Published September 1, 2026 Some doors are locked to keep you in. This one was sealed to keep the end of the world out. Harvey Covington wak...
Feature Fiction || The Whisper of Death by Kevin Koelbl
Published February 20, 2024 by Wednesday Books E >nemies-to-lovers doesn't get more high stakes than a witch and a witch hunter fall...
Review || Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli
Published February 20, 2024 by Wednesday Books
On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe - a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution - who she can't help but find herself falling for.
Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?
Kristen Ciccarelli’s Heartless Hunter is the thrilling start to The Crimson Moth duology, a romantic fantasy series where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch...is falling in love.

Published May 2, 2023 by Entangled: Teen M y twin sister is the true queen of Aryd. She survives, hiding and clinging to life in the...
Review || The Stolen Throne by Abigail Owen
My twin sister is the true queen of Aryd. She survives, hiding and clinging to life in the desert, while I reign as the false queen alongside the monstrous King Eidolon. There’s only one escape from this gilded prison: Reven. My Shadowraith. My heart. Only the shadows that he struggles to control are growing more sinister, more powerful.
It’s just a matter of time before they turn on him…and on me.
Even escape doesn't mean true freedom, though, when we're still on the run from Eidolon’s unstoppable armies. And when we discover there’s a traitor among us, I have no choice…I must become the queen I was never meant to be.
Because as one evil hunts me, the other loves me more than himself.
And my fate lies with both.
It’s just a matter of time before they turn on him…and on me.
Even escape doesn't mean true freedom, though, when we're still on the run from Eidolon’s unstoppable armies. And when we discover there’s a traitor among us, I have no choice…I must become the queen I was never meant to be.
Because as one evil hunts me, the other loves me more than himself.
And my fate lies with both.
Abigail Owen turns up the heat in this darker, emotionally intense sequel. The Stolen Throne picks up right where The Liar’s Crown left off, with Meren caught between who she was raised to be and who she needs to become. The stakes are higher, the danger sharper, and the emotional force between the main characters even more devastating. I'm always concerned that I won't remember enough to pick up additional books in a series to follow along, but Owen does a fantastic job of catching you up.
Meren's personality continues to shine. Her struggle with identity, especially as someone who was born to be a placeholder for her twin sister, feels real and unpretentious. She's done hiding. She's making impossible choices, stepping into danger, and claiming a destiny that no one ever showed her. Her entire life has been about pretending to be someone else, so watching her come into her own is super satisfying. And Reven, our brooding shadow wraith? He remains a doozy, so full of angsty feelings. He’s torn by loyalty, by love, by the past, and that quiet control of his starts to unravel. Their chemistry is just as electric as it was in book one, maybe even desperately so now that secrets are unraveling and the stakes are climbing higher and higher.
There's an urgency to book two that wasn't there for The Liar's Crown. The pacing is tight, with plenty of action and suspense, but what really stands out is how Owen balances that with quieter, softer moments. There are moments of vulnerability that hit just as hard as the big twists. With a lot of moving pieces to keep track of in this story, as well as more twists and higher stakes, it's nice that Owen finds the time to let things pause before the next hit comes.
The Stolen Throne leaves everything behind, carrying us towards book three, The Shadows Rule All. This YA fantasy takes no prisoners. Do I want a happy ending eventually? Sure. But only after they’ve been torn apart, emotionally flayed, and stitched back together by choosing each other, through the wreckage.
Published January 23, 2024 by Page Street Kids L abyrinth meets folk horror in this darkly romantic tale of a girl who wishes her baby broth...
Review || My Throat an Open Grave by Tori Bovalino

My Throat an Open Grave is a exploration of folklore, guilt, and the complexities of good and evil in small-town America. Set in Winston, Pennsylvania, the story follows 17-year-old Leah, who, after wishing her baby brother Owen away, must confront the Lord of the Wood—a mythical figure who has taken children for generations.
Drawing comparisons to Labyrinth might be unfair. Yes, she wished the child away, and has to journey to get him back, but there is no jewelry-crazed Hoggle, tricksy labyrinth, or singing fireys swapping limbs and heads in this story. Nothing as fantastical as the world in which Sarah finds herself. Instead, Leah has to cross the river, find the terrifying Lord of the Wood and trade something of meaning to get her brother back.
Leah's inner voice takes center stage often. She speaks to and about herself with a level of cruelty that’s difficult to stomach at times. Throughout the story, she repeats the idea that she’s broken, bad, or unlovable, and this negative self-talk becomes a major lens through which we see her experiences. Leah's self talk becomes a way to unravel not just who she is, but how others have defined her. It's heavy (and sometimes annoying). Leah's journey isn’t just about confronting the Lord of the Wood—it’s also about confronting the narrative she’s been forced to believe about herself.
Published October 17, 2023 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) A bloodstained tale of a girl torn between her vows and her heart, where...
Review || Unholy Terrors by Lyndall Clipstone
Unholy Terrors is a breathtaking descent into a world of ruined faith, cursed forests, and forbidden love. It’s the kind of gothic fantasy that is full of blood and bone-deep magic and decayed beauty.
