I loved the way this book took the every day and slowly gave it a dark and horror-filled twist. Ivy is a lost child abandoned to the care system and has brought herself up as best she could having been abandoned as a baby. But finding her birth mother isn’t the dream she thought it would be, and things quickly descend into nightmare.

This is a fast paced book with so many elements brought in, it was great fun to read.

I do not usually read book of this genre, but I actually enjoyed it. I found it unusually strange, very descriptive, and entertaining. I find Rachel to be a really good author and will definatly read more of her books

Ivy is about to find out who she really is. Brought up in care homes, she is aware of her need to self-protect and is fiercely independent. She has insular interests, no real friends but a job in a butterfly house/museum, which she loves.

However weird things start to happen after she reaches out to find her real mum. She starts seeing shadows and people act strangely and aggressively around her...

Ivy is a lovely well-rounded character, despite the trials of her upbringing. She knows her own flaws, but probably hasn’t faced them head on at this juncture. She is sharp, good natured and can assert herself.
Heading to a remote Welsh lighthouse, things take a darker and scarier turn. One that is extremely immersive and intense.

Thankfully she has Tom, her co-worker with her, and here there is a blossoming relationship , which develops really nicely throughout the book. There are some sweet connections about the development of caterpillars into butterflies and the evolution of Ivy’s own life. There are also deeper links about strong women and the bond of family relationships that evolve as Ivy discovers her links to history and her family of witches. I wasn’t entirely sold re the Arthurian links but just ran with this element. It did bring a nice flavour of magic and had a strong witchy feel. The immediate ending ideally needed to be eked out a tad more than it was, but it was in all, a very atmospheric and dark YA tale with a lovely element of romance.

"We all want the fairy tale.

In the real world, orphans go unadopted and little girls who are abandoned by their mothers are raised by wolves, only to be eaten by them. But no one wants to hear that.

People aren't interested in the cruel and messy truth, so I don't tell them about me."

I can never resist books on witches and witchcraft so as soon as I read the title Waking the Witch I knew I had to read it.

17 year old Ivy was abandoned by her mother as a baby and has never really felt like she can open up to anyone. When she finally discovers her mother's location she warns her it isn't safe to seek her out.

"I'm so sorry. I tried to keep you safe, but I see now that I can't. They won't stop until they have you, but I can't let that happen. Be strong, little one, trust no one, and know that"

Ivy doesn't listen though and sets out to seek her mother with her best friend Tom in tow. The resulting tale is full of myth and Arthurian legend, witches and demons.

"A creature prowls opposite us, half hidden by the optic. It is tall, maybe twice the height of me, and walks on two legs, the top of its body leaning forward at an odd angle. Only its not a thing of flesh and blood. It's made of shadow: a swirling mass of black smoky air, it's outline blurred and wispy."

Waking the Witch was an interesting concept, appropriately creepy for the target age group and pretty funny at times as well. I look forward to the next instalment.

Thank you to Netgalley, Rachel Burge and Bonnier Books Uk: Hot Key Books, for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I have always been interested in Arthurian legends and this was a straight up must read for me especially as it includes my home country. This was full of magic, mystery and folklore which made it even more of a must read as I am a novice witch myself (or at least I hope I am) – I could not put it down and have gone straight to pre-order a physical copy so I can re-read it again and again. The characters and their development were outstanding, and I can’t wait to read more by Rachel – one question – will there be a sequel????

Ivy, abandoned by her mother as a baby, has succeeded in making contact with her mother at last - except her mother says to stay away. Strange things start happening which only make Ivy more determined to meet her mother and get an explanation. To her annoyance and gratefulness, her co-worker, Tom accompanies her on the journey.
The truth of Ivy's story is stranger than either she or Tom could ever have imagined as it has its roots in the story of Merlin, King Arthur's magician. The pair find themselves in great danger with no-one to help but themselves - or so they think.
Throughout this book, I felt the pain, confusion, fear and anger that Ivy felt as she learns more about herself and her origins. There are vivid descriptions of the landscape and the characters which made everything very real.
The book ends in a way that could lead to a sequel but could leave the following chapters to the reader's imagination. Generally, I am a slow reader but I sped through this book wanting to know what happened next - always a sign of a good book!
I thoroughly recommend this book for its re-imagining of the Arthurian legend in a modern setting.

OK, first things first, @rachelburgewriter I sincerely hope you have a sequel planned for this.... I need more!!

When a promo arrived in my inbox for Waking the Witch I was drawn in by the mention of Arthurian legend and Welsh mythology. I love a book that centres around any mythology, they are often some of my favourites. This is no exception.

I really enjoyed Rachel's writing style, it flowed easily and had me laughing more than once (honourable mention to my new favourite insult, cockwomble) and I loved the fact that it made me laugh in an otherwise creepy and mysterious setting. It was really refreshing to see that mix rather than being all sombre and serious or all lighthearted and comedic. It felt realistic. Rachel's imagery was top notch, I could picture the characters and settings without even having to think about it much, which meant it was like watching a movie in my head as I read 🤣

I loved the sisterhood especially and the character development as Ivy worked through her past trauma to learn more about herself.

