The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: April 7, 2026
Format: Hardcover - 320 pages
Audiobook - 10 Hours 9 Minutes
Kindle - 298 pages / 23.9 MB
Nook - 320 pages / 17 MB
ISBN (Hardcover): 978-0593983584
ASIN (Audiobook): B0FH5LT99K
ASIN (Kindle): B0FH1B7TRH
BNID (Nook): 978-0593983591
Genre: Fantasy
Buy The Book:
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I also purchased a hardcover edition of this book from my monthly Book Of The Month (BOTM) subscription.
Book Description:
She can hop into any novel, she just can’t stay there. Come along with the book witch in this magical and inspiring love letter to reading from the USA Today bestselling author of The Wishing Game.
Rainy March is a proud third-generation book witch, sworn to defend works of fiction from all foes real and imaginary. With her magical umbrella and feline familiar, she jumps into and out of novels to fix malicious alterations and rogue heroes.
Book witches live by a strict Real people belong in the real word; fictional characters belong in works of fiction…. Do not eat, drink, or sleep inside a fictional world, lest you become part of the story. Falling in love with a fictional character? Don’t even think about it.
Which is why Rainy has been forbidden from seeing the Duke of Chicago, the dashing British detective who stars in her favorite mystery series. If she’s ever caught with him again, she’ll be expelled from her book coven—and forced to give up the magical gifts that are as much a part of her as her own name.
But when her beloved grandfather disappears and a priceless book is stolen, there’s only one person she trusts to help her solve the case: the Duke. Their quest takes them through the worlds of Alice in Wonderland, The Great Gatsby, and other classics that will reveal hidden enemies and long-buried family secrets.
My Book Review:
The Book Witch by author Meg Shaffer is a wonderful book lovers' book, because who doesn't love a book about books!
Rainy March is a third-generation Book Witch, whose job it is to protect, defend, and restore works of fiction. The Book Witches jump into books to protect the stories from Burners (book banners), who seek to destroy the books. When Rainy's grandfather goes missing, and a cherished book left to her from her mom is stolen, Rainy slips into the fictional book realm, seeing the help from her fictional crush, The Duke Of Chicago, a fictional British private detective. Follow along as Rainy and the Duke slip into a variety of classic fictional stories under the guise of solving the mystery case of her missing grandfather, locating the stolen book, and finding out answers to long buried family secrets.
The Book Witch is a fascinating story that will engage the reader to follow along as Rainy and the Duke work the mystery case of her missing grandfather and the stolen personal book. You can't help but feel like you become a Book Witch too as Rainy slips in and out of a variety of classic fictional books. I loved how the author interweaved the classic books into the story; I found myself smiling as I remembered reading a lot of the books growing up. While I am not a usual fan of the fantasy genre, this book had a fun fairy-tale feel that really kept me turning the pages. I loved the fun banter between Rainy and the Duke, and of course I loved following along as the twist and turns led to the mystery being solved.
I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the amazing list of classical fiction books from a variety of genres that were interwoven throughout the story. As a passionate book lover, my favorite quote from the book sums it all up: "Readers think of their books, just like the books are aware of their readers. People need books, to open a book is to set a story free." Thank you Ms. Shaffer for writing a magical and inspiring love letter to reading.
The Book Witch is an enchanting book that every book lover must read, you won't regret it.
Rating: 4 Stars 
About The Author
Meg Shaffer is the USA Today bestselling author of The Lost Story and The Wishing Game, which was a Book of the Month finalist for Book of the Year, a Reader’s Digest and Washington Post Best Book of the Year and has been translated into 21 languages. Her latest book, The Book Witch, was published on April 7, 2026. Meg holds an MFA in TV and Screenwriting from Stephens College. She lives in Kentucky with her husband and two cats.
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