I wasn't too sure what to expect from this novel.... but WOW!! This is a dystopian thriller with themes of witchcraft and female disempowerment, all set in an alternate planet whos social climate is extremely similar to ours right now. This was one of those novels that made you really open your eyes and look around you- I would recommend for fans of The Handmaid's Tale! I loved the mix of characters and their development, this was the definition of a page turner for me!

Sorry it took so long to review this title. Glad I waited to give it my full attention though, a wonderful interesting book, it has its faults but overall I’d give the coven a 4.5/5

The Coven was an empowering, fast paced and deeply interesting book.

I really liked the magic structure and characters. The three types of witches were really interesting to learn about and it was intriguing seeing them use their different forms of powers. The characters, however, were what made The Coven stand out. Chloe in particular was a great protagonist and her journey gave a fresh spin on ‘The Chosen One’ trope. It felt far more realistic and how a scared teenage girl would react when the weight of the world is placed upon her shoulders. Fry’s use of multiple perspectives helped create this rich tale, with layers of thought-provoking discussion points intertwined with a compelling narrative. I really liked the use of multi-media excerpts that showed the build up of propaganda used to rationalise the discrimination and terror of the reign.

The overall tone and themes are pretty reminiscent of certain political events in recent history. I appreciated how they felt both timely and timeless, echoing themes of female subordination that have echoed throughout the centuries. Fry’s balance of action and political discussion was well-handled, with some excellent twists sneaking their way in as well.

From the start, I was interested to see how Fry would provide a new take on witchcraft. It turns out she does so by weaving an intriguing tale that spans several key voices and being unafraid to turn to some dark moments. There’s consequences to every action and from the start, there’s loss. Power is dangerous and the ramifications of each character’s actions were keenly felt by the plot. This in turn made The Coven feel more high-stakes, as there was a tangible sense of the reality of the situation they faced.

The Coven was an interesting, compelling story that I’m certain many will love.

My thanks to Little, Brown Book Group U.K. Sphere for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Coven’ by Lizzie Fry in exchange for an honest review. Once I realised that I was enjoying it I opted to buy its unabridged audiobook edition, narrated by Rebecca Perfect, to allow for an immersive reading experience.

‘The Coven’ is a fast paced thriller set in a dystopian society in which women are considered a danger to themselves and others due to magical powers handed down from mother to daughter.

Following the assassination of the USA president in 2016 by the Cursed Light, a group of militant elemental witches, the newly inaugurated President sets in motion strict new protocols.

Witchcraft becomes illegal and witches are hunted down: to be imprisoned and re-educated or outright executed. Overseeing this process are the Sentinels based in New York. This edict also is in effect in the U.K. even though the society here is not quite as driven as the USA’s and its patriarchal New Puritan movement. Yet it is still dangerous to be a witch in most parts of the world.

In Exeter, Devon nineteen-year-old Chloe had been spellbound by her mother in an attempt to conceal her magical ability from the authorities. When things go drastically wrong, Chloe and her father find themselves on the run from Sentinels despatched from the USA. Meanwhile in Texas, a witch and a Sentinel escape from a super-max prison. How does this tie-in with events in the U.K.?

I won’t say more in order to avoid spoilers but Lizzie Fry develops these various plot threads providing plenty of action along the way.

As a witch myself I can often be critical of witchcraft in fiction. I felt that Lizzie Fry clearly had taken into account the history of witchcraft and also incorporated the Triple Goddess and religious aspects alongside the spellcastng. I felt that her categorisation of witches as Elemental, Crystal, and Kitchen was well thought out. She also acknowledges the scaremongering tactics that present magic and the occult as dangerous in evangelical Christianity and brings aspects of these into the narrative.

Lizzie Fry has a background in screenwriting and often writes on the subject of the adaptation of novels into film and tv. She clearly brings this experience into the pacing of ‘The Coven’ as it is quite cinematic and proved hard to put down.

Overall, an engaging blend of political conspiracy thriller and dystopian fiction with a witchcraft theme.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

An excellent thriller with a supernatural element, focusing on the interaction between the government and witchcraft. Very original!

The Coven by Lizzie Fry
*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review*
Stopped reading at 10%- Spoilers ahead and as always check trigger warnings.

