By Judy Fernandez Diaz
The Witchlings series by New York Times bestselling author Claribel A. Ortega continues this fall with its third book, House of Elephants. Readers are once again thrust into an enchanted world full of magic, Spanish spells with a dash of Dominican folklore, forest creatures with a fondness for witty banter and 12-year-old protagonists: Seven Salazar, Valley Pepperhorn, and Thorn Laroux.
The award-winning Ortega skillfully places the reader in a gorgeously picturesque setting, all while creating a level of suspense that will keep us guessing – mostly incorrectly – about who is to blame.
Out on Oct. 1 from Scholastic Press, House of Elephants (Witchlings 3) starts with the massive cliffhanger ending of The Golden Frog Games: an unknown hexer has turned Valley (and three other witches) into stone. Six months pass and the new Black Moon Ceremony is approaching. As desperate as Seven and Thorn are to find a cure, they face a series of obstacles: mistreatment of Spares is on the rise, and now Spares are disappearing. Are they being kidnapped? What exactly is happening to them and who is the villainy witch responsible for it all?
The Spares were known as the left-over witches. It was every witchling’s worst nightmare to be passed over for one of the five highly desired covens that ensures they would achieve their full magic potential. This is what happened to Seven, Valley and Thorn nearly a year ago. Through their courage, resourcefulness, and refusal to give up, the best friends fought to change their fate. They hoped that their achievements would improve the overall situation for Spares. However, quite the opposite had happened. Even though Seven, Thorn and Valley were local celebrities in their own right, the overall climate for Spares was worsening.
In the history of the Twelve Towns, only one prison had ever existed—the Tombs on Pollepel Island. It was reserved for the most gruesome of criminals, the ones who had proven they did not wish to be better, that they, in fact, would do anything to be worse. But things in the Twelve Towns were changing. Seven had read about dungeons being built in Castle Point, even in Crones Cliff Manor, and now, thanks to the anti-Spare laws, there was one in Ravenskill.
Spares were thrown in there for anything from trying to go into a business where they weren’t welcome, to staying out past the new Spare curfew, to being in public spaces without an employer within a ten-toadstool vicinity, or simply for laughing too loudly and being reported for disturbing the peace-and-quiet laws embedded into the anti-Spare legislation. It seemed even being joyful, even existing as a Spare, was breaking the law.
What I love about this story is how Ortega manages to increase the stakes with every page. In addition to searching for a cure for the stone hex and investigating what is happening to the missing Spares, Seven and Thorn also throw themselves wholeheartedly into helping drive major change in how Spares are treated.
Seven and Thorn’s first order of business is finding a cure for the hex. They seek help in The Cursed Forest, a dark cold place full of huge trees, shadows, caves, and strange noises. It is here that Ortega poses a critical question in Book 3: Are the things we’re taught to fear truly frightening, or are they just unknown?
Though Seven was comfortable here, she could see Thorn jump at the slightest sound. The Cursed Forest was not supposed to be safe for witches; Thorn’s reaction to this place was normal and expected, but for Seven it was quite different. For Seven, this place where monstruos dwelled felt safer than anywhere else in Ravenskill. Especially now. But she worried for her friend.
“You okay down there?” Seven asked.
Thorn nodded. “Got my jokes ready and everything.”
Duendes loved a bad joke. It had to be bad. And Thorn and Seven had come up with a few to tell them and hopefully get the laughter they needed for the spell. Seven shifted, her legs burning, sweat blurring her vision as she listened for any signs of the trickster monstruos.
“Anything?” Thorn asked.
Seven leaned so her body was against the bough, her ear toward the hollow, when she heard the distinct sound of arguing.
“Yes,” she whispered frantically. “Get ready, get ready!”
Though Seven and Thorn find help in the most unexpected places, like The Cursed Forest, they also seek solace in those who love them most: their families. The unwavering support from their loved ones provides a boost of encouragement during difficult moments. The young witches also rely on beloved community members, like the Gran (wise leader of Ravenskill), their beloved librarian, Miss Dewey, whose smile is warm and snacks plentiful, as well as an ever growing crew of courageous critters who always have their back.
In addition to the support of their family and community, Seven, Valley, and Thorn learn that their friendship is the most powerful weapon of all. Ortega does not shy away from letting their bond struggle in ways that tests them and ultimately makes them stronger. Together, this trio can succeed against insurmountable odds.
House of Elephants (Witchlings 3) is a fun, fast-paced, action-packed, suspense-filled story that packs humor and jump scares side-by-side. And it is a must-read for readers of fantasy fiction.
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Visit our Bookshop to purchase a copy of Witchlings 3: House of Elephants.
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About the Author: Claribel A. Ortega, New York Times bestselling author of Ghost Squad, the Witchlings series, and Frizzy, is a former reporter who writes middle grade and young adult fantasy inspired by her Dominican heritage. When she’s not busy turning her obsession with pop culture, magic, and video games into books, she’s cohosting her podcast, Bad Author Book Club. Claribel has been featured on BuzzFeed, NPR, Good Morning America, and Deadline. You can find her on social media at @Claribel Ortega and on her website at claribelortega.com.
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Judy Fernandez Diaz is a first-generation Dominican American living in Arizona. She was selected as a Las Musas Books Spring 2020 Hermana mentee, and an Aspen Summer Words middle-grade participant in 2022. Her short stories have been featured in two anthologies: “The Larimar Experiment” was included in Where Monsters Lurk and Magic Hides published by Bee Infinite Publishing (Sept 2022) and “Flor de Caña” was included in Quislaona: A Fantasy Anthology published by DWA Press and Worldbuilding Magazine (2023).
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