Schrodinger's Bookshelf

At long last, the time has come for Beatrice Bailey and her friends to confront the evil sorcerer, Dally Rumpe, once and for all. In four previous missions to the Witches’ Sphere, the quartet (later quintet) of teenage witches went up against terrible evils and great odds to undo various parts of the spell which enveloped and cursed the land of Bailiwick. They rescued Dally Rumpe’s captives, weakened his influence, and gained much acclaim. But the hardest part is yet to come. This time, Beatrice and friends have to travel to the thief-run town of Heraldstone, ally themselves with a motley group of untrustworthy thieves and highwaymen, sneak into a goblin-infested castle, battle harpies and other monsters, and stand up against Dally Rumpe himself. No problem. Of course, when any one of the people living in Heraldstone might be a disguised Dally Rumpe, things are even harder. Who can they trust? Who can they ask to help who won’t betray them at the worst opportunity? How will they get across the Shaking Bridge, past the goblins, and into the dungeons to free poor captive Bromwich, held there as a prisoner for two centuries? This is the final test for Beatrice Bailey, and it’ll define how she’s regarded by her peers and the rest of the Witches’ Sphere forever.

I’ve been enjoying this series all along; its mixture of mystery, adventure, suspense and fantasy makes for some great reading, and it’s always a pleasure to watch Beatrice and her friends overcome great odds through their resourcefulness. Of course, half the fun is playing “who is Dally Rumpe pretending to be this time?” and seeing if I get it right. Forrester is skilled at laying false clues and giving us plenty of suspects to choose from. Ultimately, this is a satisfying conclusion to the Beatrice Bailey series, with a proper payoff for loyal readers. This is a perfect series for those Harry Potter fans who might be waiting for their next fix.

Teenage witch Beatrice Bailey is back once again in this, her third exploit. This time, she and her friends are directed to help free the town of Sea-Dragon Bay from the evil clutches of rogue wizard Dally Rumpe, whose power has enveloped the land of Bailiwick for two centuries. So far, Beatrice has been lucky, prevailing in two other areas of her family’s old home. But will this be the time when Dally Rumpe’s cunning proves to be a match? It certainly doesn’t help that the people of Sea-Dragon Bay don’t particularly want to be rescued; they actually like the notoriety the curse has brought their home! Worse yet, Beatrice and her friends are joined by meddling journalist Sasha Peake, and the manipulative Miranda Pengilly. As Beatrice learns more about the past, she’ll be faced with some hard choices, and some near-impossible tasks. Given Dally Rumpe’s penchant for disguise, he could be anyone in Sea-Dragon Bay, even a friend or relative. Who can she trust, when even her Council-appointed advisor comes under suspicion of collaborating with the enemy?

So far, I’ve been enjoying this series. Beatrice Bailey is an enjoyable heroine, confident and intelligent, but well-aware of her limitations. Her friends continue to flesh out the action with their unique skills and quirks, and each new character adds a little something new to an increasingly interesting world. Even the throw-away lines, such as the role of fairy tales and how they’ve come upon hard times, give a little something to think about. Ultimately, The Witches of Sea-Dragon Bay lives up to the standards of the first two Beatrice Bailey adventures. I’m looking forward to see how this series progresses and ultimately wraps up.

Beatrice Bailey isn’t much of a witch. Save for her weather spells, every magical thing she attempts goes haywire. As far as that goes, she’s not too worried. She’s accepted that in a few days, on her twelfth birthday, she’ll be formally classified as an Everyday Witch, like the rest of her family and friends. There’s no hope of the Witches’ Executive Committee seeing something she doesn’t know and classifying her as a powerful and respected Classical Witch, is there? Imagine her surprise when the Committee tells Beatrice that in order for them to decide, she and her friends must undergo a small quest, to free an ancient land in the Witch Sphere from a powerful shape shifting sorcerer named Dally Rumpe. If she can fulfill this task, one no member of her family has ever succeeded at, Beatrice might very well be a Classical Witch after all. But is the reward worth going up against ghosts, elves, evil sorcerers, werewolves and dragons?

The Everyday Witch is entertaining and imaginative, with a worthy premise and likeable characters. The nature of Beatrice’s quest, and the pacing of the book, made it clear early on that this is the start of a series, so any ultimate payoff won’t be for some time. Nevertheless, Forrester brings this segment of the story to a satisfying conclusion. Sadly, The Everyday Witch lacks the complexities and depth of some other popular series, and the interaction between the fantasy world and mundane world seems a bit awkward in places, with some concepts and creations seeming rather out of place, or at least tacked-on without complete care. Add to this an element of predictability that the more jaded reader might grow frustrated with, and the book comes off as somewhat lacking. However, younger readers will likely enjoy the characters and the plot, and even an older audience is sure to enjoy the quiet charm. It’s a fun book, fairly light-hearted and nicely illuminating the culture clash and distrust between magical and mundane, Traditional and Reform. Ultimately, it’s worth a look. I’ll definitely be checking out the next in the series to see what happens to Beatrice and her friends.