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.