Clipstone’s writing is lush and immersive, filled with grief, rage, longing, and desire woven through every scene. The worldbuilding is gorgeous: ancient cathedrals slowly sliding into rot and ruin, magic that’s as much curse as blessing, and monsters that speak in riddles and memory. There’s an almost reverence for decay and ruin, making the setting feel like a living character in its own right.
The relationship between Everline and Ravel is at the heart of the novel, with their growing connection adding emotional depth to the story. It’s everything a gothic love story should be—slow-burning, feral, and dangerous. Everline and Ravel’s bond is rooted in shared pain and the brutal process of unlearning everything they’ve been taught about good and evil. Their connection is intense, yet tender, and never simple. Their dynamic is layered and complicated, exploring how love, loyalty, and betrayal intertwine in a world filled with secrets.
Published October 8, 2024 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers F aolan Kelly’s grandfather is dead. She’s alone in the world a...
Review || Red in Tooth and Claw by Lish McBride
Published October 8, 2024 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Lish McBride has never met a genre she couldn’t wrestle into something fun and fierce—and Red in Tooth and Claw is no exception. It's a dark and quietly powerful young adult fantasy that blends the dust and grime of Western grit with supernatural intrigue and hidden threats. Imagine if the Wild West got strange, feminist, and slightly feral. Then throw in a heroine who’s tougher than a two-dollar steak and just as likely to punch you in the eye as look at you. It's the perfect amount of heart and snark.
Set in an alternate Old West where magic and horror entwine, the story follows Faolan Kelly. To keep herself safe and to give her more opportunities in a rugged, patriarchal world, she's spent her life passing as a boy. After her grandfather's death, Faolan is sent to the Settlement, a remote fort led by the enigmatic His Benevolence Gideon Dillard (because that doesn't scream cult leader at all!). Faolan quickly realizes the Settlement isn’t a refuge—it’s a trap. And she might be the only one sharp enough (or stubborn enough) to escape it.
Red in Tooth and Claw is a bite-sized delight for fans of paranormal fiction who like their monsters with a side of snark and soul. Moody, magical, and meaningful—with just enough teeth.
Published April 26, 2022 by Tor Books A fter years of seeing her sisters suffer at the hands of an abusive prince, Marra—the shy, convent-ra...
Review || Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
Published April 26, 2022 by Tor Books
In Nettle & Bone, T. Kingfisher delivers a darkly enchanting original fairy tale that is as emotionally rich as it is darkly tongue-in-cheek. This novel threads elements of deconstructed fairy tales with horror and wit.
When Marra learns the full extent of her sister’s suffering at the hands of a powerful and abusive prince, she sets out to kill him—as one does. However, this requires the help of a ragtag group of unlikely companions: a dust-wife, a bone dog, an ex-knight, and a possessed chicken. Yes, you read that right. Demon. Possessed. Chicken. With these quirky sidekicks, this adventure is officially off the rails.
Marra isn’t your usual heroine either. She’s middle-aged, introverted, and not exactly sword-swinging slay-the-dragon type—but her quiet determination is impossible not to root for. She's realized the painfully obvious: no one is coming to save them. So she’s going to do it herself. If that means it's "off with his head", she'll find the axe.
Nettle & Bone is a fairy-tale nouveau—a magical, macabre, and mystical messed-up journey full of heart, humor, and just enough horror. If you like your fantasy clever, creepy, and just a tad bit unhinged, this one is for you.
Published March 12, 2024 by Orbit S et in a world of perilous magic and moonlit forests, this seductive romantic fantasy tells the story of...
Review || A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene
Published March 12, 2024 by Orbit
Published January 16, 2024 by Delacorte Press A teen girl and her family return to her mother's childhood home, only to discover that ...
Review || A Place for Vanishing by Ann Fraistat
Published January 16, 2024 by Delacorte Press
Published August 20, 2024 by HarperCollins Publishers T he Edgar Award–winning author of A Dreadful Splendor blends mystery and spooky thri...
Review || The Third Wife of Faraday House by B.R. Myers
Published August 20, 2024 by HarperCollins Publishers
'Til death do us part...
November 1816: Restless but naïve Emeline Fitzpatrick is desperate to escape her stifling life in foggy Halifax. Her guardian is lining up repugnant suitors, but Emeline has her eyes set on a handsome lieutenant in the British navy. She just needs to persuade him to propose, or her one chance at happiness will be gone forever.
But when Emeline’s hopes end in scandal, she finds herself with only one suitor left: the wealthy and enigmatic Captain Graves. Having already lost two wives to tragic circumstances, the unfortunate widower is seeking a new companion in his cloistered seaside manor, Faraday House. Or at least that is what Emeline had been told, because when she arrives, she is horrified to discover that the second Mrs. Graves, Georgina, has not yet died.
Emeline is only certain of two things: something ghastly is afoot at Faraday House, and no one is going to save her. She will have to rely on her own courage, her burgeoning bond with the ill but strong-willed Georgina, and the aid of a handsome reverend with a mysterious past to unravel the secrets at the heart of the manor and forge her own destiny.
