Witch Queen Rising

by Savannah Stephens

A reclusive witch who fled the burden of her bloodline rises to be the greatest among them in this lush and haunting fantasy debut.

For New Orleans witchkin, there is no greater honor than to become the Prime—chosen to rule. But the title is meant to pass between two rival Houses of magic. Not to the prodigal daughter of the former Prime who died under mysterious circumstances.

As a girl, Seraphine Barreau was dubbed the Tick Witch for her ability to feed on magic and make it her own. Even among those who alter fate and manipulate reality, she was a powerful outcast feared and misunderstood by her people. Now dragged back to continue the legacy that nearly destroyed her, Phine has her work cut out for her. She must earn the respect of her people, navigate the politics of the paranormal communities residing in her city, and heal a broken heart all the while battling a parasitic curse poisoning witchkin. Between her werewolf ex, power-hungry vampires, and the skeletons in her family’s closet, Phine must learn to make peace with her past to save her—and all of witchkin’s—future.

Genres: Fantasy, Witches, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Vampires, Adult, Fiction

464 pages, Paperback

First published April 21, 2026

About the author

Savannah Stephens proudly pens the representation she did not have growing up, creating protagonists who are warriors, queens, assassins, witches, and monsters. Her goal is not only to give readers fantastical worlds to escape into, but tools to survive the real one when the pages stop turning.

Her dark, southern gothic fantasy debut, Witch Queen Rising, was an Amazon Editors’ Pick for Best Sci-Fi & Fantasy (April 2026).

Savannah lives in Central New York with her feline familiar, Sir Beaumont of Fluffbottom, her plants, and an ever-expanding hoard of hobbies she hopes to get to.

Reviews

[Mai ༊*·˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ★— You don’t know how much I’m appreciating the amount of urban fantasy releases 2026 has given me, and this book has just bolstered my appreciation! I loved this so much for so many reasons.

One big one is that this is set in New Orleans, a place that I have loved seeing explored since I watched my first seasons of True Blood, and a love that persisted when I got into The Vampire Diaries universe and became a fan of The Originals.

One marked, happy difference with this story is that it has a Black female main character as the lead. And what a main character she is!

Seraphine starts this story as an outcast from her community, and the narrative does a good job of laying out why she’s chosen this path for herself, as the sensitive topic of parental abuse is dealt with head-on.

I also really liked how this author depicted the sibling relationship, which plays another key part in the story and is just as complex as the mother-daughter dynamic we get to see here.

Seraphine’s rise as Prime is defined by her having to delve into politics and form alliances, as she tries to navigate the different factions of supernatural beings that surround her. I thought the book did a solid job of depicting them and making their different goals clear.

Seraphine herself was a type of heroine I really enjoy! She is constantly having to prove herself while dealing with powers that make her inherently intimidating and scary to the people she is supposed to control. I loved that the central conflict wasn’t about her lack of powers or her lack of belief in them, but rather the people surrounding her underestimating her or distrusting her because of how powerful she is and the types of powers she has.

This book is the beginning of a series, so it really only gives a few inklings that could lead to romantic subplots further down the line, which I am very excited to see explored in the future!

If you’re an old-school urban fantasy lover who enjoys authors like Patricia Briggs, Seanan McGuire, Ilona Andrews, and Nalini Singh, I can wholeheartedly recommend this to satiate the need for a new series! I am buzzing to see how this story continues to unfold!

______________

Thank you to Berkley for the ARC.

[jenny reads a lot · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG DID YOU SEE THIS COVER!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whoa, this sounds 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Rec via Kamilah Cole

| TikTok | IG |

[Chantaal]

do i want to read this because of that fucking cover? yes, YES I DO

[Danielle Pulliam · Rating 4 out of 5]

**𝔄ℜℭ ℜ𝔢𝔳𝔦𝔢𝔴** 𝔚𝔦𝔱𝔠𝔥 𝔔𝔲𝔢𝔢𝔫 ℜ𝔦𝔰𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔶 𝔖𝔞𝔳𝔞𝔫𝔫𝔞𝔥 𝔖𝔱𝔢𝔭𝔥𝔢𝔫𝔰

Release Day: April 21, 2026

3.5⭐️2🌶

I found this book to be interesting. I'm not sure that it ever clicked for me. While I like the female main character a lot, it felt like a lot of this book was directionless. Seraphine has returned to her hometown of New Orleans when the powers of the Prime come to her; however, she was never expected to receive the powers. She left home a long time ago, after a very traumatizing event with her Mother and Grandmother.

Minor Spoilers Ahead:

Seraphine aka Phine Barreau was dubbed the Tick Witch for her ability to feed on magic and make it her own. When the Prime powers are sent to her, upon the current Prime's death, she returns to take over as leader of the Witches of her Coven. However, no one wants the Tick Witch as their leader, but she had no choice in who the power chose, and it chose her.

Her sister Josephine slowly comes to the realization that their mother treated her entirely differently than her sister, and she has no idea why. For most of this book, I wondered why Seraphine even tried to make the Prime thing work, when no one wants her as Prime and her sister doesn't have a close relationship with her. The only thing keeping her in New Orleans is an old Ex who still has feelings for her, and not wanting anything bad to happen to the witches who have treated her horribly her whole life.

This book reminded me a lot of the Wicked Trilogy by J. L. Armentrout. If Urban Fantasy and New Orleans magic is your jam, then you definitely need to try this book out.

