Howdy Book Lovers,

It’s time for another book review!

Today I’m sharing my review of The Midwinter Witch (The Witch Boy #3) by Molly Knox Ostertag.

If you’ve read either of my reviews for this series, then you know I love it so far! I really got lucky with my library having copies of all books, so I did a back to back read since this is the last graphic novel in the series.

Alright, on to the review!

Series Review Links

Graphic Novel Review: The Witch Boy (The Witch Boy #1) 

Graphic Novel Review: The Hidden Witch (The Witch Boy #2)

Blurb

The acclaimed graphic novel world of The Witch Boy and The Hidden Witch comes to a thrilling conclusion in this story of friendship, family, and finding your true power. Magic has a dark side . . .Aster always looks forward to the Midwinter Festival, a reunion of the entire Vanissen family that includes competitions in witchery and shapeshifting. This year, he’s especially excited to compete in the annual Jolrun tournament-as a witch. He’s determined to show everyone that he’s proud of who he is and what he’s learned, but he knows it won’t be easy to defy tradition.Ariel has darker things on her mind than the Festival-like the mysterious witch who’s been visiting her dreams, claiming to know the truth about Ariel’s past. She appreciates everything the Vanissens have done for her. But Ariel still craves a place where she truly belongs.The Festival is a whirlwind of excitement and activity, but for Aster and Ariel, nothing goes according to plan. When a powerful and sinister force invades the reunion, threatening to destroy everything the young witches have fought for, can they find the courage to fight it together? Or will dark magic tear them apart?

GoodReads

Amazon

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The Review

What a fun conclusion to this series!

In this graphic novel Aster and his family are celebrating a Midwinter festival where they reunite with relatives in a friendly competition to see who the best shifter and witch are. They’re excited to include Ariel to the fold to make her feel like a part of the family, but when a strange individual claiming to be family contacts her in strange ways, she is forced to choose between this stranger and her new family.

Okay, so I’ll be honest. This is probably my least favorite book of the series, but I still had a great time.

What I liked most is that Aster’s universe continues to grow. This Midwinter festival was a great concept, and I loved the tournament and how it put the family’s supernatural abilities to the test in creative ways. It made the plot very exciting and unpredictable.

Aster continues to have some great character progression. He has embraced his identity as a male witch, but now he must deal with the scrutiny from distant family members. This was  a real defining moment for his family and friends. Ariel has come a long way, and she also had good development along the way.

Okay, so a few things that could’ve been a little better. The antagonist didn’t feel very necessary. They needed a bit more development through the story and the resolution came too quickly. It would’ve been nice to see more of the shifter tournament. I also think there’s been a bit too much focus on Ariel in the past two books.

Still, this series is definitely a favorite for me, and I think you or your youngster will love it too. It tackles themes of identity and belonging without taking the insinuation of LGBT relationships too far (this is middle grade, after all). Definitely give this series a chance!

That’s A Wrap!

Well that’s it for this book review. I hope you enjoyed it!

Have you read this book? Are there other similar books you’ve read that you simply have to gush about? Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to start a conversation!

Have a great day!

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