Tag: magical

Book Review

Moon Reads: Diary of an Accidental Witch – Unexpected Guests

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Diary of an Accidental Witch: Unexpected Guests by Perdita and Honor Cargill. Illustrated by Katie Saunders

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

If you are new here, I have reviewed other books in this series because I really really enjoy it! You can read my review of the first book (Diary of an Accidental Witch), second (Flying High) and third (Ghostly Getaway) in their respective links.

The hard part fo reviewing a book you like is that then you struggle to say coherent things that tell others why you like it without being too much of spoilers, so here’s my attempt at it.

As usual, Bea wants to become the bestest witch ever and prove she can catch up with her peers who have had a lifetime of magic, compared to her very limited and relatively new experience of magic. So when the school has suddenly unexpected guests, her plans may go a bit awry, and she realises her non magical expertise and skills are an asset too and can help a lot in this magical world!

Filled with lots of funky magic, and a bit more development in the relationship between Bea and her dad who is one of my favourite book dads (he’s so supportive and chaotic but in a good way and tries so hard and loves Bea so much and it shows in all the books), there’s shenanigans and more to come but also, maybe a bit more love to show around the magical school and what the students can do best!

Book Review

Moon Reads: Diary of an Accidental Witch – Ghostly Getaway

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Diary of an Accidental Witch – Ghostly Getaway by Perdita & Honor Cargill. Illustrated by Katie Saunders

Read before: No

Series: Diary of an Accidental Witch

Ownership: Review copy provided by publisher because I requested it.

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

Now, if you are new to the blog, you may have missed my reviews for Diary of an Accidental Witch and then for Flying High. I have thoroughly enjoyed both, so when Little Tiger included Ghostly Getaway in the newsletter I obviously had to request it!

In this particular take of Bea’s diary entries, she is going back to school after some holidays (I do not understand British school holidays so I just know it is some time off and cannot remember if it is a half term, easter or whatnot. Could be summer for all I know). The thing is that she is really enjoying her magic school, and feeling more comfortable with everything in it, even if she still hasn’t developed a taste for some meals that are a little too magical for her tastes (I don’t blame her).

So when the school talks about sending them on their first school trip she is incredibly excited, but at the same time, she is concerned because she has realised that now that she is comfortable in her magical school and being a secret witch, her dad may actually decide to move them again once he completes his book and what would she do about that?

So our story follows the little school getaway that promises ghosts and spooky things and maybe, just maybe some teamwork because Bea’s school year is terrible at you know, getting along overall… But also lots of shenanigans because Bea is concerned about her dad and a potential move.

Overall, as usual, this was a hilariously fun read, with spooky fun and lots of magic. Do not miss this out and if you haven’t read any of them, please go read them all.

Book Review

Moon Reads: The Last Witch

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The Last Witch by McCreery, Glass and Nesterenko

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px

Read before: No

Ownership: Saw it in Forbidden Planet last month, couldn’t resist it, bought it.

Ok, so apparently this was initially released in smaller episodes, but now it is a full book and honestly, it is a very interesting story of a young girl who goes on a dare to a tower where a witch lives, but I mean, it’s all a tale, right? right?

It gets even better, or should I say worse, when her little brother joins in and lo and behold the witch was not a story, so there is danger. Turns out this sets a chain reaction kinda thing that turns into a quest to become a witcha nd defeat a big enemy that is trying hard to destroy the world, and so we follow our main character around the “world” and on her quest to learn, master her powers, and save as many people as she can.

The reason it is not a five fox is that it has some continuity problems that kept me scratching my head or absolute blanks in the story where I genuinely had no clue where it had gone. But the story is good and the artwork interesting, it does start quite slow and then suddenly everything is happening. That was also a downside. We get so many pages of slow world-building and her friendship with townpeople, but once she is on her quest you barely get some pages of some parts of the action and this upset me, because I get you don’t need a blow by blow breakdown but there is just not enough to understand fully what is going and it was just a bit like “hey, you could put more details since we had a lot of prologue”.

But it is still a fun story, so if you need a witchy graphic novel with old story kinda legend vibes, then this is a good choice.

Book Review

MoonReads: Garlic & the Vampire

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Garlic & the Vampire by Bree Paulsen

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Read before: No

Ownership: Ordered on my own

This was an adorable little graphic novel. The premise is that a witch has enchanted her vegetable switch personality and they are sentient and her children, so we have Garlic who wants to be brave and a few others. Everything is as normal until they see smoke coming out of the castle and the legends of a vampire being there crop up into the gossip thread running through the town and among the vegetables and fruits the witch has.

