I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I've previously read Escape from Witchwood Hollow by this author, so I was interested to read her newest novel.
Edna Mather lives in a world where magic is real, but only hags use it. Humans pay hags for potions and spells, but otherwise treat hags like second-class citizens. One night, a hag comes to Edna's house and kidnaps her brother, Harrison, leaving a cogling in his place. A cogling is a mechanical person, enchanted with magic to appear real. The cogling looks just like Harrison, but the hag does a rush job, and the cogling's behavior is a bit off. While chastising him about his odd behavior, Edna grabs what she believes is a stolen pocket watch and lifts it over his head. The cogling immediately falls apart.
Determined to save her brother regardless of the peril, Edna reluctantly recruits the help of a thief named Ike. Together, they cross the kingdom in an attempt to free the children the hags have kidnapped. On their journey, Edna and Ike have to flee from slave traders on a train only to fall into the trap of different slave traders, escape from their subsequent enslavement, ride a blimp into the swamp where the hags live, free the kidnapped children, and convince the king of the hags' sinister plot.
Mierek's novel is filled with action from start to finish. I felt like poor Edna never got a chance to catch her breath. The language is simple, but engaging. Her description is vivid without being cumbersome. While aspects of the plot are very predictable, I still found the book to be very enjoyable.
Four out of five stars
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