I wanted to love this book! Fantasy is one of my favourite genres and this book had ‘The Discovery of Witches’ vibes. But it just fell short of what I was looking for. I couldn’t lose myself in the plot. There wasn’t enough world building at the start to grip me. However, I feel like this might be a me problem, as I know plenty of people have enjoyed it.

Again, thank you to Lizzie Fry, the publisher and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

‘The Coven’ is set in a dystopian world where witches are been hunted down, imprisoned and killed by the government. Many women now find themselves in danger on a daily basis. The government are determined to do everything they can to eradicate all witches off the face of the world.

One woman in particular soon begins to realise she has all sort of powers that could she could never imagine. In a world where all witches believed to be cursed and are imprisoned for even lighting sage, she now finds herself on top of the wanted list and on the run. Could her powers that are now seemingly out of control help to save her life and others?

Chloe now on the run from the Sentinels soon meets Adelita, a Crystal witch and an ex-sentinel. Adelita, who is on the run from jail, tries to guide Chloe who is now trying to control her new founded powers. Chloe soon finds out she’s an Elemental, who make up one percent of witches. The Elementals would normally possess just one of the elemental powers and are seemingly deemed the most dangerous out of all witches. However, as she starts to use her powers more and more, she soon discovers that she is not like other Elementals and possesses all four of the Elemental powers. She soon finds out though that someone now wants her for her powers and is determined to get them no matter what.

I loved how ‘The Coven’ is at the core a dystopian story but with witches thrown in. ‘The Coven’ is a cross between ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ meets ‘Harry Potter’. Full of action, great character development, friendships, ‘The Coven’ is a real page turner and I loved the world the author has built.

This promises to be a great start to a series and I look forward to seeing what happens next.

As a witch myself I was excited to read this. Usually fantasy isn't a genre I enjoy reading, but I was intrigued due to the subject matter.
I have read a few witchy based fiction books previously, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the level of accuracy and detail within this book. So much in this book is based on Wiccan or witch traditions/rituals and I absolutely loved that. It's clear that the author Lizzie Fry knows what she is talking about in terms of witchcraft.

The book started off with a bang and I was hooked immediately - although my attention trailed off the more the book went on. This book is far too long, and this slows the pace down and was the cause of my lack of interest about 3 quarters of the way through. I definitely think if the book was about 100 pages shorter it would have been better. It started so promisingly, so I was really disappointed that by the end I couldn't really care less about the characters and the plot.

Overall, I did enjoy it and loved all the accurate witchy references but the pacing was all wrong and that ultimately ruined my enjoyment. I did like the writing style though so excited to see what Lizzie Fry does next.

The Coven is a breathtaking, pacy global race against the clock to defeat a shadowy organisation adamant on destroying women’s potential and a prophetic, highly original and post-Trump dystopian thriller that irrevocably links witchcraft and feminist resistance creating an ingrained prejudice against women. Set in an alternate version of Earth and with the political and social situation in the Western World being similar to that of today, The Coven feels prescient and timely and is a reminder of the oppression of women by patriarchal forces the world over. The assassination of the US President is the precipitating factor in the widespread crackdown of those practicing magic. President, Dr Miriam Stone, was seemingly murdered by the Cursed Light, a faction of Elemental witches dedicated to wiping men off the face of the earth, in April 2016, or at least that's according to the government's rhetoric. In actuality the Sentinels, a mysterious organization dedicated to destroying any manifestation of witchcraft carried it out to enable them to install a man who shared their warped ideology. The murder resulted in the emergency inauguration of President Michael Hopkins, who was less sympathetic to the witches cause than Stone had been. There are three types of witch: Elemental, Kitchen and Crystal. Elementals are the most dangerous and most feared and make up only one percent of witches. Kitchen witches are the most common and are urged to relinquish their cauldrons and spell books and agree to join a re-education program. Crystal witches who take their power from crystals and study account for only five percent of witches.

