddenly morphing into a naked man, it wasn't exactly the best time for Mr. Right to appear. That's how it happens though, isn't it? It was a delightful element to this story, because the reader is constantly wondering when or if Sela will be revealed as a witch.

Earlier, I mentioned there was also danger sprinkled in. There's this strange man that has been stalking Sela right around the time Sable showed up to announce her impending Nascent Eve. He begins by just watching her - as time passes, things begin to escalate and Sela isn't sure if it's magically related or if it's something else.

I had a wonderful time reading this book and while it's largely due to the uniquely interesting angle on witchcraft and the lovely cast of characters, it's also due to Melissa Bobe's writing style. The way I describe this writing style is "candy" - meaning I could read it all day long and be happy as a kitten with a bowl of milk. It's easy to read, it flows naturally and makes it really easy to keep saying "just one more chapter!"

Upon finishing, instead of writing my review, I immediately went to look for all other books written by Melissa Bobe and added them to my Want To Read list.

You can find this review and many more on my website, https://www.thenerdynarrative.com or if you prefer video format, you can find those on my BookTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/thenerdynarra...

[Kathreadsall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this magical romantic comedy from author Melissa Bobe!

Sela is a witch who doesn't know she's a witch, and her learning this changes everything! I love her growing bond with her familiar, and the lore surrounding them. Her coven is epic and I can't wait to hear more about their shenanigans!

I actually wasn't that interested in the romance part- Sela's boyfriend was way too perfect that it felt more unreal than the magic, haha. But the magic and friendships were so powerful and interesting, and I want to learn more about everyone!

I'm excited for the next book in the series to come out!

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Sela's twenty-eighth birthday approaches, strange things start happening especially after she meets a talking cat. Sable (the talking cat who isn't a cat) tells her she is about to come in to her witch powers and he is her familiar and he is there to help her. Sable isn't the most forthcoming on information and Sela isn't good with asking questions or keeping Sable updated on things that she is experiencing. I often got frustrated with Sela and Sable because I thought I'd figured out things long before they did. Even though I was frustrated at times, I still enjoyed the story and their journey to becoming connected as well as connecting with others in the community. I would read more in this series to find out more about the characters and the magic system.

I received a copy of the book as part of a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

[Tiera Aubrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a Goodreads win, thank you!

I really enjoyed the easy to read writing style and the sarcastic humor of Sela. I love the idea of not knowing you're a witch until a talking cat shows up one day (that you almost hit with your car) and tells you.
I rated 3☆s because at times the story dragged on with unnecessary (for me) extensive details of her other jobs (like dog walking). Plus her familiar was named Sable and having a LOT od sentences with Sela and Sable in them got confusing at times.

All in all - a fun witchy story in a modern world.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from a giveaway - goodreads I believe. If I didn’t have a ton of things going on, I would have devoured this in one sitting. This is the good stuff. I demand a second book. I don’t want to let these people go. Give me more. I love that there is romance and mention of “sexy time” but zero descriptive scenes. The magic is so intriguing and I just want more. Write more from this world!!!

[H.M. Gooden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful coming of magic story that hits all the high points- great characters, quirky occurrences, a cute love interest, and a lot of wish fulfillment.
What more could you want in a book?

[Emmy Banks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much. Thank you for the giveaway. Now I need the next one ASAP 🫶

[Zella · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book in a little free library inside a hotel lobby- maybe it was left by an Arisia attendee? - and it was a perfect plane read for my trip home.

[guinevere · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put this book down!

This book was fantastic and so much fun. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the characterization. I'm definitely going to recommend this book to others. This is definitely great storytelling. This was a very special witch story to me and I'm so happy that I came across it. I thought the pacing was just right and it was incredibly entertaining. Everyone should read this!

[Moberry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cozy little witchy book that, at times was entertaining, but ultimately felt like it was lacking something.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to come!

I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway. I finished it while on a cruise with no Internet, so I still need to type up my review.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me laughing out loud! I found Sela such a relatable character with her job struggles and mostly non-existent dating life. She has to be a witch to even start to juggle all of her responsibilities! She is not only relatable but extremely likable. When Sable, her familiar, is introduced I like him almost as much. The characters were really well written. I had such a fun time reading this book because it was a relaxing read but still so interesting that I couldn't put it down!

[Tom Mock]

This is not a full review. I read through the beginning of all 300 SPFBO9 contest entries. This was a book I wanted to read more of.

This is a bit silly, and that’s to it’s credit. I might say Pratchett-esque. It’s strong on dialogue and voice, light on details (I might almost say weak b/c of some unclear action).

But b/c it’s intention is to be funny, much of this is forgivable, especially since it is also developing fast. And that is, after all, rule 1 of what we’re doing: don’t be boring. In that, this succeeds.

A little more character introduction may have been warranted before the unlikely and unbelievable thing happens. I don’t feel I have any clear sense of our MC yet, so this big change in their life catches me on the hop

This is shaping up to be a light, entertaining NA, modern witch novel. There’s a talking cat who resents being compared to, well, cats, and a down-on-her-luck young MC who’s just gotten surprising news. This could be cozy. Im in.

[Rediswow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a wonderful time reading this book. This book had me laughing out loud! The characters are so rich and well layered that each new character introduction becomes a favorite character. The storyline is so creative and well thought out. It was fast moving, just complex enough, and had some great twists and turns.
Sela and Sable have easily stolen my heart. I found Sela such a relatable character with her job struggles and mostly non-existent dating life. I had such a fun time reading this book because it was a relaxing read but still so interesting that I couldn’t put it down! And while it’s largely due to the uniquely interesting angle on witchcraft and the lovely cast of characters, it’s also due to Melissa Bobe’s writing style.
I would definitely recommend this book if you like witchy novels.
I received this e-book through goodreads giveaways.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a really slow experience with this book. The similarities in Sela and Sable’s names really bothered me. There were a lot of interesting people and a fairly interesting plot but the book felt very incohesive. I would have really liked a deeper dive into Sela’s relationship with Pete or how she and Sable learn to work together. Also, the addition of the covenmaker element at the end made it too complicated, introduced too many other characters, and would have been better off in a later sequel. Overall, Sela was not a very lovable character but I still wanted to root for her. The book felt very much like a sitcom that was many episodes long and smashed together.

[Callan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book through goodreads giveaways.

I read this on vacation and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was fast moving, just complex enough, and had some great twists and turns. It did bother me that the woman had a stalker but she continued to go on about her life without putting her energy into actually getting rid of her stalker until the very end (like she knew what she had to do to get rid of her stalker, but nonchalantly went about it)... that just seemed strange. BUT I would definitely recommend this book if you like witchy novels.

[Nathalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to win this in a Goodreads giveaway and started it this morning and literally could not put it down! Sela has no idea she’s a witch when her familiar, Sable, comes into her life, chaos ensues in the best of ways, and also some slightly scary ones. I thought the story was cute and well thought out, and I really loved the banter of the main characters. Such a great novel to start October!

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclamer: I won this from Goodreads. This is my honest review.

First I would rate it 3.5 stars. Nothing wrong with the book itself. There were, what I thought to be a few inconsistencies that were explained way later in the book. Like her finances, but no major red flags. It was more the story line. I just couldn't connect with the characters and I thought some of the explanations (how familiars came to be) just too unbelievable. I don't want to include any spoilers for anyone.

[Angie (angies_bookrebrew) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely phenomenal! The characters are so rich and well layered that each new character introduction becomes a favorite character. The storyline is so creative and well thought out. Sela and Sable have easily stolen my heart. This will be my favorite book for some time.

[Sherry Kilmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing and fantastical tale of a newly initiated witch and her familiar. Although the variation on the familiar witch relationship was surprising the book kept me entertained and turning pages. A fun quick read.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't stop reading this book. 😀

[Samantha Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth the read

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick, light read that I found very entertaining.

[Tegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book it was a great read.

[Victoria Worley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ There has to be another right? So many questions left unanswered. This was a good mix of mystery and cute romance.

[Reader Galore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nascent Witch is a magical, funny, and sweet story that I’m glad I crossed paths with it.

[Kathy Church · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enchanting

I really loved this book. It has a great flow and wonderful characters. I know there has to be a sequel out there somewhere.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://sarahreads4.wordpress.com/202...

[Ashleigh W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inventive page turner, but occasionally struggled with clarity.