Witchspark

Eglantine Bury needs to unlock her magic in order to save her magical house, Huswyvern, from her evil uncle Lichen and his terrifying accomplice, the Whistlewitch. In another part of the Magic Isles, Princess Victoria needs to bind her burgeoning magical powers or she could lose her right to take the throne. The two girls have never met, but need each other's help in order to solve their problems. They turn to Miss Heggoty, whose mail order magic lessons lead to their meeting and to some wild and entertaining adventures!

Witchspark is a gloriously entertaining novel, full of brilliant characters. Eglantine is so engaging; she was born with a shortened arm but never lets her disability stop her from doing anything. She is brave and fearless, determined to rescue her beloved Huswyvern and to save her father from the clutches of the Whistlewitch. Victoria is an intriguing character, she feels stifled by her life at the palace and is terrified that her magic powers might be discovered. Eglantine's wyvern butler, Arthur, is a loyal and supportive friend to her, always there when she needs him. In addition, we meet Eoin, a member of Victoria's household, who has his own interesting back story and who becomes Victoria's staunch ally.

The house, Houswyvern, is a brilliant invention, and a character in its own right! It is a living, breathing building, with moving furniture, a bread gnome and a pair of magical boots. The house is the heart of the novel, and it is easy to see why Eglantine loves it so much.

The novel is a little slow to start but soon picks up pace and romps to a most satisfying conclusion; we learn that more books are planned featuring Eglantine and Victoria, and I look forward to more of their escapades. The illustrations, by Eleonora Asparuhova, perfectly capture the gothic feel of the novel.

I couldn't put this book down, and I feel sure that it will be an extremely popular addition to any school library or home bookshelf.

336 pages / Reviewed by Beverley Somerset, school librarian

Suggested Reading Age 9+

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?!

336 pages  /  Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 9+