oh my gosh this is my first read in this genre of Victorian slash gothic fairy tale. I didn’t even know this genre existed (ignorant of me I know), but it seemed to me that Olivia Atwater devised it with her brilliant mind just like she devised this amazing fantasy fiction! I had no idea what to expect from this book, but it was equal parts engrossing and witty! The writing is sharp and skillful, and the world building is careful and enticing. This is not your average fantasy fiction. It’s dark, twisted, and heavy. However this melancholic story is well worth the read.

I love the main female character. Her grit, her tenacity and her surprising loyalty are all spellbinding. The story doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, but is still a beautiful prelude to the second book. It’s definitely made me curious about Olivia Atwater’s other books in this same world.

Just dive right in!!
A beautifully written gothic tale with faeries and magicians and a whole lot more.

A dark sumptuous gothic tale with faeries, magicians, curses, a fascinating magic system and a really lovely romance underpinning the whole story, without taking away from the page turning drama!

Winnie arrives at Witchwood manor at the request from the dying owner to be the governess of her grandson. I loved Winnie from the start, she has a blunt, witty, no nonsense personality, with a fascinating and sad childhood that we learn about as the story progresses. With a not quite “enemies” to lovers relationship, and a supporting cast of loveable characters this book is exactly what I wanted from the author. I want this review to be spoiler free as it’s such a magical journey you go on with these characters.

Half a Soul was my favourite read of 2022 so when I saw that Olivia Atwater was returning to that world I couldn’t wait till the end of November and requested this ARC with all my fingers crossed. It arrived on my kindle on a dark autumnal day and I pretty much read it all in one go. If you love the Regency Faerie Tales series - I think you’ll love this too. I cannot wait to see where it goes!

This is a spin-off of Atwoods other series, the Regency Faerie tales, and while not necessary, the reader may benefit from reading that series first. Unlike her previous series, which was more of a cozy fantasy, The Witchwood Knot gives off strong Gothic vibes. The protagonist serves as a governess at a sinister, haunted mansion and must help unravel the mysteries of the curse at its core. Of course, there are still faeries!

Loved:
◾ The main characters: Winnie and Mr. Quincy. Their interactions were gold.
◾ The secondary characters. I hope to see more of Winnie's sisters in the future books. What glimpses we get of them are encouraging. Both seem to have so much personality!
◾ The world building and magic system. The Witchwood Knot explores mortal magics (necromancy, potion making, cartomancy, etc) in addition to faerie magic. It was interesting to see the differences and limitations of both.

Meh:
◾ Pacing. The story really did not start to pick up until about halfway through the book.
◾ The romance was not fully fledged out.
◾ The stakes did not feel as high in the Knot as in the real world.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. I look forward to the rest of this series.

I really enjoyed Olivia Atwater’s Regency Fairytales series so I was excited to read this spin off.

The story picks up in the same world some years later - we’re now in the Victorian era. The main character Winifred has been employed as a governess at Witchwood Manor, but it’s quickly clear that strange things are afoot at the manor, and Winifred’s skills lie somewhere outside of a traditional governess role.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere in this story. There was definitely a darker, more menacing feel to the setting than the previous books, and the Manor and its mysteries were very intriguing. As always in Atwater’s Fairytales books, there is a romance, and if you’ve read the previous books you’ll guess immediately where it’s going, but it’s no less fun for that.

There are references to the earlier books but I think you could safely read this without having read the Regency series if you wanted to.

Overall, this book has set up what looks to be a really interesting new series in this world, and I look forward to the next one!

I was so, so grateful to receive this to read. I'm a huge fan and this one was absolutely incredible. Dark and delicious, it certainly hit the spot. The characters and storyline were great and I loved that there was a warning at the beginning, as so many fail to do.
I adored Winnie, Cook and Quincy. And of course Oliver. And the way it ended was just wonderful.
Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge fan of Olivia Atwater's regency romance series, so I was very excited for this release. Unfortunately it did end up falling a little flat for me. Now, I will admit it may not have been the book as much as the expectations I had set too high. Overall, I cannot describe exactly what went wrong for me, but I was struggling to feel motivated to pick it up.

