I was on holiday while I read The Last Windwitch by Jennifer Adam, and it was really nice to have something easy-to-read and magical to be inspired by, especially as I was down in Tintagel in Cornwall. We did something everyday, so I didn’t have a lot of time to read as such, but still I managed to read and finish this book.

Synopsis

Many years ago, in the kingdom of Fenwood Reach, there was a powerful Windwitch who wove the seasons, keeping the land bountiful and the people happy. But then a dark magic drove her from the realm, and the world fell into chaos.

Brida is content in her small village of Oak Hollow. There, she’s plenty occupied trying to convince her fickle magic to actually do what it’s meant to in her work as a hedgewitch’s apprentice—until she accidentally catches the attention of the wicked queen.

On the run from the queen’s huntsman and her all-seeing Crow spies, Brida discovers the truth about her family, her magic, and who she is destined to be—and that she may hold the power to defeating the wicked queen and setting the kingdom right again.

My Review

This was a lovely easy read and filled with magic, both light and dark. It’s a typical 9-12 age-range book, so if you are on the hunt for a book in that age-range, I recommend The Last Windwitch.

It begins with Brida, a young apprentice to hedgewitch Mother Magdi, who has magic, but it never quite works the way she wants it to. She first discovered her magics a few years prior, when she was eight, and has since been practicing it whenever she can, even if some of her magics her mentor would rather she not use, for fear of being caught by the dark Queen. There’s obviously a lot of dark magic going on, affecting the surrounding lands, but Oak Hollow seems protected, a haven for Brida while the rest of the kingdom suffers. 

That doesn’t mean that Oak Hollow isn’t going to be affected, and soon Brida realises there’s a lot more light and dark magics around her than she first realised. From Stormhorses to Bone People rising up out of the ground, the plot of the book is always dancing onward to some new magical problem that Brida has to overcome.

The main character of Brida is bold and courageous, and just a tad reckless in her actions, even when she feels fear. The author writes very well of how Brida is feeling throughout the book, although sometimes I felt the over explanation was unnecessary at times, I still liked it overall. I think it is a nice inclusion and likely is included so children of the same age can relate.

Her meeting of various characters is rather lovely, especially as they in turn help to move the plot along. I felt the character of the Huntsman was a little flat, and the Queen herself felt like a disney caricature at times, but overall I felt that the other characters, especially the children were well written.

The plot moved along at a good pace, I felt. I certainly wasn’t bored, as there was always something new magic-wise for the characters to encounter. And the ending was wrapped up rather nicely.

In conclusion, I definitely think this book is a standard magical 9-12 age-bracket book, and perfect for children of that age group.

Kate @ Kandid Chronicles x