The Last Windwitch

An intriguing setting, an interesting magical system, and a resourceful, empathic heroine mark this ambitious fantasy debut by Adam. Brida, 12 and good with horses, is finding it difficult to master the hedge magic she’s learning from her mentor, hedge witch Mother Magdi, who took her in as an infant. After she hears a forbidden story of mythical stormhorses that embody uncontrollable aspects of weather, then spots them, she determines to prove her worth to the tiny village she calls home by getting to the bottom of their destructive rampages. But her efforts place her in the path of the wicked Queen Moira, who seeks the stormhorses for her own unfathomable ends. Captured by the Queen’s Huntsman and brought to the capital city, Brida learns more of the ways in which magic manifests and is used—from hedge magic to ruthlessly outlawed sacred spells to sinister shadow magic—and the relationship between her family and myriad magical forms. While the leisurely, sprawling epic occasionally meanders, Adam succeeds in bringing everything together, emphasizing forgiveness and healing over vengeance and anger. Ages 8–12. [em]Agent: Sarah Landis, Sterling Lord Literistic. (Apr.) [/em]