3.75/5

The approach to gothic horror that Atwater uses here reminds me of A.G. Slatter's The Path of Thorns: A young governess, Winnie, arrives at a creepy-ass house with the creepy-ass master, but we learn in short order that she is actually the scariest thing around. The difference is that Atwater's approach is fluffier, with an extremely slow romance side plot that was so slow its eventual revelation felt shoehorned in. It was supported, in a way, by Winnie's own character backstory which involved a violent aversion to romantic interest, but since that story itself is the consequence of a history of sexual harrassment, all of it chafed. It was sensitively done, with sympathy and with intention--none of that tedious 'rape builds character'--type of nonsense that weaker authors rely on to build drama, but all the same, I do prefer my books without sexual harrassment, thank you very much.

The plot was twisty and convoluted, almost to the point of confusion, but I think that's because the three key names--Longfell, Hollowvale, and Mourningwood--somehow all looked the same on the page, and I kept getting them mixed up, All the 'o's, I guess. Or maybe it was because I've read some but not all of the previous books in the series, so I kept trying to figure out which of those references were familiar and which are new. Indeed, the plot relies on so much backstory that I found myself wondering if I'd missed a trick--was there some intervening book that set up the current characters? But if so, they don't seem to be part of the traditionally published series, which as far as I can tell does not engage with these characters or set up the current state of faeries in England that holds for this installment. All the same, I bet there are some stories on Patreon or wherever Atwater first published these before the UK publishers picked up the books, because the references to Winnie's sister and friends, who only very briefly write a couple of letters to shift along a bit of plot, felt a lot like they had been originally conceptualized in more depth, and then reused here, rather than created and properly introduced for the purpose of this story.

So, in sum, an enjoyable gothic governess tale, with faeries and romance and a rich backstory that supports a complex mystery whose unravelling does, in the end, allow all to become clear. I disagreed with a couple of the narrative decisions--mostly regarding the romance--but that doesn't mean they were done poorly; just that they were not quite to my taste.

I can be a bit of a mood reader sometimes, and I have to say that I am all the way in the mood for gothic Victorian fae hijinks at the moment. Off the bat, this book is exactly what I needed right now- the timing couldn’t be better. I struggled a bit at times with the world building, particularly keeping up with the characters and fairytale-style flashbacks. The continuity & pacing seemed just a bit off, but it didn’t make me want to quit reading. Also, sometimes the scene descriptions totally confused me, and I just couldn’t visualize. Maybe it’s just me? Perhaps I’m just a bit distracted this week? Or maybe, I could have benefited by reading the author’s previous body of work, set in the same magical England, but in the Regency period? The romance element kind of blindsided me, just because I didn’t fully see it coming… the tension was not there to begin with, and then BOOM, they’re making googly eyes at each other. Nevertheless, I buy it. I am fully on board with where this is going by the end, and it all feels like an elaborate set up for future volumes. I will definitely read said future volumes… in the meantime, I plan to address my woeful lack of history with the author’s back catalog. They’ve been on my TBR too long, and so now I intend to remedy that. I feel like I could possibly have given this book 5 stars, if I hadn’t been so confused in parts, and if there had been more effort to build romantic tension between FMC and MMC earlier in the book. Still, I enjoyed it and look forward to more Victorian fairy tales! Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for review!

Olivia Atwater simply can never disappointment. There's something about how she writes that grabs me immediately, and the world that she has created with faeries and Victorian England is nothing short of magical and terrifying. The story itself is touching, and empowering, and it's about far more than right and wrong, or good versus any kind of evil. This is about coming into one's own. Finding love. Standing up for one's self, and always choosing what is best. Also, this book is satisfying beyond belief, and nasty men who sexually assault women always get what they deserve.

Witchwood Manor is definitely more than it appears. For starters, it's inhabited by faeries in addition to humans. Winifred Hall comes to Witchwood Manor to be governess to the young Master Robert Murray, heir to Longfell, and to protect him from their otherworldly inhabitants. But Winifred holds secrets of her own, ones she must give up if she wishes to find the answers she seeks.

This is the first book I've read by Olivia Atwater and it definitely won't be my last! The world of Faerie portrayed here is dark and chilling; perfect for the spooky season over which I read it.

