TITLE: The Witch Hunt (The Witch Haven #2)
AUTHOR: Sasha Peyton Smith
PUBLISHER: Simon Teen (Simon & Schuster)
RELEASE DATE: October 11, 2022
GENRES: YA fantasy, witchcraft, magic

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The lush and pulse-pounding sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Witch Haven follows Frances and her fellow witches to the streets of Paris where family secrets, lost loves, and dangerous magic await.

Months after the devastating battle between the Sons of St. Druon and the witches of Haxahaven, Frances has built a quiet, safe life for herself, teaching young witches and tending the garden within the walls of Haxahaven Academy. But one thing nags; her magic has begun to act strangely. When an opportunity to visit Paris arises, Frances jumps at the chance to go, longing for adventure and seeking answers about her own power.

Once she and her classmates Maxine and Lena reach the vibrant streets of France, Frances learns that the spell she used to speak to her dead brother has had terrible consequences—the veil between the living and the dead has been torn by her recklessness, and a group of magicians are using the rift for their own gain at a horrifying cost.

To right this wrong, and save lives and her own magical powers, Frances must hunt down answers in the parlors of Parisian secret societies, the halls of the Louvre, and the tunnels of the catacombs. Her only choice is to team up with the person she swore she’d never trust again, risking further betrayal and her own life in the process.

Today, I’m super thrilled to bring you my review of The Witch Hunt by Sasha Peyton Smith, in association with Turn the Page Tours and Simon Teen! Thanks so much to TTPT for having me on the tour for this book. I received an ARC of the book as a part of the tour.

The Witch Haven became one of my favorite reads of 2022, so I was so excited to dive into the sequel. The first book was everything I wanted in a witch book—murder, romance, a fancy secret school, betrayal, strong female characters and friendships. And it takes place in early 1900s New York City?! Literal perfection. Obviously, I fell completely in love with it.

The Witch Hunt takes place two years after the events of The Witch Haven, this time taking Frances and the gang across the sea to Paris on a holiday. Sasha knows not only how to pick the most enchanting settings, but also how to immerse the reader in them completely. I felt like I was walking with Frances and Oliver along the Seine, with Maxine and Lena and Frances around the city. I also loved that we got to see their journey across the sea; made me realize I need to read more books that include ships, lol.

Just like The Witch Haven, there was romance, there was murder, there was betrayal! And the Paris catacombs?! Literal perfection. Frances reminds me—perhaps a bit too much—of myself. Her struggle at letting others in, hiding parts of her so as to not burden them, hits close to home. Of all the books I’ve read of late, Frances is the one that’s stepped off the pages and into my heart. I adore her in every way! Of course, Maxine can’t go unmentioned. She was one of the best parts about the first book, and that didn’t change in the second. Her character development, thanks to seeing her finally outside the walls of Haxahaven, made me fall in love with her more. I just wish there had been more of her and Lena!

The only critique I have about The Witch Hunt, is that I simply wish it were longer. Some parts felt rushed, and the stakes did not feel as high in this book as in the first. That, and I desperately want to see more of these characters. I was so sad to find out that this is the final book in the series and now I don’t know what to do with myself. It was everything I hoped for, and more, but I need more of these characters. *cries*

Turn the Page Tours is giving away five finished copies of The Witch Hunt! Click here to head to their Rafflecopter to enter!

About the author
Sasha Peyton Smith is the New York Times best-selling author of The Witch Haven and The Witch Hunt. She’s passionate about well-curated road trip playlists, soup recipes, and stories about complicated girls. Originally from the mountains of Utah, she now lives in Washington D.C. with her partner and collection of porcelain hands. You can find Sasha online at sashapsmith.com.

Publication date: November 17th 2020
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
ISBN: 1534457690
ISBN13: 9781534457690

The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery.

A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal.

But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.

*Note: The edition I read was the UK Fairyloot edition; the ISBNs above are for the US hardcover.

This book took me ages to read, and I still have no clue why. I’d love to say it was a conscious decision to savor it, or I was just too busy—both are true in their own ways—but I found myself in a reading slump while trudging through this that was incredibly hard to break. I thought for sure I wouldn’t finish it. Feeling that way was absolutely zero to do with whether I loved the book, though.

The plot reminded me of something directly out of The X-Files, a personal favorite, so I was destined from the start to enjoy this, I think. The concept of a river monster spewing little brain-eating bugs everywhere? Gross! I loved that. It was disturbing, tragic, and downright terrifying.

As I was reading, I found myself entranced by the writing. Chloe Gong is incredibly skilled at pulling you into the story; it was crazy to learn that not only was this her debut, but that she’s several years younger than me. Not me having a crisis and wondering what I’m doing with my life because of this book. >.< LMAO, anyways. She painted a stunning picture of 1920s Shanghai, of the characters, of the fear gripping the city. The character development was so good; I was obsessed with Juliette. The story wasn’t about a bunch of good guys; it was about all the bad guys having to come together to do something good. I haven’t read a lot of books like this, and to say I’m obsessed with that kind of storytelling is an understatement.

I went in expecting the romance to be… spicier. Truthfully, it was probably the result of Instagram and TikTok so this is less a critique of the book and more of a “manage your expectations that come from social media” PSA. With that said, I felt the romance is absolutely perfect: a slow burn, enemies-to-lover trope with a pinch of spice. Chef’s kiss. ♥

Throughout the story, I had my theories about the cause of the epidemic, but I definitely got whiplash towards the end, where it twisted and turned and twisted again. With that said, I still guessed who was causing the epidemic. I usually try not to stray too far ahead in my theories, or try to guess at all, but since I took so long to read it, I found myself thinking about it a lot while not reading. I only have myself to blame… *sigh*

This was one of my favorite reads of the summer. While I wasn’t, in the end, absolutely obsessed like so many of my friends, I adored every word I read and had so much fun theorizing the outcomes. I’m glad I don’t have long to wait for the sequel (so long as Fairyloot doesn’t delay for too long…), as it comes out November 16th! The day after my birthday!