The November Witches follows straight on from The October Witches. October is done, and November is meant to be a magic free month and life returns to normal, but something is up. We dive straight back to the fun and adventure with Clemmie and her family. This time the covens need to work out what's going on and now witch hunters are in town. A fun read with plenty of mystery and magic!

This sequel carries straight on from The October Witches. Clemmie’s aunts aren’t impressed that she banished magic at the end of the last story, but it seems it isn’t quite gone, when strange things start to happen and she and her cousins are chased by questing knights. I love Claesson’s writing - with its warmth and humour and that mixture of recognisable every day details and emotions with magic and sparkle. It’s a world that is immersive and fun, a wonderful story world to spend time in!

4.2 Stars
One Liner: An entertaining adventure

None of the witches are happy about the gloomy magic-free November, except Clemmie (Clem) and her cousin Mirabelle. October was a mess. Everyone is still struggling with what had happened. However, their troubles are far from over when knights from the past come knocking on the door.
It has been the Merlyns vs. Morgans for decades. However, the knights have only one target – to burn the witches. The two covens have to come together to find a way out and stay alive. Soon, Clem and her cousins realize it’s up to the young hags to save the day. Can they do it?
The story comes in Clemmie’s first-person POV.

My Thoughts:
This is the sequel to The October Witches, released last year (2022). It cannot be read as a standalone, as it starts where the previous book ends.
I confess to not remembering much (almost zero retention), though I could recollect the basic details once I started this book. It didn’t take long to get into the grove and go with the flow.
This book has a faster pace, which I appreciate. The story keeps moving, which keeps things interesting and entertaining. However, it can also be a disadvantage if the reader doesn’t remember what happened in the previous book, as there are minimum references.
The aunts are grumpy, and Clem is feeling guilty. However, there’s no time to dwell on this. In fact, even the Morgans have to swallow their pride and be humble. Of course, it’s not easy on the old hags on either side. A clash between the two could erupt at any time, and the young hags have a helluva time trying to soothe things.
There’s also a glorious magical forest (I love it) where the action occurs in the second half. The setting is beautiful and comes alive on the pages without getting overly descriptive.
The book truly belongs to the kids- Clem, Mirabella, Kerra, and Senara. There’s another kid, ‘Potboy’, a young wannabe squire longing to prove himself by capturing the witches. We see how they have to be adults (since the adults act childish most of the time, except for one person) while knowing their limitations as children.
Topics like bullying, family bonding (or the lack of it in one case), parental pressure/ approval, listening to the other person, finding one’s voice, desire to prove one’s worth, etc., are woven into the plot. Since we get the story from Clem’s POV, it has a realistic touch to it with a dash of humor and some lovely observations. Clem finding her voice and pushing beyond the fear of speaking is a recurring theme in the book. I love how it is contrasted (yet aligned) with Kerra’s issues.
Mirabelle’s puns are well… hit or a miss, something even she knows. That’s what makes them funnier than actual, I suppose. Serena is a stable and balanced young hag exploring her strengths and helping her cousins.
Clem’s mom, Patty, has some great advice. She is the only sane old hag in both the covens. Imagine that!
The climax isn’t as powerful as in book one, but does the job. The book ends with a cliffhanger and sets the stage for book #3 (this is to be a trilogy). I am already excited about The December Witch (that can be the only possible title).

To summarize, The November Witches is a great continuation of book one and takes the story to the next level. It is entertaining, steady-paced, and delightful.
Thank you, NetGalley and UCLan Publishing, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

The follow-up to The October Witches is just as fun, heartfelt and witchy an adventure! It was a little confusing to dive back into at the start, as not much recapping of Clem's October adventures is done, but once I'd remembered who everyone was and what was happening, the story rattles along at a lovely pace. I really enjoy the many different female characters and their complex family relationships. A great witchy, autumnal read.

A sequel to The October Witches, I was keen to read the follow up to this cosy autumnal story about a family of witches. With a great concept centred around witches who only have magic for the month of October, their quest to keep their magic all year round develops in this second novel. With knights and wild magic interwoven with Arthurian legend, this is an exciting adventure and yet Clemmie still feels relatable and is grounded in the everyday reality of being a pre-teen girl dealing with family drama.
I particularly like the tension and drama between the two covens, The Merlyns and the Morgans. The fact that the Merlyns are all women is a clever touch and I didn't miss the male characters. There were places where I wanted the pace to slow so we could spend more time enjoying certain scenes but there was so much to pack in you couldn't help but be swept along.

