Wizard West was dead for nearly an entire day before he noticed. And it is up to Faye, the daughter of West’s groundskeeper, to inform the wizard that he is a ghost who has lost all of his magical powers. (But not before the wizard tries transforming her into a cat!) To make matters worse, the enchanted castle of Celurdur, the only home that Faye has ever known, will fall apart at the next full moon if its foundation spells can’t be renewed.
After (sort of) accepting his demise, West decides to host a competition to choose his successor. Faye finds herself fighting to keep the tournament running smoothly behind the scenes: putting out kitchen fires, feeding the compost dragon, and making sure competitors stay away from the cockatrice pen.
But killer roosters soon become the least of her worries. A servant of the evil Shadow Queen has sabotaged the contest, set on destroying not just Celurdur but the entire kingdom of Solum. It is up to Faye to stop him, but she’ll need more than a mop. Will a maid’s magic be enough to save everything she loves from utter destruction?
I loved the magic realism and magical elements of the story. It was interesting how this world had castles, royalty, and magical beasts, but also gramophones, cameras, and automobiles. In past books, I’ve found the combination of modern contraptions in a past setting off-putting, but in this story, it works.
I could not stand Wizard West. Imagine Gilderoy Lockhart from Harry Potter, only more full of himself. He cared more about his appearance and putting on a good show than finding a reasonable apprentice.
Unlike most fantasy stories that focus on royalty, this story stars the hard-working servants who keep the wheels turning behind the scenes. The poor servants of Celurdur are forced to follow all of Wizard West’s ridiculous and impossible demands. Fay’s father, the castle’s groundskeeper, is the glue that keeps the castle together. He’s the one who does everything that Wizard West can’t be bothered to do. But with her father off on an errand of sorts, it’s up to Fay to keep everything from falling apart.
The art of potion-making has always seemed too nerve-racking for me, and this story’s description is no exception. But I did love all the potion ingredients mentioned. Here are a few of my favorites:
- The edge of a nightmare
- Small child’s tears
- A half-burnt birthday candle
- A fallen star caught while it was still shining
- A solemn oath
Sidenote: Celurdur is pronounced like ‘cellar door.’ They also kept switching between calling Celurdur a ‘castle’ and a ‘house,’ which puzzled me.
Overall, this is a stand-out addition to the magical fantasy genre.