Family is a painful, complicated thing in Celine Kiernan’s Begone the Raggedy Witches, the first entry in her Wild Magic Trilogy. Our heroine Mup, a brave and kind young girl who knows that you can never have too much color or sparkle in your life, has to grow up very quickly in this story as she learns that her family relationships aren’t what she thought they were…and that she isn’t what she thought she was, either.

When the “raggedy witches” of the title — pale-faced, black-eyed creatures with ragged cloaks — kidnap her father in order to lure her mother over the magical border into the Glittering Land, Mup meets her cold, tyrannical grandmother and sees her mother for who she truly is. I give Celine Kiernan a lot of credit for her characterization of Stella, Mup’s mother. Stella is the heir to the throne, but because of her mother the Queen’s evil nature, Stella was stolen away and taken to the mundane world by her Aunty. Stella never learned anything about her magical home or latent powers, and when she crosses the threshold for her rescue mission and feels the power surging through her, she is immediately resentful of Aunty for keeping it from her for all those years.

Stella expresses quite a bit of ambivalence about being a parent, both before and after she crosses the threshold, and it is refreshing to see a character presented with such depth and complexity without being reduced to a pure villain. Stella still loves and protects her children, but she has obviously been worn down by the demands of being a caregiver — she has been taking care of Aunty during a protracted illness, and she is effectively a single parent, since her husband Daniel works out of the country and rarely sees his family. When Stella sees an opportunity to live the life she believes was stolen from her, doubts arise and her devotion to her children wavers.

You don’t often see situations like this handled with sensitivity, or really mentioned at all; Stella loves her children, but if she had a chance to go back and do it all over again, she might not have chosen motherhood for herself. We also see the bright, observant Mup pick up on Stella’s conflicted feelings, though at Mup’s young age I don’t think she fully grasps what is going on. Ultimately, Mup understands that her mother loves her and wants to keep her safe, and that’s what matters to her. This storyline alone convinced me that the Wild Magic Trilogy is something truly special, because Kiernan conveys all of this complex, difficult humanity with beauty and effortlessness. 

The world-building in this novel is spectacular. The Queen has instituted harsh rules outlining who can use magic and when and how they can do it, but we still see breathtaking glimpses of the wild magic that is possible in this world. The rebels who want to overthrow the Queen and install Stella as the new ruler provide a great deal of necessary (but subtle) exposition regarding the magic that once ruled the Glittering Land. We see it in action as Mup, delighting in her newfound powers, plays with a friend and communes with nature like a true witch. Seeing Mup discover the joys of magic — and seeing the wistful sorrow of the other witches who witness Mup’s discovery, as they realize they had forgotten what their outlaw magic looks like — is so beautiful that it brings tears to your eyes.

The ultimate showdown between Stella and the Queen is handled with just as much maturity and grace as the rest of the book. I won’t give away any details, but Kiernan lets the reader know that there is never just one villain — and there are no easy answers or true happily ever afters — in a fairy tale. The darkness and complexity of this novel make it a delightfully rich beginning to what I hope will be a classic trilogy. With incredible characters like Stella and Mup, I have little doubt that my hope will come true.

"Begone the Raggedy Witches" is a jaunting foray into an unknown world of magic - one where a few wield their magical power while most are suppressed. The main character, Mup, is a young girl devoted to her family, protecting the vulnerable, and pursuing justice at all costs. After her beloved Aunty's death, Mup is thrown into a magical battle where her mother is at the center of it all. Unbeknownst to her, Mup's "mam" is a witch, and not just any witch, but the heir to the throne of Witches Borough. Mam returns to her homeland with Mup, Aunty's ghost, Mup's baby brother, Tipper, and the family dog, Badger, to unseat the evil queen, who just happens to be her mother.

