Kerry's Review

Cassie Morgan hasn’t seen her mother for 7 years. Lonely she spends her days at boarding school reading about the Land of Faerie until emboldened by the news that her mother is now presumed dead she decides to runaway. In making her escape she has to evade menacing children snatchers and comes to realise that not all magic is good. 

Arriving at Hedgerow Village Cassie discovers not only that she has a family but that her mother was a witch who disappeared in mysterious circumstances. Here she begins her training in witchcraft, determined to pass her fledgling test. Courage and sharp wits are called for if the border between England and the Land of Faerie is to remain intact, luckily Cassie has both in spades.

Enchanted villages, forbidden dark woods, flying brooms, talking cats and satisfyingly terrifying goblins leap from the pages of this thrilling fantasy. It is one of the best books I have read this year, I found myself totally invested in Cassie and her Girl Guiding coven and after finishing Hedgewitch I missed having her on my bedside table.

Skye grew up in the Pilbara but now lives in Scotland, Hedgewitch is her first novel and the first in what will be (yahoo!) a 5 book series.

For ages 9+

Other Reviews

'Magical in every sense of the word So magical that I suspect Skye McKenna might actually be a fairy. A breath of fresh air through the magic kingdoms. A wonderful, lush quest to an exciting new world.'

- Eoin Colfer, author of the Artemis Fowl series.

'There are only two sorts of fantasy story: the ones that feel fake and the ones that feel real. It's hard to explain the difference, but you know the real ones when you read them, and Hedgewitch is one of them.'

- Philip Reeve, author of the Mortal Engines series.

'A richly inventive story'

- Gillian Cross

'So full of magic and adventure - I wish I'd written it myself!'

- Linda Chapman

'Oozes magic from every page. The start of a cosy, compelling series for anyone who's ever wanted to be a witch.'

- Aisha Bushby