Review: A Sprinkle Of Sorcery by Michelle Harrison.
Extract:
Betty took it, her heart beginning to beat fast again, but this time it was with excitement rather than with fear. She unfolded the paper carefully, but even as she did so she knew it was a map. Hand-drawn in black ink, with a decorative nautical star in the corner.
(A Sprinkle Of Sorcery by Michelle Harrison. P72.)
Synopsis:
The Poachers Pocket is on the market and Betty Widdershins is desperate for her family to leave Crowstone. Then, one night, the prison bell tolls, and a mysterious girl arrives on the doorstep, accompanied by marsh wisp.
Willow escaped the prison island with her mother. Her father has been imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. Then Charlie is kidnapped in Willow’s place, and the people who have her aren’t even who they claim to be.
The clue to freeing her, and saving Willow’s family, lies in an old map, a secret island, and a folk tale about three brothers.
Review:
The Widdershins are back. Their pinch of magic this time is matched by a folk tale about three brothers who were faced with a sprinkle of sorcery. With escaped prisoners, pirates and a magical island, this has all the ingredients of a fantastic tale.
Betty Widdershins takes Willow in at a great cost. Her own sister, Charlie, is kidnapped, and their granny is endangered by the same people who take Charlie. This constantly challenges Betty, as she battles with her consciene and the ultimate question – should she give up one child to guarantee the security of another? It is impossible to stop turning the pages as the stakes for everyone get higher and higher.
This exceptionally popular series introduces some new characters. There’s the ethereal Willow herself, who washes up in the night like a Dickensian waif. She’s tougher than she first appears, though, and this is what offers hope that the injustice that sees her father in desperate trouble will be reversed. Then there is Sniff. Sniff is introduced halfway through the book. He’s a pirate, right, tough as they get … except there’s more to Sniff’s story, too, than it first seems. There are also cats. Cats in all their glory.
Alongside the main story runs a folk tale about three brothers: Fortune, Luck, and Hope. Initially, it builds like any moralistic narrative. Fortune blunders his choices, valuing wealth over the right things. Luck has kinder values, but the wrong approach. Then things get interesting – because fairytales, as every reader knows, have at least some basis in real events, and real events are tied to specific locations.
This understanding of the relationship between place, narrative and real events underpins the series. Harrison’s Essex marshes begin with the real Essex marshes and a real folktale. Where that story originated from, of course, is left to speculation. The tales of the Widdershins sisters read exactly like that imaginative narrative. That if three magical sisters once lived on an island in the Essex marshes, then maybe they owned three magical objects … and with Harrison’s confident storytelling, it is possible to believe that those sisters are real people.
Michelle Harrison’s adventures promote a sense of wonder in the world. They are not only excellent narratives, but they leave the reader ready to embrace life and all the adventures it holds. A Sprinkle Of Sorcery is a triumph, and the Widdershins sisters are already listed among the greatest families of children’s literature.
Thanks to Simon and Schuster UK LTD for sending a proof copy ahead of publication. Opinions my own.
That cover is so pretty!
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Stunning. The covers together are amazing.
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I can’t wait to read it!
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Have you read A Pinch Of MAgic? Isn’t it a fab series?
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Not yet, I’m definitely going to start it in the week as Michelle is doing a signing near me next weekend. I’m so behind! 😭
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What a gorgeous cover! It’s so pretty
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Agreed. Just love the design. 😊
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Definitely need to read this series! Thanks for this review 🙂
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This is a great review and this sounds like such a good book!
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It’s a special one. Have you read Michelle Harrison’s work at all?
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I haven’t, but now I want to!
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This book sounds absolutely adorable! I’m trying to read more middle-grade so may have to pick this up when it’s published!
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Highly reccomend anything by Michelle Harrison. She’s such a talented and imaginative author. x
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This is a gorgeous review Louise. I can’t wait to get round to reading the book!
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It’s so lovely, Charlotte. We’re spoiled for good MG and teen atm. x
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We really are! Are you going to either of the NYA events this year?
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I’ve been contemplating read this series. It sounds so good!
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sounds like a good read! 🙂 also i adore the cover
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