WELL OF WITCHES

This third in the Thickety fantasy series provides particulars of the geography and culture of the mainland the siblings travel through to rescue their father from the witch Grace’s final curse.

Kara and Taff’s trials begin on the boat that takes them away from De’Noran, only the first such event in this action-packed narrative. Traveling through the fascinating mainland, the siblings meet characters from A Path Begins (2014) and The Whispering Trees (2015), some of whom are helpful. The outlook is not encouraging: Kara’s sense of uncertainty balloons, while Rygoth’s uber-powerful magic seems unbeatable. The instructions that guide them (provided by the Forest Demon Sordyr are—for a quest tale—suitably obscure. The brother and sister rebound through many crises, which ratchets the suspense up considerably. The climax of this story is both intense and satisfying and promises further adventures for the 13-year-old Kara and her brilliant younger brother. One caveat: readers may find it slow going unless they are familiar with the previous two books.

This stirring adventure set in an intriguing world will keep readers riveted; series fans, beware: do not start this book close to bedtime.