As a writer, it's not surprising that I tend to be loyal to authors once I've read something of theirs that I've really enjoyed. And when I read something by an author I hadn't read before, and completely love it, as I did with Mary Stewart's The Little Broomstick, naturally I seek out other works. And being a librarian, I have easy access to those other works. A request was put in for this book the day I finished the last one. The next one will have to wait though as I must begin reading six straight YA books for a discussion I will be taking part in come this October. Enjoy.
(William Morrow, 1980)
John and his younger sister Margaret are picnicking with their parents after visiting the ruins of an old German castle. Their weary parents soon fall victim to the sleepy afternoon, and fail to see the oddly dressed man pass by them and enter into the dark woods. Bored and restless, the children decide to follow him, unaware that they are embarking on the adventure of a lifetime.
In an old cottage, the siblings discover secrets and magic that they can hardly believe. Before they know it, they find themselves stuck far in the past and caught in the middle of a sinister enchantment that they must help break in order to return home.
Written straight after her acclaimed Merlin trilogy for adults, Mary Stewart is clearly steeped in the time period and has a remarkable way of bringing the castle to life. She also does an excellent job in how she deals with sorcery and fantasy. Having just read her magnificent middle grade novel The Little Broomstick, I will say that story lacks the same character development that drew the reader to Mary Smith in that novel. John and Margaret feel more like plot devices to propel the tale than fully developed children with ideas and imaginations. Because of that, this rather short novel drags slightly in the beginning, but by the middle it really picks up. By the end, it was very enjoyable, if not altogether magical.
