The Witches of Tanglewood
2 primary works
Book 1
In a time when hardship and famine rule the country, one boy finds an oasis of magic and the strength to fight for it.
The Dust Bowl uprooted a lot of families and orphaned even more children. No one knows this better than Nat, a teenager who rides the rails from town to town looking for work. After helping a girl accused of witchcraft, Nat stumbles upon a home for wayward children run by a vibrant woman named Camille. She takes in children who have been thrown away and teaches them how to use their untapped potential to do extraordinary things...like magic.
In this crazy new place, there are wonders he's never imagined possible. People who can paint portraits of ghosts, walk through walls, and hide windmills in thin air. But in a time of starvation and fear, Camille's magical home comes under attack from people who fear and discriminate against her. It is up to Nat and the other children to rally behind Camille to save their oasis in the dust from utter ruin.
Book 2
This sequel to the award-winning novel, Manufactured Witches, picks up the story of Nat after he's been gifted with the limitless power of the goddess. Magic this dangerous is difficult for Nat to control, and he finds himself alone, ostracized from the people he loves. When a witch goes missing from a magical cathedral, Nat decides to work with his mentor, Camille, to save the lost girl from an unknown evil.
The Canyon Cathedral is a fantastic underground school for magic. Nat finds himself in a world of amazing things. Enchanted boats, magical nuns, and books that tell your history. Despite the wonders of the place, kidnappings and vicious attacks plague the school. Nat must learn to control his emotional powers to help the witches around him and find his place in the world.