Tag Archives: Golem

Review: Woven from Clay by Jenny Birch

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,
Woven From Clay by Jenny Birch

Woven From Clay
Jenny Birch
Wednesday Books
Published August 12, 2025

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About Woven From Clay

In this fresh and imaginative contemporary fantasy, a golem must master the magic that binds her together and finds an unexpected ally in the mysterious boy sent to ensure her demise.

Terra Slater might not know anything about her birth family or where she comes from, but that’s never stopped her, and she fully intends her senior year to be her best yet. Until the dark and mysterious Thorne Wilder―a magical bounty hunter―moves to town, bringing revelations that wreck all of her plans.

When Terra learns she is a golem, not born but crafted from mud and magic by a warlock, her world is upended. Worse, Cyrus Quill, the warlock who made her, is a fugitive, on the run from the witches who want to hold him accountable for his past crimes. But Quill’s sentence is death, which would unravel the threads of magic that hold Terra―and all of the other golems that he crafted―together.

Desperate to save herself and her friends, Terra strikes a deal with Thorne and his coven to preserve the warlock’s life and his magic. If she can prove her worth to the coven by mastering the magic within her, the golems will survive. If she can’t, they’ll perish along with Cyrus. As Thorne helps her to see and manipulate the tapestry of magic that surrounds them, their unexpected alliance evolves into something more and Terra comes to understand the depths of her magic, her humanity, and her love for the people most important to her.

My Review

The book description makes it very clear that this is a contemporary fantasy, but I think I kept assuming from the cover that it was some kind of Greek myth retelling. I don’t know why. In any case, when I started reading the book, I was a little jolted by the present-day setting.

At first, it feels like a familiar tale. A girl facing an inexplicable problem meets a grouchy, emotionally-closed boy who’s new in town. There’s the inevitable tug of war over whether they’re on opposing sides or can trust a tentative alliance.

From there, we learn more about Thorne’s coven and the power dynamics at play. Terra experiments with her newfound ability, and Thorne becomes a lot more likeable.

The way the author uses names in the story is interesting. Once you know about Terra’s origin, it becomes easy to recognize the others who share a similar story. Some people might find that a bit heavy-handed, but I thought it was a neat idea.

The story definitely grew on me as I got into the history of Terra’s town and saw more of Thorne’s family. By the end, I was really invested in both Terra and Thorne.

If you enjoy paranormal romance or contemporary fantasy, I think this is a good one to pick up. It has a lot of similar vibes to the kinds of books coming out in the early 2000s, but without the problematic content.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
One instance of the f-bomb, and a sprinkling of other profanity. Not a huge amount.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
Witches live apart from humans in underground compounds where they use their magic according to the rules of their guild. Creating a golem is considered “warlock magic”, which is against their rules.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. If Terra’s creator dies, she and the other golems will perish as well. Someone tries to harm Terra’s friends, tripping them, sapping their energy, etc.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Wrath Becomes Her by Aden Polydoros

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Wrath Becomes Her
Aden Polydoros
Inkyard Press
Published October 10, 2023

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About Wrath Becomes Her

FRANKENSTEIN meets INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS in this stunning Jewish historical horror novel from the award-winning author of THE CITY BEAUTIFUL.

Vera was made for vengeance.

Lithuania, 1943. A father drowns in the all-consuming grief of a daughter killed by the Nazis. He can’t bring Chaya back from the dead, but he can use kishuf — an ancient and profane magic — to create a golem in her image. A Nazi killer, to avenge her death.

When Vera awakens, she can feel her violent purpose thrumming within her. But she can also feel glimpses of a human life lived, of stolen kisses amidst the tragedy, and of a grisly death. And when she meets Akiva, she recognizes the boy with soft lips that gave warm kisses. But these memories aren’t hers, and Vera doesn’t know if she gets—or deserves —to have a life beyond what she was made for.

