224 pages
Publisher: Walker Books
Blurb
Witches Borough is dying, and no one knows how to save it.
Into this scorched landscape, storms a raggedy witch named Magda, trailing
ashes in her wake. She wants Mup. She wants Mup to fulfil a promise. And woe
betide any who stand in her way.
Review
“In a situation like this,
maybe all you can do is listen, and try to understand … and give everyone room
to figure out the answers for themselves.” - Dad
Only a few days ago I finished The Little Grey Girl,
the second title in this trilogy, and ended my review stating how much I was
looking forward to the final story. I’m sorta glad I didn’t know quite how
excellent the conclusion would turn out to be because even those few days would
have been too much of a wait. I expected a wonderful story, what I got was a tale
of breathtaking beauty.
Really, The Promise Witch is everything a good
book should be. A gripping, tension-filled story that just begs you to keep on
turning the pages. This is by far the most thrilling of the three stories. The
sense of danger is there on the very first page and steadily increases until, just
when everything appears lost, it culminates in a glorious finale, that brought
tears to my eyes.
Mup is as lovely, inquisitive, adventurous and big-hearted as
she was in the first book, but she has grown. She’s learned valuable lessons on
her journey and it shows. Of course, she’s still the young, impulsive, and
sometimes stubborn girl, but she has the biggest heart. Her actions may seem
rash at times, but they always come from a place of love.
While Mup is without a doubt the star of these stories, she
comes with a collection of colourful and vividly drawn friends and family. It’s
impossible not to mutter ‘awww’ every time her little brother Tipper makes an
appearance, be it as a little boy or as a lively dog. I adore Crow with his
tough exterior and humongous heart, and sorta want to adopt him. I could go on,
but I’ll limit myself to saying that all together, Mup and her family and
friends portray the very best in life; a community, far from perfect but where ultimately
everybody looks out for each other when push comes to shove.
Oh boy did I need to read this book today. In a world gone
mad, this was exactly the tonic I needed. Who knew it would take a book aimed
at 9-12-year olds to remind me there is such a thing as hope, that despite
evidence to the contrary the world is filled with love, and that deep down,
most people want to do what’s right? The book is a treasure trove of subtle
pearls of wisdom, disguised as dialogue or a school lesson, and I took them to
heart. In fact, there was one I loved so much, I turned it into a meme.
Long story short: I adore and highly recommend this
fast-paced and magical adventure. I’m in awe of Celine Kiernan and her own
personal magic of turning the meaningful into an adventure. Or maybe she fills
adventures with meaning. I have no idea how she does it. I only know that she
does it perfectly.
Related Reviews: Begone the Raggedy Witches
| The Little Grey Girl
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