Witchlore

Name: Witchlore
Brand: Macmillan Audio
Availability: InStock
Author: Emma Hinds
ISBN: 9781250416001

Author: Emma Hinds

Narrator: Roly Botha

Unabridged: 11 hr 1 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Macmillan Young Listeners

Published: 10/14/2025

Categories: Young Adult Fiction, Romance, Lgbtq+, Fantasy

Synopsis

Holly Black meets Lex Croucher in this contemporary fantasy about a love story to raise the dead.

At Demdike College of Witchcraft, Orlando is an outcast. Not just for being the only shapeshifter in a college of witches. Not just for being a really bad shapeshifter, with no control over their magic or when their body switches between male and female forms. But because their girlfriend Elizabeth died—and it was Lando's fault.

Then charming new boy Bastian arrives with a proposition: he knows a spell that can raise Elizabeth from the dead. It's dangerous but Lando will try anything. But as Lando's attraction to Bastian grows, questions start to arise. Who is Bastian? What does he really want? And who will survive the resurrection spell?

For fans of V.E. Schwab and Rainbow Rowell, Emma Hinds' Witchlore is a spellbinding contemporary fantasy where the passion is as real as the magic.

A Macmillan Audio production from Wednesday Books

About Emma Hinds

Emma Hinds is a queer writer living and working in Manchester who is passionate about writing queer fantasy that explores the depth of British magical folklore. She has a Masters degree in Creative Writing from the University of St Andrews and is the author of The Knowing and The Quick and the Dead. Witchlore is her first novel for YA readers.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Marieke on July 01, 2025

Witchlore is a pleasant surprise. This story about Lando, a shapeshifter who shifts between genders, has the lightheartedness of F. T. Lukens’ books and the grief found in Michelle Kulwicki’s At the End of the River Styx. TW: Be aware that the first pages include suicidal ideation. Lando lost their gi......more

Goodreads review by mtrics on July 05, 2025

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Witchlore by Emma Hinds opens with Lando, a non-binary shapeshifter, struggling to survive at college after the accidental death of their girlfriend, Elizabeth. Soon, they’re approached by Bastian, the mysterious new kid at school, who offers Lando......more

Goodreads review by SJARR ✨ on September 15, 2025

Magic, romance, and some really spooky creatures. This was a pretty exciting story! The plot here was great. Clearly well thought out, and with great execution. A shapeshifter and a witch team up to bring the shapeshifters dead girlfriend back to life? I found that so engaging. I especially love Land......more

Goodreads review by Harrison on June 12, 2025

4.75⭐ What a debut! Orlando, a shifter, is going through it: blamed for the death of their girlfriend, ostracized and bullied, and alienated from their witch cohorts. Enter Bastian, a talented and handsome witch with a drive to prove himself. When these two meet, they will set off on adventure that is......more

Goodreads review by Kim on May 25, 2025

I wish this book was longer! I loved these characters so much. The plot was incredibly interesting, especially the gender swapping shapeshifting. Never read anything like it. Lando felt like such a real person. Their struggle with their identity and their grief over the loss of their girlfriend was......more

Quotes

We Are Bookish, "Read Queer All Year With These 20 Books"

“This character-driven fantasy thoughtfully explores Lando’s gender identity and the prejudice they face. The romance element is cozy and matches the book’s overall themes of being authentic and recognizing the value of life.” - Kirkus

“Hinds’ YA debut examines what it’s like to be different—particularly when one’s identity is further marginalized within an already marginalized community…themes of grief, suicide, gender and sexual fluidity, and systems of oppression are discussed with care.” - Booklist

“Drolly funny and with a wildly inventive magic system, this is an addictive read.” - The Bookseller

"Genuine and surprising. Hinds has created a witchy, magical fantasy that explores grief, self-love, gender expression, and societal expectations with nuance and care."—F.T. Lukens, New York Times bestselling author of Spell Bound

"Witchlore is all at once a page-turning adventure through old libraries, supernatural history and British folklore, a tender and complex queer love story, and a profound exploration of grief, survival and the power of self-acceptance. Wise, brilliantly written, and full of humour and heart - I loved it." —Sophie Keetch, author of Morgan is My Name