ARC Review: The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin

Title: The Nature of Witches

Author: Rachel Griffin

Series: Standalone

Genre: Paranormal/Witches

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Publication Date: June 1st, 2021

Edition: Kindle Edition, 362 pages

Source: NetGalley

Purchase/Pre-Order: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | BAM | Book Depository | Powell's

Synopsis:

   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.

   I wasn't really sure what I was expecting this book to be. I see a book about witches and I read it. 

Clara was a great character. We're in her head for the whole book, and I don't think the book could have worked any other way. Going through her development with her as she's experiencing things is the heart of this book. This book has a strong focus on climate change, with the witches and regular humans (who they call shaders) having worked together for centuries on maintaining the climate. But with expanding resources and the use of fossil fuels, there aren't enough witches to maintain the atmosphere witches start dying from using too much magic. 

The witches in this book are connected to certain seasons, except Clara, she's a very rare Everwitch. A witch who can connect to every season. The last Ever was alive over 200 years before and very little is known about them. Clara has had a rough time with her magic, it's wild and not fully in her control. Her magic has taken people from her and has left her both hating and afraid of her magic. 

Sang is a great character. His presence has a way to calm Clara's magic, and at first, she takes it as a relief. And their romance is probably one of the best in a YA book I've read in a while. It's sweet and romantic. There is a small measure of drama, but considering the situation, they're in it's not angsty. Clara is scared of her magic for 90% of this book, her magic has taken people from her. As her feelings for Sang grow, she gets more terrified of her magic hurting him.

The one, small, thing in this book that I have a complaint about is, the whole four-seasons thing. Four seasons is a very Northern Hemisphere thing. And even then winter doesn't look the same everywhere in the continental US, where this book is set. It would have been interesting seeing something about this mentioned, at least in passing. But other than that the worldbuilding was very well done. And for the setting focusing on the distinct four seasons, works. 

 

I really love the way this author writes, and can't wait to read future books.