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The Bewitching Hour (A Tara Prequel) (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Prequels) Hardcover – August 1, 2023

by Ashley Poston (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 47 ratings
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan-favorite and LGBTQIA+ icon Tara Maclay gets the main character treatment in this YA prequel full of '90s nostalgia, mysterious murders, and a star-crossed romance, written by New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Ashley Poston.

Tara Maclay isn’t thrilled to be starting her senior year of high school in a new town. But if she can just keep her head down, then maybe she can make it through this year in Hellborne, Vermont without the town living up to its name.

Of course, her plan falls apart immediately, as dead students start turning up around her, and she’s suddenly voted Most Likely To Have Murdered Them by the rest of the senior class. Oh, and the fellow new girl Tara’s crushing on? Turns out to be a witch-hunter.

. . . So maybe it’s not the worst thing that Tara’s magic is majorly malfunctioning.

As the body count rises, Tara has to overcome her fears, reconnect with her magic, and cast herself in a more central role to save the town—even if it means putting her new relationship at risk.
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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    12 - 17 years
  2. Part of series
    Buffy the Vampire Slayer Prequels
  3. Print length
    352 pages
  4. Language
    English
  5. Grade level
    7 - 9
  6. Dimensions
    5.71 x 1.14 x 8.52 inches
  7. Publisher
    Disney Hyperion
  8. Publication date
    August 1, 2023
  9. ISBN-10
    1368075452
  10. ISBN-13
    978-1368075459
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

A teen witch gets caught up in the mysterious deaths claiming her new classmates. After her mother, who was also a witch, died, Tara Maclay’s father started believing witches were evil, forbade Tara from exploring that part of herself, and moved their family to Hellborne, Vermont, a town proud of its witch-burning past. Fellow high school senior Baz, a himbo jock, takes Tara under his wing, but not everyone welcomes her with open arms. Tara learns that two students recently died, and she and fellow new student Daphne have been slotted into their classes. When Tara witnesses a third death, she knows these aren’t the accidents they appear; something paranormal is at play. She befriends Daphne, who is a witch hunter, and the pair set out to stop the evil before more deaths occur. Tara, a kind witch who stutters, was a lesbian icon on TV’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and this new tale taking place before she joined the cast fills in her backstory. There are nods to the show and its characters, but this fun and chilling mystery stands completely on its own. Tara’s strict dad adds just as much tension to the story as the murders do, and her awkward new-student feelings plus a growing crush on Daphne ground the story with relatable emotions. Tara and Baz are White; Daphne is Black. A beloved Buffyverse character gets to be the hero and find happiness in this enjoyable, witchy tale. (Paranormal. 13-18)- Kirkus (June 1, 2023)

About the Author

Ashley Poston is a New York Times best-selling author. She spends her time in South Carolina, New York, and all the bookstores in between. You can find her in spaces across the internet, watching cat videos and reading fanfiction.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Disney Hyperion (August 1, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1368075452
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1368075459
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 - 17 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 9
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.71 x 1.14 x 8.52 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 47 ratings

About the author

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Ashley Poston

Ashley Poston

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Ashley Poston writes stories about love and friendship and ever afters. A native to South Carolina, she now lives in a small grey house with her sassy cat and too many books. You can find her on the internet, somewhere, watching cat videos and reading fan-fiction.

Tweet her at @ashposton and find out more about her at www.ashposton.com.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
47 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Holly S.
5.0 out of 5 stars While geared for Buffy fans, many readers will love
Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2023
Any Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan remembers the beloved witch Tara, taken from the audience far too soon. But what if fans could get more Tara content? What if, instead of dwelling on her murder, we got a peak into her life pre-Scooby Gang?

Budding yet suppressed witch, Tara McClay, has just moved to the Vermont town of Hellborne which is proud of its witch-burning history. She has no plans on being a hero or even, really, on being a witch anymore. She just wants to lay low and get through the year without her father sending her off to a threatening boarding school.

Then, right in front of her, a classmate is killed in the library, but the death seems to be anything other than natural. She was even seen going into the library shortly before the death, starting rumors that, despite the fact that other boys died before she got to Hellborne, she might be the murderer. Worse, the other mysterious and intriguing (in a way Tara doesn't want to acknowledge) new girl, Daphne, saw Tara in the library. But, then again, Daphne had a crossbow so maybe Daphne is hiding her own secrets.

In order for Tara to find out who is behind these deaths before the murderer turns their sights on her she'll have to work together with unexpected allies. Can Tara deal with the danger to Hellborne, her family's repression, and her deepest feelings and insecurities and make it out alive? How much can she risk to do so?