Themes/Tropes:
🍁Urban Fantasy
🍁Witch Covens
🍁Magical community in New Orleans
🍁Vampires/Shifters/Witches
🍁Second chance romance
🍁Coming into her power

TW:
✨Shunned by a parent
✨Verbal abuse of a parent
✨SA off page
✨Dismemberment
✨Death of family and friends
✨Violence by magic

[Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

To begin, if I was not aware that this was a debut novel, I would never have guessed. Savannah writes like a seasoned author. The pacing of her story is consistent and flows incredibly well, while the plot is well flushed out. More details below, but there will be minor spoilers:

This story follows Seraphine, who despite having left her home a decade prior, is dragged back when she is chosen as the leader of the witches by their source of magic. This leads to political turmoil among her kind, budding relationships among other supernatural types, and of course family conflict.

The relationship between Phine and Jo starts out rocky, but given their past I understand their struggles. Phine had an incredibly cruel and challenging family life, and I felt so much sympathy for her as we slowly learn of her past. I am happy that both of these women were mature and have developed communication skills so their history and conflict was not drawn out simply for the sake of drama.

The other major characters in this story were phenomenal. Moira quickly became my favorite, closely followed by Alex. Each character had a distinct persona and it fit their role in this story, be it former lover, manipulative liar, or house leader. Though we only scratched the surface on some of these players I am eager to see how their place in this universe develops as the story progresses.

Given that we resolved one major plot point but another was acknowledged in the epilogue as needing to be done, I am going to be eagerly awaiting book 2 since I will definitely continue this series.

I am so happy to have had the opportunity to experience this rich world. POC authors are bringing new, fresh richness to fantasy.


Misc thoughts:
There were multiple items through this tory which brought me to tears and one which shook me with whole body sadness.

I felt such sympathy for Phine as she was thrust into this situation and was forced to make incredibly difficult decisions (all of which my own moral compass aligns with, especially regarding children).


Notable quotes:

"If I let my actions be dictated by how people treated me, I'd already be the monster they think I am."

"But she wasnt chosen. She was convenient." 💔

"Whats wrong with being a monster?"..... "is your concern that you will become a monster?"....."or that you will become monstrous?".

[alyssa✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

the first half of this book really dragged for me but i got sooooo invested by the end!

[Jamedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review originally on JamReads

Witch Queen Rising is the first novel in the Bood and Magic Duology, a Southern Gothic fantasy proposal written by Savannah Stephens, published by Gollancz. A dark and intense story about a reclusive witch dragged back to her New Orleans home to become the leader of witches, having to deal the difficult equilibrium among the supernatural groups across the city while also having to confront and face all those aspects that once hurt her and made her abandon her previous life.

Phine Barreau is dragged back to New Orleans as the Heart chooses her as the Prime, the leader of the witches by their source of power; the return to a city she fled from ten years ago after much suffering. This not only brings political unrest among the witchkin, but also a new situation where she must navigate relationships with other supernatural groups and deal with the family she once fled from; a challenging journey where she must not only find her place and make the rest understand her new role.

Phine is a fabulous female main character to make all the story pivot around; while she's powerful with her powers as a Syphon, she's not naturally liked by her community, which dubbed her as the Tick Witch. Did she want to become the Prime? Not really, but also accepted her responsibility towards her people, putting herself at risk to protect them. The more we learn about what she experienced when younger, the better we understand how she acts. It's a deep and complex character, one that we can cheer for, strong but also with visible wounds that needs to heal.
And even if Phine is a character that naturally steals the spotlight, Stephens has managed to make the rest of the cast equally interesting to follow: from the difficult relationship that Phine and her sister Jo have (and which grows much across the novel), her long time story with Remy, how the vampires crave for more power personified by Julian. I feel each reader will have their own favourite among those, and we only have scratched the surface.

The worldbuilding is also quite enjoyable: we still have many of the classic elements from paranormal fantasy, but Stephens transmits those aspects that make New Orleans unique, putting much attention to the small details that make the novel scream authenticity. Check the content warnings before starting, as the author is not afraid of touching some dark themes, delicately portraying them through her words. Her writing is lush, a descriptive prose that makes the reader picture everything in detail (and trust me, remember to bring some snacks while reading this book).
The pacing is quite agile, making this a book that invites you to devour it, but also maintaining a good equilibrium between more tense scenes and moments that allow you to catch a breath.

Witch Queen Rising is an excellent debut novel, a Southern Gothic fantasy novel perfect if you are looking for a dark but poignant story that at its core talks about finding your place in the community and healing the wounds from your past without renouncing to yourself, all through a memorable female main character such as Phine is. Can't wait to read the next Savannah Stephens' book!

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got to read this book early and I love it so much. You all need to read it!!!!

[Tanya T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy Book Pub Day!!!!

Stars: 4.75 Stars
Start Date:11/2/25
Ending Date:11/19/25
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
Form: E-ARC
Page Count:464
Publishing Date:4/21/26
Point of View: 3rd
Setting: New Orleans ,LA
Content Warning: Violence, Death of Parent, Death of Children, Blood

My Blog: https://tanyasreading.wordpress.com/2...

StoryGraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews...

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for the E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is a strong debut for an author that hits all the points if you love paranormal fantasy with Witches, Vampires, Shifters, and Fae set in the fabulous city of New Orleans. 

Witch Queen Rising is a story about Seraphine Barreau. A witch who belongs to one of the two witch houses that rules the witchkin of New Orleans, that left New Orleans more than a decade ago. She is confronted with her past with the loss of the family matriarch which takes her back to New Orleans.She has to deal with her new position in the witch order and everything that comes with it while dealing with the skeletons in her past.

