Witchlore by Emma Hinds

Orlando didn’t mean to grow familiar with the dead. But when their girlfriend mysteriously dies trying to help them, and they’re offered a chance to bring her back, who wouldn’t attempt it?

In Witchlore, Emma Hinds introduces the reader to a world of witches and shapeshifters  in an upper-young-adult novel full of queer sorrows and joys. Hind’s novel features a non-binary main character with themes surrounding mental health and grief; a whimsical setting with a British, magical academy full of witches.

Orlando is a shapeshifter—one of the most powerful magical beings in the world. Yet,

they aren’t capable of performing spells

and only have a habit of uncontrollably shapeshifting, which makes them ostracise themselves from society. After losing their girlfriend, Elizabeth, as she tried to perform a spell to help them gain full control, Orlando becomes more reclusive than ever before. Their peers blame them for Elizabeth’s death, and worse, Orlando blames themself. After a mental health scare over the summer, they’re prepared to have one of the worst years at college yet—missing Elizabeth and dodging harassment at every turn. Then, they meet Bastian. 

Bastain doesn’t seem to fear Orlando at all. He doesn’t blame them for Elizabeth’s death, and he doesn’t mind that they’re a shapeshifter, unlike the witches that make up the rest of the school. Orlando is instantly suspicious, but when Bastian reveals he has a spell that needs a shapeshifter to bring back the dead, intrigue gets the best of them. While Bastian says performing such a spell would put him in good standing in the job market, Orlando can’t help but be suspicious that he hides a darker past. But, they want Elizabeth back more than anything, even if that means helping Bastian perform the spell. 

As the two of them begin to collect ingredients for the spell, they turn from acquaintances to allies to friends to almost-love-interests. They haven’t felt those emotions since Elizabeth, which forces them to confront their grief and the pains of moving on. As Bastian and Orlando’s relationship deepens and the spell grows more dangerous to complete, Orlando can’t help but wonder if the spell is really worth completing. Orlando’s uncontrollable shapeshifting worsens with every step as they grow more frequent and come with constant irrefutable recollections of a past life. But what does it all mean? And what are Bastian’s true motives for getting Orlando’s help? And will their newfound relationship survive life, death, and every challenge in-between?

After finding out I would receive an advance copy of this novel, I was ecstatic. This story sounded like it would be right up my alley, and it absolutely was. As a reader who grew up reading books like Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, I instantly knew the plot and setting would hook me from the start.

If you love consuming stories in an academic setting that will leave you feeling intrigued, with a dash of mystery, grief, and complex relationships, this is exactly the sort of novel you would love. When I picked it up, I could not put it down after reading several chapters. 

You will be left daydreaming about the next chance you’d get to pick it up, and I haven’t read a book like Witchlore in a very long time. 

Emma Hind’s Witchlore has the makings of being enjoyable to anyone, and what makes it really stand out is the mystery throughout the novel. The subplots are immaculate, and the ending had my heart swelling with joy, even as it was bittersweet. In the future, I will look excitedly for any other titles Emma Hinds writes. 

Witchlore releases on October 14, 2025.

PURCHASE WITCHLORE HERE!