So Garlic ends up being volunteered to help fight the vampire or at least confront it because you know, everyone knows that vampires don’t like garlic. Or so is the overall logic.

The story basically covers how garlic goes on her little adventure. And honestly, this was a very enjoyable sweet book. The artwork gives it a magical but like old school matter of fact feel while the plot makes it even better. Each of the vegetables has an interesting personality and the overall town and witch and vegetable interaction are brilliant.

To say if garlic actually finds a vampire and what happens would be to spoil the story but I honestly loved the idea of it and the execution of it. But I can definitely say it is an underrated read and worth exploring as a graphic novel for all ages.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Diary of an Accidental Witch – Flying High

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Diary of an Accidental Witch – Flying High by Perdita and Honor Cargill

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Read before: No

Series: Diary of an Accidental Witch, book 2.

Ownership: Review copy provided by the publisher upon request, this does not affect my review and honestly I had this on my wishlist anyway because I enjoyed the first one a lot.

As per above, I really enjoyed the very first book don’t he series, which you can find a review for it here. Flying high picks up more or less after the end of the first book. We find Bea starting a new diary to tell us all about Winter solstice, a special task for her and relating to magical creatures, and some fun events for the Winter Solstice.

There is a lot of flying to be made and competitions and then suddenly things take an odd turn kinda because of her but also not entirely her fault.

The story is quite funny, with a lot of pointers to the previous book, however, it also explains again the rules of games like Go or other magical things you may not have picked up from the first book if you somehow missed it. And the story is once again focused on values and learning to treat others well, and you know, Bea adapting to being a witch secretly, or how to balance her friendships between magical and non-magical friends.

There are some very good moments of considering that not everyone approaches things the same way and that maybe we all do it a little differently and still manage it and how easy it is to forget your privilege or that your view may be quite narrow. And obviously, there is a good party at the end because apparently, witches love parties.

Oh and I read this for #Februwitchy which I forget to say I have been doing because I am a distracted being, but yeah.

Anyway, I recommend you buy this one and the prequel because you’ll have a good laugh with adorable illustrations and it reads just like a diary, good for young readers and slightly older readers, or maybe an adult like me who loves to read and sometimes needs fun soft stories with low stakes and a lot of childhood bliss.

Book Review

Moon Reads: The House in the Cerulean Sea

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The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px

Read before: No

Ownership: Preordered Waterstones paperback edition

I had heard a lot of good things about this book, but I am also wary of “hype” because it is usually not my thing. However, the premise of the story sounded like my kind of thing, wholesome but with a tinge of sadness, melancholia and grief. And it was exactly that, but softer and much better.

Linus has a predictable life, he has stuck to his job, he cares about doing his job well but only to complete his task. As a caseworker for magical children in government orphanages, he investigates incidents and helps to oversee their wellbeing. He is almost clinical about this, but he also cares and doesn’t want to be swayed by the adults. So when he is asked to report to the most high level of management, he is terrified.

They give him a very special assignment with little information since everything is classified, but the main thing is to go visit this particular orphanage that has extremely dangerous magical children: a female gnome, a powerful sprite, a wyvern, a green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and finally the AntiChrist.

But what ends up surprising Linus the most is Arthur, the caretaker of the children who works hard on helping them grow to the best of their magical capabilities while retaining dreams and their “humanity”.

Overall the story is about Linus finding what happens when your dreams suddenly fall onto your lap with some interesting strings attached and you have a choice. But it is also about equality and that being magical is not something to be afraid of just because it is different. And there are also a myriad of secrets kept in this house and in the surroundings, which Linus slowly starts finding out.

Overall, it was a feel-good story with some interesting social and cultural commentary about our times, with the help of magic it touches some intense aspects about what it is to be different and rejected, or to be labelled something and therefore dealing with prejudice, but also, about being allowed to dream even if it seems impossible.

This was a book that once I got going, I had to stay up until 2 am to finish it because I could not put it down and also because it felt like a balm to my soul. It was the exact right amount of sad, heartwarming and cosy I needed.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Diary of an Accidental Witch

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Diary of an Accidental Witch by Perdita and Honor Cargill. Illustrated by Katie Saunders.

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Read Before: No

Ownership: Copy gifted by the publisher once it was requested from the newsletter.

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

We’re into October and I felt like Diary of an Accidental Witch is one of those books that is great for this season.

Bea Black has just moved into Little Spellshire with her very distracted father who is a weather scientist, and there has been a mixup on which school she should be going to! Instead of going to the Academy school, she ends up enrolled at The Spellshire School for Extraordinary Arts, and well, you can definitely say they are extraordinary!

