Member Reviews

Very much enjoyed this snippet of A Storm of Sisters!

I love the magical Widdershins family and their story started in A Pinch of Magic all those years ago, and this was great fun.

I can't wait to read more!

Was this review helpful?

I originally thought this series was a trilogy and I'm so glad this book exists as it was a great end to the series. I continue to love seeing how Betty solves mysteries, while still just being a kid. I would've liked more of Charlie as her antics never fail to make me laugh, but what mischief she did cause was perfect. It was nice to see a different setting and more of their family with them visiting their cousin and learning about the history of the town

Was this review helpful?

I am a big fan of this series. I think this is possibly the best in the series. The setting in this book was fantastic.
I loved the characters in this book.
This book is spooky and eerie. A great middle grade series.

Was this review helpful?

Another absolutely fantastic instalment in Harrison's incredible 'Pinch of Magic' series! Once again there was nothing to disappoint and I can't wait for the Widdershin sisters next adventure! This is a series I recommend as a bookseller constantly.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the free arc.

A netgalley book originally got me into these books, which I then went on to buy the whole collection! So, I had a good feeling about this request: I absolutely loved it.

Visiting Clarissa in Wilderness - in the meddle of nowhere - the girls get caught up in a rumoured ghost story and have to uncover the truth. Is the highwayman real? Who's the girl walking the corridors? Where's the fated crystal ball?

My favourite Widdershins story so far!

Was this review helpful?

This was a sampler of the fourth book of the Pinch of Magic Series. The three sisters are off to Wilderness with their gran to look after their Dad’s cousin who has broken her ankle.

Whilst only a sampler plenty happens and it has you fully by the hand and makes you want to go and grab the full book so that you can continue the story. Great interplay between the sisters, as you would expect an element of magic and in this case ghostly goings on and a legend that it appears they will become embroiled in.

Based on this sampler I would definitely want to read the rest of the story to find out what happens and based on this would recommend it to others.

Was this review helpful?

Not much I can say about this as it was only a teaser and not the full book but I can already tell I'm going to love it as much as I love the other books in the series!

Can't wait to read it in full!

Thank you

Was this review helpful?

What a Brilliant ending to the series, I really enjoyed following the sisters though there different adventures. along the four books.

Was this review helpful?

Really enjoyed this one! I love the pinch of magic series and this one didn’t disappoint. I love going on new adventures with the Widdershin sisters and I was entertained all the way through A Storm Of Sisters.

Was this review helpful?

AHHH!!!!

Michelle Harrison has done it again and this is amazing. I loveee their relationship and their adventures. <3

I need book 5 now please.

Was this review helpful?

Thankyou to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me a copy of A Storm of Sisters, the fourth book in the pinch of magic series. This series gets better and better with every adventure and i loved the direction this book went in. Focusing on family and getting to the bottom of ghostly hauntings. Including twists and turns and reveals i did not expect it was a fun read, perfect to read by the fire.

Was this review helpful?

I honestly thought this series was a trilogy and was sceptical when this book was announced. I needn't have been, I think it may be my favourite book in the series! Something about the mystery element adding into the magic and ghosts that surround our heroines really worked for me.

Once again, this does revolve more around Betty, and I did find myself missing Charlie and Fliss in places, but I loved how they work together and trust each other through this. They are great together and it's nice to see any wobbles in their relationship from the start of the series really ironed out.

It's also a really visual read (and I say this as someone with aphantasia!) - you really get a feel for being there and a sense of what the atmosphere is like. I may not have been able to picture it, but I still felt the anxiety of the chase, the chill in the air. Michelle Harrison shows her strength in her writing so strongly in this book.

There was one part of the resolution that let me down a tiny bit (I won't say what because it's a spoiler), but other than that, I loved it! Definitely a great series, and I highly recommend it to all readers.

4.5 stars.

Was this review helpful?

Another brilliant installment. These books are full of magic and adventure a d are perfect for year 5-7

Was this review helpful?

The Widdershins sisters' fourth adventure is a icy, spooky one with ghosts haunting a mountain village, a snow storm, and a legend of a missing crystal ball.

I love a book that takes me to a new part of the world, and it works so well for this series. Each book is written pretty much as a standalone, so you can dive in at any point. There are a few references to previous adventures, but the plot is self-contained within this book.

A new location to explore really helps there, as the world building is new for everyone. It also means the mysteries of this new place doesn't rely on understanding of the mysteries of others, making it easy to pick up regardless of which book you're beginning with (and provides plenty of opportunities for new stories!)

The mystery at the heart of this book - what happened on that night and where is the crystal ball - is a literal cold case. The mystery is rooted in the past, as always, but this one felt a lot more immediate thanks to the frequent presence of ghosts - and the legend of death following. The ending is cleverly written so that, depending on whether you believed the ghosts were real or not, you were satisfied (though one way is certainly requires less mental gymnastics!)

Once more, there's an old tale interspersed with the chapters narrating what's happening, and I loved the twist in this one. It was very good and I did not see it coming - Michelle Harrison used my own expectations against me with masterful skill.

I have no idea if there will be another instalment - I though the previous book was the final one, after all! The ending is open enough for another book, given they've all been able to read as standalones so far. There's also a cheeky little about how Betty expects it won't be their final adventure right at the end, so fingers crossed...

Was this review helpful?

I loved this book! The snowy setting was beautiful and I love the bond that the sisters have. I do want to reread the whole series now! I loved the plot and didn't see the twist coming. There was a small thing that happened at the end that I wasn't a massive fan of, I feel like it was a publisher choice rather than an author choice.

