Cover Image: A Tangle of Spells

A Tangle of Spells

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I LOVED it so much!
The third in there series & it's didn't disappoint.
Magic, wonder and perfectly penned characters. You won't want to miss this middle grade age or not!

Was this review helpful?

I loved the whole series! it is so good, interesting, funny, warming... full of magic. It was so great to read about sisters love <3

Was this review helpful?

My daughter has loved all of the Pinch of Magic Adventures and this book was no exception. It's a page-turner full of magic, a bit creepy, but has plenty of humour. All of the ingredients for a fantastic book!

Was this review helpful?

A Pinch of Magic series so far has been a great swashbuckling adventure. However, things change in A Tangle of Spells because the Widdershins move from the Poacher's Pocket. In the beginning, Harrison's lush and sometimes creepy description of their new home in a quaint little village. Everything is not as quaint as it seems when the villagers avoid mentioning magic and Betty finds a hidden room in their new home, where a mysterious painting and a diary of Ivy Bell is hidden.

A Tangle of Spells has a mystery and an adventure for the Widdershins sisters, but it has some weaknesses compared to the first two. The new characters did not have the same enchanting effect as, for example, Willow and Spit had. There's also less Fliss here and even Charlie's antics are muted. A lot of time is spend unravelling the mystery of Ivy Bell, but her character did not have enough charisma to carry the story. Overall, I felt like the new location and characters did not have same fascination and the adventure was not as engaging as previous ones. It is still a solid middle grade adventure even if it is not as praiseworthy as its predecessors.

Was this review helpful?

I honestly love this series, and this felt like a really nice conclusion to it. The sisters are fantastic - I particularly adore Charlie and the way she is so matter of fact about everything!

This book moves us away from the Poachers Pocket (sob) but the new town of Pendlewick is full of intrigue, including their house! I liked that we got to explore something a bit new and different in this, and go on a bit more of a mystery hunt. There's a lot of tense action and some properly spooky goings-on - the atmosphere is so well set throughout the book.

I definitely need to hunt out more books by Michelle Harrison, as I love her writing.

4 stars.

Was this review helpful?

The Pinch of Magic Series has been my favourite because of the sheer skilfulness in the storytelling. Michelle Harrison has yet again told a story that delves back into a past tale, which is truly chilling. I was completely hooked but equally terrified as I read this. I was quite literally on the edge of my seat and constantly looking over my shoulder. I don't read many scary books and yes, I am a big scaredy cat. But this is definitely a book for fans of chilling stories with superstitions and magic.
The Widdershins move to a new village and are accused of being witches. But in their new house they find a secret room and uncover the history of accusations thrown at young girls in the village. Scenes from the book are vividly etched in my mind because the description in Michelle's writing is so evocative. This book series would make a frightfully good movie.

Was this review helpful?

This magical book is so creepy, I was absolutely on edge the whole time I was reading it. The Widdershins have left Crowstone for a new home, and the story starts off by dealing with how the three sisters feel about this move. Their new cottage is described in the most wonderfully evocative way and from the moment you first read about it you just know they're not going straight for happily ever after. Their new home, Pendlewick, has its own mysteries and secrets and some of them are really quite horrible. It was absolutely fascinating watching this dark magic falling on the sisters, and how far they'd go to protect each other.

An absolutely fantastic dark fairy tale story. I loved it so much!

Was this review helpful?

A Tangle of Spells continues the adventures of the Widdershins sisters - Fliss, Betty and Charlie as they find themselves caught up in magic and hyjinx on a mysterious Island filled with tricky locals and sinister spells.

I think this is my favourite story in the series. I've grown to really like the Widdershins sisters, and they share a wonderful relationship that has grown substantially since the first book. I think my favourite is Charlie - she's mischevious and brave, with a fondness for animals that is loveable and endearing. She looks up to her older sisters but also isn't afraid to challenge their decisions either. If only Oin would love her back! I also love Bunny Widdershins, the matriarch of the family. She loves nothing better than a shot of whiskey and her pipe, but she also cares deeply her family dearly. She's such a character, and the scene with her throwing out the two drunks at the pub is still my favourite.

The plot for this story is a lot spookier than I was expecting compared to the previous installments. We have creepy witches and missing girls, with the sisters often finding themselves caught up in variety of hairy situations centering around a very intriguing mystery. It's atmospheric and fast paced with plenty of backstory and world building to help carry the story too. Yes, the plot is obvious, but I'm not exactly the target audience so I can let it slide.

Thoroughly enjoyable story, with plenty of interesting characters and an intiguing plot. I hope there's many more stories to come from the Widdershin sisters.

Was this review helpful?

No review - did not realise this was part of a series, sorry about this! As I am unable to purchase the other books in the
series I thought it best to return. I have left 3 stars as a generic.

Was this review helpful?

Magical book for kids and big kids alike! I really enjoyed getting into the story and I’m 30 so can you imagine how cool it would be for youngsters?!
I think this would be a great addition to any school library and an equally lovely bedtime story to read over a week or so at home with family.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

Was this review helpful?

