Practical Magic meets Gone Girl in Ava Morgyn's next dark, spellbinding novel about a woman who is more than a witch - she's a hunter. Piers Corbin has always had an affinity for poisonous things - plants and men. From the pokeweed berries she consumed at age five that led to the accidental death of a stranger, to the husband whose dark proclivities have become… concerning, poison has been at the heart of her story. But when she fakes her own death in an attempt to escape her volatile marriage and goes to stay with her estranged great aunt in the mountains, she realizes her predilection is more than a hunger - it’s a birthright. Piers comes from a long line of poison eaters - Bane Witches – women who ingest deadly plants and use their magic to rid the world of evil men. Piers sets out to earn her place in her family’s gritty but distinguished legacy, all while working at her Aunt Myrtle’s cafe and perpetuating a flirtation with the local, well-meaning sheriff to allay his suspicions on the body count she’s been leaving in her wake. But soon she catches the attention of someone else, a serial killer operating in the area. And that only means one thing - it’s time to feed. In Ava Morgyn’s dark, thrilling novel, The Bane Witch, a very little poison can do a world of good.
Publication Year: 2025
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Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of this book!
5 stars. This was the perfect spooky season book.
I enjoyed this book from start to finish! I love murder mysteries, Thrillers, Fantasy, and I love when there is romance thrown in. This book was a brilliant combination of these genres. The description for this book says "witches meets Gobe Girl", or something to that effect, and boy does it deliver.
*SPOILER ALERT
Piers is a character who plots and executes the perfect plan to escape her abusive husband. Adding in the fact that she is from a long line of witches who kill abusive men with poison and I was hooked.
Do the men they poison deserve to die? Absolutely. Did I enjoy the fact that these witches were getting justice via murder? Heck yes, these bad men have to go. Would I recommend this book to friends? Absolutely.
The romance in this book was great, it wasn't over the top or too raunchy, unlike in some other fantasy books, but still present and enjoyable. It also was nice to see that although there was a main focus on horrible men, there are still some good ones left in the world.
I haven't read a book about witches in a while, but I have to admit this one has me wanting to go find some more to read!
Very well done! Thank you NetGalley for the awesome read!
0"A very little poison can do a world of good."
The concept was fantastic—bane witches consuming poison as a weapon made for a perfect vengeance story. The execution was intriguing, though the pacing felt uneven, with a slow build-up and a rushed finale.
The small-town setting in the mountains of upstate New York was a highlight. The forests, fall colors, and creeping winter gave the story a cozy yet eerie atmosphere. The quirky town cast added charm, though some characters felt underdeveloped. Aunt Myrtle, however, stole the show with her no-nonsense attitude and tough-love approach.
The writing was easy to read, mostly from Pier’s POV, with occasional perspective shifts that, while useful, felt a bit random. The magic system was unique, but the mechanics behind the different veneries and bane witches could have been expanded on. Some details felt underexplored, leaving a few gaps in the worldbuilding. Maybe it’s just me—I always want to know everything about everything, but sometimes that’s just not realistic within the limits of a story.
Despite its slow start, this was an enjoyable read. The atmosphere, the morally gray witches, and the cat-and-mouse storyline made it worth the time.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this eARC! All opinions are my own.
0Received as an ARC from NetGalley - 4.5/5 stars
Piers Davenport flees an abusive marriage and runs to her aunt in upstate New York, where she learns more about her strange abilities and faces her family's legacy. Piers is a bane witch, able to sense abusive men and poison them before they can kill again.
This thriller is splashed with elements of magical realism and a minor romance subplot. The story is fast-paced and I was HOOKED - I barely put it down until I was finished!
I would recommend this for: thriller readers, people who enjoy books about female empowerment, and fantasy readers who are genre-curious.
Content warnings include: domestic violence and SA, mentioned pedophilia and child abuse. There's also a bit of cop-aganda (two of the three male characters who have more than one scene and are "good" guys are cops and want to protect Piers. The female characters, on the other hand, have very frank discussions about how the justice system fails women).
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