From dealing with a sister, an old love, a mom that resents her, and a traumatic experience that happens which is the reason why she left a decade ago.

Becoming Prime and taking up the mantle that some people in her community including some family members, feel like she shouldn't have is the least of her problems. 

To deal with leaders from the Supernatural that either want to ally with her or use her to get what they want.

To keep the community that she wants to protect from outside forces that are trying to tear it down.

It's The Game of Thrones in New Orleans. 

 Seraphine is a strong FMC that you can get behind and honestly relate to her story. Everyone has felt in their life that they didn't belong or the lone wolf in the society they are in. She ran away from her past for a better life after a horrible loss but her past came smacking her in the face one eventual night. The way she has to handle going back to the city she left behind to unpack the trauma of the past. To have to deal with people who felt like she left them or felt like she doesn't belong in a world. People were afraid of her and her powers since hers are different from the rest of the witchkin. The way she has to navigate the Witcheskin World of New Orleans from outside threats while most of them don't want to accept her,makes you feel for her. 

A Couple Critiques

A couple parts of the books did drag a little towards the middle and end of the book. I found myself sometimes disengaging with the book and trying to get locked back in. This really happens towards the last 3rd which is why it took me a little longer than it should have.. It wasn't enough for me not to be invested in the book or to dnf it but I felt certain parts need to be shorter than other parts. 

Balance Out Characters Better- This book has a lot of potential good characters that are supportive to MC but the problem is a couple important characters kind of lost page time. Two in particular that I considered very important to the Phine journey, are nowhere to be found in the last 3rd of the book. Yes she is a wonderful character who kicks major ass but she needed her right hands with her towards the climax of the book.  There are also characters that are on that last 3rd that I should care about but due to the fact they were introduced so late that I really didn't have any emotional connection with them. 

One of them in particular was Phine's childhood best friend which she hadn't seen in quite some time. She was mentioned a couple times in the book but didn't appear until the majority of the book was almost over. She did have an important part but the fact she really didn't have any page time,I didn't form a connection with her. Unlike her sister Josie and the lead of the other house of witches Alex, which we do spend some time with as Phine get used with her new role as being Prime.

 I am hoping in the second book since it is supposed to be a dulogy that it would be more balanced. There are a lot of good potential characters here to help MC which I want to see more in the second one including the ones that helped her a lot. Essentially since the villain is probably going to start an all out war everyone so it's going to be all hands on deck. 

Also it is a potential romance that will probably take form in the next book since Phine does have two potential love interests in which one of them I'm rooting for hard but I'm not saying. ( Cough Look to the future not the past. Cough) 

This is for you if you like

Supernatural Beings-Witches, Vampires, Wolves and Fae

Mother and Daughter relationship and the complexity behind it. 

Sibling Dynamics 

Found Family

Political Intrigue  

Dealing with the trauma of your past.

Dealing with feeling like you don't belong.

A unique magic system.

All the characters are Black or Bipoc. 

Also if you liked The Blood Debt series by Terry Benton Walker but want an adult version set in New Orleans this is for you.

[Elizabeth]

I stopped reading at 58%.

I was tempted to stop reading much sooner but I wanted to give this story a chance since I received it for free as an advanced reader copy.

Sadly, I found it to be too "easy". What I mean is that there are very high stakes but there's also magic that steps in and solves things really quickly. This makes it really hard to feel tension in the story. There are so many crazy and terrible things that happen. The author starts to build tension in the beginning of the story and I was intrigued to find out why this woman has been on the run for 10 years.

But... over and over again, she's able to make it through some absolutely batshit situations with very little trouble. I enjoy magic and strong heroines... but if there are no limits, it starts to feel booooring. And the heroine doesn't seem to have limits. She perseveres against challenges, murderers, attempted murder, death by ancestor, hunger, cat fights, and bad food by constantly using magic just right.

The world building is also inconsistent. She loses her one servant so has to open the door by herself but the house also provides everything she needs (including food) BUT she is hosting and needs to cook a gazillion pastries but her yard guy can assemble tables out of the ground. She can sense a group member from miles away and heal them but they can disappear without a trace.

I wasn't a fan of the various supporting characters and was a little confused by the relationships. She's treated like garbage but somehow has all the skills she needs to lead all of witchkin, even though her mother seems to have abused her. She was only 16 when she left and it's been 10 years. She lost contact with her magic for 10 years, briefly has a little pain when her magic is returned but she sleeps it off.

Her first day as ruler of all the witches is ridiculous. Somehow she meets with all the important people in society but she's all alone. She doesn't have council or support.

Basically, this book is not great. I was afraid of reading it because it's book 1 of book 2, but I requested an advanced reader copy before I realized. But... I am not tempted to care about book 2. There are some good ideas here, but the author needs to work on them a bit more.

[AlexTRBG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witch Queen Rising gave me liiiiiife. From the New Orleans setting and paranormal communities to our outcast MC Phine and her journey to claiming her power as Prime. This was so fun and like the perfect CW show tbh. But the best thing was how Black it was. I feel like I’ve wanted something like this for yearssssss and to finally have it is so beautiful. And lowkey Bonnie Bennett from TVD lived and died for this!!!! 😭✊🏽

The whole plot of the blight was really interesting too. I thought it was pretty obvi why Phine was the perfect person to solve that problem with her powers, but to see her get down to the bottom of everything was tea. Bc she really inherited all that beef she sure did finess it! I also loved her friendship with Moira, and how she helped her embrace her powers and be a great leader 🫶🏽

Now I just can’t wait for the sequel to this fab debut. I’m hoping for a lil more romance scenes (fingers crossed it’s with a certain grey eyed succubus 🤭) and a fitting grand finale to her epic war with Julian 🙂‍↕️👏🏽👏🏽

[Bronwyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this!!! Phine is a brilliant character who I instantly loved. The magic is fresh and original and nuanced, and the world building was fantastic. I’ve never been to New Orleans, but from the author’s beautiful descriptions, now I sort of feel I have. Can’t wait for book number two!

