Bound by blood and betrayal to the dark, unforgiving waters of the lake two centuries earlier, the Crosswise Witch can save or destroy. Each year, the Thorngood women feed their ancestress’s spirit in a fragile bargain for protection. And they’re not the only ones—desperate strangers leave offerings to the Witch in the night and walk away forever changed.
Truly Thorngood was raised to inherit her family’s magic and the land they’ve kept for generations. But one fateful night, violence shattered everything. After a deadly confrontation with Justice Deacon Clay, the most powerful and corrupt man in her small town of Dubiety, young Truly flees to New Orleans and swears off magic, leaving the Justice missing in her wake.
When her mother vanishes thirteen years later to the day—and the Justice’s son begins connecting the disappearances—Truly is forced to return home, where not only is the first love she left behind waiting, but so is the Clay family’s hunger for vengeance. As the lake starts giving up its secrets and the spirits demand their due, Truly must reckon with the witch she was meant to become and finally claim her power.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley.
I was so excited to read this book! I’ve followed Ava Morgyn online for a while and I was thrilled to get a chance to finally read one of her books.
To start with, I loved the premise. Despite my distaste for the “powerful witch abandons her magic” trope, the promise of mystery was enough to draw me. And, right off the bat, the writing was solid.
The characters were well-written enough. I was invested in Truly Rae’s story, especially curious to find out why she had to leave her home and her family. Plus, I love a house full of cooky women/witches. The world-building was interesting, too, as the spirit-based magic is not something I’ve come across to often–and I’ve read quite a few witchy books.
I liked the spooky southern vibes, especially the swampy lake-side setting with mystery and magic embedded in every nook and cranny.
But what lost me was the pacing.
I was a third of the way in when I realized that not much had happened and I wasn’t really invested in the little that had. This book promised high stakes, but had low stakes pacing. The characters, especially Truly, only seemed mildly worried that the mom has vanished suspiciously. The first clue to her whereabouts came in about a third of the way through the book.
Ultimately, it was the lack of urgency that made this book a DNF.
Even though this book wasn’t for me, I’m sure it’ll find its audience. And I’m excited to read more of Ava Morgyn’s work!
