Wild is the Witch
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Nature of Witches comes an immersive, enemies-to-lovers contemporary fantasy standalone.
After a night of magic turns deadly, Iris Gray vows to never let another person learn she's a witch. It doesn't matter that the Witches' Council found her innocent or that her magic was once viewed as a marvel--that night on the lake changed everything. Now settled in Washington, Iris hides who she really is and vents her frustrations by writing curses she never intends to cast. And while she loves working at the wildlife refuge she runs with her mother, she loathes Pike Alder, the witch-hating aspiring ornithologist who interns with them.
When Pike makes a particularly hurtful comment, Iris concocts a cruel curse for him. But just as she's about to dispel it, an owl swoops down and steals the curse before flying far away from the refuge. The owl is a powerful amplifier, and if it dies, Iris's dark spell will be unleashed not only on Pike but on everyone in the region.
Forced to work together, Iris and Pike trek through the wilderness in search of the bird that could cost Pike his life. But Pike doesn't know the truth, and as more dangers arise in the woods, Iris must decide how far she's willing to go to keep her secrets safe.
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Community Reviews
Wild is the Witch is an enemies-to-lovers romance that takes a hike into the wilderness and builds up that romantic tension from beginning to end.
Rachel Griffin is excellent at combining fantasy with contemporary storytelling. For that reason, I liked Wild is the Witch, but The Nature of Witches is still my favorite.
Storytelling
The Nature of Witches had an intense and thoughtful narrative, allowing it to be layered (see review here). Now, that is not to say Wild is the Witch was a disappointment; it just wasn’t as good, in my opinion.
Wild is the Witch follows Iris, a natural witch who works at an animal preservation facility using her gift and magic alongside her mother to care for the animals. Witches are not a kept secret; the world is aware that they exist, and while they are mostly accepted, there are those who shun them.
Pike is one of those people. He doesn’t know that Iris is a witch, but his comments and attitude grate on Iris, sparking her to do something she never thought to do: curse him. Iris sets the curse to let go of her anger, but before she can dispel it, a snow-white owl, a natural magical amplifier, swoops down and steals the spell. Should the owl die, the curse will be unleashed and affect everyone around her, possibly killing hundreds.
Now Iris, alongside Pike, has to embark deep into the Washington wilderness to find the owl before it’s too late. A lot of tension develops between the characters, as well as a sense of urgency.
A Lot to Unpack
Both Pike and Iris have a lot of baggage they have to unpack. Pike has reasons for disliking magic and witches, but one rotten apple does not make them all bad. As for Iris, her past haunts her, leaving her a hollow version of herself who refuses to let others get close to her.
Their relationship was well-developed, but there was too much instant physical attraction. They are not friends, and for a girl who has worked alongside this boy for the better part of the year, all of a sudden, she finds him attractive. It didn’t fit well early on in their dynamic. It works later on; the more the tension shifts, the more their relationship changes, but it feels out of place at the beginning of their journey.
That was the biggest downfall of the novel.
What Griffin does really well is include mysticism, nature, and wildlife with such emotion. She sets up the scene and transports the reader to the forest of Washington. It is a magical read, and the way Griffin unpacks Iris’s past trauma and helps her come to terms with it allows her to grow and develop into a wonderful character.
Final Thoughts
As much as I liked Wild is the Witch, I wanted more. Griffin told a story without flourish, imbuing it with heart and magic, but compared to her debut, I found it lacking.
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This book was fantastical and yet so grounded in the way the fantasy elements were presented and I found myself lost in the woods with the characters.
It also had a perfect ending and I could not have been happier.
So well done. I definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a good book with natural witchy vibes.
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