[Chasing Silhouettes · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 🌟

'We all live quiet lives until Fate decides otherwise. Fate called Seraphine and demanded she answer.' (Ch 34)

Fantasy | Magical Realism | New Orleans | Paranormal | Legacy | Mysteries | High-Stakes | Supernatural War | BIPOC rep

Phine's power was fascinating! Beyond her siphoning ability and her Prime powers, she had another one involving scents and flavors.

'For me, the world is a feast, a symphony of flavors on my tongue.' (Ch 6)

Being back in her hometown, however reluctant, excluding her new duties as Prime to the witches of New Orleans — a position of power she neither craved nor wanted — she had to deal with sibling rivarly, ghosts from her past, the stigma attached to her and the mistrust it inspired within her community, the other supernarurals, deep-rooted maternal issues, and a mystery that was plaguing her witchkin. Whew. Girl has a lot on her plate!

'She missed the little girl who believed that love triumphed over everything and that happily-ever-afters were real.' (Ch 27)

Mysteries, danger, opposition, and that heavy feeling that no one had her back. Despite all of the obstacles set forth in front of her to hold her position of power, carrying the load on her shoulders, with little support and little trust, she held her own, as well as she could, like the queen/Prime she was.

I liked Remy. He was so sweet to and for her, like Phine thought — 'sweet as sugar.' And Vincent, he was intriguing in an alluring, mysterious sort of way. If this were a romance (not to say there isn't a tiny hint of romantic persuasion in the book) and I had to put Phine with a love interest, it would be with either of these two. But either of them would come with many complications.

There were some thrilling... and heart aching and breaking moments. I swear it was dust in my eyes.

'"....you are not the only predator in this city. And to me, you’re just another flavor in the feast.”' (Ch 28)

It was a war, and Phine was up to the challenge... she didn't have much of a choice. A little bit of a slow start, but picked up and became an enthralling read overall! There will be a book 2, I'm certain.

'“A dagger will not always bring death. But it can when it is needed. Fate makes tools of us all when there is work to be done...."' (Ch 38)

eARC courtesy of NetGalley | ACE / Berkley / Penguin Random House

[Shafaah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for an eArc in exchange for an honest review.
I'm not going to lie I judged this book by the cover and I'm so glad I did! I went into it expecting a typical romantasy with lots of over the top sex scenes and a Mary Sue FMC and instead I got a complex protagonist who pushed aside any kind of romance because she simply didn't have have time for it! Serphine was a breath of fresh air and one I've been searching for all year. I loved the worldbuilding and was so happy to see an entirely black cast of characters. Not a white face insight and it absolutely made the story much more enjoyable. It was so nice to read about poc characters that didn't have to deal with racism and instead I got to experience black joy at it's fullest. Well maybe joy isn't the right word, there was nothing happy about this book but I still enjoyed it! The magic system was interesting and I loved the huge cast of characters. Some more than others, I'm looking at you Remy.
I'll definitely be not so patiently waiting for the next book.

[Sara. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh I had a blast. I've seen this being comped with Buffy, a show I'd never seen, but reading this actually takes me back to the days of Charmed (both the original & the reboot). There's drama, emotional turmoil, complicated sisterhood, even MORE complicated mother-daughter relationship, THOSE STAKES.

400+ pages might seem like a hefty commitment, but phew what a debut. I think it's great we get to spend so much time with our protagonist Seraphine AKA Phine. Author Savannah Stephens is making full use of the novel length to peel back the layers of Phine's trauma while showing us the kind of person she truly is, and the kind of leader she makes. An urban fantasy set in a contemporary period, Stephens also takes her time to introduce us to this mystical side of New Orleans.

The first half focuses on Phine essentially doing the legwork to settle into her position as Prime. Getting into contact with the Heart as the force powering witchkin's magic is obvious as she's now basically its steward, but I also liked reading about Phine meeting each leader of the other magical factions—Julian the Vampire King, Moira the Sidhe (fae) Queen, and Remy the (shifter) Troop Leader who also happens to be her ex. This might slow the pacing for some, but I personally feel it was essential to the narrative. For one, I WANT to read about Phine doing actual Prime duties; it's what I'm here for! And meeting non-human magical figures is part of the fun of fantasy. Plus all these leaders play HUGE roles later on the story, so I think this was a great way to learn more about them.

Phine is just the kind of heroine I love to follow. The best leaders are often the ones who don't have the cold ambition for the position, and she exemplifies just that. People do not give my girl enough credit! Not only does she have to deal with people assuming the worst of her simply due to her ability of feeding on others' magic—which she has complete control over, mind you—it's when opinions in bad faith come forth through words and actions. Phine strikes a fine line between taking the high road as befitting her leadership... but when such disrespect crosses a line, she WILL teach you the meaning of fuck around and find out. She won me over so fast.

