Witchlight

Having saved Huswyvern, her magical home, from the evil machinations of her uncle, Eglantine and other members of Miss Hegotty’s Secret Society of Witches are having their meetings there. But Hus is not feeling at all well and is causing chaos with every sneeze. Its undiagnosed condition is really concerning, particularly when they learn that other magical beings are also falling ill. The Department of Isle-Spark Regulations is obviously up to no good and Eglantine and her friends must discover what they are up to and put things right before it’s too late.

‘Witchlight’ is the brilliant sequel to ‘Witchspark’. Both books are full of magic, friendship, adventure and fun, a real pleasure to read. In addition to this, they are beautifully written, with a rich use of descriptive language as shown by the opening sentences alone!

Eglantine is a wonderful character, loyal, kind-hearted and courageous. Determined to do her best and to stand up for what she believes in, she and her friends work together to thwart the Department’s plans, with readers cheering her on every step of the way!

The story addresses themes of injustice and discrimination. The Department is attempting to control magic, denying it to those they consider inferior or unsuitable and Eglantine faces discrimination from some as a result of her little arm. There is plenty here to provoke discussion as readers will rightly find themselves infuriated by the unfairness and unkindness the story exposes.

The exciting plot races towards a very satisfying and enjoyable conclusion, making this an excellent choice for a class read. Although a sequel, it could successfully be read as a stand-alone story, sure to capture everyone’s hearts and imaginations!

Witchlight

Dominique Valente

Usborne ISBN: 978-1805316800

You can read my review of ‘Witchspark’ here.

Witchspark

Eglantine lives in a magical house called Huswyvern, one of just three sentient houses in the land. But she needs to find her Witchspark to maintain its magic and as her family and home are threatened by the machinations of her uncle and the evil Whistlewitch, Eglantine turns to Miss Hegotty’s Course for Aspiring and Ungovernable Witches for help, an illegal correspondence course.

Meanwhile, in Kensington Palace, Princess Victoria is desperately trying to hide her Witchspark as not only is magic forbidden within the palace walls, but royals are not allowed to be magical. Like Eglantine, she turns to Miss Hegotty for help…

Anyone who has read the ‘Starfell’ series knows that Dominique Valente has a real talent for creating engaging, endearing characters. No one who has read those stories will be able to forget the very loveable Willow Moss and in ‘Witchspark’, Dominique has worked her magic again with the very different, but equally loveable Eglantine Bury.

Eglantine knows she must bond with Huswyvern for it to survive. Furious at a change in the law which means that the house passes to the eldest child, not the eldest son, her Uncle Lichen will go to any lengths to take possession of the house. That she is a girl, that she is different (she had been born with one arm ending just past her elbow), that she has, as yet, no magic, all seem to him to be good reasons for her not to inherit the house. His prejudices underline the key messages about believing in yourself and standing up to intolerance which sing through this story.

Princess Victoria’s stifling experiences at the Palace echo those of the real Princess Victoria who later became Queen. The ‘Kensington System’ was a set of elaborate and very strict rules created by her mother and Sir Conroy to keep her under their control. Readers feel a great empathy for the princess as she not only struggles to maintain her identity under this control, but is also forced to try and hide her growing magic. Her friendship with stable-boy, Eoin Murphy, and the wonderfully named rat, Lord Byron, is all the more delightful for being absolutely the last thing they would have allowed!

There is so much to love about this story and it would make an excellent class story or guided reading text with plenty to discuss and enjoy. The magical world created here is beautifully constructed, so imaginative and appealing, that readers find themselves instantly captivated and immersed in Eglantine and Victoria’s story. Thank goodness this is the first in a series- but how am I going to wait for the next one?!

Witchspark

Dominique Valente, illustrated by Eleonora Asparuhova

Usborne ISBN: 978-1805314998

You can read my review of ‘Starfell: Willow Moss and the Magic Thief’ here.

Starfell: Willow Moss and the Magic Thief

Having recently fought dangerous wizard, Silas, Willow Moss has been drained of her magical powers, but the danger to Starfell is far from over. With the help of her friends, Willow decides to go in search of the legendary Craegun, a powerful creature believed to be able to restore anything which has been lost, who lives in the mountains of Nach. Willow knows there will be a heavy price to pay, but Starfell and everything she loves is in danger, leaving this brave young witch determined, once again, to do her best.

The ‘Starfell’ series has been incredible and this latest (but I hope not last!) visit to Willow’s world is every bit as wonderful as the others. Full of endearing and engaging characters, the stories celebrate friendship, loyalty and believing in yourself.

Willow is so lovely. Over the course of the books, she has grown in confidence and has come to value her abilities whilst remaining kind, thoughtful and sensitive to the needs of others. Through her gentle nature, she inspires loyalty and love from those she meets- finally, her sisters recognise her worth, giving her due credit! Names (always so important to me!) have been so carefully chosen, adding to each character and Oswin continues to capture everyone’s heart with his ways as cantankerous as ever, but his affection and devotion to Willow unshakeable.

The Starfell world is richly developed and full of detail and colour with each location vividly drawn, pulling you into this world of magic and wonder. Sarah Warburton’s illustrations are the perfect complement to the text and under the dust jacket, the book cover is a joy.

An excellent series which captures both the heart and the imagination, the ‘Starfell’ books are simply brilliant!

Starfell: Willow Moss and the Magic Thief

Dominique Valente, illustrated by Sarah Warburton

Harper Collins ISBN: 978-0008308513