Long time no see (by internet standards, that is)! I was pretty busy and also went on vacation, so I didn’t read much for a while there. But I’m back, reading the origins of V. E. Schwab!

In The Near Witch by V. E. Schwab, Lexi has grown up in the small town of Near, whose citizens are full of paranoia about witches, as well as strangers in general. So when a young man arrives in town, Lexi is curious—despite everyone else’s suspicion of him. However, shortly after the boy’s arrival, young children start disappearing from their beds. The townsfolk are sure he’s the culprit, but the more Lexi talks to him, the more she’s sure there’s something else afoot. In fact, an ancient threat to Near seems to be returning—and she and her new friend might be the only ones who are willing to face it.

As you might know, I’ve read a lot of Schwab’s work, but it’s been from the more recent years of her career. So to explore her debut novel was really intriguing. I can definitely pick up on some trademark content and motifs (fiery young women, gentle young men, and wild and ferocious magic, to name a few). Her narrative voice is pretty strong, and the setting and tone of the story are both excellent. Had this been the first book I read by her, I would have said that she’s a writer to watch. I guess I would have been right!

As for the characters, they’re fine, but nothing particularly remarkable. Schwab has definitely created more memorable leads in later books (Lexi can’t really hold a candle to Addie LaRue, Lila Bard, or even Olivia Pryor), but I still liked them well enough. I also adored Lexi’s bond with her younger sister Wren; her love for her sister serves as the emotional core of the story, driving a lot of the tension of the plot as more and more kids Wren’s age go missing. This book may be partially a romance, but the sibling bond is equally important.

Speaking of the romance, I thought it was sweet. Cole, the stranger, has good chemistry with Lexi, while also having a solid backstory and personality in his own right. And the sisters who live on the edge of the town, Magda and Dreska Thorne, are probably the best characters. They’re so wickedly fun.

The sisters and Cole also help showcase one of the main themes, which tackles the wrongness of xenophobia. Their being witches is clearly a metaphor for people deemed “different” or “other,” and it works within the story. I also liked the discussions of how those in power can shape the narrative of history shared through the years, and how it’s important to preserve stories, even (and especially) when they put powerful people in a bad light.

However (and this is a minor quibble), I couldn’t tell when this story was supposed to be set. Lexi strikes me as a very modern name for some reason, yet there was nothing else to ground this in a particular time. Perhaps this was intentional on Schwab’s part, trying to make the story seem timeless, but it came across as just vague to me.

Also, while I liked the narration by Heather Wilds in the audiobook production, I thought she sounded a little too old to make a convincing Lexi, who’s only sixteen. Other than that, the performance was very good.

But in the end, The Near Witch is an enjoyable book! The characters are decent, and the themes are strong. The atmosphere is that of a melancholy fairy tale, the magic somewhat reminiscent of the quiet wildness of Susanna Clarke’s writing. This isn’t my favorite book by Schwab, but it’s still worth a read!