February 2018 Book of the Month | In a nutshell: well-written, enthralling magical adventure
The age-old theme of good versus evil is given a lively reworking in Celine Kiernan’s new series. When her father is kidnapped by witches, her mother sets out with Mup, her brother and dog, plus the ghost of Aunty Boo to fetch him back. The world they enter is a dangerous one, ruled by a tyrannical queen using spies and informers – the raggedy witches – to enforce her cruel, arbitrary rules. There’s a shock for Mup who discovers the queen is actually her grandmother, and that she too has magic powers. The story bristles with excitement and adventure while allowing space for friendships to form, and for humour too (Mup’s baby brother is transformed into a puppy, much to his delight). Well-written, this is a thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying story.
Firmly in the tradition of classic tales of magic such as Narnia, and with hints of Tolkien and Susan Cooper too, readers would also enjoy Peter F. Hamilton’s The Queen of Dreams series. ~Andrea Reece
A middle-grade fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Frances Hardinge, Katherine Rundell and Sally Gardner. On the night that Aunty dies the Raggedy Witches come for Mup's mam. Pale, cold, relentless, they will do anything to coax Mam back to Witches Borough. When they kidnap Mup's dad, Mup and her mam must leave the mundane world to rescue him. But Mam is strange on this side of the border - striding, powerful, and distant. Even if they can save Dad, Mup is not sure anything will ever be the same again...
From multi-award-winning Irish author Celine Kiernan comes a dark fantasy adventure about witches Ireland's answer to JK Rowling. Sunday Independent
Author
About Celine Kiernan, Victoria Semykina
Celine Kiernan is the critically acclaimed and multi-award-winning author of five novels for young people. Her ghost story, Into the Grey, was the first book to receive both the CBI Book of the Year Award and the CBI Children's Choice Award. She is best known for The Moorehawke Trilogy, which was shortlisted twice for the Irish Book Awards and was longlisted for the Australian Inkys Award. It has been translated into nine languages. The Wild Magic Trilogy is Celine's first series for middle-grade readers. She lives in Ireland. You can find her online at celinekiernan.wordpress.com and @Celine_Kiernan.