Book Review: Witch Season by Julia Bianco
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the early copy!
Published: June 30, 2026
Series: Broken Coven #1
Genres: Adult // Fantasy, Romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Explicit Open Door)
Quick Thoughts: Witch Season was a pleasant surprise. I loved both main characters and look forward to watching them grow across the series, and while the romance didn't fully land for me, I'm invested enough to keep reading and see how it develops. Recommended for fans of urban fantasy and mystery/investigation plots.
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What is Witch Seasonabout?
Katherine Barnes is an enforcer, charged with upholding the rules of the notorious Los Angeles-based Aestas coven. It's her job to maintain order and bring unsettled witches - people who aren't aware they have magic until it explodes out of them in a catastrophic burst - into the coven's fold. As a former unsettled witch, Katherine owes her life to Sylvia Page, coven leader and silver-haired rebel who founded Aestas years ago.
When Silas Khatri, heir to Noctis, the most powerful coven in the world, arrives to take Aestas to task for some of their more unconventional practices, Katherine's dislike for him reaches blistering levels. She hates his money, his good looks, and his coven's dangerous attitude towards unsettled witches. She can absolutely overlook that he sets her off in more ways than one.
But a powerful threat is about to rise. Stronger than any one coven. More insidious than the decades-long power struggle that exists in the hidden witch world. One that will pull Katherine and Silas together despite their differences. And one that will lead to an all-out war.
Witch Season Review
I usually go out of my way to avoid anything described as a cozy urban fantasy, but I’m pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed Witch Season. This one was so much fun to read and I did not want it to end.
Worldbuilding & Setting
The worldbuilding and magic system are simple. The setting is present-day L.A. and features real places, which made it easy to picture where the story was taking place. I thought the magic system was clever and unique. The covens keep shared community books that hold their spells, and witches stock up on the ones they expect to need soon, the way you'd run to the grocery store. FYI though, casting magic requires cutting oneself, which the characters are doing constantly. If blood and self-injury are a sensitivity for you, this probably isn't the book for you.
The politics between covens delves into real-world issues like corporate overlords, privilege, and also the need for community organizing in a really natural way without being over the top or cartoonish.
Characters
Our main characters are walking representations of these issues. Silas is the heir to the corporate dynasty that oversees every coven in the country. Instead of the flat spoiled-heir archetype, he's clearly thought hard about his privilege but just doesn't know how to use it to do good. Katherine is an "unsettled" witch whose magic came in unstable. Witches like her usually end up on the street due to the stigma Silas’ family spreads, but she was taken in by the L.A. coven until her magic settled. So Katherine is living proof of the support Silas' family could offer but won't, out of fear and prejudice. This experience left her so self-sacrificing she takes everything on alone. Both are flawed in a realistic way, and I expect their growth to continue throughout the series.
Romance
I did struggle with the romance though. It felt a little forced, and Katherine swings between hot and cold toward Silas. I get the tension the author was going for, but it got annoying. The romantic arc is tied closely to their character growth, so it's clear they aren't ready for each other yet. I'm curious to see where it goes in future books.
So, should you read Witch Season?
I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for the next book! Highly recommend for people who like multi-POV stories, mystery plots, and modern urban settings.
Check out this review on Goodreads or Storygraph.
Happy reading!
Kim
Witch Season FAQs
Some of the answers may be spoilers if you haven’t read it already. Proceed with caution!
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Potential spoilers ahead ⚠️
Violence
Death (On page)
Magic system involving cutting
Fantasy drug use (off-page but talked about)
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You may like Witch Season if you like:
Enemies-to-lovers
Witches
Found families
Multiple POVs
Mystery/investigation plots
Urban fantasies
Betrayals
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Yes, Witch Season by Julia Bianco is the first book in the Broken Coven series.
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As of the writing of this post, Witch Season book 2 has not been announced yet.
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The spicy chapters in Witch Seaosn are:
Chapter 27
Chapter 30
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Witch Season is a 4 🌶️ out of 5 or explicit open door. This means readers are in the room for the spice scenes and they are told in explicit detail.