Published November 28, 2023 by Starwatch Press T he faeries of Witchwood Manor have stolen its young lord. His governess intends to steal h...
Review || The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater
Published November 28, 2023 by Starwatch Press
Published May 15, 2018 by Rockhill Publishing LLC She's back and this time she brought a friend... The story continues: the sequel to Th...
Guest Post || Itching to Write! by Myron Edwards
Published May 15, 2018 by Rockhill Publishing LLC
Itching to write!
by Myron edwards
Published August 30, 2022 by Entangled: Teen Some shadows protect you…others will kill you in this dazzling new fantasy series from award-w...
Review || The Liar’s Crown by Abigail Owen
Published August 30, 2022 by Entangled: Teen
Published April 24, 2023 by Kit 'n Kabookle Literary, LLC The circus where dreams come true, for a price... Joining Grimmfay saved Zela...
Feature Fiction || Once Upon a Broken Sky by M.T. DeSantis
Published April 24, 2023 by Kit 'n Kabookle Literary, LLC
Published February 13, 2023 With a past shrouded in mystery and a childhood spent constantly on the move, David Rose has lived a life witho...
Feature Fiction || Between Shadow and Flame by C.T. Bryce
Published February 13, 2023
Published November 22, 2022 by Brigids Gate Press, LLC B etrayal brings grave ending to a noble bloodline. Forced to flee, its sole survivi...
Feature Fiction || In the Grimdark Strands of the Spinneret: A Fairy Tale for Elders
Published November 22, 2022 by Brigids Gate Press, LLC
Published December 6, 2022 by Cinnabar Moth Publishing LLC T he parents knew it had been a mistake to have a girl. At birth, the girl's...
Feature Fiction || The Girl by Victory Witherkeigh
The average person on the streets of Los Angeles would look at the girl and see a young woman with dark chocolate eyes, curly long hair, and tanned skin of her Filipina heritage. Her teachers praised her for her scholarly achievements and extracurricular activities, from academic decathlon to cheer.
The girl knew she was different, especially as she grew to accept that the other children's parents didn't despise them. Her parents whispered about their pact as odd and disturbing occurrences continued to happen around her. The girl thought being an evil demon should require the skies to bleed, the ground to tremble, an animal sacrifice to seal the bargain, or at least cause some general mayhem. Did other demons work so hard to find friends, do well on their homework, and protect their spoiled younger brother?
The demon was patient. It could afford to wait, to remind the girl when she was hurt that power was hers to take. She needed only embrace it. It could wait. The girl's parents were doing much of its work already.
Victory Witherkeigh is a female Filipino/PI author originally from Los Angeles, CA, currently living in the Las Vegas area. Victory was a finalist for Wingless Dreamer’s 2020 Overcoming Fear Short Story award and a 2021 winner of the Two Sisters Writing and Publishing Short Story Contest. She has print publications in the horror anthologies Supernatural Drabbles of Dread through Macabre Ladies Publishing, Bodies Full of Burning through Sliced Up Press, and In Filth It Shall Be Found through OutCast Press. Written during NaNoWriMo, Victory’s first novel, set to debut in December 2022 with Cinnabar Moth Publishing, has been a finalist for Killer Nashville’s 2020 Claymore Award, a 2020 Cinnamon Press Literature Award Honoree, and long-listed in the 2021 Voyage YA Book Pitch Contest. Find out more about her at: https://teikitu.com/
There is something irresistible about witches in horror. They can be mysterious healers, powerful spellcasters, misunderstood outsiders, or...
18 of the Best Witch Horror Books for Spooky Season | Scaredy Cat Reading Challenge
There is something irresistible about witches in horror.
They can be mysterious healers, powerful spellcasters, misunderstood outsiders, or terrifying forces that should never have been awakened.
Welcome to “The Witching Hour” reading prompt for the Scaredy Cat Reading Challenge: a reading challenge created for readers who love creepy stories, spooky themes, and discovering new ways to explore the horror genre.
For this challenge prompt, we’re embracing witch horror books—stories filled with dark magic, curses, folklore, occult mysteries, and witches who will keep you turning pages long after midnight.
Whether you’re looking for the best witch books, gothic horror novels, or dark fantasy with a sinister twist, these wicked reads are perfect for your horror TBR.
This post is part of the Scaredy Cat Reading Challenge, a year-round horror reading event featuring prompts inspired by monsters, subgenres, and spooky settings. Browse all of the prompts to discover your next terrifying read.
Not participating in the Scaredy Cat Reading Challenge yet? Join anytime and start checking off your horror reading prompts! Learn more here.
What Makes a Great Witch Horror Book?
Witch horror blends folklore, supernatural terror, and human fears into stories that explore:
- Dark magic and forbidden spells
- Witchcraft and folklore
- Curses and supernatural bargains
- Gothic settings and family secrets
- The consequences of power without limits
From classic tales of witchcraft to modern horror novels to fun fantasy, witches remain one of horror’s most fascinating figures.
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- Dark magic and forbidden spells
- Witchcraft and folklore
- Curses and supernatural bargains
- Gothic settings and family secrets
- The consequences of power without limits








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