This Coven Won't Break

About a year ago I read These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling. It was a delightful read about a lesbian teenage witch fighting against witch hunters and trying to save her whole clan. You can check out my review of the first book here. I've been dying to read the second book, This Coven Won't Break, which wasn't set to come out until May 2020. It was even on my Most Anticipated Books of 2020 list! Finally, I was able to borrow it from my school library this week and my quarantine also gave me time to read it.

Hannah, her new girlfriend Morgan, and her best friend Gemma (a reg who knows about magic) must work together to save the clan again when the witch hunters return to their town. Hannah is still reeling from the traumatic experiences she had the last time and hasn't fully regained control of her powers. This book is really about her learning to rely on other people again and open up to those that can help her. But knowing who she can trust is the tricky part.

I don't want to give away too much in case you haven't read even the first book. But I just want to say that this is an excellent series. There is a lot of action, strong characters, relationships, and cool magic in these books. Hannah is a great example of LGBTQ representation as well. Just like the first book, the romance between her and her girlfriend isn't really at the center of the plot--this isn't a romance novel. But for LGBTQ teens, this representation can be essential!

It has been about a year since I read the first book but in comparing them, I did feel like this book was a little more violent than the last book. The stakes were a little bit higher in this book so I felt like the escalation of violence made sense but if you're a little squeamish then you may be slightly shocked while reading this one. 

Isabel Sterling did a fantastic job of leading the reader in one direction and then dropping a huge plot twist towards the end of the book. She then expertly wraps up the book in a way that is satisfying and enjoyable! My understanding is that this is a duology and there are no plans for another book. So I felt like the way the book ended was a great end to Hannah's story though I look forward to perhaps reading more of Sterling's books!

I recommend this series for anyone looking for LGBTQ representation, fantasy/magic, and a little bit of YA action. You can purchase a copy here!