New-found witch and eco-warrior Orla is up against some seriously dark magic in this creepy and funny adventure, the second in the series.
Orla, her brothers and Dave the dog are on holiday in Norfolk, visiting their eccentric Uncle Valentine. Orla may have recently learned she's a witch, but she's not looking for trouble. Nope. Definitely not. Unfortunately, her timing is terrible. She quickly discovers the beautiful Anna's Wood, due to be bulldozed any minute for shale gas. The locals are all convinced that GasFrac's plan is a great one. Make way for a new shopping centre and car park! But why doesn't anyone care about the destruction of the wood? Where are the protests? Orla soon begins to suspect that this isn't just indifference ... there's dark magic involved here. With the help of a magpie, she finds out who is behind GasFrac. And what he wants is worse than she could possibly have imagined.
My Thoughts
First and foremost, Orla is a fabulous character. Feisty (yes I know that word is over-used but it is also the best one for her,) funny and fabulously frustrating, she is the eco-warrior we all wish we could be. With knobs on. The other characters are great too - a quirky and eccentric cast of witches and I love her long suffering brothers. And Dave the dog. Absolutely fantastic. I have spoken to Muttley (my own head of household security and close protection specialist) and told her she needs to up her game if she wants to co-star in a brilliant book.
The world the story is set in is brilliantly drawn, the village makes a delightful, eerie setting and the author somehow allows us to take in the view while talking us on a roller-coaster of a story that barely pauses for breath. How does he do that?
The plot is fun with a mystery that unravels slowly and intriguingly in a thrilling fracking-eco-adventure that deals with important topics, (and certainly educated me,) without being preachy or sanctimonious. In fact it is really funny, but like the scenery, the comedy is woven in, so it doesn't detract from the action.
This story will delight readers who enjoyed The Bird Singers, The Tide Singer or Sisters of the Lost Marsh, and although it is the second in the series, the fact I haven't read the first one made no difference at all (although I am going to now!)
An enchanting novel with a gorgeous cover illustration by Paddy Donnelly, and the best dedication ever, this book was a complete and utter delight.