Goodreads Summary:

When eighteen-year-old witch Iris Gray accidentally enacts a curse that could have dire consequences, she must team up with a boy who hates witches to make sure her magic isn’t unleashed on the world.

Iris Gray knows witches aren’t welcome in most towns. When she was forced to leave her last home, she left behind a father who was no longer willing to start over. And while the Witches’ Council was lenient in their punishment, Iris knows they’re keeping tabs on her. Now settled in Washington, Iris never lets anyone see who she really is; instead, she vents her frustrations by writing curses she never intends to cast. Otherwise, she spends her days at the wildlife refuge which would be the perfect job if not for Pike Alder, the witch-hating aspiring ornithologist who interns with them.

Iris concocts the perfect curse for Pike: one that will turn him into a witch. But just as she’s about to dispel it, a bird swoops down and steals the curse before flying away. If the bird dies, the curse will be unleashed―and the bird is a powerful amplifier, and unleashing the curse would turn not just Pike, but everyone in the region, into a witch.

New witches have no idea how to control their magic and the consequences would be dire. And the Witches’ Council does not look kindly on multiple offenses; if they found out, Iris could be stripped of her magic for good. Iris begs Pike to help her track the bird, and they set out on a trek through the Pacific Northwest looking for a single bird that could destroy everything. 

My Thoughts:

I was so excited to read this book, as I absolutely adored The Nature of Witches, also written by Rachel Griffin. Plus, this book promised so many elements that I love: nature, owls, wolves, woods, magic. So when I settled in with this book and a cup of tea the other night, I already knew that I would more than likely love this book. And, I did.

Iris Gray loves her life in Washington. She loves the animal rescue she and her mother run, Foggy Mountain Animal Sanctuary. She loves the wolves, particularly a wolf named Winter, the animals they help, her mom’s “friend”, and most of all helping the animals using her special brand of magic that allows her to communicate with the animals. What she doesn’t like – or rather who – is Pike Alder, the intern at the rescue, who hates witches. After one particularly ugly incident between them, Iris practices a tradition taught to her by her grandmother, one that allows her to give her feelings to the earth, in a ritual that involves writing spells but not actually sending them into the world. However, the one that Iris intended for Pike but not really gets away from her, and could have terrible consequences, for more than just Iris and Pike.

I have to admit it sort of gave me anxiety! The rest of the story is about Iris trying to recapture her curse before it blows up, and to do so, she needs Pike’s help.

This book is a fast read, quick paced, and definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat. I even got a little teary at one part! I would love to read a sequel, as I enjoyed the setting of the animal rescue and the Pacific Northwest. And I feel like Iris and Pike’s story is not over yet!

This was a fun read, and if you are into witchy magic books and animals, this is a definite must.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book and provide an honest review!