While geared for Buffy fans, many readers will love this fast-paced fantasy mystery intertwined with a queer romance.
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Rebecca
4.0 out of 5 stars Solid story with good characters
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2023
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The Bewitching Hour is a cool glimpse at Tara’s backstory for Buffy fans and still a fun story for people who’ve never seen the show. The characters are clear and interesting, and the story’s heart, humor and action make pausing at the end of a chapter impossible — a good sign.
The book could use one more pass through editing, and the timeline feels a little wobbly sometimes (really the show’s fault for saying Tara’s mom died at 17 — doesn’t leave a ton of high school time).
Overall, it’s a solid read and is worth buying. I recommend it.
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Shelley Seemayer
5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Witch Bewitches Us Again
Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2023
Tara was such an unappreciated character in Buffy, and oh how I miss Buffy. The story has a nostalgic and richly 90’s era vibe that might seem retro to younger generations but proves that a teenager in a new school is a situation that resounds with all, regardless of the timeframe. Throw in some magic Tara was such an unappreciated character in Buffy, and oh how I miss Buffy. The story has a nostalgic and richly 90’s era vibe that might seem retro to younger generations but proves that a teenager in a new school is a situation that resounds with all, regardless of the timeframe. Throw in some magic, murder, witch hunters, and all the stuff that made Buffy the Vampire Slayer iconic, and it’s an entertaining read for any Buffy fan or paranormal teen reader. Hopefully this book will reignite the passion for the show with a new group of fans. I found it fun to go back and read about Tara’s pre Scooby and Willow days, when she was almost painfully shy and still in the shadow of her controlling family , still stinging from the death of her mother and unsure of her place in the world. Although we are aware Tara will not end up with Daphne and she’s ultimately fated for a cruel early demise, it’s still refreshing so go back and get to know her as a young witch and woman before her college days. She is the same kind, gentle spirit we grow to love in the show and the author does an excellent job of capturing the character and feel of the series. I love that the author chose to focus on this character because she is so quiet and soft spoken that it was hard to get to know her, and this book is bitter sweet because it makes you love Tara more even as it foreshadows her dark future and how little time she will have to be happy with Willow. As my favorite character in this book states, you can’t always tell who people are just by looking at them and this rich new cast of characters embodies all the humor, warmth, and comradeship from the series that inspired it. I have always loved the wicked willow trilogy for the interaction between evil willow and ghost Tara so it’s great , murder, witch hunters, and all the stuff that made Buffy the Vampire Slayer iconic, and it’s an entertaining read for any Buffy fan or paranormal teen reader. Hopefully this book will reignite the passion for the show with a new group of fans. I found it fun to go back and read about Tara’s pre Scooby and Willow days, when she was almost painfully shy and still in the shadow of her controlling family , still stinging from the death of her mother and unsure of her place in the world. Although we are aware Tara will not end up with Daphne and she’s ultimately fated for a cruel early demise, it’s still refreshing so go back and get to know her as a young witch and woman before her college days. She is the same kind, gentle spirit we grow to love in the show and the author does an excellent job of capturing the character and feel of the series. I love that the author chose to focus on this character because she is so quiet and soft spoken that it was hard to get to know her, and this book is bitter sweet because it makes you love Tara more even as it foreshadows her dark future and how little time she will have to be happy with Willow. As my favorite character in this book states, you can’t always tell who people are just by looking at them and this rich new cast of characters embodies all the humor, warmth, and comradeship from the series that inspired it. I have always loved the wicked willow trilogy for the interaction between evil willow and ghost Tara so it’s great to get to know her more in depth prior to her demise. And oh how well her family is written out in this book! Cousin Beth, who is a one shot spit in your face characters, portrayed by 5e stunning Amy Adams who grew up to be my favorite Disney princess, Giselle, again, so much more idea of who her character was from this book. Honestly it’s just comforting and thrilling to read such an exceptionally well written Buffy based book after all these years, like warm cocoa on a snowy day. Like coming home to a well lit house. This book gives me all the feels, and as a former Buffy fan fiction writer, I just couldn’t have asked for anything better than the beautiful, somewhat sad, but very funny and touching tale woven here with its memory lane boy band and internet chat references and delightful witch hunting family and quirky demons, and ofcourse, one very special witch who stole our hearts. High school may be hell, but it’s a heck of ride with friends like these by your side.
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lacyduckie
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect For Fans of First Kill
Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2023
The Bewitching Hour took me right back to the night I ran across a Buffy rerun and proceeded to make the show my entire personality pre social media days. (For the curious, it was the season 5 finale The Gift.) The Tara (and Spuffy) seasons were always the best imo. Tara Maclay immediately became a favorite character of mine and I will never ever ever ever forgive her ending. The Bewitching Hour felt like watching a Tara centric episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. We deserved to know more about her and her background. I don't really know if this book could be considered canon, but I choose to believe it is.

The Bewitching Hour is a Buffy prequel that takes us back to Tara's senior year of high school in Hellborne, Vermont in late 90s. She has just moved to a new school after her mother died and she is struggling with terrible treatment from her family and struggling with her powers as witch. Soon, students start dying and she becomes the number one target. With the help of another new girl, Daphne, who turns out to be a witch-hunter, they set out to find the real culprit.

I loved Tara and Daphne and the golden retriever of a jock Baz (who has his own secrets). They were so fun to read about. I loved all the 90's nostalgia and nods to the Buffy series. I wish we knew where all the other character's journeys took them. The audiobook is amazing. Emily Ellet did a great job portraying Tara. I still kind of wish they had gotten Amber Benson to do it. And now, I immediately need to do a Buffy rewatch.

Fans of Netflix's First Kill will absolutely love this book as much as I did.
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Top reviews from other countries

FML
4.0 out of 5 stars Decent, if a little unadventurous
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 28, 2023
Verified Purchase
Overall, I found this a fun, engaging work, told by someone who was clearly happy to work on this canvas. Admittedly, it was somewhat formulaic in places, but that's not inherently a bad thing; and I'll take unadventurous but well-executed - which this book was - over daring but rubbish any day.
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Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing expansion
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 1, 2023
Verified Purchase
I didn't have high hopes for this book after the mess that was the recent Spike prequel, but this was definitely a vast improvement.
Tara is a character who was ripe for expansion and it's a pleasant addition to the Buffy lore. There are some issues with the 'canon' fitting into the TV show, but on the whole it's a pleasant dip back into the Buffyverse.
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Drew
3.0 out of 5 stars Decent story
Reviewed in Canada on October 7, 2023
Verified Purchase
Decent well written story but as a hardcore Buffy fan, I had a hard time overlooking the several things contradicting Tara's canon story from the show. I also had a hard time overlooking how witch huntress Daphne is a little bit too similar to the character Cal from tv show First Kill, from her background to her mission.
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