Vera’s strength feels limitless—until she learns that there are others who would channel kishuf for means far less noble than avenging a daughter’s death. As she confronts the very basest of humanity, Vera will need more than what her creator gave Not just a reason to fight, but a reason to live. 

My Review

This is the first book by Aden Polydoros that I’ve read. I started BONE WEAVER, but got pulled away from the book before I could finish it. I knew from that that I liked the writing style, so I felt pretty confident that I would like this book– and I did!

The subject is pretty dark, and the story takes place in winter in Lithuania, so it’s freezing cold in the middle of a war in which the Jews aren’t guaranteed to be safe even from the soldiers fighting against the Germans.

Vera’s exploration of her identity and her desperation to understand humanity reminded me a lot of the book FRANKENSTEIN. She knows she’s other, but she has such deep human impulses and desires, and at first, she idolizes humans. The more she sees war and how people treat one another, the less enamored she is with people.

I thought the story might follow a well-established pattern in which the idea of personhood is explored and romance happens between a created being and a human. There are some hints of romance, especially on Vera’s side, but the story doesn’t center around romantic love.

I really liked the ending of the book. It wasn’t simple, but it felt right to me. I think readers who enjoyed THIS REBEL HEART by Katherine Locke will like this one, too.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Major characters are Jewish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
References to celebrating Shabbos. References to Jewish folklore, history, and religious texts.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Warfare. References to torture. Graphic descriptions of injuries sustained in battles.

Drug Content
A soldier drinks Vodka from a flask and uses it to wash a wound.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of WRATH BECOMES HER in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Naomi Teitelbaum Ends the World by Samara Shanker

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Naomi Teitelbaum Ends the World
Samara Shanker
Atheneum
Published September 6, 2022

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About Naomi Teitelbaum Ends the World

A magical Bat Mitzvah gift gets out of control and thrusts a girl into a supernatural quest with the fate of the world at stake in this spooky middle grade adventure that’s perfect for fans of Aru Shah.

Naomi Teitelbaum is so ready for her Bat Mitzvah. Her prayers are memorized and she’s definitely got a handle on her Torah portion (well, almost). Then she gets a mysterious gift: a tiny clay Golem. To Naomi’s shock, it comes to life—and obeys her every command.

At first, this small magical helper seems like the best Bat Mitzvah gift ever. But with each command, the Golem grows…and gets harder to hide. And creepy, unnatural creatures like dybbuks, demons, and a congregation of ghosts have started following Naomi around. To keep herself out of trouble and the Golem out of harm’s way, Naomi gives the Golem well-intended instructions: save the world.

Unfortunately, this leaves more room for interpretation than Naomi thought. Before long, the Golem is wreaking havoc all over Los Angeles, and only Naomi and her friends can stop it.

My Review

I had a lot of fun reading NAOMI TEITELBAUM ENDS THE WORLD. I loved Naomi and her friends Becca and Eitan. It’s clear from the way they talk to each other that they have a lot of history and close bonds with one another. They would banter back and forth or give each other a hard time sometimes, but it always came from a place of knowing and loving each other.

Another element of the story that I liked was Golem character. There was something sort of sinister about the way he grew larger with every task he completed. The fact that using the Golem opened up a spirit world around Naomi and her friends also added some spookiness to the story. I liked that some of those encounters were spooky and others ended up being helpful.

All in all, I think readers looking for a wild, world-saving adventure will really enjoy this one. It’s a perfect read for the spooky season. I think fans of THE DARKDEEP by Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs will love this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Major characters are Jewish. Naomi has two moms.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
References to Jewish celebrations and religious ceremonies. Naomi and her friends are studying for their Bat Mitzvah or Bar Mitzvah ceremonies. Naomi asks her rabbi questions about her reading from the Torah. A rabbi tells her stories from Jewish folklore. Naomi’s Golem comes to life, just like the Golems in Jewish folklore. After that happens, Naomi begins to see other spirits and demons.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Some of the spirits Naomi and her friends encounter try to capture them.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of NAOMI TEITELBAUM ENDS THE WORLD in exchange for my honest review.