The Honey Witch by Sydeny J. Shields Published by Redhook on May 14, 2024
Genres: Romantic Fantasy / Cozy Fantasy / LGBTQ
Format: Paperback
Source: Bookstore
The Honey Witch of Innisfree can never find true love. That is her curse to bear. But when a young woman who doesn’t believe in magic arrives on her island, sparks fly in this deliciously sweet debut novel of magic, hope, and love overcoming all.
Twenty-one-year-old Marigold Claude has always preferred the company of the spirits of the meadow to any of the suitors who’ve tried to woo her. So when her grandmother whisks her away to the family cottage on the tiny Isle of Innisfree with an offer to train her as the next Honey Witch, she accepts immediately. But her newfound magic and independence come with a No one can fall in love with the Honey Witch.
When Lottie Burke, a notoriously grumpy skeptic who doesn’t believe in magic, shows up on her doorstep, Marigold can’t resist the challenge to prove to her that magic is real. But soon, Marigold begins to care for Lottie in ways she never expected. And when darker magic awakens and threatens to destroy her home, she must fight for much more than her new home—at the risk of losing her magic and her heart.
My Review
I picked up The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields because it was a book club pick for the month of June, and I am not sorry I did. The chat for this book had mixed reviews, but I loved it. I found this book to be very cozy and magical. Needless to say, the vibes were vibing for me, and the cover, in my opinion, is slamming. It is so beautiful. Okay, enough gushing. Let me tell you what the book is about, shall I?
Setting:
The year is 1831, and it is Springtime in Bardshire.
This ball is the first event since her twenty-first birthday, so now she has a few months to marry before she is deemed an old and insufferable hag (pg. 5). Reader, it did not take me long to become hooked after reading this line. Can you imagine being considered an old hag at the age of twenty-one? Seriously, it makes me giggle. I wrote in my book next to this line: My how times have changed. Honestly, there are so many great lines in this book worth underlining and commenting on, so I will try to share some throughout my review.
In this story, we are following Marigold Claude, the oldest daughter of a famous artist. Marigold has never felt like she belonged in her village or with the people around her. She does have a deep and simple knowing in her heart that she is very much like her grandmother Althea who that very Spring celebrated her one hundredth birthday. Marigold has not seen her grandmother in years, but that does not stop her from feeling that kinship with the woman. There is a reason for this, and let me just say all the Halloweentown Vibes come out. You see, Reader Marigold is a witch, but she just does not know it yet. She discovers this early on in the story when her grandmother comes to visit. Althea has come to take Marigold back to the tiny Isle of Innisfree to become the next Honey Witch. Marigold’s mother did not want to become a Honey Witch, so she decided to give it up so that she could fall in love and have a family of her own. The problem with being a Honey Witch is that you become cursed in love. No one will ever be able to fall in love with you. Or so the curse goes. Remember I said that Marigold has never felt as if she belonged in her village? Well, this is the reason why, so of course, she jumps at the chance to escape it and the societal expectations of a woman her age. Marigold has no desire to marry or have children, so in her mind, becoming the next Honey Witch is the perfect solution.
“Mother will never allow this.”
“It is your life and it is your choice, Marigold. Completely your choice. Just because she chose a life of love and marriage does not mean you must. I beg you, darling,” she says as she grasps Marigold’s hands. “Put away all thoughts of anyone else’s expectations. Only you have the right to decide your own fate.” (pg. 33)
After a long boat ride and a carriage ride or two, Marigold and Althea eventually make it back to Innisfree. Marigold is beyond excited to start her new life and learn everything that she possibly can about becoming a witch. It isn’t long before she runs into an old friend from her childhood; August is his name. She meets him along with his boyfriend and a girl named Lottie. Marigold and August pick right up where they left off all those years ago, which is great because it gives Marigold a friend in her new life. His boyfriend, however, is a bit snooty, and Lottie just seems angry. Marigold does not know what to think of them, but really, it does not matter because she has so much she needs to learn.
Marigold has grown up surrounded by the poets who propel the narrative — how romantic to die young, unstretched, unsullied, without ever outgrowing the part of the ingenue. But what happens when the girl keeps living, when she ages proudly and defiantly, without abandoning imagination, or stories, or that secret wish to find magic wherever it hides? (Book Opening)
Well, then the poets would call her a witch. (Book Opening)
Althea introduces Marigold to the Spirits that help to guard the island that no one else is able to see. She teaches her how to care for them when they are in need and shows her what each Spirit is in charge of. Althea then takes Marigold around to learn about the gardens and the plants throughout the island. These things will come in handy when she is making cures for people who come in search of certain spells and remedies. They receive some of those things in lotions, soaps, perfumes, and makeup, among other things. Althea also teaches Marigold how important the bees are to their magic and the Spirits. She teaches her of their healing powers along with their ability to nourish and replenish them. Marigold finally feels like she belongs, even with an evil witch lurking in the shadows waiting to take Innisfree for herself. It is not long before things begin to change for Marigold and she has to figure out how to do life all over again.
” Oh, I can hardly be coherent. But it’s like asking the skies to stop holding rain clouds because they’re to heavy. It can’t be done. It doesn’t matter how hard it is to carry; that grief cannot be let go.” (pg. 169)
Meanwhile, back in Bardshire, life is going on as usual, just without Marigold. She does receive letters from home, and she desperately misses her family. Marigold realizes all the things that she is missing by being on Innisfree and decides to set off for home for a visit, bringing some friends with her. Besides, she can not leave her friends back on the island because she has accepted the challenge of proving to Lottie that magic is real. Marigold refuses to fail. Her visit home is quick, and before she knows it, she is back in Innisfree. When she comes back, it is not as she left it. Something terrible has happened. Something that Marigold has no idea of how to fix. This, my dear Reader, is where I am going to stop my recap because I do not want to spoil anything.
As I said above, I absolutely loved this story, and I imagine it will be one that I come back to time and again. If you love stories with Regency Vibes mixed with Halloweentown and Cottage Core, then this is definitely a book for you. This is a story about discovering who you are, found family, love, friendship, good versus evil, and magic. In my opinion, it is everything cozy you could want in a story, and the setting is spot on. This is the author’s debut novel, and I am so happy that I got the chance to read it. If you decide to pick this one up, please, as always, let me know your thoughts. Until Next Time, Reader, Happy Reading.
Trigger Warnings:
- Tattooing/Needles
- Burns
- Blood/Injuries
- House Fire
- Bee Stings
- Grandparent Loss
- Parental Loss
- Death/Grief
- Discussions of Infertility
- Treatment of Miscarriage