Witch Wars: Witches of Orkney, Book 3 (Witches of Orkney, #3)

by Alane Adams

Abigail's second year at the Tarkana Academy has been an all-out disaster. She's just unwittingly helped Vertulious, an ancient he-witch and powerful alchemist, destroy Odin's Stone and restore his powers, and now all of Orkney is caught up in the threat of war as the witches prepare to destroy the helpless Orkadians. Determined to set things right, Abigail and Hugo set off for Jotunheim, the land of the giants, to find a weapon to restore the balance. All they have to do is track down the God of Thunder and convince Thor to turn his hammer over to them. When their former-friend-now-foe Robert Barconian arrives with a band of dwarves, intent on stopping them, Abigail and friends must unite to prevent a war that will destroy them all. But has Abigail made the biggest mistake of all by trusting in the wrong ally?

• ISBN10: 1684630630
• ISBN13: 9781684630639
• Publish Date: 26 November 2020 (first published 13 October 2020)
• Publish Status: Transferred
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: SparkPress
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 208
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Witch Wars is the third book in the Witches of Orkney middle grade reader fantasy series by Alane Adams. Due out 13th Oct 2020, it's 208 pages (print version) and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.
This is a fun fantasy series for middle grade readers. There are a lot of Norse mythology tie-ins, magical schools for readers pining for Hogwarts, lots of ineffectual (really dimwitted) adults running around trying to destroy the world (and each other in the process), and smart kids who have to keep saving the day. This is the third book in the series, and as such, it works better for having been read in the proper order. The author is adept enough at writing backstory into the narrative that it's not absolutely necessary, but I do recommend not trying to read this as a standalone.

I like Abigail who is loyal and brave and tries hard to do the right thing even when plans go terribly awry. This time she and her friend Hugo are trying to avert catastrophe by stopping a war before it can get started. The story is full of action and thunders to an exciting battleground climax. The whole is a short and entertaining read and a nice addition to the series. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next for Abigail and co.

Four stars. There's no graphic violence, bad language, or adult content. This book (and the other books in the series) are full of magic, magical creatures, and themes of friendship, loyalty, bravery, and good over evil.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.