And of course, the whole book is written as Bea’s journal where she records the start of her journaling and her move to this place alongside her new school adventures.

From funny quirky remarks about being alone and having no friends or maybe just the one, to how to navigate odd homework assignments, tripping over brooms, being assigned frog duty and then learning you can actually do spells, or ride a broom [without tripping anymore]. The illustrations on the book make this amazing, and even better than it already is, with the fun adventures making it through the pages, and all that magic showing up in the words, and the adventures.

If you like young witches having adventures, or young ordinary not a magical child at all that may or not actually have magical powers in a cute and fun way, this is the book for you.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Conspiracy of Ravens

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Conspiracy of Ravens by Leah Moore, John Reppion and Sally Jane Thompson

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px

Read before: No

Ownership: Bought a while ago and forgot to read it.

Conspiracy of Ravens is a bit of a gothic magical girls story based on the corvid family. And I mean come on that’s pretty cool as a premise. But does it hold to it?

We start with Anne who inherits her long lost aunt’s English mansion and a mysterious locket alongside a maid/caretaker. As she tries to decide what to do with her inheritance that is conveniently close to her boarding school, she starts finding a few other girls who also have mysterious lockets, and those lockets start unlocking superpowers related to each fo the corvid family birds shown in them.

However, no everyone that has superpowers is using them for good or even wants to be involved in this whole thing, so it is up to Anne and her friends to try to do the best.

I have to say I struggled initially to identifiy the characters because they all looked way too similar and changed slightly as the story developed, and as much as it was a fun magical girl story it had a few holes in it I couldn’t see why they were there.

I did like the powers they get from each bird and the mini stories of each of the characters, but they felt missing and rushed and at times it was all over the place, more like it should have been several volumes or stories rather than compile it into a single one, or maybe not add as much side stories to the main one.

So I guess it has room for improvement however I kept rushing through it once I got into the story. So if you like magical girls and gothic vibes plus a bit of steampunk and corvids, then give this a try.

Book Review

Moon Reads: The Mist Monster

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The Mist Monster by Kirsti Beautyman

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Read before: No

Ownership: Bought for myself

Spoiler free review: No

Ok, a mist monster sounds cute and the artwork looked sweet so I had to get it, I have a soft spot for friendly monsters (did anyone ever watch Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends?).

Anyway, this is a story about Penny after she moves to her new house which she isn’t sure she likes, but then she goes out to play and bumps into Morris, a mist monster that joins her in an adventure and as they adventure they discover new friends.

Obviously as the mists recede, Morris disappears but that doesnt mean Penny is on her own anymore and she meets Morris every misty day.

I mean, the story is cute, its about adapting to new places and giving things a chance, but also about making friends and being open to finding them even if we’re not in our usual place, a good book to gift to a child moving house or just one who wants to make friends or feels a bit lonely.

The artwork wins and is very fitting to the story so I was super happy with reading it.

Book Review, Books

Witch in Winter Review

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Witch in Winter by Kaye Umansky. Illustrated by Ashley King

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px

This is the last one of the Elsie Pickles books that are out there for now, and I just wish there were more. I had such a blast reading through the series as part of the #Februwitchy readathon. They are magical, fun and really cute.

I would’ve loved them as a child and read them over and over until the book fell apart. That kind of delightful and fun that they are.

Some of my faovurite things about them, and it applies particularly well for the things that happen in Witch in Winter, is that Elsie has a very small repertoire of magic, she only knows a few spells and none of them are the kind of spells that are impressive or anything special. They’d be classified as “child’s play” type of things. But somehow, she finds creative ways of making use of them and leveraging them to help her friends.

In Witch in Winter, it seems winter has been to long, there is just too much snow and Magenta has gone missing. And someone seems to be wanting to take over the Tower, so Elsie gets involved to try to see how to help. And she does very well, once again, making the best of the things she has at hand and her customer service skills.

Aggie/Silvine does well in this one too, leveraging her odd parts accidentally (everything is technically an accident with her) to make new friends and somehow get things to work out way better for everyone while Elsie saves the Tower from the mysterious one that may have caused Magenta to disappear.

Don’t want to spoil all the fun but I enjoyed it, thought it was a great follow up to Witches (Un)Welcome! and just want to know more fun and more adventures with Elsie and her crew of friends.

Each character is developing better into their own space and identity with their specific strengths and weaknesses and it is nice to see them not being cookie cutter characters but unique and very “human” in their own way (or as human as they can be).

Once again highly recommended for all ages!