The rampant demagoguery emanating from the new instalment at the Oval Office and Hopkins' divisive propaganda demonising women for an element of themselves they were born with, swiftly sets the fight for equality and egalitarian ideals back centuries. A misogynist and the mark of a patriarchal system constantly denouncing women as second class citizens through passionate speeches about how magic and how those who wield it should be universally feared, Hopkins' words start to take effect when he gains support for a brutal shoot-to-kill order for all Elemental witches and imprisonment for those deemed less perilous. When the President hears reports of nineteen-year-old Chloe Su, the most powerful Elemental to have ever lived, he dispatches one of his most effective assassins to Britain to take her out. As witches are being hunted around the world, Chloe begins to discover her power and her dangerous ability draws the attention of the Sentinels. Chloe and her allies must survive a hectic chase across Europe and the United States to find and protect the source of all women's power before the Sentinels destroy it forever. This is a captivating, enthralling and richly-imagined tale of witchcraft and unbounded patriarchal power with a charming and intelligent magical realism feel to it and all the twists and paciness of an international thriller. It is a real page-turner with an inspirational set of characters whose friendship was heartwarming and is very much reflective of the Trump era and the fact that he chose to use his immense platform to divide rather than unite. Highly recommended.

I LOVED the premise of the book, it had me at "witches" but I confess I really struggled getting into it...it's funny because it reminded me so much of The Power and Handmaid's Tale and I had the exact issue with them as well.
The writing in the very beginning seemed a bit juvenile but it definitely improved so don't let it put you off if that's an issue.
It was a really interesting read though - like I hinted at before, it's like a witchy version of The Power so you can't really go wrong with that combo!
For fans of feminist dystopia.

The Coven is spectacularly fun. Witchcraft has been outlawed, and powerful forces are at work to destroy anyone practising magic. Chloe Sue’s powers have awoken, revealing her to be one of the most powerful Elemental witches on earth, and it is up to her father, an ex witch-hunter and a crystal witch to keep her safe. I absolutely adored reading this book. Each scene was set up wonderfully, and the characters are brilliant. I loved Adalita’s and Ethan’s complex relationship, and how Chloe adapts to her ever-changing circumstances. I also loved the use of historical witch sites, such as Salem and Cornwall. This book kept me guessing right up until the end, and I really hope there will be a sequel, because it has the potential to be a very popular franchise.

3.5 - 4 stars

I’m here for dystopia and I’m here for fantasy, so bring me a pairing of the two and that’s pretty exciting. The Coven was a contemporary envisioning of a dystopian, patriachial future centred around the idea of erradication of witchcraft. In ways, this wasn’t a new topic, indeed the book leaned on the historical past we know of, to underpin the contemporary.

The book had an eclectic mix of characters and some shocking beginnings to grab you in to the story. There were character stories in parallel until they became one and I have to say, that aspect was very well written. I was doubly invested from the start. Chloe was such a hard character to like but her father was incredibly endearing. Adelita and Ethan were likeable from the start.

The story navigated oppression, misogyny, captivity, rebellion and some rather scary powers. After a strong first half, I did find elements of the storyline in the second half chaotic and I had to really concentrate to keep up with power plays and plots.

I have to mention that a racial slur was included in the book without being necessary. It didn’t add to the plot, it wasn’t corrected by another character and the narrative just breezed on by. I do think that this kind of inclusion potentially gives licence to that word’s use and I’m sad it was there. I can only hope it didn’t make it to the final edit.

Overall, The Coven was a clever and engaging concept all wrapped up in a dystopian feminist fantasy standalone.

Thank you to Sphere, Little Brown UK for the review copy.

Thank you so much to the publishers for allowing me to read this before the publishing date!

We are introduced to a world where witchcraft and magic is real. Women are born witches, its in their blood, but the government are hell bent on all witches being a danger and must be turned over or killed.

From the beginning to the end I was hooked. This dystopia world reminded me a lot of the Handmaid's tale crossed over with Charmed and I love both of them so this was an enjoyable read. It was fast paced, so much was going on but I could keep track with each chapter. I was so happy with the amount of magic and explosiveness of it throughout the story, it was beautiful in ways and deadly in others and it made everything so exciting and fun.

I adore Adelita, Ethan, Chloe and Daniels characters! It was so heartwarming and funny at times seeing them as they went through all this crazy stuff together and how their friendships blossomed overtime. I could see this one day becoming a film and I can't wait to see it!

