Book Review :: The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer

The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer
ISBN: 0593983580
on 7 April 2026
Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Mystery
Pages: 301
Goodreads

She can hop into any novel, but she just can’t stay there.

Rainy March is a proud, third-generation Book Witch, sworn to defend works of fiction from all foes real and imaginary. With her magical umbrella and feline familiar, she jumps in and out of novels to fix malicious alterations and rogue heroes like a modern-day magical Nancy Drew.

Book Witches live by a strict code:
Real people belong in the real world; fictional characters belong in works of fiction. Do not eat, drink, or sleep inside a fictional world, lest you become part of the story.

Falling in love with a fictional character? Don’t even think about it.

Which is why Rainy has been forbidden from seeing the Duke of Chicago, the dashing British detective who stars in her favorite mystery series. If she’s ever caught with him again, she’ll be expelled from her book coven—and forced to give up the magical gifts that are as much a part of her as her own name.

But when her beloved grandfather disappears and a priceless book is stolen, there’s only one person she trusts to help her solve the case: the Duke. Their quest takes them through the worlds of Alice in Wonderland, King Arthur, and other classics that will reveal hidden enemies and long-buried family secrets.

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What is The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer about?

The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer tells the story of Rainy March, a Book Witch whose job is to jump into novels and protect them from the Burners – a rival group determined to destroy fiction they don’t deem to be worth readers’ time.

Being a Book Witch, however, comes with a couple of rules. Rules like don’t linger in books too long. Don’t eat, drink, or sleep in those worlds. And whatever you do, don’t fall in love with a fictional character.

Buuuut Rainy’s already broken that last one. The Duke of Chicago – a dashing detective straight out of her favourite mystery series – exists in the pages of his own books, and she exists in the real world, and they’re meant to stay that way.

But they can’t seem to help themselves, and if the coven catches them together again, she’s done. No more magic. No more magical umbrella. No more Rainy March as she knows herself.

“All stories are love stories when you love stories.”

When her grandfather vanishes, and a priceless family book gets stolen, though, she needs help from the one person she’s forbidden to see. And so, they break the rules.

They dive into an array of books together, like Alice in Wonderland, King Arthur, and other classics, following clues through fictional worlds, only to discover something far bigger than a forbidden romance – family secrets that could change everything about who Rainy actually is.

My thoughts on The Book Witch

The Book Witch was a lot of fun. I do love books about books, and this one was especially enjoyable. It was giving older Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, and I was here for it. 

The first half, maybe 3/4 of this book, was such a riot. I had a great time learning about this magical world, which is basically our world, but with Book Witches in it, and the jumping in and out of books, and Rainy meeting various characters or just being in their general vicinity definitely sucked me in. 

Rainy’s love of books was so familiar, and how she falls for a fictional character – we’ve all been there. We get it. 

“If you’re afraid to read a book, it’s probably because you know it has something to say to you that you don’t want to hear.”

So if I’ve really enjoyed it, why just 3 stars? I feel like some of the twists and realisations at the end didn’t really hit for me. I liked the book less when we learnt a few more things about Rainy and her Book Witch life. Was it clever? Yeah. Was it expected? A little bit, yeah. But perhaps I would have liked it if it wasn’t the case. Which, I realise, doesn’t make much sense if you’re not sure what I’m on about, but if you have read it, you get my gist. 

I am, however, intrigued by Meg Shaffer. I haven’t read anything else by her before, so I need to check out some of her other titles. If you’re into magical realism, books about books, a bit of romance, witches, some twists and turns and a lot of book comments, definitely check out The Book Witch.

I’d love to know if you’ve read The Book Witch! Let me know in the comments.