DEATH CARD

The newly appointed head of her coven must uncover the culprit who’s killing off its members before she dies at the hand of her new crush.

Since her grandmother’s death a year ago, 17-year-old witch Mikaela Broussard has felt trapped by grief. Though she inherited Gran’s gift of divination, she’s not nearly as skilled at magic as she was—or as her twin brother, Orion. So when a magic-stealing illness infects her coven of Black witches, and Gramps announces she’ll be the new Witch Queen, nobody, including Mikaela herself, believes she’s ready. Then she meets Joelle Murphy, an incoming first year at Tulane University, the most beautiful girl she’s ever seen, and the person destined to kill her under the next full moon. The pressure to protect her coven intensifies after the magic-eating illness claims a new victim. Now Mikaela must investigate a dangerous rival coven while also trying to avoid being killed. Smith’s debut is a well-paced and engaging story about a girl growing past her grief and into her own power. The various subplots are well-balanced, save one that’s underdeveloped due to the one-dimensional antagonists whose motives feel tonally dissonant with the book as a whole. Still, fans of queer-friendly witchy stories with light romantic drama and those looking for quick paranormal reads will likely enjoy this.

A largely satisfying addition to the genre.