The Nature of Witches: Rachel Griffin

 

Title: The Nature of Witches
Author: Rachel Griffin
Publish Date: June 1st, 2021
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: Huge thank you to Raincoast Books and the publisher for providing an ARC for review!

For centuries, witches have maintained the climate, their power from the sun peaking in the season of their birth. But now their control is faltering as the atmosphere becomes more erratic. All hope lies with Clara, an Everwitch whose rare magic is tied to every season.

In Autumn, Clara wants nothing to do with her power. It's wild and volatile, and the price of her magic―losing the ones she loves―is too high, despite the need to control the increasingly dangerous weather.

In Winter, the world is on the precipice of disaster. Fires burn, storms rage, and Clara accepts that she's the only one who can make a difference.

In Spring, she falls for Sang, the witch training her. As her magic grows, so do her feelings, until she's terrified Sang will be the next one she loses.

In Summer, Clara must choose between her power and her happiness, her duty and the people she loves... before she loses Sang, her magic, and thrusts the world into chaos.

Practical Magic meets Twister in this debut contemporary fantasy standalone about heartbreaking power, the terror of our collapsing atmosphere, and the ways we unknowingly change our fate.

Penelope's Review

 This was a really surprising book. Even after reading the synopsis I wasn't quite sure what this book was going to be like. I was pleasantly surprised at the directions this story went. It ended up being an enjoyable read with a really interesting storyline.

So basically the book is about witches who have full powers in their own seasons, but Clara is an Everwitch which means she has the power of all 4 seasons. Each season has its own characteristics and I really liked that they all seemed to fit well - for example, the Winter witches are very direct and straight forward, the Summer witches are more light hearted, etc. It just worked well and made me feel in tune with each season. 

The book had some really powerful messages about the environment and the impacts that humans are having on it, so that was a really neat aspect. It was a bit odd to realize that this was set in modern society - the idea of witches talking to government officials in this day and age threw me off a bit but didn't retract too much from the story. There were times when I felt this was a bit slow going, but the overall story was one I enjoyed so I didn't mind the slower sections. 

I liked the characters and the mental journey Clara had to go through. Watching her come into her own and learn to love was really sweet. Sang was a great character - a nice balance to Clara. Overall, I think this was a really good book with some great messages. I recommend giving it a try when you get the chance!

Rating: 4/5 Devils!