I definitely highly recommend this read and have popped my order in for a physical copy to adorn my shelves ❤️💙

Ivy has been in care all of her life, and is desperately trying to find her mother. She is devastated when she gets a call from her mother telling her to stay away as she’s in danger. When Ivy is sacked from her job, in strange circumstances, she decides to go straight to Bardsley to confront her mother. With no money or way of getting there, she reluctantly accepts co-worker Toms offer to drive her there, something they both may regret.

I liked the premise of this book, despite not being in the target audience. Anything to do Arthurian Legend and Welsh Mythology is always very tempting. The theme of family, loneliness and plain bottling up your feelings is well handled. This together with the darkly disturbing Welsh countryside is really atmospheric, scary and at times I almost didn’t want to read what happened next. So descriptive that I could imagine I was in a hot house with butterflies but also bring soaked to the skin during a storm on a Welsh coast. I loved Tom, but couldn’t quite take to Ivy, although her voice got stronger as the story went on. Well written, although a bit too scary for me. But highly recommended for the authors target audience. 3 1/2 🌟

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Wow wow . Once again Rachel has blonde out of thr water with this book. I just love her writing style and the atmosphere she creates .

I am excited to read more from her

I have never read any books by Rachel Burge before, but I am really happy that I read this one.

For some reason, the concept of the story really appealed and though part of me expected the novel to have aspects of books like The Ex Hex and Not the Witch You Wed, it was more about the characters than it was a love story.

It had a few elements that made me think it was closer in themes to one of my all-time favourite novels, The Changeover by Margaret Mahy. A young woman discovers that magic is real and to save someone she loves (in this case her mother), she draws upon powers she didn’t know she possessed to come to the rescue.

Ivy doesn’t know who she is, despite that, she has made something of her life, she works, she keeps very much to herself, and she remains determined that she is going to find the mother who abandoned her to the foster system.

When she finally hears from her mother, the contact isn’t what she expects, but she takes it on the chin and heads off with Tom, a young man who seems to want to befriend Ivy, to an island off the coast of Wales that is rumoured to be the site of Avalon…yes, that Avalon.

The development of the characters and the slow growth of the bond between Ivy and Tom is wonderful to read. The book isn’t a flat-out romance, but it has a role to play in the story. However, as I don’t do spoilers in my reviews it’s not something I am going to go into.

I really enjoyed the mix of Celtic mythology and fantasy, the merging of Merlinian tale and strong women. It was interesting to see the way that the author managed to change the story enough that it wasn’t a simple re-telling. It’s definitely going to have me looking at alternative versions of the stories that I grew up with - because I am sure they’re out there.

I’d recommend this to anyone who wants to read something a little darker, a little less romantically focused and more about character development and story building.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Books UK for sending me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to note that I have also picked up a finished copy as they were for sale early at YALC in London last weekend, when Rachel was there to sign her books. This does not influence my review, however I would like to make it known that Rachel and the final copy of this book are lovely - however having finished reading the book the cover doesn't fully align with the story and is misleading. The light house and the birds are fine but the bottom half of the book cover... just doesn't make sense :(

Firstly - Rachel has given me everything atmospheric and creepy that I loved in her first duology, but based it on an island in Wales and I am <b>here</b> for it. I'm not a horror reader, and I'm not the best with thrillers either but give me Mythology that makes me want to keep the lights on so I can keep turning pages?? I'm sold.

Second - The way Arthurian legend has been spun through this book, is so cool. It's so subtle while Ivy is learning and it increases as she learns and just Ahhh. Learning with the characters is my favourite way to have a plot evolve and I am HAPPY.

Third - Ivy. Can I hug her? Just a little bit.

Four - The family / Sisterhood / Found Family / Friendship plots within this book are *chefs kiss*. I'm not saying more for spoilers but just... Yes.

Five - I am HOPING that there is a second book coming. Please? Maybe just a little one?

Thank you for allowing me access to this book. I love any story based around witches.

I enjoyed this book. I think I would describe it as young adult. Seeing as Ivy is 17. She has a lot of learning and finding herself in this book to do, and I think it’s the perfect book for a YA who may be struggling to open up and find who they are as a person.

I enjoyed the story. It wasn’t anything to shout about but I enjoyed it none the less. The ending left me wondering if this book will be part of a series? I mean there is so much more to the story so I would definitely pick up the second book if there was to be one.

If you want creepy fantasy (I’m talking a little bit of horror movie) with witchcraft and legends and a little bit of romance then this is definitely the book for you. It made me a little afraid of the dark and things that go bump in the night, so not your standard fantasy novel but so hard to put down.

Ivy is a fiercely independent and closed off 17 year old girl, abandoned at birth and searching for her mother. When strange things start happening to her at work after a strange call from her birth mother, she makes the trip with her friend, Tom, from work to the isolated island where she lives. You could pluck this foggy, electricity free and deserted island straight from the plot of a horror movie and kudos to Tom and Ivy for going, because I would 100% have stayed on dry land with internet and phone signal.

There’s a lot of mysterious things happening on the island that Tom is understandably sceptical about until he’s drawn into the fray, but he supports Ivy and her ability to look after herself whilst still being protective of this strange girl who shares next to nothing about her life. This book cleverly shows the strength and lightness in sharing your feelings with others and allowing yourself to connect instead of bottling everything up and being plagued by the darkness of your own emotions and isolation. Tom and Ivy open up to each other and become closer as their situation becomes more fraught, ancient legends, witchcraft and sisterhood driving this story forward.

I love Arthurian mythology and always like to find new spins on it, and this one was simply amazing!

Ivy is trying to track her birth mother and strange things start to happen when she gets in touch... so she impulsively travels to the remote island where her mother lives, with her very helpful work colleague Tom. But things just keep getting weirder and weirder and Ivy and Tom are thrown together into a long battle they can't even comprehend!

This is out on 18 August, I would highly recommend this one for any magic/mythology lovers

Really enjoyed this story, very different to ones I would normally read.
Ivy had been abandoned as a baby at a service station. The only thing Ivy knows is she has a locket, in that is a strange note that her mother had left her telling Ivy that her mother had left her to protect her.
Ivy had moved around several care homes and foster families but never felt that she could get close to anyone or really trust them.
She got a job at a butterfly centre, she loved the job but not the manager, he could be rather hands on, and not in a good way.
His nephew,Tom, also worked there and Ivy found he could be very annoying but what made the job good was a lot of the people that came and some of the older ones were regulars, using the butterfly house to keep warm.
Ivy had been searching for her mum and one day someone was able to give Ivy a lead as to where she may be, this started both Ivy and Tom on a track that would be had to believe.

Ivy works at a butterfly zoo and was abandoned as a baby. The only thing she has is a note from her mother saying that she tried to keep her safe. After searching for years Ivy finally locates her mother on Bardsey Island where according to folklore, the cormorants that fly over the remote Welsh isle are the terrifying witches of Arthurian legend.

Despite her mum warning Ivy not to come and find her and to stay away from the lighthouse Ivy disobeys her and now she’s at risk from the witches. Her mother welcomes her in but warns her that she shouldn’t have come and uses salt as protection but will it be enough to keep the evil at bay and what do the witches want with Ivy?

This was such a good book. It was atmospheric and the setting of the island was definitely creepy with it being abandoned during winter. The ending was just amazing and leaves it open for book 2 (please let there be a next instalment I need to know what happens next). Great characters and great storyline. If you like witches, mythology and Arthurian legends you’ll love this book. Saying that though if you aren’t into the above I reckon you’ll still enjoy this book because it’s so well written and the storyline is just so good.

I received this as an eARC and it’s the first one I’ve ever got - and what a book to get!

The story follows Ivy, a young girl with a mysterious past and the journey she goes on to discover more about it. Throughout the book we encounter parts of Arthurian legend, witchcraft and a healthy dose of feminism - all deftly handled by Burge.

I really enjoyed the setting of the book, set across the UK and a large portion of it was spent in Wales which is such an underrated, beautiful part of the world. The writing really set the tone and felt incredibly creepy at times, giving portions of the book a real unsettling vibe and making you second guess just what was actually happening and the characters motives.

The characters themselves were great, Ivy never felt like a cliche of a character and the writing managed to avoid making her into a classic “Mary-Sue”, as we so often see. The other characters were very interesting and seeing the twists for some of the well-known people of Arthurian legends was refreshing.

The folklore and legends that were covered in the book were very well researched and handled. I felt you could tell it’s something the author has a genuine interest in, making the twists she put on them seem even better made made me want to keep reading more.

My only criticism of the book was the middle part did drag a little, the start and ending with were fantastic with lots of things happening and events that kept me guessing right up until the end. The middle portion in comparison to this just felt a little flat but still enjoyable. The ending is, hopefully, setting us up for a sequel as well which I’ll be keeping an eye out for.

Overall a great book, perfect for fans of magic, myths and mystery!

I was quite intrigued by this book as it’s set in Wales where I’m from, I had never heard of this island before now but I’m desperate to take a trip after reading this! It definitely started off strong, there is certainly a lot of mystery although I found the middle of the book dragged with lots of action right at the end. It sets up well for the next book which I’m really looking forward to and there’s a lot more characters that I’d like to see developed.

The characters in this book carry the story along really well - they are created in a way that you feel you know them from the very beginning and feel invested in what happens to them. Lots happens in a relatively short span but the story never feels rushed and although as a reader you know there is lots yet to come this is a satisfying read in its own right. The links with Arthurian legend work well as do the links to wider issues such as growing up in care and women’s voices being silenced by powerful men.

This superbly atmospheric novel takes us into the life of Ivy who has been searching for her birth mother and finally tracks her down to a island off the coast of Wales. Arriving unannounced she’s unsure of what she’ll find, especially as the island is uninhabited in the darker months. Here is a dark power at work here, and her family has secrets which are dark and frightening. This great novel draws on traditional legends and mythology, and in true Rachel Burge style, is steeped in the most amazing atmosphere. A great fantastical adventure.