Author: D.M. Million
Publisher: Scarlett Press / Victory Editing Co-op
Release Date: 26th October 2026

What would the world look like if witches were still being persecuted today?

It is such a brilliant premise and one that immediately drew me into The Coven of Redthorn Manor. Take the fear and hysteria of historical witch trials, bring them into the modern world and then add secret covens, ancient prophecies, grimoires, elemental sorcerers and a deliciously dangerous battle for survival. You have a recipe for one seriously bewitching read.

Davina has a dissertation to finish, a coven to protect and apparently a destiny that has absolutely no interest in waiting patiently until she has time for it.

As the reluctant high priestess of the Divine Moon Coven, Davina does not exactly feel like the powerful witch everyone expects her to be. She struggles to wield her magic with authority and would much rather bury herself in her academic research into seventeenth century witch hysteria and modern intolerance towards witches. Unfortunately for Davina, the line between her research and reality is about to become very blurred.

Enter Patrick Parris and his Puritan revivalist movement, complete with livestreamed witch burnings. Yes, you read that correctly. Livestreamed witch burnings.

There is something particularly chilling about this idea because it takes something rooted in history and gives it a horrifyingly modern twist. The persecution of witches is no longer something confined to dusty history books. In this world it has found an audience, a platform and people willing to turn hatred into spectacle.

And Davina is going to have to fight back.

I really enjoyed the way the historical elements are woven throughout the story. Her academic background is not simply there as an interesting character detail. Her research becomes an important part of uncovering the truth and finding a way to protect her coven. I loved that combination of academia and witchcraft. Give me a heroine surrounded by ancient grimoires while frantically connecting historical dots and I am very much going to be invested.

Then there is the prophecy.

Because apparently being a reluctant high priestess with a dissertation and a coven in danger was not enough.

Davina discovers that her ancestry holds the key to an ancient form of magic and that she has a role to play in stopping the Second Burning Times. Her lineage, her magic and her destiny are all tangled together and suddenly the stakes could not be higher.

I also loved the atmosphere of Redthorn Manor. It has that wonderfully gothic, secretive quality that makes you want to wander through its rooms despite knowing there are probably approximately seventeen things lurking in the shadows that you absolutely should not disturb. It feels like a proper witchy sanctuary, filled with history, magic and secrets.

But as the danger grows, even Redthorn Manor can no longer keep the coven safe.

This is where the story expands with the arrival of The Equinox, a secret coven of elemental sorcerers and their high priest, Cato.

And oh, Cato.

Sexy and infuriating is a combination that rarely fails to cause trouble and Cato certainly seems to know how to get under Davina’s skin. Their dynamic adds a lovely spark to the darker elements of the story and I was very happy to have a little romantic tension brewing alongside all the impending magical catastrophe.

What I particularly enjoyed about The Coven of Redthorn Manor is that beneath all the spells, prophecies and supernatural battles there is a story about fear, intolerance and the consequences of allowing persecution to take root. The book takes something that happened centuries ago and asks what it might look like if those attitudes were still alive and thriving in the modern world.

And honestly, that makes the story all the more compelling.

There is something wonderfully rebellious about a story where witches are not simply hiding in the shadows but are being forced to stand up and fight for their right to exist. Davina’s journey from reluctant high priestess to someone who must embrace the magic within her gives the story a satisfying sense of discovery and growth.

If you are looking for a witchy read with gothic atmosphere, ancient magic, secret covens, dangerous enemies, prophecy, romance and plenty of reasons to keep turning the pages, The Coven of Redthorn Manor deserves a place on your shelf of wonders.

Just remember to keep your grimoires close.

You never know when the Second Burning Times might begin.