Book: These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling
Read From: 8th October - 10th October 2021
Rating: 3/5 stars
Summary: Hannah is an Elemental witch living in Salem who, ironically, has to keep her powers hidden or else she will lose her magic for good. When dark magic begins to appear over Salem, Hannah is convinced it's the work of a Blood Witch and so reluctantly teams up with her ex - Veronica. While the pair attempt to smoke out the Blood Witch, Hannah meets Morgan, a cute new ballerina in town. But trying to date amid a supernatural crisis isn't easy: Hannah will have to test the limits of her power if she's going to save her coven and get the girl, especially when the attacks on Salem's witches become deadlier by the day.
Yet another brilliant pick for Fantasy Friends Book Club! I really enjoyed this read and I’m glad it won the vote because it finally gave me an excuse to pick it up off my shelves. It was very refreshing to pick up a fantasy that didn’t have extravagant world-building and a confusing magic system, it’s a quick and easy plot driven low-fantasy read with great characters and an intriguing mystery. There isn’t much to not enjoy!
I loved the characters in this book and they really remind me of that one tiktok sound… Hannah looks like a cinnamon roll and is a cinnamon roll (but she’s still a total badass), Veronica looks like she could kill you, would kill you, Hannah looks like she could kill you but is a cinnamon roll and Gemma looks like a cinnamon roll but could kill you🤣 I apologise if you have NO clue what I just said… point is, the characterisation was great and I really enjoyed their interactions and seeing the new relationships bloom.
The plot is fast paced almost without meaning to be, which I really enjoyed. There’s a lot of character development but because this happens alongside the events the book FLIES, this would be very easy to read in a single sitting. As for the twist, it pains me to admit that I saw it coming fairly early on but I still really enjoyed the tension built up throughout and how the reveal came to fruition, it’s a WILD ride.
Overall, I do agree with the reviews that say this is VERY YA and if you’re more of a fantasy reader rather than a YA reader, this is definitely something to bear in mind - especially since the setting in this book makes it read more like a contemporary! I really enjoyed reading this and will definitely be picking up the sequel when we organise our buddy read of it with the book club!