Escape to Witch City

E. Latimer, 1987-

Book - 2021

"In a world ruled by fear of witches, some secrets are deadly. A thrilling new fantasy adventure set in historical London for fans of V.E. Schwab's City of Ghosts and Serafina and the Black Cloak. Emmaline Black has a secret. She can hear the rhythm of heartbeats. Not just her own, but others' too. It's a rhythm she's learned to control, and that can only mean one thing... Emma's a witch. In a world where a sentence of witchcraft comes with dire consequences and all children who have reached the age of thirteen are tested to ensure they have no witch blood, Emma must attempt to stamp out her power before her own test comes. But the more she researches, the more she begins to suspect that her radically anti-witc...h aunt and mother are hiding something. The truth about their sister, her Aunt Lenore, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances years ago. The day of the test comes, and Emma's results not only pair her up with strange new friends, but set her on a course to challenge everything she's ever been taught about magic, and reveal long-buried family secrets. It seems witches may not have been so easy to banish after all. Secret cities, untapped powers, missing family members -- Emma is about to discover a whole new world."--

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Subjects
Genres
Horror fiction
Historical fiction
Novels
Published
Toronto : Tundra Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada Young Readers 2021.
Language
English
Main Author
E. Latimer, 1987- (author)
Physical Description
304 pages ; 22 cm
Issued also in electronic format
ISBN
9781101919316
Contents unavailable.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Employing careful detail throughout this tale of survival, Latimer (Witches of Ash and Ruin) conjures the sensibilities of an alternate early 19th-century London, one in which magic exists and witches are vilified. Queen Alexandria Black, who staunchly set out on an anti-witch crusade after reclaiming the throne post--witch uprising, rules with a campaign of fear and surveillance. Emmaline Black, her niece, lives in the castle with her mother Isolde; both have the dark hair and pale skin of the family line. As Emma's 13th birthday approaches, she becomes increasingly restless, especially as she'll be Tested for witch blood--something every child, even Crown Prince Edgar, must undergo. While at the Testing, Emma meets two other 13-year-olds, dark-skinned Eliza, who has tight curls, and freckled, light blue--eyed Maddie. But things soon go awry, leading the trio, and Edgar, to flee the city in search of answers--and others like them. This pulse-pounding adventure will engage readers with its sense of wonder grounded by relatable, age-appropriate experiences, including arguments with parents, fear of not fitting in, and a burgeoning search for self. Ages 10--up. Agent: Silvia Molteni, Peters Fraser & Dunlop. (Aug.)

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

In this alternate historical London, anyone with more than 15% witch blood is banished; royals are not exempt. Queen Alexandria, with her sister Isolde by her side, ascended the throne after crushing a witch uprising. Since then, all 13-year-olds have been tested for witch blood. When Prince Edgar and Isolde's daughter, Emma, are tested, they fail. They, along with two others, Maddie and Eliza, are put on the Witch Express, a train supposedly heading to Scotland. But Eliza informs them that, actually, nooses await them. With assistance from a sympathizer, the foursome escape with instructions to find Witch City. But first, they must traverse the changeable In-Between as they are chased by the murderous queen, a witch hunter, and a monster. Survival depends on using their individual gifts: Maddie's thought control, Eliza's fire starting, Edgar's bird communication, plus Emma's alarming ability to hear others' heartbeats--and even stop them. As they untangle the lies they've been fed, they uncover terrible secrets about the uprising and its aftermath. The brisk tale, colored with inventive details, is told with a focus on Emma's perspective. Intrigue, betrayals, and threats of filicide heighten the drama, but it is the awesome possibilities awakened when one embraces one's powers that lie at the heart of this story. Themes around rewriting history and the oppression of certain groups will invite the contemplation of parallels to the real world. Most characters default to White; Eliza has dark skin and curly hair. Suspenseful and heartening. (Fantasy. 10-14) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.