What an epic and amazing adventure, for the Widdershins. Loved this so much, and I couldn't put it down. Very very very good way to spend my day off 😍💜💜💜

Was this review helpful?

This was a great adventure story to read. I loved the worldbuilding, the magic, the characters and I can't wait to read more by this author!

Was this review helpful?

Another amazing adventure from Harrison about these 3 sisters who learn they are witches in the first book.
I love this series and this book was no exception. I enjoyed every page.

Was this review helpful?

The best Widdershins adventure yet, I loved this from start to finish. Twists and turns aplenty. A magical read that I devoured. I really hope there are more to come in this series because I need it! They’re always such fun reads and so wonderfully written.

Was this review helpful?

I love this series - and this third book is just as exciting and beautifully written as the first two in this series. Highly recommend!

Was this review helpful?

This is the second book I read by this author and it's delightful.
The author is an excellent storyteller and the story is well written and fun to read.
Great characters and world building.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Was this review helpful?

Magic and wonder awaits the Widdershins sisters as they venture to a new village that is shrouded in a dark power. Can Betty, Charlie and Fliss save Pendlewick from the threat of witches before they also fall under their spell?

'A Tangle of Spells' is the third book in the Widdershins Adventures, with the first book being 'A Pinch of Magic' and the second book being 'A Sprinkle of Sorcery'. I have loved every single book in this series to date and 'A Tangle of Spells' is absolutely no different - it's infused with the creative imagination of Harrison that retains all the trademarks from the first two books in the series and never ever loses its charm.

I absolutely loved the setting of Pendlewick and the atmosphere of this village. You instantly realise that something isn't quite right there and that there is way more to the villagers than meets the eye. Seeing how the Widdershins coped and handled this new setting and the situations they found themselves was such a thrilling ride, especially due to how exciting the events are that happens in this book. The scenes at Blackbird Cottage when it's just Betty, Charlie and Fliss were so tense and intriguing, and when you read this book you will know what I mean. It promises more excitement to follow, and the rest of the book certainly delivers.

There are new characters that we are introduced to that live in the village, and all I can really say there is that there are some startling discoveries to be had and true danger for the Widdershins. I think this might have been the most dangerous adventure the girls have had yet and truly solidifying this as one of the best books of the series. Tick Tock Forest is also a truly creative and imaginative addition to the story, and the new setting really made the series feel fresh and alive.

This book is filled with so many memorable and standout scenes (like when Betty and Charlie were in a place where they shouldn't have been - and that's all I'm saying without spoiling it). I can't wait for this one to come out so we can gush about all the creativity that went into building the magic of this world.

'A Tangle of Spells' is gorgeous storytelling that hooks the fans of the Widdershins sisters in from the first page, and never lets go until you read the end. If any book will get your heart racing, it will be this one. I would give it more than five stars.

Was this review helpful?

Absolutely phenomenal book, I love Michelle Harrison’s writing so so much.
The Tangle Of Spells is an outstanding book in this series that takes a darker twist with this one which I absolutely adored.
The characters were amazing in this book were just great in this and the storyline this book goes down is just fantastic.

I hope that the next book takes an even darker twist and push it that bit further for middle grade as I think this will be a great route to go down. I just don’t want the series to end as the Widdershin sisters are quite simply the best trio of characters I have ever come across in a book series.
You can’t help but love each of the sisters for all that they bring to the book.
Granny is still just as sarcastic and coarse but in a humorous way which I absolutely love.

Michelle Harrison is quite simply one of my most favourite middle grade authors of all time and I auto buy everything that she writes and I will forever champion her work.
I actually gave this book 6 stars making it a favourite book of all time.
I highly recommend this book to anyone as it is just superb through and through

Was this review helpful?

A Tangle of Spells is the third instalment in the Pinch of Magic series. The Widdershin sisters leave Crowstone with their dad and gran, and move to Pendlewick. However, on arrival at their new home, there are warning signs that all is not as it seems.

As the family start to explore life in the village, they come across tales of previous strange events and magic happenings. Then a portrait in a secret room and pages of a secret diary lead to more questions. As the girls get to know more about people in the village, it becomes clear that there is an unsavoury history that threatens to envelop the Widdershin sisters.

This was a fabulous next book in the series. The change of location leads to new adventures, new characters and new places to explore.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this early via Netgalley. I am slightly late and ended up reading my finished copy today. I apologise for this.

I read this book in one sitting. This was a fabulous follow on story after The Pinch of Magic & A Sprinkle of Sorcery. I love the Widdershins sisters. This story introduces a new prominent character Ivy who we learn about firstly through diary entry's found within the secret room.

This has to be the most atmospheric of them all and really did give me chills in places. Michelle Harrison has knocked it out of the park yet again.

I would recommend this series to everyone. Kids and adults alike. It really is magical in places.

Was this review helpful?