To Drown a Witch by Lindsey Olsson

Title: To Drown a Witch

Author: Lindsey Olsson

Genre: YA Fantasy

Series: To Drown a Witch # 1

347 Pages, Hardcover

Publication: July 14, 2026

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

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In Orlonea, the Witch is feared above all else. Reborn into each generation, she is the only person with magic running innately through her veins, able to wield magic with a single thought.

So when guards across the city begin to drop dead, gruesomely murdered by violent and vicious magic, everyone knows the Witch has returned—and no one will be safe until she’s killed.

Toran is the Prince’s Crown, the most highly skilled fighter in the King’s Guard. Tasked with the responsibility of leading the hunt for the Witch, Toran tries to focus on his assignment to forget the ghosts of his past. And after he learns of Nes, a thief with an uncanny ability to sniff out magic, he forcibly recruits her into joining his hunt.

As the two face deadly magic and otherworldly threats, their mutual dislike soon turns to something more electric, and they find themselves drawn to each other in ways they’d never imagined. But the Witch is always a step ahead of them, and with bodies piling up, secrets threaten to come to light—secrets that could destroy everything from the fragile trust between them to the very city of Orlonea itself.

MY THOUGHTS

I'm a sucker for novels about witches, and I love a good hunter-and-hunted story. I had high expectations going into this book since it was compared to Heartless Hunter, one of my favorite reads the year it was published. While To Drown a Witch had some great moments, it wasn't without its issues.

I thought the book was well written, and the pacing was excellent. The story wastes no time introducing the heroine, the hero, and the other key players. Overall, I liked Nes and Toran as characters, but unfortunately, they lacked depth. I also thought the romance developed a little too quickly. However, the author added a twist that I never saw coming, and I thought it was executed really well. It was something I'd never seen done in a story before.

The worldbuilding, however, wasn't as developed as I would have liked. I had trouble understanding the magic system. I wasn't sure why some people who drank the elixir gained magical abilities while Witch's power seemed to be innate. The prologue briefly touched on the origins of magic, but the explanation felt too vague and left me confused.

For most of the book, the story flowed along nicely, but once we reached the Siren's Hair scene, where they were laying a trap for Witch, things became shaky and confusing. There were several twists from that point through the ending, but they only left me with more questions. Who exactly was Damari? How did the Prince fit into the story? I honestly thought To Drown a Witch was a standalone, but based on the ending, it's clearly setting up a sequel.

I enjoyed To Drown a Witch for the most part, but I wish the characters and the world had been more fully developed. Even so, I'm still curious to see where the story goes now that the Prince has entered the picture. It also would have been nice to get a few scenes or flashbacks featuring him.

The Good, the Bad, and the Undead by Kim Harrison

Title: The Good, the Bad, and the Undead

Author: Kim Harrison

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: The Hollows # 2

Publication: 405 pages, January 25, 2005

Source: Personal Library

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It's a tough life for witch Rachel Morgan, sexy, independent bounty hunter, prowling the darkest shadows of downtown Cincinnati for criminal creatures of the night.

She can handle the leather-clad vamps and even tangle with a cunning demon or two. But a serial killer who feeds on the experts in the most dangerous kind of black magic is definitely pushing the limits.

Confronting an ancient, implacable evil is more than just child's play - and this time, Rachel will be lucky to escape with her very soul.

MY THOUGHTS

The Good, the Bad, and the Undead is the second book in the Hollows series, following green witch Rachel Morgan. In this installment, ley line witches are turning up dead, and Rachel is determined to find the killer. She suspects her archnemesis, Trent, whom we met in the previous book. However, Trent turns out to be the least of her concerns, as it seems everyone is after her, including the person hunting down the ley line witches.

I like Rachel as a protagonist, but half the time, she comes across as extremely immature and impulsive. She frequently does reckless things without considering how her actions affect the people around her. That’s not to say she doesn’t care for or love her friends, but she has plenty of lapses in judgment. These mistakes often lead to her screwing up, feeling guilty, and then scrambling to fix the problems she’s caused. Honestly, the book would probably be half as long if she used her head more often.

The overall plot of each book so far feels fairly typical for the urban fantasy genre; a quick, one-and-done case. However, the author does introduce an intriguing history between Trent and the demon Al, which is the main thing keeping my interest. I actually enjoy the dynamic between Rachel and Trent more than with any of the other side characters. Jinx is whatever, and Nick, Rachel’s boyfriend, is a complete bore. Honestly, I hope Rachel dumps him soon; he’s the least interesting character, following Glen and his dad.

I’m interested in continuing this series, but I really hope the author gives Rachel some serious character development...and fast. With 17 books in this series, I’m not sure I can stick with her current personality for the long haul.

Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop

Title: Daughter of the Blood

Author: Anne Bishop

Genre: Fantasy

Series: The Black Jewels Trilogy # 1

Paperback, 384 pages 

Publication: March 1, 1998

Source: Personal Library
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Seven hundred years ago, a Black Widow witch saw an ancient prophecy come to life in her web of dreams and visions. Now the Dark Kingdom readies itself for the arrival of its Queen, a Witch who will wield more power than even the High Lord of Hell himself. But she is still young, still open to influence—and corruption.

Whoever controls the Queen controls the darkness. Three men—sworn enemies—know this. And they know the power that hides behind the blue eyes of an innocent young girl. And so begins a ruthless game of politics and intrigue, magic and betrayal, where the weapons are hate and love—and the prize could be terrible beyond imagining...everything.

MY THOUGHTS

I’ve heard about The Black Jewel Trilogy for as long as I’ve been reading fantasy, which is quite a long time. I’ve even read Bishop’s The Others series. So, I’m not sure why I never picked up The Black Jewels Trilogy sooner, but I’m glad I finally did because the first book in the series, Daughter of the Blood, was absolutely incredible!

Bishop didn’t waste any time and threw her readers right into the story, opening up with a prophecy of a girl the entire realm has been waiting for. I’ll be honest; the first 25% of the book was very hard to understand. The author gave a brief description before the story of the Jewel ranks and Blood Hierarchy, but that’s it. The world is complex, and there are a lot of major players to get through, but once readers get pass the 25%, I guarantee you’ll be glued to the pages, as I was.

Daughter of the Blood has one of the most deliciously dark worldbuildings I’ve ever read. It was intriguing and sexy, yet brutal and unforgiving. I’m not sure if the book was ever intended for the young audience it reached, but this book is not for the faint of heart. There were so many trigger warnings and topics that normally raise my red flags that would put me off reading a book, and still, I continued reading and found myself not only enjoying the book but loving it. Definitely check the warnings before you read!

Most of the characters in Daughter of the Blood were truly morally grey characters. I loved them all with their faults and flaws. Bishop did an amazing job showcasing the horrendous and beautiful sides of people’s humanity. I’ve never seen it done so well until now.

Daughter of the Blood was written back in the late '90s, specifically 1998, and I can say without a doubt that this book has truly stood the test of time. The themes and topics posed in the book were relevant then and are relevant now. I’ve read many books over the years, and I could already tell this book is something special and a book that I know I will return to time and time again. It’s no wonder it is so loved and so highly spoken of. Many of the books being published today cannot even hold a candle to this book, nor do come close. 

I can't wait to read the sequel!