Having thoroughly enjoyed Here be Dragons, Book One, of The Snowdonia Chronicles I have been
eagerly awaiting the publication of Book Two, Here be Witches.
Ellie and her friends, George and Rhiannon, find themselves
caught up in a battle involving witches, dragons and other mythical
creatures. They need to reverse the
spell that threatens to leave Wales in the icy grip of winter. With the help of Davey, a mysterious stranger,
and Granny Jones’ charms and potions, they set out on their quest. They have just three days to complete it.
For me, the best thing about this book, is how Sarah Mussi
achieves a totally credible merging of two worlds: the ‘real’ world and the
mythical. Setting the story in Snowdonia
in Wales gives it a solid sense of place.
Together with Wales’ connections to dragons and its folklore this
merging of real and mythical is seamless.
There is a powerful sense of atmosphere throughout the book with the
landscape of Snowdonia as a constant backdrop.
Ellie Morgan, the protagonist, is a strong and courageous sixteen-year-old
in love with the gorgeous Henry, who also happens to be a dragon. She is
a highly likeable and relatable character.
I thought that her scored-through thoughts in the text were ingenious,
showing the reader what she is really thinking. The use of texts and pings in the storyline
also give her credibility as a regular teenager albeit one who is in love with
a dragon.
Friendship features strongly in the storyline and the one
between Ellie, Rhiannon and Sheila is spot on.
The friendship between Ellie and George is full of humorous banter with
poor George declaring his undying love for her.
As the story progresses there are glimpses of Ellie questioning how she
really feels about him. A definite pull
into Book Three.
Ellie’s love for Henry is powerful, the thing above
all else that she is prepared to fight for. The fact that she may also be harbouring
feelings for George as more than just a friend add nicely to the mix. By the end of the book I am still not sure
who she will ultimately choose.
I loved the humour in the dialogue, ‘maybe she is some kind
of Gandalf’. The text is littered with
funny comments that lighten the mood and definitely convinced me I was in the
company of teenagers.
Here be Witches has great pace. Firstly the characters have just three days
to complete their quest. And secondly,
the action is snappy, no overlong scenes or lengthy descriptions to slow it
down.
The book has a strong sense of right and wrong, good and
evil. I thought the ethereal character
of Davey alluded particularly well to this theme giving it religious overtones. Ellie’s thoughts and comments about him are particularly
amusing as it takes her a while to work him out.
So, a brilliant story full of amazing mythical creatures, told
by strong, credible characters and set against a magnificent backdrop. I cannot wait to read the final book in this
trilogy.
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