You had me at Victorian Gothic Witch Faerie Fantasy.
I'm a simple girl to please and Olivia Atwater ticked all the boxes.
I love books set in the Victorian era and one told in the style of fairytales is just pure magic. This book was atmospheric and gentle until you got to the action. I love the way Mz Atwater tells a story and the way she creates her characters and gets them to dance across the page. Yes, even the cat.
My only critique is that the book is not available in South Africa. And I wish it was because it is perfect.

The Witchwood Knot was just the dark, gothic fantasy I needed. From it's creepy fae and haunted manor vibes it was prefect. Elegantly written, it gives an eldritch horror meets midsummer-esque faerie tale and I loved it.

"The Witchwood Knot" by Olivia Atwater is a gothic Victorian dark faerie fantasy romance that’s equal parts delightful and, let’s be real, a little creepy.

Meet Winnie Hall, our heroine who’s basically a mix of brilliance, determination, and a dash of crafty chaos. She’s got a pet cat skeleton named Oliver, who’s not just a spooky accessory; he’s also a badass in all the realms. He’s fiercely protective and has a serious grudge against men—a loyal feline king with some serious misandrist vibes!

I'd be remiss to not mention Mr. Quincy, the cranky fae butler. Seriously, I never thought I’d fall for a guy with red eyes and a rat tail, but here we are, folks. Love truly knows no bounds!

Atwater has a knack for keeping me on the edge of my seat, kicking my feet in excitement, and occasionally questioning my own sense of taste. She writes the fae as dark and twisted, yet somehow manages to sprinkle in enough wit and coziness to make it all feel like a warm hug—albeit a slightly creepy one.

Thank you to Olivia Atwater for always writing the best Fae Romance and Starwatch Press for the ARC of what became one of my favorite books of the year.

This book had me at "Victorian gothic faerie tale written by Olivia Atwater." I loved the great MFC, the fun side characters (ghost cat!), and a good romance. I felt like this was cozy adjacent; there was just a little bit more bite than her regency faerie tale series in the best way.

If you like gothic vibes, spooky forests, evil faeries, haunted houses, and good twists, pick this up.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

i have read olivia atwater's half a soul and enjoyed her version of the fae and their victims in victorian england. the witchwood knot was just as chillingly alluring and dangerous as that novel! i look forward to reading the rest of atwater's books

This book!! Wow, what a read!
And totally not what I was expecting!
It is a wonderfully gothic fantasy with just the right mix of mystery, faerie lore, and slow-burn romance. When Winifred Hall takes a job as a governess at the eerie Witchwood Manor, she quickly realizes her real task is to protect her charge, Robert, from the sinister fae haunting the estate. The house is described, as dark, cursed, and full of secrets, and is the best setting! it’s populated by quirky characters like Mr. Quincy, the mysterious and sharp-tongued butler.

Winnie is such a compelling character. She’s clever, prickly, and guarded, but you can’t help rooting for her as she faces down fae kidnappers and the revolting Lord Longfell, whose every scene made my skin crawl. Her reluctant partnership with Quincy is the heart of the story. Their slow journey from mutual distrust to a quiet, earned romance is so satisfying.

Atwater’s writing is beautiful and rich, with faerie tales woven into the story to deepen the world. The book starts out a little slow, but builds into an amazing. captivating read!
blending gothic suspense and moments rich with love.

If you’re into dark fantasy, faeries, or anything with gothic vibes, this book is for you. It’s enchanting, atmospheric, and just plain fun to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Starwatch Press