While Phine has to deal with potential mutiny in the ranks and Blight affecting magic for all witches by making them sick, it's the tumultuous relationship she has with her abusive mother that feels the heaviest. The years of having your self-worth questioned and beaten down, the violation of bodily autonomy, the betrayal from someone who should've protected and cared for you. Every scene Phine has with her mother's ghost got me so emotional.

Hell I really am obsessed just how much I'm being fed with the women relationships (plus the friendship Phine has with non-binary Head witch Alex). From the reconciliation Phine has with her estranged sister Josephine to the other female witches having her back: necromancer bestie Xiomara, Birdie her housekeeper after she rightfully fired the previous man who kept disrespecting her, and her beloved grandmother Gigi. But I especially commend the development of the dynamic between Phine & Moira, because if you crave two powerful women fucking shit up side by side and back to back, you're in for a time in the third act.

I also love that WQR understands there are greater priorities than romance. In another author's hands, I can see Phine having to juggle the problems she inherited alongside the new ones popping up, all while rekindling her previous relationship with Remy (complete with a steamy sex scene while there's a missing witch to find or during an inappropriate moment, fuck the political ramifications it'd bring). While WQR does give intimate moments to Phine & Remy, they're about two people who'll always care about each other desperately needing to be vulnerable because of past scars re-opening. Starting a romantic or sexual dynamic isn't on the cards right now (but maybe in book 2?).

We're also introduced to a possible other love interest whom I confess did make me do a hairtuck, but Stephens knows how to start a good slowburn and not rush it (if this is in the cards at all as I'm suspecting). I do prefer it when the first book of a series holds off on having its female protag being with her endgame love interest or confirming said romance by book's end. Leave it for the the sequel(s) and let this potential dynamic cook!

I will say though Stephens also really LOVES describing what everyone is wearing in great detail. In ever occasion. Every outfit change. I don't think I've ever read so many clothing descriptions outside of a fanfic. There's also a LOT of food & flavour descriptions particularly as Phine is able to sense others' emotions and personalities as tastes, which I find both useful and amusing.

Didn't come into this knowing it's the first book of a series—Phine won the battle but there's still a war to face next—but I'm hyped to continue on with this heroine and the world Stephens has built.

[Angelbelle Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 rounded up

Thank you Berkley for the gifted copy

🖤Paranormal fantasy
🔥Southern gothic
🖤Contemporary fantasy
🔥Reluctant hero
🖤Chosen one
🔥Third person POV

Following the death of the Prime, Seraphine “Phine” is forced to return to a home she desperately ran away from 10 years earlier

“I could drink you down until I am drunk on your power . . . and no one, not even you, could stop me.”

Absolutely loved it 👏🏾

First I gotta say, if you’re someone who need TW’s then definitely make sure to check them out because this one is dark with heavy themes 💕

Let’s yap! From the moment Phine was brought back home she got hit with problem after problem. When they say “it be your own people” this is what they meant 🫩 everybody needs their ah whooped 🥾💥

Phine did her thing though she was calm in some situations, and other times she hit them with the let me show you why I’m so feared. Had them regretting their choices immediately 😬

Now this is not a romance yall so please don’t go in thinking it is. This book will take you through emotions both high and low and leave you feeling a bit raw

I’ve always said if I could have powers I’d be a mimic but after reading this I’m thinking a syphon cause you said what?? Yea let me go on and take your magic since you wanna play 😌

If you’re searching for a well-written southern gothic fantasy I definitely recommend picking this one up ❤️

[chill_book_reviews]

47% I think I am going to soft dnf for now. Almost 50% in and there seems to be no urgency. Considering the stakes at hand, I am surprised. I do not need constant action scenes but at this point of the book, I expected more from the story.

[Julianne Dell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into Witch Queen Rising excited, and while there are definitely elements that worked for me, this one ultimately felt a bit uneven.

There’s a strong foundation here—particularly in the character dynamics. Phine stood out as a compelling lead, and the tension with her mother added an emotional layer that felt grounded and engaging. That relationship, in particular, carried a lot of weight and kept me invested.

That said, the execution felt a little messy at times. There were some continuity issues early on that pulled me out of the story (for example, injuries that seemed to shift or resolve inconsistently), which made it harder to stay fully immersed.
I also found the scope of characters and groups a bit overwhelming. There are a lot of moving parts—multiple factions, side characters, and layers of worldbuilding—and it occasionally felt like more than the story needed. Some elements, like extended descriptions of side groups (the sidhe entourage, for example), didn’t seem to meaningfully impact the plot, and those moments slowed the pacing rather than enhancing it. Similarly, certain groups—like the Troop—felt less clearly defined in terms of purpose, which added to the confusion rather than the stakes.

Where the book did pick up for me was toward the end. The final battle had a stronger sense of momentum, and I found myself more engaged and eager to see how things would unfold. I just wish there had been a bit more unpredictability in that climax—I was hoping for a twist or a turn that subverted expectations in a bigger way.

Overall, this is a story with solid character potential and an interesting premise, but it could have benefited from tighter editing and a more streamlined focus. I’d still be curious to see where the series goes from here, especially with the groundwork that’s been laid, but this isn’t a series I’d recommend at this time.

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF@35%

This book had YA vibes, except it was too slow and boring to be YA. Did I just read 150 pages of a lady with no personality going around having introductory meetings with a bunch of other people with no personalities, and then going home and doing household chores like bathing, dressing, and cooking, with lengthy descriptions of each? Sure did. Thanks, I work in an office and live in a home, I don't need any more of that. The most interesting thing that happened so far was a cat fight over a man, so... How is this not YA?