"Begone the Raggedy Witches" was a wild ride from beginning to end. I loved the constant action and sense of foreboding that lurked throughout the story. Mup's discovery of her magical heritage unfolded beautifully as she learned about her powers along with their inherent advantages and responsibilities. Mup learns that magic has the ability to help people, unite them, and inspire joy and creativity. However, she also sees firsthand the damage and destruction that magic brings when it is used carelessly and for selfish gain.

Overall, I loved this first installment in a new magical fantasy series; I can't wait to explore Witches Borough through Mup's eyes in future books!

I found this book somewhat enjoyable and I once I started reading I found myself entranced within the book, . However, there wasn’t much character development and I found that the only likable character was crow. I found the parent and auntie very unlikeable. The plot was sort of interesting but I think it could use more depth or maybe even a backstory to why the Queen was ‘evil’. I understand that it’s only he first book of the series but I don’t feel like, after reading the first book, wanting to read the rest of the series. Overall, a pretty good book if you like anything magical or adventurous.

"I want to help fix what my mother did there — help people learn how to work together, and how to speak freely. Help build a world where all magics are equal, and all voices, big and small, can be heard.”"

I. ADORED. THIS. BOOK. It has everything - diversity, morals, captivating story, compelling, imperfect characters, using plot as a device to discuss topics such as freedom of speech, acceptance, equality, kindness, passing away (in a very tender way, may I point out) and family. If I every have kids, this is the kind of book I'd want them to read.

"“Just because you say something is bad doesn’t make it bad, sister. And just because you disapprove of something doesn’t mean it shouldn’t exist. We shouldn’t all have to live your idea of a worthy life!”"

I have a thing for middle grade books. Every now and then I pick one up just to free myself from the impending existential crisis of newly being an adult (which is not half as great as it sounds). Begone the Raggedy Witches popped up on my NetGalley feed a couple of months back and it seemed cute enough to try out requesting. Well, let me tell you, did it pay off. It wasn't exactly a read that would be somehow in the very front of my TBR pile but after reading The Cruel Prince and being faced with the cruel reality of the main character being born in 2001 (posing as a direct slap in the face with a huge red sign saying "you'll never meet a vampire prince and go on a great adventure, real life awaits"), I decided it was time for a middle grade novel. Since I was in Germany at the time, I didn't have anything suitable in my portable physical library (I brought thirty book for a month-long trip. I was well prepared, well, not well enough it seems) but there was nothing suitable for my situation. Forced to opt for my Kindle library, Begone the Raggedy Witches caught my eye and I literally swallowed it up. I simply loved it.

"“Some might say they have no cause to be happy,” murmured her companion quietly, steering the raft. “What with houses burned and people chucked in jail just for talking a bit different and dressing a bit different and singing songs the queen don’t like and such. Personally, I don’t see any harm in being a bit different, me. Variety is the spice of life, my old nan used to say.”"

When rating a book, there's a certain amount of attention that should be given to what audience the book is catered to. I, as an 18-year-old, did thoroughly enjoy the book and its many metaphors and hidden meanings. It was like looking for Easter Eggs (though I do tend to overthink things so take that into consideration). At some points, I wondered if kids would get it. The writing style is also quite flowery which I completely condone and I'm all for children widening their vocabulary, but I'd still recommend this particular title for audiences 10 and up, maybe older. Perhaps this is the kind of book a child should read with a parent - it raised questions, provokes discussions, requires explanations. All of that in the best way possible.

"“Enough! He’s not important. Do you understand? Only you are important. You and Stella and the baby!”
“But why am I more important than Crow?” 
Aunty crouched , better to face Mup. She put her hand on Mup’s cheek. “Because I love you, darling. Don’t you know that? I love you. I’ll always keep you safe.” 
Mup thought about this a moment. “But what if no one loved me? What if I was all alone, like Crow? Would I still be important enough to keep safe?”"

I'll be checking out the sequel. For now, you probably could do your kid a favour and get this for them. Or for yourself. Either way, read it.

"Mup stopped walking. “Crow, are you saying that if people can’t understand you properly, the witches will leave you alone? Is that what the rule is for? To stop people understanding each other? To make it harder for people to talk?” 
Crow huffed. “Some people. Rebel people.”"

