REVIEW: The Wizards of Once

THE WIZARDS OF ONCE

by Cressida Cowell

Pages: 384

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books

Publication Date: September 19th 2017

Received From: Hodder Children's Books

This is the story of a young boy Wizard and a young girl Warrior who have been taught to hate each other like poison; and the thrilling tale of what happens when their two worlds collide.
Perfect for boys and girls who love fantasy adventure ...
Once there was Magic, and the Magic lived in the dark forests.
Wizard boy, Xar, should have come in to his magic by now, but he hasn't, so he wants to find a witch and steal its magic for himself. But if he's got any chance of finding one, he will have to travel into the forbidden Badwoods.
Xar doesn't realise he is about to capture an entirely different kind of enemy. A Warrior girl called Wish.
And inside this book, at this very moment, two worlds collide and the fate of the land is changed forever.
In a whirlwind adventure, Xar and Wish must visit the dungeons at Warrior fort, and face the evil Queen.
But something that has been sleeping for hundreds of years is stirring ...

First off I just want to say how amazingly beautiful this book is! Not just the cover, or it's hidden cover when you remove the dust jacket (its sooo pretty guys) but also all the stunning illustrations that go along side the story. The Wizards of Once is the newest book from Cressida Cowell, author of the best selling How To Train Your Dragon and its a corker. 

The Wizards of Once is the story of a young boy and a young girl from enemy tribes as their lives unexpected collide. Xar is a Wizard and Wish is a Warrior and for as long as they both remember their kind has hated each other but when Xar discovers Wish is hiding something forbidden and magical he will do anything to get his hands on it. Throughout the story these two kids are forced to become allies as they both learn the world they live in is under attack from something far nastiest than each other or their parents. The only question is will they be able to put their differences aside, lean to accept each others faults and look out for someone other than themselves *cough* Xar *cough* long enough to save their families from something that has been hiding for hundreds of years? 

Okay so confession time, I'm not a massive middle grade fan so when I was sent this I wasn't convinced. However, How To Train Your Dragon is one of my favourite films - yes I know I'm 25, what's your point? - and I was curious to see what Cressida had to offer next. The Wizards of Once is a story of unlikely and dangerous friendships, looking past stereotypes and doing the right thing, even when it isn't always the easiest option. The story itself is plotted out to perfection and even though there were moments I could have given Xar a little tap around the head I can't wait to see what is in store for these characters next. 

Overall this is a really good middle grade book. Personally I found it a little slow to get into but I think that might just be the fact I'm a decade older than its target audience. However, taking that out of the equation, it is a really sweet, funny and interesting story that I think a lot of people will find enjoyable. The characters are well thought through and the plot twists and turns giving a rather unexpected ending (if I do say so myself). As a whole I did enjoy reading The Wizards of Once and if you haven't yet cracked this one open I would definitely recommend it. 

**I received this book as an ARC from Hodder Children's Books to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**

A Witch in Winter

A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton

Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary (From Back Cover)
When love is tangled up in magic, how do you know what's real?
When Anna meets Seth, it's magic. But her hidden powers unleash a spell that sparks a war among witches and enslaves Seth's heart.

Review
If I'm being completely honest, and lets face it I usually am, I bought this book because I liked the cover - I do this a lot. I wasn't expecting it too be that great, but I was wrong and should start judging books by their covers more often. It has some really interesting moments that connect a greater story of finding a comfortable place between your heart and you conscience.

I'm going to kick things off with some of the negatives because truth be told I kind of want to get to the part where I can gush over how much I liked the story! The main problem I had with this, and it's one I've had with other books, is that I didn't like the main character. I mean, I don't hate Anna the way I do Katniss from THGs but I struggled to feel sympathetic to her situation. I read this with a book buddy on GoodReads and we both said that Anna's inability to make the right decision was a constant snag in the story. It's hard to feel sorry for someone who's hit themselves in the face and all that.

Okay, now that's out the way I can move onto Seth! Seth is kinda of adorable - in a bod boy kind of way. The girl I was reading this with fell for him straight away although it took me a little more time to get won over by his charms. If there was anyone in this story that I wanted to get a happily ever after it was Seth... and maybe Abe. Abe is complicated - to say the least. You don't really find out much about him, he's a secondary character but his power over the weather is enchanting and his dry wit is endearing. I really hope we see more of him in the next book!

One character that I would tell you to keep an eye out for is Emmaline! She quickly became one of my favourite character's; if it was possible for the story to have been told from her point of view I would have preferred it. Actually keep an eye out for that whole family!

The story itself was really interesting. I would have liked a little more of the 'old' magic but the way in which this book is written you could close your eyes and see every spell being cast. I got a little frustrated with the fact the main character is unable of making a decision that didn't endanger the entire population of Winter, but when the story unfolds towards the end her rashness come in handy - I guess.

Another thing I loved about this book was that you could tell that it was written by a Brit! Now, it's not really that big a deal it's just little things here and there that make it feel all the more familiar. Simple things like instead of grassing or narcing Warburton sticks to good old fashioned dobbing.

Overall it's a great witchy read that is full of plot changes and unexpected twists, adorable and intimate moments, as well as a great last line! Definitely worth adding to your list if your into fantasy. The writing flows effortlessly making it such an easy read!

This is one witch you don't want to miss... mainly because she'll probable decide to cast a spell and end the world, so best to keep an eye on her!

Official Book Trailer