Serena’s Review: “The Coven”

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Book: “The Coven” by Harper L. Woods

Publishing Info: Bramble, August 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Raised to be my father’s weapon against the Coven that took away his sister and his birthright, I would do anything to protect my younger brother from suffering the same fate. My duty forces me to the secret town of Crystal Hollow and the prestigious Hollow’s Grove University―where the best and brightest of my kind learn to practice their magic free from human judgment.

There are no whispered words here. No condemnation for the blood that flows through my veins. The only animosity I face comes from the beautiful and infuriating Headmaster, Alaric Grayson Thorne, a man who despises me just as much as I loathe him and everything he stands for.

But that doesn’t mean secrets don’t threaten to tear the school in two. No one talks about the bloody massacre that forced it to close decades prior, only the opportunity it can afford to those fortunate enough to attend.

Because for the first time in fifty years, the Coven will open its wards to the Thirteen.

Thirteen promising students destined to change the world.

If the ghosts of Hollow’s Grove’s victims don’t kill them first.

Review: So, I’ll be honest, I was a bit nervous going into this one, because based on the description alone I was getting strong “Gothikana” vibes. And we all remember how I felt about that… That said, there was a reason I picked that book up in the first place, and it’s the same one that drew my interest in this book: dark academia! I’m also always down for gothic vibes and romance. Though, I’m always a bit concerned when we venture too far into the realm of “student/teacher” type love stories. But let’s see how this one did!

Well, I did struggle a bit with this one, but it was definitely not the complete dumpster fire that was “Gothikana,” so at least we’re moving in the right direction! For one thing, this one was simply better written. The prose flows fairly well and, for the most part, the dialogue feels natural. And since we’re starting with writing, I’ll say that the spicy scenes were on the better side as well. This, of course, is very subjective, but I often find myself cringing during many authors’ approach to intimate scenes, but these seemed to be on the better side, avoiding many of the pitfalls I personally struggle with.

I also enjoyed the start of the book and meeting the main character, Willow. Her magical abilities were interesting and her backstory for why she was coming in to the school late felt like it was leading to a good arc. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for the male main character, Gray. Not only does the book lean hard into “insta-love” between these two, but Gray is a fairly unlikable character all around. Now, to be fair, the author did provide a note in the beginning of the book about this character’s villainous tendencies, so I can’t say that I wasn’t warned. At the same time, he’s truly unlikable! There’s a fine line between writing a love interest who falls on the darker side of things, and then writing one who is just a manipulative jerk and a walking red flag. Gray is definitely the latter. So much so that I felt even more attached to Willow purely on a maternal level in that I kept wanting to dive into the book and be like “Girl, no!”

The plot was also all over the place. Things were happening, sure, but at times it felt almost random. Plot points would be introduced, dropped, re-visited and discarded at any given moment. It was incredibly difficult to know what exactly I was meant to be focusing in on at any moment, and this erratic approach to plotting left the pacing very off. I found myself becoming more bored than I should have been, given the amount of action that was taking place. But if all of the plot pieces are as disconnected as these, it’s almost the same as having no plot in the first place.

Overall, this was just an ok read. I’ll probably check out the second one, just because I’m trying to give more authors/series a second chance, but I do have concerns, based on this book. There is potential here, but the balance between the “romance” (insta-love) and the actual plot of the story felt off. I’d say readers who enjoy very villainous, dark romantic leads are the most likely to enjoy this one. But if you’re at all wary on that front, probably best to pass this one up.

Rating 7: There was potential in the main character and some of the fantasy elements, but I hated the male main character way too much to bump this one further up.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Coven” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Best Romantasy Books from Indie Authors in 2023 and Red Flowers – Covers.