Yes, it’s another book about crossing into a hidden world to save a family member or discover powers. However, it is not the least bit tiresome.  It is an utter delight.  It’s the witty, no nonsense way the story is told.  It’s the characters.  Brave Mup who does what is right, stands up for what is right, and never really considers something horrible could happen.  Her baby brother, who for a baby in diapers has a surprisingly large vocabulary when in dog form, is a joy to read.  And poor Crow, an unwanted boy who just wants to be loved.  Then there is Crow’s mother who doesn’t want Crow yet helps but not fully as a mother should.  This was a breeze to read and so fun.  This first installment in The Wild Magic Trilogy ends on a will she, won’t she note.  Can Mam be content is this world or is she destined to rule the Witches?  I will eagerly read the next in the series!  Highly recommend

Raggedy witches kidnap her father so Mup, her little brother, her mom, and her ghostly aunt cross over into the magical land where Mup's evil grandmother rules with fear and tyranny. Loyal to new friend, Crow, who had never know loyalty, Mup fights for her family --to get her dad back and protect her brother. I loved the messages of fairness, equality, and family as well as the excellent adventure.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. Well this is not something I would want to read to my kids. It wasn't for me. I felt like this was book 2 and I was playing catch up on the world.  I disliked the. nicknames sorry just ugg.  I skimmed most of it.  Maybe it was my mood.  I wouldn't recommend but can acknowledge that others might like it. I rate it a 3.

With witches, magic, shapeshifting and more, this is an exciting story to read.  You're not sure how it's going to turn out until the very end...

Candlewick Press and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published tomorrow.

Mup sees witches in the trees on the way home from the hospital.  Her Mom's aunt is dying and the witches have come for Mom.

It seems her mother is the Queen of the witches and she wants to retain that power.  She's kidnapped Mup's father, intends to jail Mup and her brother, and then she'll capture her daughter.  She underestimates Mup, though.

This was an entertaining read with lots of action and a very fitting ending.  I'd read more in this series.  It's good!

This is a really engaging story that I think middle grade readers will very much enjoy. The story is fast paced, and it will be loved especially by fans of fantasy tales such as Narnia and Wonderland.

Begone Raggedy Witches was a book I really wanted to like but didn’t. It felt to me like a mixture of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, with a splash of A Wrinkle in Time. All of these books I love, and yet this book did not capture me like it should have. I enjoyed seeing witches played in a dark and scary way and yet contrasted as some motherly figures. I also liked the familial aspect which you normally don’t see in current books. I will mention I did not completely finish the book. I got about halfway through it before I gave it up and said it wasn’t for me. Dialogue dominated this book and I believe this was the reason I didn’t enjoy it so much, along with not enough details of this new world which is the main plot point. There is this place that has been forbidden and now when we enter the place we don’t get so many details creating that sort of wonder we were looking for.  Full review available on my blog.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the E-Arc copy of this novel.
I first must say that this novel is a gem. It is written for middle grade ages, but all ages will love it. It is a fantasy that is unique and has depth for this age group. It is part of a trilogy so be prepared to wait for the next one!

Mup is a biracial girl living in Ireland with her family. On the night her Aunty dies, though, things change. The raggedy witches come for her mother; they've come to bring her back to their world, the Glittering Land, where an awful queen reigns: and who just happens to be Mup's grandmother. When Mup's mother holds them off the first time, the witches take more drastic measures, kidnapping Mup's father. Mup, her mother, baby brother, and dog set off to the Glittering Land to save Dad, but will her Mam want to come back again, if she gets a taste for power - or survives her own mother?

Fantasy readers are going to be drawn right into Celine Kiernan's mystical, magical tale. There are talking animals, shapeshifting kids, golden forests, and an evil queen to be reckoned with. Celine Kiernan creates a magical world beyond our imaginations, bringing to mind Narnia and Wonderland. The enchanted worldbuilding will keep your fantasy readers thrilled, and Mup's heroine's quest is thoughtful and intriguing. This is the first of a planned trilogy, so get your readers hooked now.

