These Witches Don’t Burn
By Isabel Sterling
Published May 28, 2019 by Razorbill
These Witches Don’t Burn is an urban fantasy that reminds me a little bit of Charmed. It’s a fun start to a new series.
Hannah is a witch living undercover in Salem, Massachusetts. Because of they’re concerned about anti-witch prejudice, her cover is very secretive and Hannah must keep the fact that she’s an elemental witch from everyone outside the coven. When Hannah finds evidence of dark magic being practiced in Salem, she’s convinced that a blood witch has come to town and her coven in is danger, but no one seems to believe her.
I really felt for Hannah. She just wanted to have a fun summer, but now she’s investigating the weird stuff that’s happening in her own, her coven doesn’t believe her, the new cop in town thinks she’s responsible for all the trouble, and her ex-girlfriend won’t leave her alone.
The world-building in this book was great. I liked the idea of the three types of witches (elemental, caster, and blood) and the distrust between the different groups. There’s also an interesting examination of how the coven’s need for secrecy can be really problematic. Hannah is torn between trying to save a friend’s life and revealing her magic, a serious no-no for the coven. She chooses to save her friend and ends up being punished by the coven, which is pretty messed up.
This book is basically the queer witch trying to deal with her obnoxious ex (seriously, she’s the worst) while trying to solve a magical mystery and date the new girl in town story that I didn’t know I needed. And since it’s take place in summer, it feels like a perfect summer read.
I received an ARC from the publisher via Amazon Vine.