A Witch Alone by James Nicol - ADVISABLE

A Witch Alone (The Apprentice Witch #2) by James Nicol, 320 pages.  Chicken House (Scholastic), October 2018.  $17.

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY:  EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Arianwyn has enjoyed her time in Kingsport city with her best friend and her Grandmother, but during the royal parade, boggins attack and Arianwyn steps in to help protect them – saving the life of the King himself.  Now Arianwyn is headed back to Lull – but with many complications.  Not only is Grimma also returning, but Miss Newman, her former evaluator from school, has been sent by the Magical Research and Science Department to help Wyn investigate the increased appearance of hex throughout the Great Woods, but more importantly they need to retrieve the Book of Quiet Glyphs from the feyling Estar.  The hex, however, is wreaking havoc with magic and Wyn spends most of her time putting out fires instead of getting ahead of the problem.  

I was super surprised at the direction of Arianwyn’s new adventures and the immediate jump into heightened danger.  There is a great twist near the end that helps this make more sense – I kind of wish it had come out earlier in the story to help things make sense.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian