Six months have passed since Xar (son of the powerful enchantor Wizard King), and Wish (daughter of the fierce Warrior Queen) met by chance in the dark wildwood and inadvertently released an ancient and evil power into the world.

Xar is breaking out of a prison when the story begins. This is an inescapable prison. Xar’s dad has been away and is not happy returning to find his youngest son incarcerated. When he learns why, he agrees it is the safest place for him and the Kingdom. Xar has a the mark of a witch on him, and it’s growing. Sure, he went looking for witch magic because his own still hasn’t come in yet at age 13. But witch magic is dark magic and very dangerous indeed. As he’s escaping he tries to get his dad to see the danger their world is in. Witches are back, and they must be defeated!

Wish has missed Xar. Her mum isn’t impressed with her clumsy, quirky ways and often locks her in a cupboard if they have company at the castle. She would be even more upset if she knew Wish had her own magic – something absolutely unthinkable within the Warrior Queendom. Wish gained a spell book from Xar in their last adventure, but Xar decides he needs it to become The Boy of Destiny that he’s always banging on about.

Xar’s first stop out of prison is the Warrior Queen’s Fort – impossible to break into. Xar once again proves the adults wrong in this fact. His timing is terrible (as usual) and Wish is under attack from a Witch Smeller brought in to find witches. A hasty magical exit is thrown together by Wish and Xar, along with her magical spoon, her assistant bodyguard (who’d much rather be doing something else) and Xar’s animal and magical friends.

They intend to follow an incantation in the spellbook, to rid their world of witches. First they must find the ingredients, the first which take them to Castle Death, despite their werewolf friend trying to advise against it.

They find what they are looking for, but also something they are not. Something so terrible they fear for their lives. And that’s before their parents turn up, blaming the other for all the trouble caused. They haven’t seen anything yet! Fighting and sword play, magic and mayhem, and soldiers and snowcats, fill the castle.

Their parents might not agree on anything, but Xar and Wish’s friendship grows stronger. If the adults won’t listen, they decide to do what’s needed on their own.

Even better than the first book in the series. There is a lot going on in this episode and an interesting backstory to two key characters adds deeper layers to the tale. It explains why a warrior princess can have her own magic – a magic that works against iron, instead of being tamed by it.

There are songs sung, and dancing too, but only after much trickery, witchery, cunning and cleverness. Now I’m jumping right into Book 3 – Knock Three Times.

Author – Cressida Cowell

Read a review for other books in the series (Click on a Cover)

(2018, Hachette Aust, Magic, Series, Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Humour, Secret, Giants, Witches, Evil, Dark Magic, Prison, Cunning, Battle, Trickery, Ceasefire, Flying Door, Animals, Sprites, Spells, Incantations, Spell Recipe, Ingredients, Two heroes, Witchstain)