Thoughts on : The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin
The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin
Genre : YA, Fantasy
Stand alone
About the Book :
For centuries, witches have maintained the climate, their power from the sun peaking in the season of their birth. But now their control is faltering as the atmosphere becomes more erratic. All hope lies with Clara, an Everwitch whose rare magic is tied to every season.
In Autumn, Clara wants nothing to do with her power. It’s wild and volatile, and the price of her magic―losing the ones she loves―is too high, despite the need to control the increasingly dangerous weather.
In Winter, the world is on the precipice of disaster. Fires burn, storms rage, and Clara accepts that she’s the only one who can make a difference.
In Spring, she falls for Sang, the witch training her. As her magic grows, so do her feelings, until she’s terrified Sang will be the next one she loses.
In Summer, Clara must choose between her power and her happiness, her duty and the people she loves… before she loses Sang, her magic, and thrusts the world into chaos.
I love witches, and I love nature themed stories, so The Nature of Witches immediately caught my interest (plus, isn’t the cover so gorgeous?).
The ambiance really was perfect. From the start, I thought the way seasons affected the witches’ powers was super interesting. It did feel magical in a very “natural” way, and I loved how these powers were expressed.
I also really enjoyed how nature itself played such an important role in the story. It’s not just an aesthetic theme for the story : nature itself is a character, being both at the center of the conflict of the story and the solution to it. It created a beautiful imagery that I really appreciated.
However, I didn’t quite connect with Clara, which made it really hard for me to connect completely with the story. I felt very detached from her, and at times even felt a bit frustrated with her, even though I understood her grief.
I also wasn’t quite enamored with the modern setting. I found it quite jarring, and I think an historical setting or a fantasy one would have suited the story and its pace better.
That being said, I overall had a good time reading this one, and loved the environmental message. The conclusion also worked really well for me.
