Magic for Crosswise Witches - by Ava Morgyn (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

An exiled witch returns home to face the dark secrets she left behind in this thrilling novel for fans of Practical Magic and The Mayfair Witches.

Bound by blood and betrayal to the dark, unforgiving waters of the lake two centuries earlier, the Crosswise Witch can save or destroy. Each year, the Thorngood women feed their ancestress's spirit in a fragile bargain for protection. And they're not the only ones--desperate strangers leave offerings to the Witch in the night and walk away forever changed.

Truly Thorngood was raised to inherit her family's magic and the land they've kept for generations. But one fateful night, violence shattered everything. After a deadly confrontation with Justice Deacon Clay, the most powerful and corrupt man in her small town of Dubiety, young Truly flees to New Orleans and swears off magic, leaving the Justice missing in her wake.

When her mother vanishes thirteen years later to the day--and the Justice's son begins connecting the disappearances--Truly is forced to return home, where not only is the first love she left behind waiting, but so is the Clay family's hunger for vengeance. As the lake starts giving up its secrets and the spirits demand their due, Truly must reckon with the witch she was meant to become and finally claim her power.

Magic for Crosswise Witches is a haunting Southern Gothic about legacy, love, and the dangerous bargains we make to survive.

Review Quotes

Praise for Only Spell Deep:

"Fans of darker themes as well as fans of occult and horror will find the writing immersive." - Booklist

"Only Spell Deep is beautifully written and richly immersive, weaving a gothic atmosphere with supernatural tension in a story about reclaiming one's power in more ways than one and unraveling generational trauma. I was immediately hooked, but once Jude heard the voice from her childhood again, I was all in. Morgyn builds a world that feels both mythic and real, where gods walk among us and the most terrifying magic is the kind passed down through blood. The mysteries of Jude's past and the truth behind The Fathom come together with the precision of a series of locks clicking into place, each delivering revelations that are as unexpected as they are satisfying. This novel cast a lasting spell on me." - Katy Foraker, author of Memories, Lies, and Other Binds

"Only Spell Deep is a dark parable of feminine rage and power, blending horror, fantasy, and mythology seamlessly into the streets and hidden places of modern-day Seattle. With gorgeous prose, Ava Morgyn weaves a spell of her own and gives us a courageous heroine to root for." - Alyssa Palombo, author of The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel

"Haunting and utterly enthralling, Only Spell Deep casts its spell from the first page, drawing readers into a world where magic is both a gift and a curse - and where the past never stays buried. Once again, Ava Morgyn masterfully blends gothic sensibility with a modern edge, crafting a story rich with atmosphere steeped in the eerie beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Jude's journey explores the shadows of the human psyche - grief, guilt and obsession - through a cinematic lens that is both intimate and sweeping. This is witchcraft and myth at its most seductive." - Constance Sayers, author of A Witch in Time

"A deeply atmospheric story that hooks into the magic of place and time, drawing out archetypal forces lurking just beyond sight. Only Spell Deep is a dark, modern fairy tale that reminds me of reading Alice Hoffman on a rainy evening with a glass of absinthe." - Nicola Solvinic, author of The Sister's Curse

Praise for The Bane Witch:

"Not a thriller in the traditional sense, but definitely thrilling in its own unique way, this excursion into poisons and secret families, as well as the gray area of good versus evil, will appeal to fans of witchy fiction and dark themes." - Booklist

"A compelling dive into the darker side of human nature, of good and evil, and the gray areas in between. Thrilling!" - Mindy McGinnis, Edgar Award-winning author of The Female of the Species on The Bane Witch

Praise for The Witches of Bone Hill:

"[A] wonderfully macabre contemporary fantasy. Chilling and atmospheric." - Publishers Weekly

"Part family epic, part supernatural thriller, and part gothic romance, Ava Morgyn's The Witches of Bone Hill is a haunted house book with a witchy twist. It reminds me of Practical Magic - the novel, not the movie - this is definitely a gothy, edgy witch book, not a cozy one!" - NPR

"[A] spellbinding tale... Morgyn effortlessly weaves together supernatural, horror, and romantic elements to create a quick but compelling read." - Library Journal

"A simmering, supernatural mystery that conjures a brew of legacy, sisterhood, and Scandinavian witchcraft within a magnificent and malevolent house." - Katherine Harbour, author of Thorn Jack

"The Witches of Bone Hill is a potent spell of legacy and sisterhood. With its haunted manor, powerful magic, and many mysteries, this eerie tale will keep readers up well into the night." - Rachel Griffin, New York Times bestselling author of The Nature of Witches

"With Morgyn's fresh take on strange rituals, odd townspeople and gothic mansions, this tale will delight fans of Alice Hoffman. I read it in one sitting and wanted more! Ava Morgyn is a powerful new voice in magical realism." - Constance Sayers, author of A Witch in Time

"Wickedly wonderful, The Witches of Bone Hill is a delicious concoction of darkness, magic, and sisterhood. Ava Morgyn imbues her story with a haunting sorcery all her own, making this compulsively readable new dynasty of powerful witches impossible to put down." - Paige Crutcher, author of A Circle of Uncommon Witches

About the Author

AVA MORGYN grew up falling in love with all the wrong characters in all the wrong stories, then studied English Writing & Rhetoric. She is a lover of witchcraft, tarot, and powerful women with bad reputations and resides in Houston surrounded by antiques and dog hair. When not at her laptop spinning darkly hypnotic tales, she hunts for vintage treasures and reads the darkest books she can find. She is the USA Today bestselling author of The Witches of Bone Hill, The Bane Witch, Only Spell Deep, and Magic for Crosswise Witches.