This book follows directly on from The October Witches so I highly recommend reading that first.
November is supposed to be a magic free month, but something is amis.
Can the covens work out whats happening and why there are witch hunters.
Mystery, magic, and family disaster.
A fun book thats not too long. Easy read.

"The November Witches" by Jennifer Claessen is an absolute gem of a book. I should confess, I hadn't read the first book in this series, but that didn't hinder my enjoyment one bit. In fact, it left me craving to delve into the first installment.

Claessen's storytelling is so immersive that it effortlessly pulled me into the world of the characters, their experiences, and their complex relationships. From page one, I was hooked. The writing style is captivating, and it's clear the author has a knack for weaving an engaging narrative.

The characters are beautifully written and authentically flawed. Their growth and development throughout the story is a testament to Claessen's skill as a writer. You'll find yourself rooting for them, celebrating their victories, and commiserating in their struggles.

What truly stands out in "The November Witches" is the seamless blend of elements. It combines the intrigue of a mystery, the depth of character-driven drama, and a touch of magic that adds an ethereal charm to the narrative. It's a rare accomplishment to find a book that manages to balance so many elements flawlessly.

The story is emotionally resonant and, at times, heart-wrenching. It deals with themes of family, loss, and resilience in a way that feels genuine and relatable. Claessen's ability to craft these emotions is remarkable.

If you haven't read the first book, don't worry; "The November Witches" can easily be enjoyed as a standalone. However, be prepared to be left with a compelling desire to explore the prequel. Claessen leaves hints and references that make you want to know more about the characters and their past adventures.

In conclusion, "The November Witches" is an outstanding read, deserving of a 5-star rating. It's a book that effortlessly transports you into its world and leaves you wanting more. I highly recommend it to anyone who appreciates a rich, character-driven story with a hint of magic and mystery.

Book Review 📚
The November Witches by Jennifer Claessen - 4/5 ⭐

I really, REALLY need to stop judging books by their cover because I always end up doing what I've done here - not having a clue is a sequel 😂 so, obviously, I had to go buy the October Witches and read that before this one.

The thing I enjoyed most about this book was the covens having to come together and work as a team to help eachother. After the first book, it was a brilliant twist to the story.

The characters were amazing as always, with such amazing developments. I love the Clemmie clan, they're my favourites for sure. There was a great story line and thoroughly enjoyed the entire thing.

Thank you to NetGalley and UCLan Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

The November Witches picks up from where The October Witches leaves off with all the magic left and November being a non-magic month.

We follow Clemmie and the Merlyn coven into a month where there shouldn’t be any magic, especially since the magic escaped and disappeared at the end of October.

We see how the two Morgans, Kerra and Senara fit into Merlyn house and human world. Though not for very long as something has gone wrong and there must be magic around that hasn’t returned to the stars as witch-hunting glory-questing knights start to show up in larger and larger quantities.

When the young hags find that the Morgan coven is not responsible for the knights, they also find out that the Morgans are also being plagued by wild magic.

Can the Merlyns and Morgans team up to find out what is causing this surge of uncontrolled magic or is there something more sinister afoot? Is there an old enemy (or a new one) planing the downfall of the witches? Can Clemmie figure out what is happening and put a stop to it before it is too late for all the witches?

Another great magical adventure full of witches, knights, dragon, a mystical forest, and lots of growing up and what an ending! If you loved The October Witches this if perfect for you. If you’ve not read The October Witches yet, hurry up so you can read this!

THE NOVEMBER WITCHES starts up right where THE OCTOBER WITCHES ended - magic has gone and life is settling back down, with the covens adjusting to their changed numbers. Except knights begin turning up.

It's another magical caper, except this time the covens must work together to solve their issues. Which, of course, is not going to be easy. I really enjoyed seeing their respect for one another grow across the book, though with several rocky spots. It's a tale of overcoming old prejudice and working together to save the day through less traditionally heroic means.

Though magic has supposedly gone, there is still plenty of magic in this book. Except this time the witches aren't controlling it, giving it a menacing bent. I particularly enjoyed the incredibly atmospheric forest, letting the book balance between spooky atmospheric and joyous chaotic vibes at times.

In place of Royal Mail delivery notes, this book had letters from one of the knights (well, a wannabe squire.) There were funny once more, but more than that, they gave an insight into what the knights were doing and how they might feel in the midst of the chaos. I loved how we got to see this wannabe knight try to be all fearless and bold, hiding all his fear.