Wildwitch 4

March 15, 2017
Wildwitch-in-training Clara Ash faces both familial and life-threatening challenges on her 13th birthday, plus leeches--lots of leeches.Blood magic works in both literal and figurative ways in this Danish series' fourth episode. Clara at last reaches detente with her harshly anti-magic mother after learning of a gruesome tragedy--but a weird leech's bite leaves her father comatose and leads her into a confrontation with Bravita Bloodling, a powerful undead witch on the verge of escaping four centuries of imprisonment. Kaaberbol trots in a large cast of witches (including the only evident nonwhite character, who has -cinnamon skin-) and animal wildfriends introduced in previous episodes, shovels in more squirming leeches to raise the -ick- factor, and cranks up the climax with storm, fire, and flood as well as fierce magic clashes. But along with gathering an army of wild animals that forces Clara to promise something, she knows not what, on her Tridecimal Night, the author hints at challenges to come by leaving Bravita Bloodling's fate ambiguous and strewing the aftermath with mysteriously comatose wildwitches. Eason's sparse pen-and-ink drawings put faces on select characters. There's plenty of action, but it's hard to tell where this episode fits into the main storyline (if there is one). (Fantasy. 11-13)

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July 1, 2017

Gr 5-8-Kaaberbol delivers another thrilling installment about Clara, the budding Wildwitch. Beginning on the eve of her 13th birthday, a significant milestone that marks a young Wildwitch's official entry into the study of her powers of communicating with and controlling the Wildworld, Clara has a tumultuous evening. Strange things are happening to her family and friends, and Clara is forced to make a difficult break from her mother as she decides to accept her magical powers despite her mother's trepidation. Featuring excellent world-building, this novel speaks to the experience of occupying the liminal space between childhood and adulthood. Although Clara's mother has reasons for her dislike of the Wildworld, Clara knows that to be her own person she has to embrace this side of herself that is central to her identity, despite the dangers. An intricate cast of characters and the relatable and sometimes wryly humorous Clara are at the heart of the success of this series. Periodic illustrations in pen-and-ink assist readers in visualizing the characters. VERDICT This title will delight fans of the series as well as readers of Aaron Starmer's "Riverman Trilogy" and the "Harry Potter" books.-Tara Kron, Aurora Public Library, Denver

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