I love myself some witchy books, and I honestly feel like I don’t read enough of them since booktok tends to get dominated with fae recs (at least, in my algorithm it does!)
But if you’re like me and you love a good witchy read, let me put you onto just a few of my favourites which have some amazing witchy characters.
The Lies of Lena by Kylie Snow
So, this is a book that I was very surprised that I enjoyed. I picked it up because I was looking for books to read in the bath that I wouldn’t mind if they got wet (I know, I’m a monster 🫣), and found myself hooked very quickly!
The first part is honestly just a feel-good love story following a witch in hiding and a royal prince, in a world that despises and banishes witches. Even this had enough mystery to it that I was wondering what was going to happen next.
Then we hit part two and woah, did things take a dramatic turn that had me feeling all kinds of ways. This is one of those books that kind of fucks you up in the best way. The writing was a tad rough at times, but it was honestly really well done and I could not wait to pick up book two and keep reading.
Plus, I want to shout out the magic system, because I found that particularly unique! In this world, witches have a basic set of powers (like healing) but they also gain new magic abilities when they experience certain emotions for the first time, like true love or true grief. That means, not everybody gets every ability depending how their life goes, and others get it at different times of their life, which I found really interesting as a dynamic.
I would strongly recommend picking up this duology and giving it a try!
The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco
I’m probably in the small minority of people who love this YA trilogy, but if it’s for you, I’m glad to be the one who recommends it to you!
I freaking loved this series and that’s saying something since personally, heavier books with lots of worldbuilding tend to be difficult for me to get into. It was just so different to anything I’d ever read before, with really distinct worldbuilding and cultures and a slow burn romance that really had me hooked!
The main character, Tea, has a gift for necromancy, making her a bone witch. However, bone witches are feared and mistrusted in the community, and after accidently raising her brother from the dead, she undergoes further training and navigates finding her place while becoming that of an outcast due to her power, and unravelling some mysteries.
(Fun fact: I actually won a giveaway back in the day and have a signed, hardcover edition of book two which motivated me to get hardcover editions of all three books! The author’s handwritten message to me is something I’ve always remembered and hold close as a reminder. 💜)
Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
Another favourite YA trilogy of mine, Serpent & Dove is an enemies-to-lovers romance following Lou, a witch who has fled her coven, and Reid, a witch hunter, who become bound in holy matrimony following a stunt.
This series is full of different types of witchcraft, loveable characters, and an engaging plotline and romance that will have you hooked.
Blood Magic by Pagan Alexandria
Set on a dark academia university campus, it follows a vampire hunter who is forced to find a nonexistent cure before her enemy—now a newly turned vampire—murders everyone she’s ever known and loved.
What people have said they love about this series is the softer protagonist who gradually finds her fire, the love interest for his obsessive, protective personality, the tension and spice levels, and the way the mystery of the book unravels into a plot twist no-one has been able to see coming.
P.S: Want to read a sample of Blood Magic? Click here to get the first 3 chapters for free when you join my mailing list!
The Crimson Moth by Kristen Ciccarelli
This is another enemies-to-lovers witch vs witch hunter story, with plenty of tension and yearning. But what’s done really well is that they’re playing one another for intel.
He’s the head of the Bloodguard, responsible for hunting witches, and she pretends to be a socialite when she’s actually the Crimson Moth, a vigilante who saves other witches.
Pair that with an incredible romance and pacing that tops of the whole thing off, and you’ve got yourself an amazing read! Go check it out!
Kingdom of Sirens and Monsters by Pagan Alexandria
While this is a mermaid focused duology, I’ve included it because one of the characters is a sea witch!
Set on an island inspired by Greece, this unusual duology follows Coral Klassan as she uncovers a dark family secret and is swept away to a world beneath the sea—only to discover that she must break a curse on a heartless prince in order to save her family.
With an intricate magic system at play and unique spells that only the sea witch character can cast, this is a series worth picking up if you’re looking for something a little bit different.
P.S: Want to read a sample of Kingdom of Sirens and Monsters? Click here to get the first 3 chapters for free when you join my mailing list!
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
The Hex Hall trilogy is another old favourite of mine. It’s a YA, but it distinctly stood out to me when I read it because it was one of the first times I ever picked up a book, binged it in one sitting, then continued straight onto the sequel and binged that as well in one sitting (it literally took me all night but it was worth it!)
Being an older series (and newer in this author’s backlist), it’s a bit rough around the edges, but damn if it’s not engaging and doesn’t bring big paranormal energy vibes. Plus, the romance, whew that had me swooning!
This author now writes New Adult witchy contemporaries under pen name Erin Sterling (you may have heard of The Ex Hex) and I have read those as well and highly recommend them for something a bit more cosy contemporary feeling.
Her writing has matured a lot since her YA days, and her newer work is really enjoyable, but I’d be kicking myself if I didn’t recommend Hex Hall to you as well.
Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco
This is another one of my favourite trilogies, following Emilia, a witch who is trying to solve the mystery of her sister’s murder, which eventually leads to her summoning a demon prince, Wrath. Trapped in an enemy arrangement with one another, tension and angst leads to romance as they work together to solve the mystery, only for Emilia to uncover a bigger scheme at play.
This series has spice (in the later books) and goes in a direction that isn’t immediately obvious, so I highly recommend checking this one out.
The Coven by Harper L. Woods
This is another spicy read set on a university campus, but this time, the romance is between the protagonist (a witch) and the headmaster in a world full of witches, vampires and demons.
The betrayal and cliffhanger of this book is a proper kicker, but the spice is also intense and there are so many twists, the vibes are on point, and the pacing is fast and full of action. This book isn’t for everybody but if it’s for you, you will likely love it for that reason.
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Of course, I have to recommend Throne of Glass, not just because it’s a brilliant series spanning seven delicious books, but one of the main protagonists is a witch!
To be fair, she doesn’t make her appearance until the third book in the series, but the wait is worth it! She has some of the biggest character growth in the series and, in my opinion, one of the best romances! Even though this series can be a big commitment if you haven’t read it yet, I really recommend making time for it because it’s such a good read.
