Wild Is The Witch by Rachel Griffin Book Review!

 

Title: Wild is the Witch
Author: Rachel Griffin
Publish Date: August 2nd, 2022
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy!

When eighteen-year-old witch Iris Gray accidentally enacts a curse that could have dire consequences, she must team up with a boy who hates witches to make sure her magic isn't unleashed on the world.

Iris Gray knows witches aren't welcome in most towns. When she was forced to leave her last home, she left behind a father who was no longer willing to start over. And while the Witches' Council was lenient in their punishment, Iris knows they're keeping tabs on her. Now settled in Washington, Iris never lets anyone see who she really is; instead, she vents her frustrations by writing curses she never intends to cast. Otherwise, she spends her days at the wildlife refuge which would be the perfect job if not for Pike Alder, the witch-hating aspiring ornithologist who interns with them.

Iris concocts the perfect curse for Pike: one that will turn him into a witch. But just as she's about to dispel it, a bird swoops down and steals the curse before flying away. If the bird dies, the curse will be unleashed―and the bird is a powerful amplifier, and unleashing the curse would turn not just Pike, but everyone in the region, into a witch.

New witches have no idea how to control their magic and the consequences would be dire. And the Witches' Council does not look kindly on multiple offenses; if they found out, Iris could be stripped of her magic for good. Iris begs Pike to help her track the bird, and they set out on a trek through the Pacific Northwest looking for a single bird that could destroy everything.

Penelope's Review

Another witchy standalone by Rachel Griffin! Who could resist that?! This book was surprisingly touching, and had me feeling all sorts of emotions throughout. Any book that brings a tear to my eye is a great one in my books. 

Wild is the Witch follows Iris, a young witch who was forced to leave her old town with her mom due to an unfortunate event. Now the two run an animal refuge together, and Iris keeps her identity as a witch a secret, especially given that the intern working with her happens to hate witches. When a harmless ritual goes wrong, Iris finds herself trekking through the wilderness with witch-hating Pike by her side as she tries to find the curse-stealing owl before it's too late. 

This book has so many fantastic elements to it - the writing style is fantastic as usual, the raw emotion bleeding through the pages is so real, and we get deep moments of vulnerability lightened up with just enough humor to make it feel real. The beginning of this book sets the stage well, and the story flows from there pretty well. We have a few slower spots in the middle there, but everything picks right up as we get to the end. 

Overall, it's a really great YA contemporary story, with such a beautiful take on magic and witches. The romance is slow and sweet, and the book ends exactly as it should have. It will definitely leave you with a smile on your face.

Rating: 4/5 Devils!

Together We Burn by Isabel Ibanez Book Review!

 

Title: Together We Burn
Author: Isabel Ibanez 
Publish Date: May 31st, 2022
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Source: Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy!

Eighteen-year-old Zarela Zalvidar is a talented flamenco dancer and daughter of the most famous Dragonador in Hispalia. People come for miles to see her father fight in their arena, which will one day be hers.

But disaster strikes during their five hundredth anniversary show, and in the carnage, Zarela’s father is horribly injured. Facing punishment from the Dragon Guild, Zarela must keep the arena—her ancestral home and inheritance —safe from their greedy hands. She has no choice but to take her father’s place as the next Dragonador. When the infuriatingly handsome dragon hunter, Arturo Díaz de Montserrat, withholds his help, she refuses to take no for an answer.

But even if he agrees, there’s someone out to ruin the Zalvidar family, and Zarela will have to do whatever it takes in order to prevent the Dragon Guild from taking away her birthright.

An ancient city plagued by dragons. A flamenco dancer determined to save her ancestral home. A dragon hunter refusing to teach her his ways. They don't want each other, but they need each other, and without him her world will burn.

Penelope's Review

I saw dragons and I knew I had to read this, but aside from that I wasn't really sure what to expect going in! This ended up being a really great read filled with culture, romance, adventure and intrigue! (and of course... lots of dragons!)

Zarela is a fiery, stubborn main character who will stop at nothing to save her family's legacy and restore their good name - including facing the monsters that plague her with fear as the next Dragonadore (people who fight dragons in arenas while people watch and cheer them on). Given that she has no experience fighting dragons, she hires a dragon hunter to teach her - enter Arturo!

Arturo is dry and sarcastic, and doesn't show alot of emotion - it makes for a great enemies to lovers trope! Watching him peel back little tiny layers at a time to show Zarela what's hiding underneath was my favorite part of the book! 

The magic system was a fun little twist to the book, and even though some things were predictable, it was still a great read! Unique storyline, great main characters, and a swoon-worthy romance all make this a read I recommend! There are quite a few Spanish words thrown into the mix and unfortunately it's not always 100% clear what they mean so bear that in mind if you (like me) don't speak Spanish! You may have to Google a few words lol!

Overall, this is a fun, easy read. I like the writing style, and will be looking into the author's other books in the future!

Rating: 4/5 Devils!