CAWPILE 9.71 5*

Characters- 9-I love these characters
Atmosphere- 10- It was magical and amazing
Writing Style- 10- I love Michelle Harrison's writing
Plot-10- It was fantastic
Intrigue- 10- I didn't guess the twists
Logic-9- The thing that I wasn't a fan of took it down a point
Enjoyment-10- it was almost perfection

Was this review helpful?

So, here we are reunited with the Widdershins sisters once more! Life at their new home in Pendlewick has settled down to the humdrum normality of everyday life now it’s clear of curses and witches. And Betty is bored and ready for another adventure!

Luckily she’s about to get one! The girls’ Granny, Bunny, has had a message from her sister who’s fallen. So she, Fliss, Betty and Charlie set out to stay with her for a few days in Wilderness…

But before we arrive in Wilderness, I need to take a minute to say how much I enjoyed the opening chapters of this – returning to the Widdershins is such a comfort and a joy, Michelle Harrison has absolutely nailed their individual personalities and the way they interact as a family too.

Likewise, I loved seeing each character’s different reaction to the news of their trip, especially the contrast between Betty’s excitement and Bunny’s grudging grumbling.

And, like it or not, it was off to Wilderness with them all. And it’s a place which more than lived up to its name! The journey there in the darkness of night along hard to traverse roads set it up beautifully and from there it’s all frozen lakes, icy grottos, snow and remoteness.

What better place for a ghost story?!

For that’s what we have here! Taking a step away from fairytales and witches in this book (I love how despite the comforting familiarity of the characters each book manages to take them somewhere new and on reaching book four, changing it up like this really keeps things fresh – or in this case frozen!), we’re treated to a ghostly twist on the tale of The Highwayman with some strong Emma Carroll vibes – fans of hers will love this!

With limited space at Clarissa’s cottage the sisters leave Bunny and Clarissa to bicker and go to stay at nearby Echo Hall, but it’s grandeur is over-shadowed by the legend of a notorious Highwayman and their love, who disappeared, presumed died, one fateful night long ago… and with maids vanishing into thin air, freezing rooms, strange sightings and things that go bump in the night is it more than just the story that’s haunting the hotel?

Of course, the sisters soon find themselves caught up in the mystery and what follows is a thrilling tale full of sinister characters, surprises, secrets, shivers down the spine!

But in all that, the book never loses its sense of humour – Hoppit the imaginary rat, Betty’s disastrous invisible presence at a table in the hotel’s dining room, and Fliss’ costume for the masked ball were particular highlights for me!

Likewise, despite the chills of both setting and plot, there’s nevertheless a nostalgic winter magic here with the winter market, ice skating, roaring fires in cosy cottages and plenty of tasty food (thanks to Charlie’s insatiable appetite!).

Overall, this is another superbly crafted story filled with nods and references to a well known tale but with the character, twists and magic needed to make it its own. Wintery vibes, ghostly goings on, suspicious guests and hidden pasts it’s a cracking mystery too. And that ending was perfect!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for giving me this ebook in return for a review.

This is the fourth outing for the Widdershins girls and another successful novel from Michelle Harrison.

This time the girls must accompany Granny to look after their cousin Clarissa, who lives in a place called Chill Hill. They stay at the hotel nearby and hear the tales about ghosts, fortune tellers and highwaymen, and of course, Betty wants to get to the bottom of the mysteries. And we have the wonderful Russian dolls to give the girls their pinch of magic.

Ever since I read the first book I’ve been captivated by the clever details Ms Harrison comes up with, the plot twists and atmospheric details make these stories intriguing and gripping. The imagination that goes into them is brilliant and the characters are superb. The girls have such varying personalities that children everywhere will find something of themselves within them. I can never make up my mind who is my favourite!

The setting is perfect for creating that gothic feel, a slightly alternative universe where it is set in a Victorian-like England that’s not really England but very similar with all its links to the corvid family - making the sign of the crow instead of a cross is one element I particularly like.

This is a fast paced story with loads of action and a few frightening thrills absolutely perfect for its target audience as it shows girls as independent and acting under their own agency. I will definitely be recommending it to all my students once again.

Was this review helpful?

This instalment of the Pinch of Magic series takes place in the wintry town of Wilderness. A nice change from the other three books which were based in the Misty marshes of Crowstone, on the open ocean and in the peculiar little town of Pendlewick respectfully. When the Widdershins Sisters’ arrive in Wilderness they learn of an old legend that surrounds this town. A legend about a doomed highwayman and his secret love. The sisters face many deadly perils in this book and not everyone may survive the winter...

I really enjoyed this book, it works fantastic as a standalone book. It has a few mentions of things from previous books, but enough detail to understand the backstory if you haven’t read the other 3 books. It is also a fantastic addition to the Pinch of Magic series and fits in nicely with the others. A solid 4 star rating!

Was this review helpful?

I loved being back in the world that Harrison has created and in the company of her glorious sisters. A Storm of Sisters is a ghostly story set in an icy landscape and it didn't fail to draw me in and keep me engaged. Fans of this series will gobble up this new episode and new readers to it will be looking for more. Classic MG fantasy adventure at its best.

Was this review helpful?

I adored this instalment of the Widdershins sisters adventures. They're such brilliant characters and this story was fascinating with some good twists I didn't see coming. Loved the ghost/mystery story vibe this one had.

Was this review helpful?