But what bugged me most is that this is NOT New Orleans. Sure, it's "set" in New Orleans but this author clearly has spent very little time in New Orleans. Maybe a week on Bourbon Street at the most. And she didn't seem to be bothered to do even the most basic research.

-WTF is the Fashion District??? Do you mean Magazine Street? The LA in NOLA stands for Louisiana, not Los Angeles!

-Fifth Ward??? Sure, there IS a Fifth Ward but nobody in NOLA knows where tf that is. I had to Google it: it encompasses parts of 3 distinct neighborhoods that would be referred to on their own. Just because 7th and 9th Ward are referred to by their wards doesn't mean they all are, and if you spend more than a week in New Orleans you would know that.

-She goes hiking in the bayou and talks about all the trees but no mention of water. ...uh do you know what a bayou is?

-Everything seems chic and clean and new. New Orleans is musty and dirty and old. That is its charm, and this author missed it.

-She doesn't know what New Orleans smells like.

-She states with bold confidence that it almost never gets below sixty degrees in the winter.... Oh dear, good luck in January, baby.

-Her ex-BF Is the leader of the "N'awlins" Troop... Yeah, a supposedly born and bred local referred to it as "N'awlins." ........GIRL. There is an SNL skit making fun of this.

-Where are the lovely weird people in rainbow speedos and glitter cowboy hats? Where are the strangers you have conversations with on the street? Where are her NEIGHBORS??? New Orleans is a place where you know your neighbors like family. You sit out on your porch and talk to passersby. You stop your car in the middle of the street when you see someone you know to have a short conversation (and who cares about the person behind you honking?). All this vibe is completely absent from this book.

I'm sure there's more but, again, DNFing at 35%.

So, all you praising that this is set in New Orleans? Well, it's not. This is just Hot New York.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have debated on whether or not to give this 5 stars…it was engaging, action packed and NOT a Romantasy (thank the Lord). This is one that true fantasy readers can get behind. If your looking for Romantasy, this is not the book for you. It was refreshing to not be subjugated to all that mess in a female led fantasy.

[Mai H.]

Halloween TBR

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Ace

[Mystie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, first things first. Do read the trigger warnings, as some subjects discussed in this book might be difficult for readers.

Additionally, do not read this book without snacks! Get your favorites, something savoury, salty, sweet, whatever you like and a drink before you start. Trust me on that!

With those things said, let me start by saying @wordsiren (author Kamilah Cole) was, as usual, absolutely accurate about this book. She loved it, and now having read it, so do I!

I’m excited to write this review. I want others to find and read this book, and I cannot wait to explain why.

The story begins with our FMC, Phine. We meet her just as the life she ran away from catches up to her in the most electrifying way possible. She is a witch from New Orleans of great power. Power she did not want. Her life on the run is interrupted when she inherits even more power, and home comes to drag her back into the mix.

Imagine running away from home because of the fear associated with your power and then being pulled back home, with even more power running through your veins. DRAMA!!!!

When she gets there, she finds her people are in the kind of trouble no one knows how to fix.

Conflict, strong opposition, brewed with the fear the community still carries for her power, was a heady mix of intrigue and twisty plot.

My girl, Phine, had a lot to deal with. So many skeletons and so much pain. She did not always deal with the issues in the smartest way, but she for sure chose the most entertaining way for the reader. LOL!

This was a world filled to the brim with all possible types of creatures. There are witches, vampires, fae, shifters, and I suspect even more to be revealed over time. Discovering the personalities was pure joy. It was done cleverly as we simultaneously uncovered factions and relationships right alongside Phine.

There are also nosy ancestors, intriguing politics, spectacularly scary female characters, and a fledging found family. All of this plus Phine herself, a woman whose strength came from so much more than her magic, had me locked in and greedy for more page after page.

Another beautiful and riveting aspect of this book was the sheer variety of people represented within the story. Every single person can find someone they can identify with. You see yourself and you feel you could fit in here and feel seen. Something many of us will never take for granted.

On top of that, the author did an exceptional job with her descriptions. I could smell and taste this world, and every detail painted itself clearly in my mind.

One thing though, initially, the pace was a little slow, as the world was being built for the reader. But let me tell you, when things sped up, it was a flying roller coaster! Life kept pissing me off by interrupting.

This book gave me moments that had my brain shouting, SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK! The need to know what happened next surpassed all else, and when I got to that ending at 1am, well, I can confirm my brain was right.

My innards feel hungry for more and satiated at the same time. What a book!

In case it is not obvious, I think you should add this one to your TBR, particularly if you love a good paranormal mystery, with wicked family dynamics, and beings who want power at any cost. (But do not forget your snacks!)

Thank you, Gollancz, Berkley Publishing, Ace Publishing, Savanna Stephens, and NetGalley for the Arc in return for my honest review. It was my pleasure.

[Berserk Girlie Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.8 ⭐️ I would consider this an urban low fantasy, with slow building suspenseful scenes interconnected with scenes that feel like the comfort of a southern home. The storyline explores the " Black Sheep of the family ", and how the marginalized outcast becomes the hero . Our main character carries a form of magic feared by all of witch-kin. Through traumatic familial events, she has spent her entire adult life running away from the thought of becoming a monster. Now duty requires her to return , and threats are coming at her in all directions. In order to survive, the outcast must transform alienation into strength and resiliency , and become the queen she was meant to be. It's okay if you don't like her, but my sis " is not the one, the two , or the three"! Be respectful!

LGBTQ, Pronoun Inclusive, and ethnic diversity alive and beautifully done in the book. I would love to read the next book in this series!

