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A review by mariahistryingtoread
Which Witch? by Eva Ibbotson
5.0
To avoid a reading slump I could feel coming on after my last two disappointing reads I decided to re-read Which Witch? because it was one of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors as a kid and I was confident I'd still enjoy it.
And I was totally right. I am as charmed and delighted by Eva Ibbotson as I was a decade ago.
So many fantasy young adult books want what this book had. It had a whimsical prose that wasn't overly simplistic or overly detailed. It had fully developed characters despite a fairly large cast. It had a quirky, refreshing style that didn't seem forced.
My favorite aspect is that it celebrates the alternative in a really genuine way. The plot of this story is that Arriman, a dark Wizard dedicated to spreading and maintaining evil in the world, is looking for a wife in order to have an evil heir. And the best part is that he and all the witches (except for Belladonna who is a White Witch which provides the conflict) just stay evil. It's completely fine and just presented as the way things are in a totally straightforward way. There's no justification or vilification of being a dark wizard or witch. It's just the way things are and you are along for the ride. I loved it.
I will say that it might not be for you if you want really deep mythos or lore. I feel the characters are developed just fine because I was familiar with the story and Ibbotson's writing style, but it might also come off as rather brusque if you're going into it expecting too much.
For me, however, it was everything I needed right now to re-invigorate me going forward. I cannot recommend it enough.
The Haunting of Granite Falls
The Secret of Platform 13
The Great Ghost Rescue
And I was totally right. I am as charmed and delighted by Eva Ibbotson as I was a decade ago.
So many fantasy young adult books want what this book had. It had a whimsical prose that wasn't overly simplistic or overly detailed. It had fully developed characters despite a fairly large cast. It had a quirky, refreshing style that didn't seem forced.
My favorite aspect is that it celebrates the alternative in a really genuine way. The plot of this story is that Arriman, a dark Wizard dedicated to spreading and maintaining evil in the world, is looking for a wife in order to have an evil heir. And the best part is that he and all the witches (except for Belladonna who is a White Witch which provides the conflict) just stay evil. It's completely fine and just presented as the way things are in a totally straightforward way. There's no justification or vilification of being a dark wizard or witch. It's just the way things are and you are along for the ride. I loved it.
I will say that it might not be for you if you want really deep mythos or lore. I feel the characters are developed just fine because I was familiar with the story and Ibbotson's writing style, but it might also come off as rather brusque if you're going into it expecting too much.
For me, however, it was everything I needed right now to re-invigorate me going forward. I cannot recommend it enough.
The Haunting of Granite Falls
The Secret of Platform 13
The Great Ghost Rescue