For her new “witchy thriller” The Bane Witch (paperback, Kindle), author Ava Morgyn wanted to “subvert the traditional archetypes of the evil witch with her poisonous apple and the prince who saves the day.”
But that’s not all she’s doing in this fantasy thriller, as she explains in the following email interview.
Photo Credit: Zoey Sweat
To start, what is The Bane Witch about, and what kind of a world is it set in?
The Bane Witch is the story of a woman fleeing an abusive marriage and sordid past only to discover that she is descended from a long line of witches who ingest deadly plants and utilize the toxins to hunt and kill predatory men.
Most of the novel takes place in the Adirondack Mountains in a contemporary setting, but the opening chapters are set in Charleston, South Carolina.
Now, Piers running away from her abusive marriage makes me think The Bane Witch might have a feminist undercurrent to it. Or maybe I just think that ‘cuz I’m a boy.
It absolutely does! I really wanted to subvert the traditional archetypes of the evil witch with her poisonous apple and the prince who saves the day. Instead, my witches are the heroes and my villain has an aristocratic background. In this novel, we get to see female characters get angry and get even.
So, did you set out to write something with a feminist bent and The Bane Witch is what you came up with, or did you have the idea for The Bane Witch‘s plot first and then realize it would work better with a bit of feminism mixed in?
I think it was both. I really love stories that feature strong female characters behaving in ways that aren’t traditionally ascribed to being “feminine.” All of my stories have some bit of that. But I wanted to really lean into it this time. And I wanted to tell this vigilante, assassin story involving poison as well. They just naturally blended.
The plot was really a mix of several ideas I had floating around in my head at the time. I wanted to write female assassins. I wanted to write about poisoners and get into toxic plant research. I love vigilante justice stories. They’re very cathartic for me, as I think they are for a lot of empaths. And I wanted to write another witch novel. So I started pulling all these threads together, and I love where they led.
And is this why it’s The Bane Witch and not The Bane Wizard or The Bane Sorcerer? Or is there another reason?
Yes, this magic is very specifically matrilineal. It passes from mother to daughter. At the same time, it only targets men. In other words, bane witches are poisonous only to men, not to other women. Within a family of bane witches, this levels the power imbalance that exists between men and women physically. It gives these women an edge or advantage that others don’t have. But it comes at a price. A very high price. And these witches take their heritage and their secret role in society seriously.
It sounds like The Bane Witch is a fantasy tale, though not epic fantasy like The Lord Of The Rings or urban fantasy like Harry Potter. How do you describe it, genre-wise?
I like calling it a witchy thriller. But it is both fantasy and thriller combined. It does take place in a contemporary setting, but magic plays a central role in the plot. As does solving a murder and escaping a killer. Though I subvert the traditional thriller by turning it around and having my main character hunt the killer in return.
The Bane Witch is your fourth novel after Resurrection Girls, The Salt In Our Blood, and The Witches Of Bone Hill. Are there any writers or specific stories that had a big influence on The Bane Witch but not on any of your earlier novels? Because the press materials say it’s “Practical Magic meets Gone Girl,” though I don’t know if they’re referring to the novels by Alice Hoffman and Gillian Flynn or the movies based on those novels.
You could probably say the novels or the movies. I think both of those stories can be felt layered into this one. But I also added a dash of [the movie] Arsenic And Old Lace. And I was inspired by myriad movies that fall into the “Atta girl” or “Good for her” genre, or what’s sometimes called “Coming of rage.” Films like Carrie, The VVitch, Jennifer’s Body, Promising Young Woman, and Midsommar. I mention films because I feel like I see this trope explicitly in movies more often than in books — especially horror movies (angry women still loom large in the nightmares of the collective unconscious apparently) — but I think there are a number of books, fantasy books in particular, that feature female characters who are tough, who are fighters, protectors, even killers.
And what about your dogs Takoda and Nola Sue? What influence did they have on The Bane Witch? Because in the interview we did about The Witches Of Bone Hill you said they were “completely ridiculous creatures,” but The Bane Witch does not sound like a ridiculous story.
There is nothing ridiculous about The Bane Witch, no. Dramatic yes, but not silly.
But there is a dog in the novel. His name is Bart, and I loved writing him. And he was indeed inspired by my canine clowns.
Nola Sue, Takoda
Now, fantasy novels like The Bane Witch are sometimes stand-alone stories, and sometimes they’re the beginning of larger sagas. What is The Bane Witch?
It is a stand-alone novel. Though I’d be very interested in exploring a sequel. I think writing about the next generation of bane witches, if Piers had a daughter, and how they continue to evolve would be very cool.
Earlier you said The Bane Witch was influenced by some movies. But to flip things around, do you think The Bane Witch could work as a movie? Or, for that mater, a TV show?
I would love to see this book as a TV series. I think it could work as a movie as well, but a TV series would really give it the space and time required to tell the full story. And I totally want AMC to do it. You can tell I’ve been thinking about this. I’m just very attached to Piers and her family, and I very much want to see them come to life visually. I think it’s such an empowering story that so many women would appreciate, even though it’s ultimately quite dark.
So, if AMC bought the rights and started turning it into a TV show, who would you want them to cast as Piers and the other main characters?
I’m a huge fan of Florence Pugh [Oppenheimer], and I think she’d make a brilliant Piers. She has the chops to handle the weight of the material, but she’s also relatable.
And I think Catherine Keener [Get Out] would make a fabulous Aunt Myrtle. She has the presence to carry it off, the grit, but also the humor.
As for the rest, I’m open to suggestions. But whoever plays Henry would have to be very cold and very good. Maybe Sam Reid from Interview With The Vampire? He plays Lestat so well. Henry is far less fun than Lestat though.
So, is there anything else someone might need to know about The Bane Witch?
There is a complete list of content warnings both in the book and on my website, and you can find the number for the National Domestic Violence Hotline in the author’s note. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic or partner abuse, please visit www.thehotline.org for help and resources. If there is immediate danger, please call 9-1-1.
Finally, if someone enjoys The Bane Witch, and it’s the first book of yours they’ve read, which of your other novels would you suggest they check out next?
I highly recommend they pick up a copy of The Witches Of Bone Hill, simply because it is also a dark adult novel featuring witches as the main characters. Only in this case, it leans into horror versus thriller. Both are wonderfully spooky, creepy, magical reads with family dynamics and secrets at their heart!
