What should have been the crowning moment in Arianwyn’s studies – the final exam and graduation – instead becomes a moment of public humiliation. She fails! To make matters worse, her grandmother interferes. The end result is that Arianwyn is sent to remote Lull, on the edge of the Great Forest, to serve the township as an apprentice witch.

She is just starting to make headway when her arch rival from school, Gimma, comes to visit her uncle, the mayor. What could be worse: the creatures of evil, who inhabit the forest, attacking the town, or Gimma the bully making Arianwyn feel as inadequate as ever? Is Arianwyn a weak witch, or are there depths to her magic that could make her powerful and dangerous?

Many of us face the same inner struggles that Arianwyn has: a sense of inadequacy, failure, weakness and anxiety. Many of us have had to face schoolyard bullies. Many of us are thrown into situations in which we either sink or swim. James Nicol beautifully captures all these emotions and balances them out with the things that help us all survive: friendship, moments of joy and the delight of discovering that we can achieve more than we imagine. James Nicol will, hopefully, give us more stories about Arianwyn and her friends. Now that we’ve got to know her, we’d like to see more.

Reviewed by Wendy Noble
Age guide 12+