The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin

The Book:

The book we're talking about this month is The Nature of Witches. In a very quick, informal summary: The Nature of Witches features the world on the brink of climate change disaster. Weather patterns are unstable, natural disasters are strengthening, and, in the past, witches have been more than capable of handling the issue. With powers correlating to the season of their birth, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter witches keep our global weather stable. But as climate change challenges the system, these witches are strained to the point of depletion. Clara, an Everwitch, is the only witch alive with magic tied to every season. The world thinks she's the answer to everything, but for Clara the price of her magic is too high and she wants nothing to do with it.

I selected this book for many reasons - one, we officially have sweater weather here in the Northern Hemisphere and while The Nature of Witches covers all the seasons, it feels like a fall read to me. Two - the beastie featured is a black cat which again, perfect for Halloween, but also a great discussion starter. And Three - while I absolutely love the premise of this book - it was actually getting to know the author that convinced me to read it and want to share it with you.

The Author:

The Nature of Witches is Rachel Griffin's debut novel. Her second book, Wild is the Witch, is also out and available now. Both are standalones. And while I had definitely seen advertisements and bookstagram features for The Nature of Witches, what actually convinced me to read it was Griffin's preorder campaign where for every book preordered a tree would be planted in its honor. I instantly felt like yes - I know exactly what this author is about. Similarly, her preorder campaign for Wild is the Witch went towards care of a non-releasable spotted owl. Which is just really cool.

The Beastie:

Now - let's chat about Nox the Cat! In The Nature of Witches, Clara has a black cat named Equinox.

I love that Griffin chose to embrace the black-cat-witches cliche and she does it perfectly. Equinox, or Nox for short, very quickly gives the reader a sense of familiarity - Ah, Clara is a witch and a witch has a cat - which is helpful when everything else about Griffin's witches is so unique. Their powers shift with the seasons, they're assigned to oversee and protect different regions of the Earth, and the non-magical community - or Shaders - are well aware that witches exist. And while witches aren't hunted in Griffin's world, they aren't exactly celebrated either. The Shaders expect the Witches to do their job and stop climate change on their own, ignoring their warnings that eventually the power of nature will overcome their own.

My favorite part about Equinox the cat is that he's just a cat. No powers. Nothing special required beyond accepting himself - which plays into the story's overall theme. Clara must accept what she views as the good and the bad of her magic if she's ever going to control it. It's not enough for others to love her as she is - she must learn to love and appreciate all parts of herself.

Another amazing part about Nox is his name. Being an Everwitch, Clara's powers change with every season so it makes sense the name Equinox would stand out in her mind. Working doubly so with the nickname Nox as he's an all black cat and nox actually means night or darkness in Latin. It also in a way shows a bit of Clara's resilience shining through from the very beginning. Struggling to control her powers and the constant shift of the seasons makes her feel like she's in a constant state of flux. An Equinox marks a shift between seasons, a time when Clara's powers would change, yet she still chose this as her cat's name forcing a positive association with the word. It's a powerful insight into her character with such a small detail.

One of the key story moments for Nox is when he's lost in a particularly bad storm and, despite the warnings of her teachers, Clara goes into the storm to search for him. I love this scene because rationally, as a vet tech I know cats are more than capable of finding their own cover. I also know cats can be a fierce concoction of claws and teeth when they're scared out of their mind in these kinds of situations. That being said, as a cat-mom I do exactly what Clara does and dive headfirst into the storm after Nox, too. Unfortunately for Clara, ensuring Nox's safety has huge consequences for her friends and her school.

While Nox does not really have a major role in the development of Clara's character - he does play a big part in helping the reader understand who Clara is at her core. For one, he's proof from page 15 that the power Clara truly seeks is inside her all along. For Clara, relationships truly come and go like seasons. The heart's desires shift with the position of the Earth and sun, and so relationships die out, friendships fade. But Nox is always there. He's a constant even when his name means a change. There's a beautiful sentiment in that.

At one point in the story, Clara considers leading a life of isolation with just Nox and her magic. She says "I wouldn't be as happy as I could be, or as content, or as joyful. But maybe I'd be okay. And maybe okay would be enough." Due to the dangerous nature of her power, she's been isolated from friends and family, and for a time, Nox is her only true companion. For a time, he's really her only friend.

I think those of us with pets can relate to moments in time where we've felt like no one understands us, that we're alone, and this furry four-legged emotional-support beastie is the only thing keeping your life together. That's the power of the human-animal bond. That's how Nox keeps the all-powerful Clara human in the readers' eyes. She may be an Everwitch with the untapped potential to wield the power of all four seasons, but at the end of the day she's really just a confused and terrified girl with a cat as the only friend to her name.

And, of course, an animal's intuition rings true. To me, Nox represents the friendships and relationships Clara is capable of having if she can learn to trust and love herself - all of herself - magic included.

In summary…

If you have not read The Nature of Witches - I highly recommend it. You can learn more about Rachel Griffin and her books on her website RachelGriffinBooks.com. (Pro tip - the audiobook for this one is also incredible.) And if you're looking for a book with a similar beastie I encourage you to check out VE Schwab's City of Ghosts series which follows a girl and her ghost best friend and features their feline companion Grim. Wonderful middle-grade read and perfect for spooky season.

Vet Tech Tip: You can train your cat to love their cat carrier by always leaving it out and accessible. Even better - put a snuggly blanket in there and treats and traveling becomes, maybe not enjoyable, but at least more tolerable!

Thanks for joining me - I'll see you next time. Happy reading!