Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 5^-8. On the heels of J. K. Rowling's successful Harry Potter books comes this story, originally published in Great Britain in 1979, of a wizard having a midlife crisis, a sweet witch with an identity crisis, and a lonely orphan who discovers his destiny for magical greatness. The novel intertwines the stories of Wizard Arriman the Awful, who needs a wife and holds a competition for local witches, with himself as prize; kind-hearted, beautiful Belladonna, a white witch who wants to win his heart and admiration but is more likely to conjure up flowers than snakes; and orphan Terence, who helps Belladonna discover the powerful magic of true love and determination, and finds a home in the process. The story's strength lies in its witty, satirical twists on beauty pageants and the Cinderella story, and its dimensional, generally comedic characters: a murderous ghost with a conscience, whiny and flawed witches, and Arriman, a gifted wizard and altar-phobic worrywart. However, the Roald Dahl-esque humor is overshadowed by a particularly macabre scenario involving rats, and though witch stories always have an audience, this one is not for the faint of heart or stomach. --Shelle Rosenfeld
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-9-Arriman the Awful is weary of championing blackness and trying to raise the wife-murdering ghost of Darkington Hall, Sir Simon. When the predicted new wizard does not arrive, Arriman, who is tall, dark, and handsome, with just a bit of a foolish streak, reluctantly agrees to marry to insure an heir to the throne of darkness. The witches from the coven of Todcaster are invited to a contest to win his hand by performing the blackest trick possible. These witches are a sorry lot, especially beautiful Belladonna, who is good in spite of herself. Just when the dark horse, Madame Olympia, appears to have no equal, Belladonna's black magic is improved by an orphan, Terence Mugg. The contest is a splendor of blackness and evil and is not for the fainthearted, with everything from bottomless pits and krakens to cannibalistic mice. Ibbotson describes perfectly the hierarchy of this fantasy world; every spirit, witch, and ogre is true to form. The threads of the story are woven tightly and tied up neatly at the end. Terence, of course, is the new wizard. Belladonna and Arriman can retire to a cottage where he will write a book, and Madame Olympia and Sir Simon are joined in unholy matrimony. A zestful adventure, perfect for fans of "Harry Potter" (Scholastic) and Ibbotson's The Secret of Platform 13 (Dutton, 1998).-Marlene Gawron, Orange County Library, Orlando, FL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Belladonna is far too white a witch ever to win the black magic contest to marry Wizard Arriman, but with help from ugly orphan Terence Mugg and his pet worm Rover, true love might triumph. Ibbotson juxtaposes magical fantasy with modern British vernacular to amusing effect, and her colorful descriptions and well-crafted plot are charming. From HORN BOOK Spring 2000, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Imagination and humor run rampant as Arriman the Awful, the Wizard of the North, tries to find a bride in this hilarious romp from Ibbotson (The Secret of Platform 13, 1998). Arriman is tired of wizardry and yearns for retirement. He's dismayed when a prophesied new wizard doesn't arrive, and decides he'll have to marry a witch and have an heir to continue the line. Enter the eccentric local witches who will compete to produce the most terrifying black magic they can muster. One is a beautiful young witch with a problem: Belladonna simply cannot do black magic. Although she knows that handicap will disqualify her, she enters the competition anyway when she meets Terence, a neglected orphan boy with a pet worm named Rover who seems to be a witch's familiar. Belladonna finally succeeds in conjuring up vipers instead of flowers and bunnies, and eventually learns that Terence has more power than anyone suspected. Ibbotson includes monsters, ghouls, and murderous ghosts; through tongue-in-cheek humor she provides an endlessly amusing book to delight readers. (b&w illustrations) (Fiction. 9-12)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