I love the way Atwater writes a fairy story and reading this made me want to go back and finish her Regency Fairy tales trilogy. You don't have to have read the others but there are characters mentioned in this one that I think would have made my reading experience better having read them all.
This is a great gothic fairy tale, from the minute Winnie approaches Witchwood Manor it is a foreboding and dark place full of strange happenings. Though Winnie has no love for children, armed with her iron chatelaine and her deep knowledge of faerie lore, she owes the Lady of the Manor a favor and so is ready to protect its young lord from the dangers within the Manor.
I loved Winnie as a character, she is full of secrets and short on patience, she has been mistreated by the world and has shaped herself into a woman to be reckoned with by high born lords and the fae alike. The house itself is a tangled mess of secrets and horrors and I loved getting to discover it with Winnie.
I loved the way Atwater plays with the idea of monsters, though it isn't wholly original it is well used here and deepens Winnie's story well.
The only thing that kept this from being a 5 star for me was the romance element, which I wasn't necessarily expecting and so when it did really build at the end sort of felt like it came from nowhere. And the end felt a bit rushed when I would have loved to live in that tension for a bit longer since the rest of the book had built that creepy unknowable vibe so well, I think we could have spent more time in the last exchange with Mourningwood and that would have built it all to a better finish for me.
Regardless, I can't wait to read the next one (and also to finish the regencies)

Although this is a separate series, it is set in the same world as the beings and events from another series. I really enjoyed the tone of those books and found myself liking this as well.

The Faeries in this world are bound by some arbitrary laws. By the time this story begins, there do not seem to be too many of them in London and beyond. Their disappearance has our lead protagonist worried.

Winifred Hall has come to be a governess at the behest of an old patron who means much to her. The life in Witchwood manor is bleak and almost as soon as she arrives, Winifred starts to unravel the issues at the heart of it all. There are a few secrets left to the surface but the author’s writing style and unique approach to romance is quite obvious here. I would still choose the other series over this, but am curious as to what the next book will hold.

The characters are intelligent and have layers, making it interesting to watch them unfold.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my reading of this and the other series by the author.

An outstanding and atmospheric, fairy tale-driven story reminiscent of HG Parry and the Emily Wilde series before it devolved into schlocky romance.

I loved the setting here and the academic tone, best represented by the no-nonsense, cerebral protagonist whose role as a magician liaising with Faerie and solving the problems it creates in the real world feels like something out of an academic fantasy. It’s both light and dark academia, but it’s also an excellent example of fantastical content presented from something akin to a researcher’s perspective.

The bulk of this book takes place in the real world or in real world-adjacent spaces rather than Faerie, which is all to the good. Impressively, the story actually doesn’t devolve during the time actually spent in Faerie, a problem all too frequent in books like this.

The characters are terrifically well drawn and their arcs lend well to a continued plot, so I’m thrilled that this is slated to continue as a series.

This book was a book that I was interested in right after reading the description. As soon as I started getting into the book more, I couldn’t put it down. You are brought into a magical world of Fae and mystery. I loved the characters in this book, and I loved how creative and unique the story was. Everything is definitely not as it seems in this book, and if that is your vibe, you need to pick this book up! This fantasy was definitely up my alley. !

This is the perfect read for the spooky season! It has all the vibes for a cozy read by the fire. Thank you so much to Olivia Atwater, Netgallary and the publisher for a copy of this book, I really enjoyed it! Anything that has fae in it I know I’m bound to love! Add in a Victorian vibe and I knew it was going to be good! I also loved the character for Winnie she’s a total badass. The book started off slow BUT by the time I finished I’d completely forgotten that and was HOOKED! I definitely need the next book.

Fairy tale mixed with Gothic vibes, so not a cozy book, but still a perfect autumn read! For me, the best part was the lead character as I loved her strength and determination. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

This is a must read book!!! I was hooked within the first few pages and could not get enough! I love fantasy books but this gothic fantasy became my favorite very quickly.

This book was an excellent faerie tale just in time for my fall spooky season readathon. The author did a fantastic job of world-building, and the plot and character development throughout the story were excellent. The story is a unique blend of a dark romance that can still balance the line of a cozy mystery. I plan to read more from the author soon.

Thank you, Netgalley and Starwatch Press, for this Arc!

I absolutely ADORE every Olivia Atwater book I read! They are so perfectly cozy and magical and The Witchwood Knot was no exception! This is the perfect fall book and is a great read around spooky season! I cannot wait to read what Olivia releases next from this world 😍

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! The Witchwood Knot is a gothic fantasy set I. The same universe as Olivia Atwater’s previous novels. The book centers on the mystery of Witchwood Manor and the new governess Winnie’s journey to fix what is happening in the cursed mansion. This book was great. The writing made me immersed in the world and it really made me feel things. Some of the dialogue was so beautiful and well written I just adored it. The main characters Winnie and Mr. Quincy were exquisite and their dialogue together made me highlight passages which I almost never do. This gothic fantasy was a great ride and I would read anything else in this universe.

Witchwood Knot takes place about 40 years after the events of Atwater's Half a Soul in the same universe. I enjoyed returning to this world and to Atwater's writing. Her tone is both whimsical and quite gothic in a great mix of sweetness and danger. If you enjoyed Atwater's earlier novels, this will certainly be another win. I loved Miss Hall and Mr. Quincy. While this is not primarily a romance, the dynamic between these two is addictive. In addition, this story has a ghost cat named Oliver, and who doesn't love a ghost cat. Even if you have never read Atwater, you will be able to understand and fall in love with this world and story. Perfect read for fall with its gothic atmosphere.

Thank you NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the ARC!

This book is the perfect mix of cozy fantasy with gothic and darkish vibes and it works! Good character development, good mystery, and great worldbuilding, this is a strong first book of a series <3

Thank you to Netgalley and Olivia Atwater for providing me with this ARC and can I just say, Olivia is fast becoming one of my must read favourite authors!

This was spellbinding! It was lyrical! It was so much fun!

Olivia Atwater weaves a story as intricate and multi-faceted as the name suggests. Within the Witchwood Knot you will find; a crumbling manor that is haunted, a spunky and no-shits-given heroine who arrives under the guise of a governess to unravel the mystery of the place as well as her own quest, a vanishing Fae butler, a dying matron grandmother, a tyrannical master of the manor, an adorable and vicious cat spirit familiar, macabre and twisted faces in the walls, menacing sprites, ghoulish Fae, cartomancy, necromancy, magic and mayhem, a backstory that has you DYING for more tidbits... shall I go on?

"The world would be more comfortable without us, Miss Hall. But I have never troubled myself overmuch with making other people comfortable. I would rather carry a knife."



This was the perfect autumnal read that was packed full of suspense, but also far more spooky and high stakes than previous works I've read by this author! We really got the Regency Faerie Tales x 100000 here! I'm obsessed with the premise and the set up, this is book 1 and although it stands alone as its own novel, it does great in setting up the other novels in the series. I'm itching to find out more about Bellamira and Clarimonde, and to see what adventures they go on! Olivia always writes fantastic characters, and her approach to writing Fae is one of my favourites. You really get the grotesque and sometimes theatrical side to the Fae in her works - there's a sense of dread and strained nerves beneath every whimsical laugh and dance. The glimpses we have of The Other Side are terrifying, and you find yourself at the edge of your seat as you read about Winifred trying to navigate the twists and turns.

Speaking of Winifred, my baby Winnie, what an absolute legend of a character. I love her - literally everything about her. I love her thoughts and her emotions, I loved reading through her eyes I loved learning about her slowly.. I just wanted to wrap her up and protect her but also was so proud of her the entire time! Her and her sisters are just Those Girls I'm so excited for the rest of the series!!!

I won't say much else about the plot because I found going into it not knowing much was the best experience!

My only hesitation in giving it 5 stars was that I found myself a little confused in the final denoument, as things were explained. I think this is partly because I've yet to read Longshadow which may have given more context, so I will definitely revisit this rating after reading that. But for someone just picking up this book, it may take a little while to understand all the name drops and clues to past characters in the previous series.

(Also how fun was it to hear of some of our favourite characters again! I'm gonna go back and reread all the regency faerie tales now!!!!)

This book is the modern gothic I have been waiting for! If The Haunted Mansion, The King & I, and Faerie folklore made a Victorian gothic novel, it would be this…with a sinister twist. I love the SA awareness and how it was incorporated without making her into a weak MC looking for a male love interest to save her, instead she saves everyone. Also love the world building, the seamless weaving of characters backstories into the main narrative. This book really had it all for me. Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for this eARC, I devoured every word!

Olivia Attwatter just became a must read author for me.