Before I even opened it, I have to say that the book cover is simply gorgeous. As an avid fan of the gothic, spooky, and anything to do with the Victorian era, it definitely called to me! The story telling was frightfully atmospheric and imaginative, while the characters were mysterious enigmatic. It was like peeling back the layers as I read.

While the main characters are different from those in her Regency Faerie Tales series, the world is the same. And while I didn't feel it was required to read those first, for those of you that did, the additional detail provided may have given you a bit more context on some of the characters mentioned here, along with more a more fully-fleshed background on the world itself. Am I going to go back and read the Regency series now? Most definitely! But not because I feel it necessary, only because I was deeply engrossed and taken in by this world and want to read more while I wait for the follow-up to <i>The Witchwood Knot</i> to be released.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>
#TheWitchwoodKnot #NetGalley

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book of an adult book with a fantasy setting. It introduces a strong female character by the name of Winnie Hall, who has a hard beginning and an interesting life leading to her reason for being at Witchwood Manor. We also meet the strange butler who has a secret too. There is a budding romance in the book that was a lovely suprise and its worth keeping with the book until the end. I look forward to reading the sequel and hopefully learn some more about the hidden world.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this amazing opportunity to read this book.

I was very eager to read The Witchwood Knot because I've loved the other Olivia Atwater books I've read and this one was a GOTHIC VICTORIAN ROMANCE!! Unfortunately, this one took me a while to get through and I didn't enjoy it as much her other books. I think it's no fault of the prose itself (I love Olivia Atwater's writing), but rather some worldbuilding and plot elements... I actually wish there was a bit more Victorian, a bit more Gothic, and a bit more romance.

I will say, Winnie is an awesome main character. She's cold, brave, and extremely determined. Of the other main characters in this universe, I think she is by far my favorite! I liked her backstory. Despite her character, I had trouble following the plot, a bit confused by the central conflict (I didn't completely understand what was going on) and a wee disappointed with the romance. Mr. Quincy the butler is super interesting, and I love how he and Winnie eventually confide and respect one another... BUT idk, it just didn't hit as, for example, the romance in Half a Soul.

This book was a surprising delight.

- Quick and Easy Read
- antagonistic acquaintances to lovers relationship
- Necromantic cat familiar (I love and want an Oliver of my own)
- No spice

I think it important to point out right out the gate that I have not yet read Atwater's prior series, The Regency Fairy Tales. Its my understanding that this is set it in the same world, but I don't believe that they are essential reading in order to understand and enjoy this book. Perhaps they would have added further complexity to the layers of world building, but I don't feel disadvantaged having not read them.

This story was a charming blend of Victorian gothic, dark fairy tale vibes and haunted house adventures. I found Winnie to be a enjoyable main character who was independent, strong willed and intelligent and i found the development of relationship between her and Quincy to be very sweet.

The story was well written and I felt engaged throughout, which I think is a credit to the quality of writing because it is not a high stakes adventure plot, what with them being confined to the house 90% of the book.

I think its important to note as a content warning there are some dark themes present in this book including child grooming as well as some very creepy predatory behaviour, and that they may be challenging for some people to read. Lord knows they creeped me out and I am not often bothered by much.

Finally it is worth noting, that this book is the first part in a new series, I didn't realise that going in to it. I suspect the future books may focus on each of her sisters, which I would be keen to continue with (again, there is a necromancer sister and I just cant say no to necromancy stories).

I will potentially have to come back after I've thought about it but I think this is a solid 4 star book to me. Perhaps a little picky, but these characters did alot of shaking throughout this story (either in fear or restrained longing), and it started to bother me by the end of the book.

I had a fun time and will definitely be continuing both this series and Atwater's other books.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for an e-ARC of this book

This was a lot of fun. This was my first Atwater book, so I didn’t know what to expect. But Alix E. Harrow called it a “a sharp and beautiful gothic romance”, and honestly, put Gothic in front of any genre and I’m down.

The Witchwood Knot is a dark Victorian faerie tale that takes place in an England populated by magicians, fae, and other dark creatures.

Our main character, Winnie, takes a position as governess in a mansion that is spooky by day and a true terror by night. But Winnie is not helpless. She is smart, resourceful, and fierce. She took this position for a reason and is prepared to face the beings that reside within the Witchwood Knot.

