#the near witch

[book--brackets]

Curse Workers by Holly Black (2010-2012)

Cassel is cursed. Cursed by the memory of the fourteen year old girl he murdered. Life at school is a constant trial. Life at home even worse. No-one at home is ever going to forget that Cassel is a killer. No-one at home is ever going to forget that he isn't a magic worker.

Cassel's family are one of the big five crime families in America. Ever since magic was prohibited in 1929 magic workers have been driven underground and into crime. And while people still need their touch, their curses, their magical killings, their transformations, times have been hard. His granddad has been driven to drink, his mother is in prison and his brothers detest him as the only one of their family who can't do magic.

But there is a secret at the centre of Cassel's family and he's about to inherit it. It's terrfying and that's the truth.

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (2014)

The youngest, half-goblin son of the Emperor has lived his entire life in exile, distant from the Imperial Court and the deadly intrigue that suffuses it. But when his father and three sons in line for the throne are killed in an "accident," he has no choice but to take his place as the only surviving rightful heir.

Entirely unschooled in the art of court politics, he has no friends, no advisors, and the sure knowledge that whoever assassinated his father and brothers could make an attempt on his life at any moment.

Surrounded by sycophants eager to curry favor with the naïve new emperor, and overwhelmed by the burdens of his new life, he can trust nobody. Amid the swirl of plots to depose him, offers of arranged marriages, and the specter of the unknown conspirators who lurk in the shadows, he must quickly adjust to life as the Goblin Emperor. All the while, he is alone, and trying to find even a single friend... and hoping for the possibility of romance, yet also vigilant against the unseen enemies that threaten him, lest he lose his throne – or his life.

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor (2004-2009)

When Alyss Heart, newly orphaned heir to the Wonderland throne, flees through the Pool of Tears to escape her murderous Aunt Redd, she finds herself lost and alone in Victorian London. Befriended by an aspiring author named Lewis Carrol, Alyss tells the violent, heartbreaking story of her young life. Alyss trusts this author to tell the truth so that someone, somewhere will find her and bring her home. But he gets the story all wrong. He even spells her name incorrectly!

Fortunately, Royal Bodyguard Hatter Madigan knows all too well the awful truth of Alyss' story - and he's searching every corner of our world to find the lost princess and return her to Wonderland, to battle Redd for her rightful place as the Queen of Hearts.

East by Edith Pattou (2003-2018)

Rose has always felt out of place in her family, a wanderer in a bunch of homebodies. So when an enormous white bear mysteriously shows up and asks her to come away with him — in exchange for health and prosperity for her ailing family — she readily agrees. The bear takes Rose to a distant castle, where each night she is confronted with a mystery. In solving that mystery, she loses her heart, discovers her purpose, and realizes her travels have only just begun.

Circle of Magic by Tamora Pierce (1997-1999)

With her gift of weaving silk thread and creating light, Sandry is brought to the Winding Circle community. There she meets Briar, a former thief who has a way with plants; Daja, an outcast gifted at metalcraft; and Tris, whose connection with the weather unsettles everyone, including herself. At Winding Circle, the four misfits are taught how to use their magic - and to trust one another. But then disaster strikes their new home. Can Sandry weave together four kinds of magical power and save herself, her friends, and the one place where they've ever been accepted?

The Chronicles of Alice by Christina Henry (2015-2020)

In a warren of crumbling buildings and desperate people called the Old City, there stands a hospital with cinderblock walls which echo the screams of the poor souls inside. 

In the hospital, there is a woman. Her hair, once blond, hangs in tangles down her back. She doesn't remember why she's in such a terrible place. Just a tea party long ago, and long ears, and blood... 

Then, one night, a fire at the hospital gives the woman a chance to escape, tumbling out of the hole that imprisoned her, leaving her free to uncover the truth about what happened to her all those years ago. 

Only something else has escaped with her. Something dark. Something powerful. And to find the truth, she will have to track this beast to the very heart of the Old City, where the rabbit waits for his Alice.

Sunshine by Robin McKinley (2003)

"Sunshine" is what everyone calls her. She works long hours in her family's coffeehouse, making her famous "Cinnamon Rolls as Big as Your Head," Bitter Chocolate Death, Caramel Cataclysm, and other sugar-shock specials that keep the customers coming. She's happy in her bakery--which her stepfather built specially for her--but sometimes she feels that she should have life outside the coffeehouse. One evening she drives out to the lake to get away from her family, to be alone. There hasn't been any trouble at the lake for years.But there is trouble that night for Sunshine. She is abducted by a gang of vampires who shackle her to the wall of an abandoned mansion, within easy reach of a figure stirring in the moonlight. Sunshine knows that he is a vampire and that she is to be his dinner. Yet when dawn breaks he has not attempted to harm her.And now he needs her help to survive the day...

Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty (2023-present)

A pirate of infamy and one of the most storied and scandalous captains to sail the seven seas. 

Amina al-Sirafi has survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.

But when she’s offered a job no bandit could refuse, she jumps at the chance for one final adventure with her old crew that will make her a legend and offers a fortune that will secure her and her family’s future forever.

Yet the deeper Amina dives the higher the stakes. For there’s always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savour just a bit more power…and the price might be your very soul.

October Daye by Seanan McGuire (2009-present)

The world of Faerie never disappeared: it merely went into hiding, continuing to exist parallel to our own. Secrecy is the key to Faerie's survival—but no secret can be kept forever, and when the fae and mortal worlds collide, changelings are born. Half-human, half-fae, outsiders from birth, these second-class children of Faerie spend their lives fighting for the respect of their immortal relations. Or, in the case of October "Toby" Daye, rejecting it completely. After getting burned by both sides of her heritage, Toby has denied the fae world, retreating into a "normal" life. Unfortunately for her, Faerie has other ideas.

The murder of Countess Evening Winterrose, one of the secret regents of the San Francisco Bay Area, pulls Toby back into the fae world. Unable to resist Evening's dying curse, which binds her to investigate, Toby is forced to resume her old position as knight errant to the Duke of Shadowed Hills and begin renewing old alliances that may prove her only hope of solving the mystery...before the curse catches up with her.

The Near Witch by V. E. Schwab (2011)

The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.

If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.

And there are no strangers in the town of Near.

These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.

But when an actual stranger-a boy who seems to fade like smoke-appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.

The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.

As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi's need to know-about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

[ladytrist]

Line from “The Near Witch” by V.E. Schwab | Her debut novel

[fuckvictorvale]

follow up question: what ve schwab books have you read and which ones are your faves/would you recommend?

i've read the villains duology (obviously), addie larue, and the shades of magic series

we all know how i feel about vicious and vengeful, i loved addie larue, shades i didn't like nearly as much

i'm curious what people think of like gallant, this savage song, the near witch, etc because i don't see them talked about as much. and i'm curious about the overlap between what books people like the most

[stardustandrockets]

Do you consider September 1st the start of Spooky Season™ or do you want until October?

Personally, the season officially starts September 1st, but unofficially, it starts when stores start putting out decorations. I couldn't care less about summer, so here are some book recs that are perfect for Spooky Season™ (regardless of when it starts for you)!

This is by no means an exhaustive list or even exhaustive themes. I grouped things into broad categories and am happy to go into more detail if needed/wanted.

All books are listed below the photos.

Photo 1: Perfect Books for Spooky Season

Photo 2: Dark Academia: Vicious by V.E. Schwab, If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio, A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee, Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson, The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrew, The Library of Shadows by Rachel Moore

Photo 3: Witches: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas, The Near Witch by V.E. Schwab, Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu, Crumbs by Danie Stirling

Photo 4: Horror: Alice Isn't Dead by Joseph Fink, Gallant by V.E. Schwab, The Gathering Dark edited by Tori Bovalino, The Honeys by Ryan La Sala

Photo 5: Middle Grade: City of Ghosts by V.E. Schwab, The Devouring Wolf by Natalie C. Parker, The Supernatural Society by Rex Ogle

Photo 6: Pre-orders: In these Hallowed Halls Anthology (out Sept. 12), A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid (out Sept. 19), All that Consumes Us by Erica Waters (out Oct. 17)

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: The Near Witch

Author: V.E. Schwab

Series or standalone: series

Publication year: 2011

Genres: fiction, fantasy, romance, mystery

Blurb: The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children. If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company. There are no strangers in the town of Near. These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life...but when an actual stranger - a boy who seems to fade like smoke - appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true. The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them, and something tells her she can trust him. As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

[evenstarfalls]

Made a tier list of all V.E. Schwab's books—there's s few miscellaneous things I haven't read, but it's fun to hammer out a ranking. I was intentionally harsher than I normally am, but to be clear, I've enjoyed all of them (except ExtraOrdinary)! They have so much range sometimes it feels like comparing apples to oranges.

Ik lots of people haven't read all her books, but feel free to rb with your tier list!

[do-you-ship-this-book-couple]

Do you ship...

[rynreads91]

the near witch by v.e. schwab

I rated this four stars mostly because it's YA and I know that YA can be 5 stars, but it did feel a bit too juvenile at times. However, I absolutely adored Lexi and the Thorne sisters. All the women in this book were top notch. So we start by learning the legend of the Near Witch followed by Lexi seeing someone out on the moors surrounding the village of Near. The next evening, children start going missing and people are all too ready to blame it on this stranger that people have caught glimpses of, but Lexi is not convinced. It's a fun story as she unravels the mystery of the missing children and grows closer to the stranger. Definitely a good little spooky read for fall!

[thelastofthebookworms]

Other polls

[book--brackets]

The Near Witch - V.E. Schwab

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - V.E. Schwab

Mirrorworld - Cornelia Funke

Piranesi - Susanna Clarke

Added them all!

[boooklover]

“Fear is a strange thing,” he used to say. “It has the power to make people close their eyes, turn away. Nothing good grows out of fear.”

Victoria Schwab, The Near Witch

[rainbow-flavoured-skittles]

just finished The Near Witch by V.E Schwab! here are my thoughts:

*unintelligible screaming and sobbing*

[shxpeshifterr]

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

JOMP BPC - August 28th - Author's Debut

VE Schwab's The Near Witch was such a wonderful debut 💜 I wish it got as much love as her other books do

[teartra]

TOH X THE NEAR WITCH

So The Near Witch by VE Schwab was not my favorite book last May but oh boy did it give me some idea.

It’s a story of a town called Near (in this draft, Gravesfield) a stranger appeared in town, followed by a disappearance of a young boy

Characters

The characters might not be the same in the book because I’m trying to find a way to fit them with the TOH counterpart so I may change their personality, age, and relationship to each character

Luz Noceda (Lexi Howard): 14 years old tomboyish girl who lived with her mom, Camila, and her little sister, Vee, at the edge of Gravefield because her father was a hunter. Luz was very close with her father, Manny, who died a few years ago. Her father used to tell the story of his adventure as a The Village Protector and how witches used to live among humans in Gravesfield

Amity (Cole): a mysterious stranger who arrived at Gravesfield. She was a witch who can manipulate the wind. Her bio mother was a witch but she fled after Amity was born so she only lived with her father, Alador, and stepmother, Odalia, who were both humans. But after her father died due to sickness and a big accident that happened in her hometown, she decided to flee to Gravesfield

Vee Noceda (Wren Howard): Luz’s 10 years old sister. She didn’t remember much about her father but Luz always told some stories about him and his adventures

Camila Noceda (Mrs. Howard): Camila was not herself after her husband died. Her grief caused her to grow more quiet although she desperately wanted to reconnect with her daughters

Caleb Wittebane (Otto Howard): Hunter’s father and Luz’s surrogate uncle since Manny and Caleb were very close with each other, both of them were hunters. After Manny died, Caleb gained Manny’s old title as The Village Protector. He was VERY protective of Luz and Vee especially after Manny died. That caused Luz to be very distant from him

Hunter Wittebane (Tyler Ward): Luz’s 16 years old cousin who used to be very close with her. His ambition to be the next Village Protector made him follow his father’s path and never wanted to fail him (although his father never expected anything like that from him) this caused Hunter to be protective of his cousins and distant Hunter and Luz’s relationship

Philip Wittebane (Bo but mostly original character): Philip was Caleb’s brother and Hunter’s uncle. He disliked Caleb’s fondness towards The Nocedas especially Luz due to her odd personality and the way she dressed. He was one of the council who may or might not be the reason behind the disappearance of witches around Gravesfield

Eda and Lilith Clawthorne (Magda and Dreska Throne): both were witches who lived at the edge of town, not far from The Nocedas and The Wittebanes. None of them knew they were witches except Luz and Manny. The two were very secretive to the other town folks. Eda was more open to other people while Lilith was more strict and wouldn’t let anyone inside their house. Their house was surrounded by a garden that’s usually maintained by Eda

Willow (Helena Drake): Luz’s childhood best friend and the only person who could connect to her (aside from Vee). Willow grew into the more popular crowd but still maintain her relationship with Luz.

Gus (Edgar Drake): Willow’s 10 years old neighbor who was very close to her. He was also Vee’s best friend. The story started when he went missing and the stranger, Amity, was assumed to be the cause of it. Since his father was one of the town’s councils, it triggered the massive search in town

I’ll put King along the way don’t worry. We need more kids to go missing

[freshlybrewedbookreviews]

The Near Witch by V.E. Schwab

This was a good spooky season read if you like witches but don't like them too spooky. This read like a good fantasy novel, and I'm glad Schwab was able to get it the recognition it deserved as her first novel. If you're a fan of her work, you'll like this one.