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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A classic middle grade, trio-on-a-quest tale, Curse of the Night Witch is the first in a new series inspired by Latin American lore. It's situated in a beautifully built fantasy world and infused with a delicious and colorful inventiveness (literally: gemstone puddings and pie). Tor, his best friend Engle, and his school nemesis Melda use a book of terrifying legends as a map to discover the Night Witch and end the curse that links them to each other and to a fast-approaching death.
The use of a few familiar tropes (this trio of friends feels very familiar, as does the choice/lesson/setup at the end) is offset by the breakneck pace of the adventure and the delightfully interesting world of the Emblemites. Including the legends throughout is also a great addition, and I found myself looking forward to each creative new "Once upon a…" tale ("Once upon a boiling cauldron, there was a cave." "Once upon a lilac dawn, there was a boy." "Once upon a family secret…")
Content notes: fairytale peril and pain with some gruesome off-screen violence/horror and some magical physical trauma to our heroes. Also: strong female leaders throughout, matter-of-fact physical diversity, a variety of strengths and intelligences embraced
The use of a few familiar tropes (this trio of friends feels very familiar, as does the choice/lesson/setup at the end) is offset by the breakneck pace of the adventure and the delightfully interesting world of the Emblemites. Including the legends throughout is also a great addition, and I found myself looking forward to each creative new "Once upon a…" tale ("Once upon a boiling cauldron, there was a cave." "Once upon a lilac dawn, there was a boy." "Once upon a family secret…")
Content notes: fairytale peril and pain with some gruesome off-screen violence/horror and some magical physical trauma to our heroes. Also: strong female leaders throughout, matter-of-fact physical diversity, a variety of strengths and intelligences embraced
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I think the overall premise of the book was good but it fell a bit flat for me. the pacing and development of the plot just seemed off.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Read- August 2020 for The N.E.W.Ts (O in Transfiguration- Read a hardcover)
- This was one of my many pre orders for this year and I've been craving getting to it since it came out. The main reason I didn't get to it before now is because I never managed to get it to fit into a TBR but I've now decided that I'm a mood reader so I'm just going to read whatever I want, whenever I want.
In this book we follow Tor Luna who is born on Emblem island, an island where all people are born knowing their fate; both from the rainbows lifelines on their hand that shows them the course of their life and the Emblems that tell you how you will spend it.
When our story starts it's Eve on Emblem Island, a night of celebration and making wishes. Tor has turned twelve in the previous year which means that he can finally make a wish and he knows exactly what he's wishing for, an emblem change. Tor was born with with the Leadership emblem, just like his mother, but that isn't what he wants because he's never felt like much of a leader. He wants the water breathing emblem. The issue with this is that you should never mess with fate, all the children are warned that you shouldn't wish for an emblem change but all Tor wants is to choose his own path.
Of course, this doesn't go to plan and when he makes up the next morning he looks at his wrist to discover that his emblem has been replaced with the symbol of a curse. Not only that, the curse has shortened his lifeline giving him only a week to live. The only way to get rid of this curse is to go on a trip the the terrifying Night Witch.
With just his villages old tales and his friends with him, Tor must travel all over Emblem island trying to fight mystical creatures that come from the old tales in order to find the Night Witch and make everything right again. Before it's too late.
- This was one of my many pre orders for this year and I've been craving getting to it since it came out. The main reason I didn't get to it before now is because I never managed to get it to fit into a TBR but I've now decided that I'm a mood reader so I'm just going to read whatever I want, whenever I want.
In this book we follow Tor Luna who is born on Emblem island, an island where all people are born knowing their fate; both from the rainbows lifelines on their hand that shows them the course of their life and the Emblems that tell you how you will spend it.
When our story starts it's Eve on Emblem Island, a night of celebration and making wishes. Tor has turned twelve in the previous year which means that he can finally make a wish and he knows exactly what he's wishing for, an emblem change. Tor was born with with the Leadership emblem, just like his mother, but that isn't what he wants because he's never felt like much of a leader. He wants the water breathing emblem. The issue with this is that you should never mess with fate, all the children are warned that you shouldn't wish for an emblem change but all Tor wants is to choose his own path.
Of course, this doesn't go to plan and when he makes up the next morning he looks at his wrist to discover that his emblem has been replaced with the symbol of a curse. Not only that, the curse has shortened his lifeline giving him only a week to live. The only way to get rid of this curse is to go on a trip the the terrifying Night Witch.
With just his villages old tales and his friends with him, Tor must travel all over Emblem island trying to fight mystical creatures that come from the old tales in order to find the Night Witch and make everything right again. Before it's too late.
