Shadow Witch (Witches of Hollow Cove, #1) Review
When I stumbled across Shadow Witch by Mary Richardson, I felt an undeniable pull. A novel about witches, magic, and a quaint little town called Hollow Cove? It seemed like the perfect guilty pleasure to douse between the heavy, intricate layers of the All Souls trilogy. Unfortunately, what I hoped would be a delightful escapade turned out to be a struggle that I only finished out of sheer determination to share my thoughts with you—all I can say is, sometimes the magic just isn’t there.
From the get-go, I was puzzled by the characterization of Tessa, our spirited protagonist. At 29, you’d expect her to exhibit a level of maturity; instead, her hot-headedness felt more reminiscent of a teenager from YA fiction. The enemies-to-lovers trope was so forced that it took me out of the story. When Tessa’s reaction to Marcus’s rude comment about her mother led to her practically hurling herself at him in anger, I couldn’t help but think, “Why this over-the-top response?” It felt disjointed since her relationship with her mother is clearly rocky at best.
The world of magic in Shadow Witch left me wanting. Tessa’s aunts are meant to be protectors of Hollow Cove, yet they practically fumble around, merely observing a blood splatter and muttering about demons. Why wasn’t there more world-building? Why are we left in the dark about Tessa’s magical education? When thrust into action, she’s using a witch’s handbook mid-battle, which is more amusing than suspenseful. And let’s not even get started on her spontaneous decision to wield power words—clearly a plot device that made me roll my eyes rather than root for her creativity.
Dialogue is crucial to developing characters, yet I found myself cringing at the clunky exchanges. Tessa’s quips were an attempt at relatability but often came off as grating. Describing her first encounter with a demon as a “snake-bear,” while colorful, did little to maintain the atmosphere of danger. The repetition—like calling a demon an “SOB” multiple times in a single scene—made it hard to get lost in the narrative.
Amidst the chaos, Ronin stood out as a modestly likable character. Yet, even he was trapped within the grasp of poor dialogue, his intriguing backstory left frustratingly unexplored. The climax—the showdown with the sorceress—felt more like a comedy of errors. Tessa’s epiphany to burn some wood when everyone else seemed hopeless lacked the gravitas you would expect from a final confrontation, leaving me shaking my head rather than cheering her on.
Ultimately, Richardson’s writing style undercuts the potential depth of this story. What could have been an engaging tale of a witch returning home to fight dark forces is instead a hollow shell lacking substance and intriguing world-building. Tessa is simply unlikable; by the end, I found myself not caring about her day, let alone her safety.
I can’t recommend Shadow Witch for anyone, as my hopes for enjoyable escapism were dashed. Perhaps if you’re a die-hard fan of straightforward YA romance who doesn’t mind clunky dialogue and thinly sketched characters, you may find some enjoyment here. But for those seeking depth and nuance—look elsewhere. My reading experience with Shadow Witch has left me disenchanted, and I won’t be finishing this series or exploring more from Richardson. Sometimes, magic just isn’t enough to cast a captivating story.
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