She will need to outwit faeries, outsmart a human monster, and protect a child, all while unraveling the dark secret of this house. And who knows if the dangerous faerie butler that lurks in the shadows will help her for his own selfish reasons or doom her forever.

However, the true star of this book is Oliver, her undead, one-eyed cat familiar. You will LOVE Ollie. He deserves all the treats.

If you ever wished for a romance set in the magical England setting of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, this is your book. Add in dangerous fairies and a very haunted mansion and you have a great fall read!

Atwater has proven that she can nail the cosy and fairytale-esque fantasy vibe with her wildly successful Regency Faerie Tales series, but now she’s back with her unique take on a gothic fantasy tale. The Witchwood Knot is a deliciously dark and delightfully quirky gothic fairytale full of devious Fae, sinister settings, creepy mirror/dream realms, whimsically soft magic, and a little dash of slow-burn and innocent romance.

This story follows Winnie Hall, who has just been assigned the (admittedly much dreaded) position of governess at the haunted Witchwood Manor. Officially, she is there to look over the young and haughty lord-to-be, Robert Longfellow. But in reality, the dying dowager has called upon her for her skill as a magic practitioner, in the hopes that Winnie can rid the house of its curse once and for all.

Now, I knew I was going to be in for a wonderful time when this book opened with a doorknob biting Winnie’s hand. Right from the get-go, there’s this alluring air of mystery and intrigue permeating every aspect of the story which kept me completely entranced from start to finish. Atwater absolutely nails the gothic atmosphere and I loved the eerie descriptions of the haunted manor.

I wouldn’t say that this story is ‘all vibes, no plot’, but I do think that the vibes are significantly stronger than the plot. The whole unravelling of the mystery surrounding the Fae haunting/curse at Witchwood Manor and its mirror faerie realm was rather weak to me, though I did really appreciate how it brought forth difficult themes of generational trauma, cycles of (sexual) abuse, and the dangers and casualties of male greed. And I have to admit, for some reason I personally didn’t really mind the slightly odd pacing and weaker plot, because all the other aspects of the story were just so strong to me that I was still fully immersed.

Winnie is such a strong and loveable protagonist, and she immediately secured a place in my heart with her no-nonsense attitude and witty remarks. She definitely still has a touch of those prim and proper Victorian sensibilities, yet at the same time she has surprising emotional depth and is refreshingly tenacious, resilient, and defiant. Most of all, I just really appreciated that she didn’t fall into the meek wallflower stereotype like so many other women in Victorian Era-inspired stories do. Also, I know it won’t sound too flattering to say this, but I related *deeply* to her slight (but really not so slight) dislike of young children.

The character dynamics were also just so fun and heartwarming, and I especially loved the budding relationship between Winnie and the enigmatic Mr. Quincy. He is not the most likeable character at first, yet at the same time he’s frustratingly alluring and charming, which allowed him to somehow just creep up on me. I loved how they slowly softened each other’s sharp edges and almost reluctantly built up some affection and love for each other. The romance element is much more understated than in the Regency Faerie Tales books, but there is just a little dash of it that made even my cold heart melt a little.

This story is definitely much darker than any of the author’s previous works, yet there is still that quintessential Atwater quirkiness that makes this just an utterly delightful read in the end. I mean, there’s even an undead cat familiar, how could you not fall in love?! And because this series is set in the same magical world as the Regency Faerie Tales, there are also some quite exciting, and rather big, easter eggs for those who have loved that series.

While this story is very self-contained and works perfectly as a standalone, I am now eagerly awaiting more of these gothic Victorian Faerie Tales. Equal parts unsettlingly eerie and delightfully whimsical, The Witchwood Knot is everything you could wish for from a dark and fairytale-esque gothic fantasy. Highly recommend!

Thank you to the publisher and Olivia Atwater for providing me with an eARC in exchange of an honest review!

What an absolutely great story!

