The Stats
📖 BOOK REVIEW⠀📚
BOOK: Cinders and Sparrows
AUTHOR: Stefan Bachmann
@stefanbachmannwrites
Publisher: Greenwillow Books @greenwillowbooks
Stars: ⭐⭐⭐
Published: October 14, 2020
The Review
The Title/Cover Draw:
- Not sure what really led me to this book as it’s not one of those I usually gravitate towards.
What I liked:
- Cute, fall, witchy vibes. It’s perfect for this time of year!
What I didn’t like:
- It was slow at times, but it’s middle grade so that’s to be expected.
What kept me reading:
- Would she free her family and become the witch she hoped to be?
The Characters:
- Minnifer and Bram (the servants in the castle) were very fun and I enjoyed when they appeared in the book.
The Ending:
- It wrapped nicely.
Consider if you like:
- Fun fall book about witches and discovering who you are!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Received from Edelweiss.
Small Summary:
A suspenseful tale of witches, family, and magic from internationally bestselling author Stefan Bachmann. Readers of Kate Milford’s Greenglass House, Victoria Schwab’s City of Ghosts, and Diana Wynne Jones will be riveted.
When a scarecrow climbs over the garden wall, delivering twelve-year-old orphan Zita Brydgeborn a letter saying she has inherited a distant castle, she jumps at the chance of adventure. But little does she know that she is about to be thrust into a centuries-old battle between good and evil. Blackbird Castle was once home to a powerful dynasty of witches, all of them now dead under mysterious circumstances. Zita is the last of her line. And Zita, unfortunately, doesn’t know the first thing about being a witch.
As she begins her lessons in charms and spells with her guardian, Mrs. Cantanker, Zita makes new allies—a crow, a talking marble head, two castle servants just her age named Bram and Minnifer, and the silent ghost of a green-eyed girl. But who is friend and who is foe? Zita must race to untangle her past and find the magic to save the home she’s always hoped for. Because whatever claimed the souls of her family is now after her.