Only Spell Deep

Rebecca meets The Craft in this dark, atmospheric novel of one witch rediscovering her power while on the run from another willing to kill her for it.

From the USA Today bestselling author of The Bane Witch!

Judeth Cole has always had certain uncanny abilities. But when she arrived at Solidago, her grandfather's estate by the sea, she was forced to keep them secret. There she lived a harsh life under his rule and the haunting legacy of her late grandmother, Aurelia. Until the fateful day she ignited a fire with her magic. It was the last time she saw her family alive.

Seventeen years later, she's living in Seattle as Jude Clark, and failing at life, when she makes a last detour through her favorite bookstore, selecting a book to read as she waits to die. But when she pulls it from the shelf, an invitation to her for a clandestine midnight meeting slips out.

Jude is quickly swept up into a world of secrets and magic, discovering a circle of powerful new companions led by the mysterious, enigmatic Arla. The source of their magic, Arla tells her, is an entity, trapped and bound, that they call The Fathom. But Jude swiftly realizes Arla wants this power all to herself, and that she's willing to kill for it.

Terrified, Jude turns to Levi, the handsome bookseller who's seen her at her worst. With his help, she begins a research journey that leads her all the way back to Solidago, the house she swore to never return to. Now, the Fathom threatening to break free and Arla on the hunt, Jude must finally face her past to save her future.

Ava Morgyn's Only Spell Deep is a novel that takes readers on a journey into a dark, glittering world of magic, a place where power should never be caged and misplaced trust can have deadly consequences.

"Only Spell Deep is beautifully written and richly immersive, weaving a gothic atmosphere with supernatural tension in a story about reclaiming one's power in more ways than one and unraveling generational trauma. Morgyn builds a world that feels both mythic and real, where gods walk among us and the most terrifying magic is the kind passed down through blood. This novel cast a lasting spell on me. I was all in." - Katy Foraker, author of Memories, Lies, and Other Binds

"Only Spell Deep is a dark parable of feminine rage and power, blending horror, fantasy, and mythology seamlessly into the streets and hidden places of modern-day Seattle. With gorgeous prose, Ava Morgyn weaves a spell of her own and gives us a courageous heroine to root for." - Alyssa Palombo, author of The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel

Author: Ava Morgyn
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Published: 03/17/2026
Pages: 352
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.65lbs
Size: 8.20h x 5.29w x 1.03d
ISBN: 9781250363763


Review Citation(s):
Booklist 02/01/2026
Library Journal 02/20/2026 pg. 1

About the Author
Ava Morgyn grew up falling in love with all the wrong characters in all the wrong stories, then studied English Writing & Rhetoric. She is a lover of witchcraft, tarot, and powerful women with bad reputations and resides in Houston surrounded by antiques and dog hair. When not at her laptop spinning darkly hypnotic tales, she hunts for vintage treasures and reads the darkest books she can find. She is the USA Today bestselling author of The Witches of Bone Hill and The Bane Witch.