Witch Words

Ashley Winstead knows how to “give me pumpkin to talk about,” and this was my first eerie and thrilling encounter with her stories. The story weaves together a tapestry of eeriness, cleverness, and layers of exciting twisted twists. The pacing is spot on, building tension steadily to the story’s climax, and I was turning the pages as fast as I could as the danger increased for our main characters. Even if my room was filled with vampires thirsting for my blood—nothing could deter me from finishing this read.

“The church bells toll and secrets whisper in the shadows”

Ashley Winstead takes the familiar small-town, God-fearing community trope and spins it into a clever, exciting narrative that delves into themes of feminism and religious oppression. She weaves in themes of friendship, love, and vengeance, giving the story an exciting, unique feel. 

Throughout the story, I experienced and enjoyed a variety of vibes from other books and movies that added depth and intrigue, with one minor exception—the references to Twilight felt a bit overdone. It sometimes verged on the cheesy, leaving me uncertain about the author’s direction. Nonetheless, Ashley Winstead masterfully weaves it all together, culminating in a heart-stopping and gratifying ending. It’s in the conclusion that this story truly pays off.

I read this with my Traveling Witches, and we had a wickedly good time reading this one!

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.