Julia Vanishes (Witch's Child, #1)

by Catherine Egan

The stunning first book in an exciting new fantasy trilogy! Murder, thievery, witchcraft and betrayal--who could resist?


Julia has the unusual ability to be . . . unseen. Not invisible, exactly. Just beyond most people's senses. It's a dangerous trait in a city that has banned all forms of magic and drowns witches in public Cleansings. But it's a useful trait for a thief and a spy. And Julia has learned--crime pays.
     Her latest job is paying very well indeed. Julia is posing as a housemaid in the grand house of Mrs. Och, where an odd assortment of characters live and work: A disgraced professor who sends her to fetch parcels containing bullets, spiders and poison. An aristocratic houseguest who is locked in the basement each night. And a mysterious young woman who is clearly in hiding--though from what or whom? Worse, Julia suspects that there's a connection between these people and the killer leaving a trail of bodies across the frozen city.
     The more she learns, the more she wants to be done with this unnatural job. To go back to the safety of her friends and fellow thieves. But Julia is entangled in a struggle between forces more powerful than she'd ever imagined. Escape will come at a terrible price.
     One that will she will be paying over this book and the two to follow.

• ISBN10: 0385684657
• ISBN13: 9780385684651
• Publish Date: 7 June 2016
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: CA
• Imprint: Doubleday Canada
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 384
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/isbn/9780385684651

Reviews

[Eve1972]

I really enjoyed this one. It had a bit of a steampunk feel to it. The story sucked me in and kept me interested all the way through. The characters were interesting and well developed. The magical element and World building was unique and done well. It doesn't end on a cliffy, but it is left in such a way as I'm sure we'll be seeing a book two eventually.

Overall, a really delightful read.

[Beth C.]

Julia is a thief and a spy with an unusual talent. She can will herself to be looked over...passed by. When she finds herself with a job in the house of Mrs. Ochs though, well...all bets are off.

Catherine Egan has crafted an interesting story. It has quite the mix of magic, legends, mystery, and mayhem. Perfect for the YA crowd, it's also the first book in the Witch's Child trilogy. The characters are fascinating, and extremely varied. Not your normal staid blend of witches or humans here. Yes, those exist...but so do many other creatures. Each has a backstory and true characterization, none feeling like some cardboard stand-in for the story.

Speaking of the story, it's got some very unique elements and it moves at a fairly quick pace, particularly starting about halfway through. It's like an alternate version of Earth, where witches are "evil" and there is a public drowning each week, and where deadly creatures roam, gods still exist, and one young thief ends up in the middle of it all.

Overall, I quite enjoyed reading this and would happily reach for the second in the series.