Beggone the Raggedy Witches has a starred review from Kirkus.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celine Kiernan for allowing me to read and review Begone the Raggedy Witches (The Wild Magic Trilogy, Book One). This book is fabulous! I plan to recommend it to all of the children I know.

Begone the Raggedy Witches, first in the The Wild Magic Trilogy, was the mix of magic, spirit and witches with quirky funny characters. Importance of family, compassion, and conscience was the center theme of the book.

Characters

Main character Mup was sweet, innocent, brave, good-hearted child who kept her conscience in situations where adults failed. Adults acted more childlike than Mup. She was much more developed than I thought but her understanding grew a lot by the end of the book. Her attire was funny, colorful and quirky, the reason behind her rainbowy attire was cute. She was strong character that I loved to read.

Development of secondary characters, mostly adults, was tremendous. Mam/Stella (Mup’s mother) was reckless and temperamental because of her Aunty (Stella’s mother’s sister who literally raised her and her kids). Her situation was bit understandable looking at the all secrecy and lid Aunty kept about the world she was born into and the powers she held but I didn’t like that she acted childishly before her kids. Tipper and Mup handled things better than her but her love for her family won everything. The new mam that Mup got to see in the new world was fierce, determined and powerful. She surprised me at the end by making a wise decision. At the end I like her.

Aunty was supportive, caring, lovable old lady unlike her sister, The Queen, who was mean power-hungry villain of the book. She protected this little family of Mup even after her death and I liked all she did for them. I wish I could read more about her in the book.

Tipper (Mup’s little brother) was cutest of all. I adored that little kid in his new form. His childish dialect was funny, innocent and sweetest. That little one so brave, he could be fierce like his mother when it comes to saving his family. The Crow was also a character for whom adults and kids alike will feel sympathized. He was rebellious because of adults in clan and their unfair treatment.

What I liked

Loved that cover! It’s so beautiful.

Characters, world, concept and plot was different. I haven’t read any book like this before. It was not the usual witch book that you might have read. Writing was exquisite, I liked it more in second half of the book.

The beginning of the book was intriguing, had a haunting feel with Mup and mam chased by Raggedy witches who were bad scary witches she was warned about by her great-aunt who died just few minutes ago. The terrifying scene of Mup seeing her mother in clutches of witches and seeing her mother losing the recognition of her own kids had a dark effect. Spirit, magic, evil witches, lot of things were going on in first few chapters. It took little time for me to immerse in the story because characters and world was not introduced the usual way. It was the-more-you-read-the-more-you -figure-out-what’s-going- on style in third person narrative.

It was a proper middle grade book as the view point of Mup was portrayed like kids from today’s world. She saw the points from all the aspects which felt unbelievably remarkable for such young child but she also asked questions, held the innocence, and had her own doubts which was believable.

World building was good but not too descriptive which was both plus and minus point. It was like author made readers to use their brain to understand this new world which is called Witches Borough.

Rhymes by rebel males were interesting part of the world building. The rules were different for different people including male and female. Witches turning into animal who are talking, Crow’s hapless efforts of rhyming his thoughts was amusing. Contrary to first book of trilogy, this book focused on the plot and character than the world itself. There was only brief details about the world, not all rules or the different clann were introduced. Those who were important to mention were described that is also briefly. It was nice and had potential that I’m sure will be developed in the next books of the series.

The book was insightful for both adults and kids. The untoward consequences of the wrong doing and control over one’s life, whether with good or bad purpose was represented thorough adults of the book while things have different aspect which depends on view point of the person and one should not lose their conscience no matter how bad the person or situation is, was best told through Mup’s character. It’s a kind of book both parents and kids can enjoy together and can open up a family discussion for them.

