What do you think?
Rate this book
Witch Awakening
Witches are illegal. Tyranny rules. One spark can burn it all down.
Seventeen-year-old Salish has spent years tamping down the ember in her chest and pretending she’s just another girl at Wellsworth—until a party photo goes viral the same week the regime passes the Compliance & Propriety Act, a law designed to “weed out” witches by criminalising women's rights. Overnight, Salish becomes a target…and the ember becomes a blaze.
As curfews tighten and informants multiply, Salish finds a found family in three girls, and together their coven uncovers a forbidden library, test the edges of their power (hello, invisibility cloaks and mind-wipe snaps), and start to ask dangerous questions about the Council that rules them all.
A long-buried prophecy claims Salish is the answer to collective magic waning, but complicating everything is the boy at school who feels inevitable…and the President’s beautiful, terrifying son who claims Salish for reasons written in blood.
When the Council turns her scandal into a witch-hunt, Salish must choose—hide what she is, or ignite the storm she was born to lead.
This is high-stakes romantasy where self-discovery is a weapon, love is leverage, and the first battle ends on a gasp-out-loud cliffhanger.
Seventeen-year-old Salish has spent years tamping down the ember in her chest and pretending she’s just another girl at Wellsworth—until a party photo goes viral the same week the regime passes the Compliance & Propriety Act, a law designed to “weed out” witches by criminalising women's rights. Overnight, Salish becomes a target…and the ember becomes a blaze.
As curfews tighten and informants multiply, Salish finds a found family in three girls, and together their coven uncovers a forbidden library, test the edges of their power (hello, invisibility cloaks and mind-wipe snaps), and start to ask dangerous questions about the Council that rules them all.
A long-buried prophecy claims Salish is the answer to collective magic waning, but complicating everything is the boy at school who feels inevitable…and the President’s beautiful, terrifying son who claims Salish for reasons written in blood.
When the Council turns her scandal into a witch-hunt, Salish must choose—hide what she is, or ignite the storm she was born to lead.
This is high-stakes romantasy where self-discovery is a weapon, love is leverage, and the first battle ends on a gasp-out-loud cliffhanger.
324 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 13, 2026
1 person is currently reading
14 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 26, 2026
Witch Awakening had me gasping and shaking my head in disbelief at what was happening and what is to potentially come.
This is the first book I have attempted to annotate and there are so many ideas and commentaries wrapped into this book that have been running through my mind since reading it. I can appreciate the book for it’s surface level
story but also for the social commentary.
I cannot wait to read more and highly recommend you read Witch Awakening.
“…this was what it felt like when someone finally stopped apologizing for what she was…”
This is the first book I have attempted to annotate and there are so many ideas and commentaries wrapped into this book that have been running through my mind since reading it. I can appreciate the book for it’s surface level
story but also for the social commentary.
I cannot wait to read more and highly recommend you read Witch Awakening.
“…this was what it felt like when someone finally stopped apologizing for what she was…”
January 17, 2026
I don't usually dive into witchy fantasy/paranormal books (this isn't my typical genre at all) but Witch Awakening completely hooked me from the very first page. I picked it up on a whim and ended up devouring it in just a couple of sittings because I genuinely couldn't put it down!
The story grabbed me right away with its atmospheric magic, compelling characters, and that perfect blend of mystery, discovery, and spellbinding tension. The pacing is spot-on, every chapter left me eager to see what happened next. I loved how immersive it all was; I was totally transported into this world of witchcraft and hidden powers.
Even though this is outside my usual reading comfort zone, it turned out to be one of my favorite reads in a long time. Now I'm impatiently counting down the days until the next book in the series comes out, I need more!
Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys magical awakenings, strong storytelling, and books that keep you up way past bedtime. 5 enthusiastic stars!
The story grabbed me right away with its atmospheric magic, compelling characters, and that perfect blend of mystery, discovery, and spellbinding tension. The pacing is spot-on, every chapter left me eager to see what happened next. I loved how immersive it all was; I was totally transported into this world of witchcraft and hidden powers.
Even though this is outside my usual reading comfort zone, it turned out to be one of my favorite reads in a long time. Now I'm impatiently counting down the days until the next book in the series comes out, I need more!
Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys magical awakenings, strong storytelling, and books that keep you up way past bedtime. 5 enthusiastic stars!
January 14, 2026
I appreciated reading this given the current times and continual rise of government oppression and persecution. I think it's important for YA audiences to have these types of books to read for critical thinking about the world around them to understand they can trust in what they feel is right and not simply abide by unjust cruelties.
I enjoyed seeing Salish come into her own, begin to learn to believe in herself and find power in found family. The plot pacing and twists sprinkled throughout made it a page turner as well.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Witch Awakening by Jacqueline L'Estrange is a YA romantic fantasy novel about Salish, a young woman in a tyrannical world where witches are illegal, who discovers her own magical powers and must embrace them to fight injustice, featuring themes of feminism, found family, and romantic tension.
I enjoyed seeing Salish come into her own, begin to learn to believe in herself and find power in found family. The plot pacing and twists sprinkled throughout made it a page turner as well.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Witch Awakening by Jacqueline L'Estrange is a YA romantic fantasy novel about Salish, a young woman in a tyrannical world where witches are illegal, who discovers her own magical powers and must embrace them to fight injustice, featuring themes of feminism, found family, and romantic tension.
December 22, 2025
I love a good witchy book, but man! This book had me turning pages, crying, shocked, and left my jaw on the floor multiple times. I had such a great time reading this book and I need book two RIGHT NOW!
January 18, 2026
absolutely loved it!
This book was amazing!
It’s written with such detail and emotion, I was utterly captivated from the very beginning.
The mysterious elements were brilliantly written, I found myself holding my breath in anticipation as I was reading quite a few different scenes.
The characters have depth and I adore their banter.
I found the storyline moved at a fast pace, which kept me mesmerised.
That cliffhanger ending was perfection, I can’t wait for book 2
This book was amazing!
It’s written with such detail and emotion, I was utterly captivated from the very beginning.
The mysterious elements were brilliantly written, I found myself holding my breath in anticipation as I was reading quite a few different scenes.
The characters have depth and I adore their banter.
I found the storyline moved at a fast pace, which kept me mesmerised.
That cliffhanger ending was perfection, I can’t wait for book 2
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews