"...delivering revelations that are as unexpected as they are satisfying. This novel cast a lasting spell on me."
—Katy Foraker, author of MEMORIES, LIES, AND OTHER BINDS
Read the first chapter now!
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.
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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 a goddess, 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 Orman, the handsome bookseller who’s seen her at her worst. With his help, she begins a research journey that leads her from the crystal waters of the Mediterranean to the icy waves of the Greenland Sea and back to Solidago, the house she swore to never return to. With the Fathom threatening to break free and Arla on the hunt, Jude must finally face her past to save her future.
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Ava Morgyn's Only Spell Deep 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.
Trigger Warnings: Some of the thematic material in Only Spell Deep contains depictions of blood, gore, physical/sexual assault, sexual trauma, kidnapping, violence, murder, incest, and death, as well as mention of suicide.
Discussion Questions
PRAISE
“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. I was immediately hooked, but once Jude heard the voice from her childhood again, I was all in. 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. The mysteries of Jude's past and the truth behind the Fathom come together with the precision of a series of locks clicking into place, each delivering revelations that are as unexpected as they are satisfying. This novel cast a lasting spell on me."
–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
“A deeply atmospheric story that hooks into the magic of place and time, drawing out archetypal forces lurking just beyond sight. Only Spell Deep is a dark, modern fairytale that reminds me of reading Alice Hoffman on a rainy evening with a glass of absinthe."
–Nicola Solvinic, author of THE SISTER'S CURSE
“Haunting and utterly enthralling, Only Spell Deep casts its spell from the first page, drawing readers into a world where magic is both a gift and a curse—and where the past never stays buried. Once again, Ava Morgyn masterfully blends gothic sensibility with a modern edge, crafting a story rich with atmosphere steeped in the eerie beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Jude's journey explores the shadows of the human psyche—grief, guilt and obsession—through a cinematic lens that is both intimate and sweeping. This is witchcraft and myth at its most seductive."
–Constance Sayers, author of A WITCH IN TIME
“The greatest book of all time.”
–Every Trade Review Ever (click to read full review)
PRESS
March 6, 2026: Debut's on the New York Times Bestsellers List
March 11, 2026: Featured on Goodreads "All The Book You Will Ever Need"