Climax was amazingly action packed and exciting. End was nice with lots of possibilities but I liked the way author gave it a different and hopeful turn. No cliff hanger which was a relief. I’m excited to read the second book, I hope it will release soon.

why 4 stars

Some things I wanted in details regarding the world building, like- spirit concept for witches, characters’ power and their ability, and past of characters- what happened before Aunty whisked away Stella to mundane world and what made her to do so, why the Queen was so delusional about her daughter whom she hardly knew (I think, a chapter long Prologue would have been great for this).

conclusion

Overall, it was fast paced, unique, insightful witch book. As an adult I enjoyed it so readers aged 9 yrs – 12 yrs will surely love it.

This book is amazing! I read it basically all in one sitting, and it kept me entertained for an entire plane ride, which I greatly appreciated. It's a quick, entertaining read that is perfect middle grade fantasy.

This is a story about the importance of duty, family, and sticking together against all odds. It has a spooky atmosphere--Kiernan's worldbuilding is incredible; she has created alternate world full of fantastic and amazing things. In some ways, this book actually reminded me a lot of the movie Kubo and the Two Strings in its feel and themes.

Mup, the main character, is absolutely wonderful. She's smart, independent, and just the right amount of cautious and brave. Throughout the book, she has so much heart, and that gives her the bravery to do what she needs to do. What the author does well is have flawed characters that are incredibly relatable and who are just trying their best; I felt such a connection to them because of that, and the story felt much more genuine.

I love that the main conflict is a setup for two people who have the same personality characteristics, but use it in different ways. Mup's grandmother is brazen and wants to have complete control over her domain, even to the point of telling people that it's against the law to not speak in rhyme; Mup's great-aunt, on the other hand, also wants complete control, because she wants to keep people safe. This quality of wanting to dictate for others what they need to do is a major problem, even if it's for good reasons, and I like that this book addresses that the Auntie made mistakes, too. It's up to Mup and her mother to try to fix them.

Overall, this story is heartwarming, funny, and just the right amount of scary. It's a wonderful middle grade fantasy that introduces an interesting new world full of magic. I'm excited for the next books to come out.

Irish author Celine Kiernan has created a delightful middle grade series that shows the importance of being a good friend and the importance of family. The action begins almost immediately with the disappearance of Mup's father. It is on the same night that Mup learns that her mother has a magical past. Plenty of colorful characters and an interesting world. I don't read very many middle grade books, but I felt it was light and airy with plenty of kid friendly humor.  Gorgeous cover too!

I read a lot of children's fiction and this was the first book I've read in a long while that felt totally fresh and original. Great heroine who is not the Chosen One but the daughter of the Chosen One. I adored the little puppy-brother and the themes of standing up for those who can't do it themselves.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

In this story, we get to know a parallel world full of witches and wizards. Mup wasn't aware that she, her mom Mam, and her aunty are witches until Aunty dies and Mam gets pulled back into the raggedy witch world where she has to face her own mother, the evil queen. This is a children's story of adventure, of friendship, of bravery, and of learning that not everything is as it seems. The plot is somewhat dark but the imagery is beautiful.

It took me a bit to get into the book. I found the naming scheme of the characters a bit annoying to be honest (Mup and Mam, for example, were hard to pronounce in the same sentence even in my head). But once I got the hang of it, I could dive into the plot, which ended up being fairly fast-paced. I specifically enjoyed Mup's interactions with the boy named Crow. They both behaved like children their age: full of naive optimism on one hand and full of rebellion against adults on the other hand. I am struggling to decide what age group this would be suited for. Because it being a bit darker, I was thinking it would be better for older middle-grade kids, but because everything sort of wraps up with a neat bow and things easily fall into place, it probably could also be read by younger children. 

All in all, I think this will be a good series. Book 1 definitely got me interested.

This was an amazing, fast paced, action packed, magic-filled novel that I read all in one sitting. I can't wait for number 2.

The characters are well developed and as you read through the story you get to know them so well. The story moves along at a fast pace and it's hard to put down. I'm so excited for the next one!