Publishing on Instagram: Instagram.com/readchillrepeat
Date: 21/2/21

I was delighted to receive a review copy of this book because I loved the sound of its premise, especially with the ramifications of the Trump era still so present in our lives. We are plunged in to a world where witchcraft is real, and can be passed from mothers to daughters. But the demagogue US President decrees that all witches should be imprisoned for their own safety, and the safety of others.....

Unfortunately, this author’s style of writing is just not for me. I found it too clunky and obvious, which made the reading experience rather dull. It is a shame because the author’s world-building is highly imaginative, while at the same time feeling like it could be all too real. So this one is not for me, but as I always say when I have to give a rather downbeat review, anyone interested in the story should give it a go for themselves.

I am grateful to the publishers for my review copy.

This is a really fast paced story where the action basically starts straight away.
There is very little character development which I didn't mind because the story moved at a pace where there was no time but there are flashbacks which give you a sense of the characters history.
I went into this expecting the witches to have subtle magic not explosive house demolishing power but it really worked. It was definitely an interesting twist.
I like the way even though the men think they have all the power they're basically shown to be the weaker sex trying to suppress these women.
The oppression of women was very reminiscent of A Handmaid's Tale so if you like that style of story I think you would enjoy this.

Wow!! This book is absolutely STUNNING!! I have nothing negative I can say about this book. It is absolutely gorgeous and a great read. 
Fry has done a wonderful job of building an incredible world scenario within this book. I have found this completely engaging and addictive. I have devoured this in one sitting. 
I adore the strong female characters present within this book. They are just wonderful and I have really loved all of them. 
This is a fast paced and brilliant book that I would love to see as a movie. It is exciting and a book that I haven't been able to stop thinking about. I have definitely been hooked and converted as a fan of this author. 
A five star rating for this masterpiece and a book that should be on everyone's TBRS.

Not a 16the century novel, this is a modern day dystopian witch hunt. Eery and full of anger inducing unfairness, yet counterbalanced by strong women who are determined to get what they want.

Set in a chilling alternative present day, women all over the world are being hunted for witchcraft. I loved that it takes the idea of history repeating itself, plants it within our own timeline and amps up the tension. It’s action packed and full of twists which I think would work very well if this book was ever adapted to film or television. My only gripes are that it felt a bit repetitive at times and the use of several racial slurs towards indigenous people made me uncomfortable. But other than that, I really enjoyed it.

An absolute cracking adventure about a young girl who discovers she is a powerful witch, she's had her powers bound by her mother and we meet her as all hell breaks loose when the binds break. I really liked the fact that the story isn't told from her perspective, instead there's a more mature feel. The main characters are a 30 year old woman who recently discovered she also has powers, a reformed bad guy, and also the young witch's father. Another bonus is the amount of time spent in Devon and Cornwall.
The basic premise is that some women have power, most men don't and typically the women are rounded up and killed. This sort of thing has been done, but this works well on the whole. I liked the whole set-up, the different types of witch, the bad guy twist and the fact that it gets quite gritty at times. I also really liked some of the details, especially the hypocampus explanation.
My only downside is some of the repetitive descriptive especially "rogue Sentinel" and there is a slightly unpolished feel which is a great shame.

I liked the premise of the story. I liked the general story. The sentinels practically run the world, to rid it from witches. There’s 3 kinds of witches, kitchen, crystal and the most dangerous, elemental. Chloe is an elemental and Adelita is a crystal witch. Destined to meet and help bring down the misogynistic rule and change the world for the better, with the help of Daniel, Chloe’s dad and Ethan a rogue sentinel who brakes Adelita out of witch prison. To make everyone equal. A great idea but I found it very hard to connect with the main characters Chloe is 18 and the ‘typical’ teenager stereotype is over played, she’s comes across as very annoying and unlikeable. whether this is to highlight her as the unlikely hero or not I thought it detracted the character to much from that, and I couldn’t connect. I also found the relationship between all the characters to familiar from the get go. They are instantly in love or connected in an intense way. The story happens over the course of a few weeks and their relationships evolve to quickly to be believable in my opinion. It had all the standard twists and turns that should have been impactful to the reader but I found it lacking, almost like I was ticking off a list of typical twists and characters rather then reading a story. I think with a little more explanation to people and storyline it would have been amazing. I just found it lacking a little.