Reviews by Tag: witches

“And I was so afraid, only I didn’t know what I was afraid of.” 

Gemma lives with her mother Virginia in house next to a forest with an enchanted gateway. Despite constant warning from her mother never to go near the fairyland, her curiosity gets the better of her and she wanders into a new world. But not everything is as it seems, and her mother has been hiding the truth from her. Whether it was for her own protection or not, remains to be seen.

Studio Ghibli’s Kiki’s Delivery Service directed by Hayao Miyazaki is a fantastical tale of a young witch named Kiki starting a new adventure alongside her faithful cat, Jiji. Kiki sets off, beginning a customary tradition for witches to leave their homes for one year to pursue and train magical skills. When Kiki lands in a bustling city on the water, she forms a delivery service as her special talent.

Summary: Half Bad by Sally Green is a gripping young adult novel set in a world where witches live secretly among humans. The story follows Nathan, a boy born of a forbidden union between a White Witch mother and a Black Witch father. Nathan is hunted and oppressed by the authorities, caught between the two warring factions of witches. As he struggles to find his place in a society that fear and rejects him, Nathan embarks on a journey of self-discovery, facing dangers and betrayals.

The Buried and the Bound is a wonderful novel about Aziza, a capable witch who will go to great lengths to protect her town. Leo, a boy with gaps in his memory and a desperation to get answers about the person he has forgotten, and Tristan a necromancer whose life fell apart after he made a deal with the wrong person. “The Buried and the Bound” left me spellbound while reading and even after. It went inches from becoming my newest hyper fixation.

Kiki’s Delivery Service is another one of Hayao Miyazaki's masterpieces, it tells the story of a young witch, Kiki who leaves her home at thirteen years old with her cat Jiji as a coming-of-age tradition to start her training. She is to hone a skill and provide for the town in which she chooses. She settles down at a bakery in a big city and starts her delivery service, in her journey she meets new friends, battles the loss of her powers, and saves the town.

Summary: Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins is a young adult fantasy novel that follows the story of Sophie Mercer, a teenage witch who, after a prom night spell gone wrong, is sent to Hecate Hall, a reform school for wayward Prodigium (supernatural beings). At Hex Hall, Sophie navigates a world filled with vampires, witches, and shapeshifters, while trying to uncover the mystery of her family's dark past.

Emilia and her twin sister, streghe witches, have been cautioned their whole lives regarding the dangers of attracting the attention of or interacting with the Wicked, or seven Princes of Hell. Each twin was gifted with the mysterious cornicello, amulets of protection, and advised never to remove them. While Emilia prefers creating recipes for their family restaurant in Sicily, the more daring Vittoria disappears one evening only to be later discovered by her twin, gruesomely murdered.

This illustrated novella precedes Truthwitch, and is primarily from the dual diary perspectives of

Sightwitch Sister Ryber Fortiza and prophet Sightless Sightwitch Eridysi Gochienka, with occasional

entries from Sister Tanzi Lamanaya. Ryber’s story includes her Sightwitch background and the meeting of

her future heart-thread Kullen Ikray, as Eridysi’s diary gives historical information regarding her role with

Iseult is finally reunited with Safi in Susan Dennard’s fourth novel of the Witchlands series, with

the belief they are the mythical Cahr Awen who is destined to restore magic to the realm. Yet they once

again find themselves in danger, with Safi left in Cartorra with the loss of her magic, and Iseult on the run

with Owl. Iseult encounters previous allies who have drastically changed, placing her in greater danger,

yet also learns and masters her true witch power. Vivia and Vaness have become allies as well after having

Truthwitch, the first of the Witchlands series by Susan Dennard, follows teen Threadsisters Safiya

fon Hasstrel and Iseult det Midenzi. Safiya, or Safi, is a rare Truthwitch and has been taught that revealing

her power of detecting lies and truth would place her in danger of others wanting to control it and her.

Iseult, part of the harshly judged Nomastis, identifies as a Threadwitch, and although can see the colors of