The Lights Go Out in Lychford

August 19, 2019
Cornell’s captivating fourth Witches of Lychford novella brings otherworldly chickens home to roost. Apprentice witch Autumn Blunstone has foolishly weakened Lychford’s magical borders, and other realities now threaten to subsume not only the sleepy English town but the entire human universe. Judith Mawson, resident wise woman, is elderly and falling prey to dementia. Rev. Lizzie Blackmore is still trying to get used to having second sight as well as Christian faith. When upright Lychford resident Maitland Picton begins promising to make wishes come true, Autumn and Lizzie suspect she’s hiding something. Once Maitland reveals herself to be an alien entity who’s using Judith as a conduit for her own nefarious plans to warp the universe, it’s up to Lizzie and Autumn—and Judith, when she can—to stop Maitland from erasing Lychford from the map forever. Written with Cornell’s characteristic verve, Lychford buzzes with its own magic, and its characters brim with life. Series fans will be shocked and moved by the developments in this efficient story, and look forward to the next.

October 1, 2019

Judith, the Wise Woman of Lychford, is losing her mind; whether this is the result of aging, Alzheimer's, or something more magical remains to be seen. As Judith wanders the streets of the English town on a mission only she seems to understand, her apprentice, Autumn, and another coven member, Lizzie, try to pick up the slack of protecting their community. Autumn and Lizzie encounter a being who Judith claims is harmless, but they work tirelessly to ensure this new community member is not yet another threat to their town. With the borders of Lychford still healing from the last attack, Autumn and Lizzie have to use all they have to protect the town--this time, without the guidance of the Wise Woman. VERDICT Another entertaining and imaginative entry in Cornell's "Witches of Lychford" series. A quick read with an interesting town full of characters, but readers may want to start at the beginning of the series to fully understand the story.--Brooke Bolton, Boonville-Warrick Cty. P.L., IN

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2019
Judith is struggling to maintain the threads of her personal narrative; the borders between Lychford and other worlds are weakening, and only some of her trouble with the encroaching dissolution is due to old age. Autumn and Lizzie aren't quite ready to take over the role of the village wise woman, but it's clearly only a matter of time. A mysterious stranger appears in town, offering wishes granted in the guise of helping out the local societies. The small wishes add up to trouble, especially when they're in the comments section of a post promoting a local festival. When Judith tells them a way to foil the stranger's plan, they seize it with relief?only to discover that there's more at stake than Autumn and Lizzie suspected. The fourth Witches of Lychford book (starting with Witches of Lychford, 2015) balances gracefully on the border of cozy small town mystery and cosmic horror, with deft and entertaining character development. Although Judith's deterioration is painful to read, her determination is a joy. It's a small book that packs a solid narrative punch.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)