Review of advance copy received from Publisher

[Autumn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love it. But unfortunately this book isn’t the right fit for me, it was a DNF.

The bones were there and the characters are really strong but there was just so much noise that distracted me from the forward movement of the story.

If you love New Orleans, witches and paranormal politics this is probably right up your alley. Phine is an incredible main character. Just because it wasn’t for me doesn’t mean it’s not worth the shot!

***the cover absolutely made me want to read it.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing for the ebook. All opinions are my own

[BookItWithKali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witch Queen Rising is the incredible debut novel by Savannah Stephens. It’s a masterpiece of world-building, character development, and exquisite storytelling that keeps you hooked from the first to the last page.

Witch Queen Rising follows Seraphine Barreau, or Phine for short. Phine is a witch who can feed on the magic of others and make it her own. For this, she is given the not exactly affectionate nickname of “Tick Witch” by her fellow witchkin. Phine is feared and misunderstood, so she leaves New Orleans to chart her own course and emerge from the shadow of her mother, the current Prime of New Orleans. Now, ten years later, her mother is dead, and Phine is dragged back to New Orleans against her will when the source of all witches' magic chooses her to be the next Prime. Not only is Phine not happy about this turn of events, but many of New Orleans witchkin aren’t thrilled either, including Phine’s sister, Josphine, who is a powerful witch in her own right. As Phine navigates her return to the city of her birth and her newfound position and power, she faces challenges and conflict from not only her fellow witchkin but also from the various other factions of New Orleans’ supernatural community, which includes Phine’s first love, a handsome shifter named Remy, whom Phine’s never quite gotten out of her heart.

I absolutely loved Witch Queen Rising, and Phine is one of the main reasons. She’s a deeply written and multidimensional FMC. It’s easy to relate to her and root for her. She’s been running from her fate and her past, but as it often works out, it all comes catching up to her, and now she has to yet again reinvent herself for her own sake and the sake of those her city’s magic has entrusted to her care. We watch Phine deal with her past trauma and family relationships, all the while stepping into her new role and power, because as we all know, the world doesn’t stop spinning just because you are in emotional knots inside. Phine is at turns powerful, vulnerable, and despite being blessed or cursed with magic, depending on how you see it, all too human. I loved watching her step into her power while still retaining what makes her, her.

Another reason I loved this book is the magical world Stephens has created within New Orleans. There are so many supernatural beings walking through the history-steeped streets: witches, vampires, shifters, and sidhe, just to name a few, and Stephens brings them all to life as distinct, unique individuals with their own motivations and emotions. Her writing is lush and evocative, and makes you feel as if you are walking those same streets right beside the supernatural denizens.

Witch Queen Rising is an amazing accomplishment as a debut novel. It is the kind of book that you lose yourself in and never want to end, but end it does, and on a major cliffhanger, which has made me more than eager to get my hands on book two.

Thank you so much to Ace, Berkley, NetGalley, and especially Savannah Stephens for the gifted eARC. I’m so glad we found each other on IG, and you entrusted me with your book.

[Eliane Anita · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this read, but honestly, I couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed. It had so much potential, and I appreciated that the story wasn't centered around romance, allowing the FMC to shine on their own. However, the storyline was okay, but the character placement felt a little scattered, and I found myself bored at times. I also felt like some characters didn't quite add value to the story, which was a bit distracting. Still, I want to thank NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing for the ARC and the opportunity to read it.

[Ciru · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strong 2.5 stars so 3 stars.

The cover. I will forever be a fan of an interesting/beautiful cover. That got me in the door.

I noted a while back that I do tend to read books with white characters by white authors. So I really love it when I get a good book by an author of colour/a black author. I have the tendency of going back to them again and again. If for nothing else, I would keep reading Savannah Stephens because of the diverse description of black characters hair, skin and mannerisms. That was a joy to read.

But on the other hand, at times the story felt too caught up in the descriptions. A time or two, especially when it came to scene descriptions of the house/establishment Phine was in I'd latch on to one feature then colour in the rest whichever way I felt suited the style because now I got caught up in painting the described mental picture as opposed to being in the plot moment.

Once in a while I get a song stuck in my head while reading a story. For this one, each scene with Maxine, Josephine, the ancestors and my head was screaming "No! More! Drama!" by Mary J. Blige, especially the crescendo part before the song comes to an end.

I can’t, she thought. I can’t leave so many to suffer.

First born bullshit. I made that note in the early chapters and it kept being reinforced by Phine's actions despite being repeatedly put down, disrespected, neglected etc.

What failed for me is that this story is 70% rejected/neglected family trope (I don't even know if that IS a trope), family drama and 30% fantasy/paranormal. And I was here for the fantasy/paranormal over the family acceptance (or is it rather put down) bullshit.

It irked me so badly when we start of with Josephine basically being a mini snide remarks version of her mother, loved it when Phine was like talk to me like that one more time you see what I can do, then towards the end she's the concerned sister and had actually read their mother's diary. Please. Nkt. I wanted her friends, who had her back all through, who appear briefly, at her side. Not Josephine.

“We survived because of the power of the Prime,” Phine corrected.
“True, but the power needed the right tool. It needed you.”

“Walking in your power suits you, Prime. You should do so more often.”

Who am I in love with above all other characters in this story? Moira! I love a hag who knows she's that hag and doesn't justify being bad. I love her. Want her to be my avenging friend. There's an element of found family with Phine's friends/those who helped her escape New Orleans but Moira's the only one throughout the story who embraced Phine's power whole heartedly, not just when it was convenient, and who was basically like the surrogate paranormal power mother figure.

