Saturday, June 29, 2019

Book Review: These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling

These Witches Don't Burn (These Witches Don't Burn #1)
By Isabel Sterling
Release Date: May 28, 2019
Hannah's a witch, but not the kind you're thinking of. She's the real deal, an Elemental with the power to control fire, earth, water, and air. But even though she lives in Salem, Massachusetts, her magic is a secret she has to keep to herself. If she's ever caught using it in front of a Reg (read: non-witch), she could lose it. For good. So, Hannah spends most of her time avoiding her ex-girlfriend (and fellow Elemental Witch) Veronica, hanging out with her best friend, and working at the Fly by Night Cauldron selling candles and crystals to tourists, goths, and local Wiccans. 

But dealing with her ex is the least of Hannah's concerns when a terrifying blood ritual interrupts the end-of-school-year bonfire. Evidence of dark magic begins to appear all over Salem, and Hannah's sure it's the work of a deadly Blood Witch. The issue is, her coven is less than convinced, forcing Hannah to team up with the last person she wants to see: Veronica.

While the pair attempt to smoke out the Blood Witch at a house party, Hannah meets Morgan, a cute new ballerina in town. But trying to date amid a supernatural crisis is easier said than done, and 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.


I have been devouring adult paranormal romances, but I haven't really been reading any YA paranormal books. When I saw the cover of this one and saw it was about teen witches, I knew I had to pick it up! 

Hannah is still hurt over how things ended between her and her ex, but when strange things start happening and signs of a blood witch are popping up, Hannah knows they have more serious problems. As an elemental witch, Hannah has to make sure to hide her own powers while trying to figure out if a blood witch is really in town and how to protect those she loves. 

I love a good paranormal book, so it's no surprise that I absolutely loved the magic system in this book. I really loved how there were three types of witches and, even among witches, there was stigma against what kind of witch you were. I also loved how much Hannah actually used her powers and seeing the scope of her abilities. Of course, living with humans (or "regs" in this book), the whole aspect of having to keep her powers secret added a whole other dimension of conflict to the story. 

And talk about diversity! There were so many different kinds of relationships and identities in this book and I was soooo in love with Hannah's own romantic journey in this book. Her ex was definitely very toxic, but I enjoyed watching Hannah meet a new girl and starting to date her while still getting over her heartbreak. Hannah's best friend was also a huge bright spot in this book and I loved all of the friendships in this book. 

While reviews aren't the best for this book, I absolutely loved it! It was so witch-ey and I was all in for Hannah's romance. While I thought I had everything figured out by the end, there were some serious surprised thrown in and I immediately went to Goodreads to see what book two was releasing. I can't wait to read even more from Isabel Sterling!


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