Shadows of Winterspell is the first book I read by Amy Wilson, and I don’t think it’ll be the last one. If you like reading about magic, winter, enchanted forests and beautiful friendship stories, you may like Shadows of Winterspell too.
Shadows of Winterspell is about finding one’s self and believing one’s powers within and self-worth; of course, with a bit of help from friends, family and in this case, imps and fairies! Stella had lost her mother and father when she was little. Her mother got sick, and right before she died, she cast a spell and brought her own mother back from the dead to look after Stella.
Stella’s father couldn’t cope with the loss of his wife, and he died as well. But, with all his grief, he turned into a shadow and changed Winterspell for the worst. Now all the fae are at war with the Shadow King because the shadows are killing the forest and all the creatures in it.
Stella doesn’t know much about this because her Nan, who is a ghost, didn’t tell her much about her past and the situation they are in right now. Her Nan wants her to be safe and away from the forest. But the thing is, no one can save the forest from the Shadow King but Stella. She has to find the palace among Shadows of Winterspell.
Living with a ghost and an imp, Stella yearns for friendship that she reads in books. So she makes up her mind to go to school even though her Nan doesn’t let her. She thinks she’d find human friends and get away from all the magic. But she’ll soon discover that nothing is as it seems in Winterfell, and she cannot run away from her destiny. But it is all fine because she has friends and an excellent cat! And she discovers her true powers and what really matters in the end.
Shadows of Winterspell is a fun book for all the children who like reading about magic and friendship. I kept thinking that it would make an excellent film or animation. The characters are loveable, and the setting is beautiful. If you’re looking for a feel-good and magical middle-grade book, try Shadows of Winterspell. Enjoy!
Shadows of Winterspell
Deep in the forest, magic is waiting . . .
Sparkling with frost and magic, Shadows of Winterspell will sweep you up in a world of friendship and magic, to uncover family secrets and find out who you really are.
Stella has been living behind the magic of the forest for most of her life. Lonely, she enrolls at the local school, and as she begins to make friends, she discovers that she is even more different than she thought. But as autumn turns to magical winter, Stella realizes that uncovering her own family secret is the only way to release the forest from the grip of a dark and old magic.
A wintery magical adventure from the critically-acclaimed Amy Wilson, author of A Girl Called Owl.
Amy Wilson
From Amy Wilson‘s website
Reading was my safe place as a child. Books were there for me whenever I needed them, and the friends and adventures I found in their pages were life changing. I always loved fantasy and fairy tales, and from the moment I picked up Diana Wynne Jones’ The Magicians of Caprona I knew that what I wanted most was to use my words to make new worlds. Worlds where anything is possible, where friendships and families grow and change, and where even the smallest voice has power.
I feel very lucky that now, after many years of drafting and redrafting, of rejections and a lot of hard work, writing is my job. Getting out and about to schools and events to talk about writing is a treat I’d never imagined. I’ve always thought of myself as quite shy – I still do most days – but when I’m on the subject of books, and of the importance of reading, and the freedom of discovery within pages, it’s a joy.
I live in Bristol with my husband Lee, our three children, Theia, Aubrey and Sasha, and a scruffy labradoodle called Rocky. I have a background in journalism and I’m a graduate of the Bath Spa MA in Creative Writing, and I really like toast with butter and marmite.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
