The Honey Witch

• Author: Sydney J. Shields
• Genre: Fantasy
• Publication Date: May 14, 2024
• Publisher: Redhook

Thank you to Redhook and Angela Man for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

CONTENT WARNING: death of a grandparent, grief, talk of infertility, treatment of a miscarriage

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 the 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 price: No one can fall in love with the Honey Witch.

With 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 might fight for more than her new home—at the risk of losing her magic and her heart.

This sounded like the most wonderful cozy fantasy novel, and after reading some heavier novels that really dive into the darker themes, this was what my mind and heart were calling for. The idea of a Honey Witch, a curse that allows a woman to chase her dreams rather than be pigeon-holed into a gender role she doesn’t necessarily want, and a sweet sapphic romance no one was expecting (except readers who paid attention to the plot summary)? Made for me. The one downside? I had the urge to put honey in everything for days.

Marigold is one of those characters that I wish was real so I could hang out with her. She’s young and still has a lot to learn, but she’s open to it and grows so much throughout the book.One of the interactions that stood out to me the most was when Marigold was talking with Althea, her grandmother, and questioned something that another woman had done. Althea sternly tells her to respect the decisions of other women, and that it isn’t her place to judge the choices of any other woman. It really marks a turning point for Marigold, and also reinforces a main theme of the book.

The side characters were intriguing as well. We see much of Althea in the beginning of the book, and she plays a huge role in shaping Marigold from a young woman who is struggling to find her place in the world to a confident Honey Witch. Throughout the story is August, Marigold’s childhood friend that she reconnects with in adulthood; his friend Lottie, who at first seems impossible for Mari to get along with, since she doesn’t believe in magic, but over time they do grow close; and various other residents of Innisfree that visit Mari for different reasons. I loved getting to know all of them, and Shields has a great talent, especially for a debut writer, for fleshing out each of her side characters so that they’re never flat and always feel relevant and essential to the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed the uniquely creative plot of this story, incorporating both Honey Witches and Ash Witches, who are meant to work in coordination, but the Ash Witch of Innisfree has been corrupted by a desire for immortality, which led to a curse being placed on the line of Honey Witches that prevents anyone from falling in love with them. The interplay between the Ash and Honey Witches, the residents of the island, and the growing relationship between Mari and Lottie kept me hooked. 

Overall, this was a fantastic book, and especially impressive for a debut. The running theme of women having bodily autonomy and having control over their lives was not only appreciated, but it’s particularly relevant in these times—not just in Ireland, where the book is set, and in the United States, but in other places around the world as well. The story was wonderful, and I couldn’t help but love the characters. It’s reminiscent of a cozy version of the Practical Magic series, and if you liked that series, this is one that you’ll most likely enjoy as much as I did.

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