This was my first Atwater read and it certainly won't be my last.
I loved the combination of gothic influences and faerie lore; the amount of research that must have gone behind this story shines through every page.
Winnie was such a breath of fresh air of a female main character; I love her wittiness, how cunning and strong she was through unimaginable trauma and difficulties.
Mr. Quincy was immediately a favorite for me, the kind of anti-hero I love reading about. His redemption arc was lovely, and the romance between him and Winnie was so soft and lovely, I can only hope to get more of it in the next installment.
Overall, I feel I might have a bit more understanding of the context if I'd read the author's previous works (which I found out were connected to TWM only after finishing my read), but the lack of background wasn't overpowering over the narrative of this specific story.

I will absolutely recommend The Witchwood Knot to my followers! Very excited to see where the story goes next.

Myth: 4/5

The story was a little darker than I originally anticipated, but it fit perfectly into my fall reads. A haunted manor, secret monsters, and tricky fae. Winifred was so competent and so straightforward. I adored her as a heroine. As a character, she dealt with past sexual trauma, and the way her character interacts with men who hold power over her was very well done.

Magic: 4/5

A curse, a twisted layer to the gothic manor, faeries, and folk history, this book has a little of everything seamlessly woven together.

Overall: 4/5

A very Victorian and gothic faerie tale. It’s a quick read, but I wouldn’t call it a light read. This was my first Olivia Atwater book and I’ll definitely go back and checkout Half a Soul after this.

See my video review: https://youtu.be/px3QOrMP_kc?si=possmPC_J4y_T597

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an eARC of this in exchange for an honest review.

Everyone out there has a book that they feel is the literary personification of their bookish dreams. I was lucky enough to find mine.

This is a dark, gothic, fae fantasy. It follows Winifred Hall who comes to Witchwood Manor at the request of a friend. The request was under the guise of employment as a governess, which Winnie thought was a front for whatever she would actually be employed to do, but no. Her friend, who is older and on her death bed, has called Winnie to be her grandson, Robert's governess until such time as he leaves to go to school at Eton.

When Winnie arrives, it is raining, and after several attempts at knocking, the door is answered by a snarky and stern butler who introduces himself as Mr. Quincy. While he declines to assist her with her bags inside, he does state he will take them to her room once she and her bags are inside. Winnie is directed to the kitchen to make the acquaintance of the cook and the other servants. When Winnie mentions Mr. Quincy to the cook, she is taken aback, and asks where she heard that name, and when she explains that the butler let her in, the cook says they have no butler and no one by that name employed there.

Winnie realizes that her baggage has been taken...by a faerie. Upon speaking with her friend, she finds that her friend is direly concerned about something. Winnie, for her part, is on her own mission to find a missing fae friend: the Lady Hollow Vale, who, along with a lot of other fae of England, have disappeared.

When Winnie falls asleep at night, she finds herself in The Witchwood Knot - the mirror, dream, upside down type world of Witchwood Manor, where the other servants mingle with the fae that are trapped by the knot. Playing card with Mr. Quincy passes the time and also gives Winnie the change to ask questions that may help her in her attempt to find her friend.

But Winnie's friend is dying, and there is something afoot at the manor that is even darker than the Knot, darker than the trapping of multiple fae, and when the dowager dies, and her grandson disappears, Winnie finds herself in charge of locating the boy, and in charge of the fetch who has replaced him. Putting her own missing aside to find Robert, she finds herself constantly in the company of Mr. Quincy who, she has come to find, in addition to wine red eyes, also has a tail, and in addition to enjoying irritating Winnie, may also have a fierce protective streak.

This is one of the best books I have ever read, and I know that this is not going to be everyone's cup of tea as dark, victorian gothic fantasy is likely not the most popular sub-genre, but it was such a beautiful book. From the musical elements to the dark mirror world to the disturbing change of people to trees by the Lady Mourningwood, this book was so very captivating.

I love this book. Plain and simple. And I am staggered by that bare fact, given my current antipathy for faeries, Victorian settings, and the gothic genre in general. And yet...Olivia Atwater grabbed me from the first page and didn't let me go until the end. And now I NEED the sequels, but in the meantime I'll be circling back to read her Regency Faerie series. (So, for what it's worth to other reviewers, this is the first Atwater book I read and I didn't feel like I was missing anything not having read the earlier trilogy. I think she did a masterful job introducing earlier characters and the world overall for new readers.) Be warned that this is a book that deals with many kinds of trauma, though childhood sexual abuse and grooming are at the forefront (nothing graphic on page though).