Witches of Dubious Origin by Jenn McKinlay ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

When a librarian discovers she’s descended from a long line of powerful witches, she’ll need all of her bookish knowledge to harness her family’s magic.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

October 2025; Ace; 978-0593819753
audio, ebook, print (384 pages); cozy fantasy

I'm a big fan of Jenn McKinlay's cozy mysteries, particularly the Library Lover's Library series and the Cupcake Bakery series. I've also enjoyed some of her summer rom-com novels. Cozy fantasy is a new genre for her. I'm not a big fantasy reader, but when I do read it, I prefer it to be set in our real world and with a character who is new to the fantasy world (think Harry Potter). Witches of Dubious Origin ticks both of those boxes.

I struggled a little with getting into the story. If you've read A Discovery of Witches, you might find yourself comparing the two as there is a number of similarities - I know I did. That might have been part of the problem for me. But once the story got going and established its own "identity", I was drawn in and stopped comparing it.

I really liked the characters. They are a bit quirky, and there is quite a bit of their backstories that are left untold.

There is a good deal of time spent on world-building, which I understand is needed, but it made the book move a little too slowly for me. I'm in the mood for some adventure and maybe a bit of a thrill ride. The action does kick into high gear towards the end of the book.

I think this is the start of a new series. There is plenty of room for a continuing saga (see my aforementioned comment about backstories). Yet, everything is well wrapped up that it could be a standalone book.

If there is a sequel, I will probably read it. Partly because I want to see what McKinlay can do with the storyline, but also because I know I often don't like the first book in the series, but end up loving the rest of the series. 

Buy Witches of Dubious Origin at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us. Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up for our newsletter today! Or Follow Girl Who Reads with Bloglovin. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.