Why risk drinking and driving when there’s a perfectly fine dedicated driver at our disposal?”

Chapter Twenty Three pissed me the fuck off! Kabisa!! First, it smelled like a set up from the get go. Then, the obsession with car brands/mentioning the 'Cuda/The Phantom all the time annoyed the fuck out of me. Third, why are we drinking and driving? Why? Ati for the first time I was on the same page with Josephine even though I hate her ass. And when we get to the end guess what, we can sort of guess who orchestrated the whole thing but that whole scene just gets pushed to the back.

The same with The Remy storyline. They were cute and all calling each other Sugah, darlin' but he gets relegated to the background, and come to think of it, yes they were on an official time out but bodies are dropping left, right and center but he doesn't even bother to call you? Or even send a text jameni?

I actually initially thought maybe the storyline is setting up a reverse harem. But as to where this book ends it's now looking more and more like one potential future partner but then with male grandstanding posturing from another and I cannot.

“Putain.”
“Now that is not a word I am familiar with,” Vincent said.

Uwongo! Lies of the highest order, said the person who has never been to New Orleans. Unless it was stated that Vincent was out in N.O. for the first time in his 300 year life span when he meets Phine, yet his frequent domain is a lounge type of establishment, that whole scene made no sense.

“Who do we need to put to ground?”

Why is he (the healer) asking her yet he's the qualified one? Triage does not exist in the magical world? Another instance was we are not explicitly told (unless I missed it somewhere) that Phine cannot be affected by normal human hospital pharmaceuticals. Why was a whole Dr Bryant sewing her up, after cleansing the wound and the painkiller provided was a swig of whisky???? And that is such a Hollywood movie cliché. Alcohol doesn't hit the system in 2 seconds flat from your mouth to the stomach for it to have any impact in being sown with no anaesthesia.

I get the set up of this world for eventual stories but I loathe a big, bad Moriarty villain. Like Julian better die by the end of eventual book 2.

Major spoiler/plot discussion, if you've read the book please answer me:

Almost forgot to add the basis of this whole book is Phine's power being 'The Tick Witch' which was used against her by everyone and their mother as an insult. Guess how she ends up getting through The Blight? The minute we had the memory scene with Maxine handling The Blight I was like she should just use her power as a filter. Yes, she ends up getting sick from it, but the bigger question is, and mark you I finished this book within the last 24 hours and I now cannot remember if it is addressed, because she said she could view The Blight as a bunch of spells and in the end she breaks all the circles leading to the building collapse, did she in turn eliminate The Blight?????

So, all in all an okay read but honestly the family drama will probably be the reason why I won't potentially read a book 2.

[Samantha]

I was incredibly excited about the premise of this book: witches in New Orleans as the central faction among other supernatural beings is such a fun read. NOLA is a quintessential hotspot for urban fantasy, and the base world was set for something truly immersive.

However, I found this to be a difficult read because I struggled to form a connection with any of the characters. While the FMC has experienced significant trauma, it was hard to relate since it was more informative. Instead of feeling the emotional weight of her past, I felt like I was being told about it, which made it hard to truly root for her journey or care why she is back in NOLA.

The story leans heavily into the politics of the supernatural world (an element I typically enjoy) but because these complex dynamics are thrown at the reader immediately, it was difficult to care about the stakes without a solid character foundation to hold onto. As I mentioned before, throughout the narrative, I felt like I was being "talked at" rather than being pulled into the world.

The book does end on a cliffhanger, and I might pick up the sequel just to see if the series finds its footing, but I’m hoping for something more immersive when in the FMC pov.

Thank you Berkeley for this ARC!

[Charlotte Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a great time with this book and was fully immersed in the magical side of New Orleans. Having alway been a fan of the murkier depths of New Orleans culture from Vampire Diaries or The Skeleton Key, heck, even The Princess and the Frog, it was great to get what felt like an authentic look at the city and its various forms of magic. From the witches to vampires to shifters to sidhe, there was a lot to discover about the world and how it operated as well as the title of Prime.
I enjoyed Phine as a MC and generally felt for her when it came to her generational trauma and the truly abhorrent things that her mother did to her. There were a host of secondary characters that i also enjoyed although it did feel like some disappeared after a while that i would have liked to see more of i.e Remy and Charles for varying reasons.
The writing was descriptive, immersive and very much adult which was great and without the use of excessive profanity if any which was really good.
I liked that the villain wasnt who we initially thought and how the second book was set up but i did find Phine’s powers a bit deus ex machina nearing the end. The dangerous nature of her power and the blight felt a little too easy to overcome after having been through such intense description about how hard it was to do. The easy fix of her healing power added to this which took away some of the stakes for the climax.
Overall, Witch Queen Rising was inventive, intelligent, emotional, funny in bits and great representation or at the very least, description of Black women. I was invested all the way through and think its a solid debut.

[Glenda Nelms · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witch Queen Rising is a suspenseful, dark, action-packed and mysterious debut novel with Southern Gothic Vibes.
Phine grapples with her enchanted powers, faced with resistance from the people that should trust her, and rebuilding her community after being forced to return home to New Orleans. Prine is a multi-layered character. As the story unfolds, you understand why Phine has been running from her family.

The World building was amazing. Many people in her community doubt her ability to lead and question the monstrous powers she was born with. The book covers topics such as rejection, self-acceptance, personal loss, and painful secrets.