Review: The Good Witch of the South
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Children's author T. C. Bartlett's middle-grade debut novel had its inception in an image he painted of a fairy. (1) As he put the finishing touches on the image, he was struck with the idea that he had painted the daughter of Glinda the Good, the beautiful and goodhearted witch from L. Frank Baum's Oz stories, who is Queen of the Quadlings. From this kernel of an idea, he developed the story of Samantha Goodwitch, a sixteen-year-old witch-fairy, Glinda's younger daughter.
Like any teen, Samantha (or Sam as she prefers to be called) is keen to be treated as an adult. She is eager to assume her role in defending the Quadlings and maintaining the peace in Oz. She's been training for years with her mother's guards Saran and Lillith. But she's a bit prone to working around her mother's wishes, like the one where she is to stay home and guard the castle. Rumors of dark forces rising beyond the borders of Quadling Country abound. Stories of beloved members of Oz, like the Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman, and Cowardly Lion having fallen victim to evil are worrisome, as is the disappearance of Sam's father, Lucius. Queen Glinda plans to visit Rumpart, King of the Winkies, to see if rumors of wickedness creeping out of Winkie Country are true. Sam idolizes her older sister Elle, who is the biological daughter of the Wicked Witch of the West. Elle already serves at their mother's side and will travel with their mother to Winkie Country. She tries not to be jealous of Elle, and so she uses her time wisely- in the library. Sam is drawn to a book of the history of Quadling Country, where she comes across a note from Ozma, the Princess of Oz. The book mentions dragons, great and small, who are controlled by wicked witch fairies. But she also learns that magic using pieces of dragons' teeth can create a race of giant dragon warriors that serve the person sowing the teeth. Of course, you know it's only a matter of time until Sam goes off looking for dragons! Who and what will she find, and are the rumors of a new Wicked Witch Fairy correct? With a Shadow Cat princess named Akasha and sturdy Munchkin named Thorn as her companions, can Sam save not just the Quadlings but all of Oz?
The Good Witch of the South is an engaging read for older children who love Ozian-based stories. While it extensively echoes some aspects of The Wizard of Oz (especially so when it comes to the new Wicked Witch of the West and her taunts), it offers a less nuanced depiction of good and evil than stories like Gregory Maguire's Wicked. The magic system in the book isn't developed beyond that of Baum's vision, and I wished sometimes that it was... more magical. Sam is a straightforward, goodhearted girl who wants to be a hero. She thinks she can save the day and Oz. Some of the secondary characters in the story, like Elle, their mother Glinda, and father Lucius, don't have a great deal of depth on the page. But for a middle-grade novel, this book is a fun, action-filled read. The epilogue leaves things wide open for a sequel.
Currently only available in hardcover, the book's first edition was released in September 2020 and is already in a second printing as of late November 2020. Purchasers should be aware that this second edition does not bear the colorful dusk jacket of the limited first edition, though it does have the same lovely interior ink wash drawings. The blog will be hosting a giveaway of the second edition hardcover in support of the author and his small publishing house.
Updated 12/05/20: I've been informed by the author's publicist that Amazon has been shipping some books without the dust jacket and it's not clear if it's an error at Amazon's end or the printer's end, but the books should have the green fairy dust jacket.
Updated 12/11/2020: There have been questions about the content warning and what "allusions to mass murder" means. There is an evil witch and she kills people. On page 245 of my review copy there is a description of a field full of corpses and skeletons. This isn't about death camps, or genocide. It might be intense for younger children or it might not hold full meaning for them. It might be a trigger for some with personal or family experiences.
(1) Correspondence of the author and JoelBooks, https://joelbooks.com/the-good-witch-of-the-south-by-t-c-bartlett/
CW: torture, allusions to mass murder, death of parent
I received a digital review copy of this book courtesy of the Reedsy Discovery program.
This sounds like a must read
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