Rise of the Witch (Everglade #1) (Kitty Black, illus Rebecca Crane, Affirm)

Take one part Enid Blyton’s The Enchanted Wood, add a sprinkle of Diana Wynne Jones and a dash of Jessica Townsend’s Nevermoor, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a new middle-grade fantasy trilogy. Wren Westerly has been a pariah in her town of Everglade ever since she can remember. Her mother, Arabella, was burned as a witch when she was just a child, and witchcraft has been outlawed ever since. Each year on Betrayal Day, Mayor Sinclair – who has ‘such a firm grip on his emotions, they could be squeezed into juice and served ice-cold’ – reminds the townspeople of his heroic role in vanquishing both the witches and the terrifying creature called the ‘Eater’. But Wren can’t ignore the sparkly magic that seems increasingly attracted to her. With her best friend, Blue, and new friend, Wish, she begins to uncover Everglade’s long-buried secrets and harness her true power. Kitty Black, known for her picture books (such as Mr Bat Wants a Hat), makes a seamless leap into writing for the 9–12 age group, delivering taut sentences and warm humour that will resonate with younger audiences. Black peppers the early chapters with hilarious character descriptions and uses intelligent and quirky metaphors as the tension in the story grows. The book’s magical world is inventive and surprising, and both heroes and villains are well fleshed out. With relatable themes of overcoming anxiety and being true to yourself, this is the perfect introduction to the fantasy genre and will leave readers eager for the next instalment.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Annie Waters sells books, writes about books and podcasts about books. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Category: Friday Unlocked reviews Reviews Think Australian top reviews