Q&A: AM Kvita, Author of ‘An Unlikely Coven’

We chat with debut author AM Kvita about An Unlikely Coven, which  introduces New York’s most powerful family of witches—and a world of secrets, spells, and supernatural shenanigans.

Hi, Kvita! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

I’m an artist, DIY-er, cat parent, gardener, or perhaps most importantly, the author of An Unlikely Coven, the first book in my new fantasy series with Orbit/Hachette. It follows Joan Greenwood, outcast daughter of NYC’s ruling family of witches, as she’s sucked into a power struggle when her best friend kidnaps a person of interest. There’s humor, heart, high stakes, and family drama (so much family drama). I’ve been calling it the novel personification of “if your friend jumped off a bridge would you jump too??” (the answer for Joan is yes).

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

Sometime in middle school I had a very vivid dream that I was roaming another planet. I woke up and decided to write it down, and things spiraled from there. There was always a mix of fanfiction and original fiction (like so many other writers), often informed by random vivid dreams. But my love for stories is eternal—I’ve been reading voraciously since I was very young, one reader in a family of readers. We went to the library weekly to get stacks and stacks of books. I’d dig into comics and novels alike. I loved the ones with a big adventure, where the world felt enormous and filled with possibility. Where magic was real, and through the characters, I could touch it.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
• The one that made you want to become an author: The Naming by Alison Croggon
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor was created in a lab specifically for me, but I’ll tie it with An Unkindess of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon, which haunts me, and The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez, which I think about once a week at least.

Your debut novel, An Unlikely Coven, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Humor, heart, and high stakes. Or maybe besties engage in accidental kidnapping

What can readers expect?

The most lovable group of friends you ever did meet. They’re flawed, bumbling, and earnest. Joan is not a solitary figure or hero, An Unlikely Coven more than anything is about the formation of a found family, and the decision to seek kindness even when it is the hardest or most inconvenient path in front of you. There are witches, and vampires, and fae (oh my!). Family drama, and a portal subway system, a sexy love interest from a rival family (and the slowest slowburn romance maybe ever), daddy issues (big time) and endless jokes. I sincerely hope readers laugh at least once, and it would be nice if they cried a little too.

Where did the inspiration for An Unlikely Coven come from?

One hundred thousand years ago I saw a Tumblr post that was basically “modern day witches, candles in mason jars, an apartment crammed full of herbs and magic” and I let it change my brain chemistry. I sat on that little seed for a decade, maybe, before I spent a summer living in New York City and realized now was the time. Joan is a character informed by her city setting, as are the aesthetics and contours of the world. Magic isn’t just magic, it’s built into the infrastructure. These aren’t witches hiding away creating small, secret brews—power in the hands of these modern day actors has elevated the magic world far above the human one.

The Green Witch Cycle is a story of power, corruption, and community, it’s just all wrapped up in jokes, the power of friendship, and some whimsical witchy vibes. If I’m getting really nerdy—I once had an architecture professor say there were only a few places in the US where architecture is really practiced (not saying I agree with this, please don’t come for me) and New York City and Los Angeles were right at the top of the list. But the types of architecture are actually totally different, informed by the way NYC often builds up, constantly renovating preexisting spaces, and L.A. is known for its sprawl. There’s a difference between designing a house that has to have a driveway or garage for a car (L.A.) and designing a house in NYC that’s significantly less likely to have to accommodate a vehicle.

The world of An Unlikely Coven unfolded—the same creature, a witch, at the top of the magic world, could be vastly different as informed by the strikingly varied landscape of the magic world in two different cities. Joan from New York, where magic lives on top of itself and has to coexist, versus Astoria (her love interest) from L.A. where magic sprawls, leaving room for uncertainty between species.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

Mik came out of left field for me. They’re the catalyst for the book, a kidnapped human who has had a spell cast on them that transformed them into a witch. Sort of. The spell makes them terribly sick, and Joan is racing to undo it. They’re by definition a victim. The victim. But their humor burst out of them, making them an anchor point for the entire team. While the book is about them being saved, they never feel like they lack agency in the ways that matter—with every steadfast question or joke, they save the people around them. They roll with the punches, they crack the jokes, they get a little hysterical sometimes, and they love very unapologetically. The dynamics and dialogue between the entire found family were always the most fun, but Mik felt like a special treat.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

Most significantly, before I wrote An Unlikely Coven, I wrote its sequel. No publisher bought it, and I struggled to produce an understandable world. I couldn’t find its heart. It was only when someone pointed out to me that the characters of this world are what really shine that I came up with An Unlikely Coven, basically a prequel novel that was all about this family forming. I had to come up with a clear plot that was really just meant to unite several people. In doing so, the story flowed seamlessly. But there were years between when I wrote the original book and when I wrote AUC, my debut. I had to let time change me into a different writer, with different preocupations. I’m a big believer in not writing—in going off and doing something else until the story presents itself to me. I had to go do that for this book, which is why AUC is so truly years in the making.

What’s next for you?

An Unlikely Coven is a series opener, which means it will be followed by two more books in this world. I’m in the middle of finalizing edits for An Uncertain Magic, the sequel that follows Joan and her friends two years after the events of An Unlikely Coven. Soon, I need to draft the third book whose title I have known from the start but I won’t reveal here. And if I’m being honest, I’ve gone off the rails to start drafting a secret fantasy novel set at a magical university with another cast of lovable fools. Let’s keep that between us for now, shall we?

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up in 2026?

Oh, so many. I read The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez this year, and Samantha Bansil’s Black Salt Queen. Both are cutting in their commentary, meant to be read and savored. I’ll also shoutout Jas Hammonds’ Thirsty (but I’m a Jas Hammonds fan before I’m anything else) and I read an early copy of Gabi Burton’s To Steal a Throne, which is out in 2026 and is going to be an absolute stunner. Next year is going to be phenomenal—Morbid Curiosities by S. Hati, The Gods Must Burn by T.R. Moore, Letters from the Last Apothecary by Bita Behzadi, and A Viper Among Kings by Sydney Olivia certainly top my list!

Will you be picking up An Unlikely Coven? Tell us in the comments below!