Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

This was a fast-paced fantasy set in Victorian times. I thought this novel was very rushed. It not take the time to develop the characters. They all seemed to blend together. The world-building was also very confusing. Thus, it would have been more enjoyable if the novel took its time. Still, because this is a short and fast-paced read middle schoolers will be sure to love this novel!

I loved this book. It was creative, well written, the characters and language were delightful. I found myself in the midst of needing to work and kept coming back to read this book. I recommend it!

Emmaline Black is the niece of Queen Alexandria. The Queen’s mission is to find and destroy all the witches. When Emma turns thirteen, she must be given a test to see if she has any witch blood. Emma is nervous about it, because she suspects she is a witch. She has the ability to hear heartbeats of people who are near her. Emma is also curious about her other aunt, who was a witch and was banished from the city. After Emma gets tested, she teams up with some new friends to find the truth about her family and the witches.

I love middle grade books about witches! This was book with a spooky, Victorian setting. Their society has a history of hunting witches, but Emma doesn’t know the true reason why. Her aunt, the Queen, hunted out witches to find the Witch City. Emma and her friends had to be sent there to find the secrets of the witches.

The witches in this story had unique powers. Emma had the ability to hear people’s heartbeats. Another character can persuade anyone to do anything, while another has the ability to control birds. These were powers that were quite useful to them but I haven’t encountered them in a story before. I really liked these original abilities.

Escape to Witch City is a fun middle grade witch story!

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is an adventure with new friends and an outcast family member. There are family secrets and a dark past. There is royalty and there is power. There are spooky vibes, adventures, and magic.. The themes toward the end get very dark, but still age appropriate as it is a 9-12 aimed age group. I loved the world-building and thoroughly enjoyed the story. Definitely recommend.

Beware the witches. Beware the Thistle Queen.

Oh, my gosh, I ADORED this book! E. Latimer has crafted the perfect MG adventure, in which Emmaline Black is forced to flee to the mysterious Witch City after she's exposed as a witch - a dangerous business, considering her aunt, the queen, holds a ruthless vendetta against witches. Accompanied by a delightful group of fellow castaways, Emmaline must navigate her new powers, an ever-changing city, and the pursuit of a tenacious witch hunter to reach the sanctuary of Witch City ... which might not be as safe as she'd hoped after all.

Although the pace occasionally dragged and the middle chunk sagged considerably, ESCAPE TO WITCH CITY was chock-full of adventure and heart-grabbing characters, and I will definitely be reading more of Latimer's dark, magical, alternate-history worlds in the future. 4/5

Man, I just couldn't get into this one. I really tried hard to care, but there was some disconnect where my brain just refused to be taken in by this story. Seriously - I kept forgetting who was who and even what the plot was. The thing is - I don't think the writing was bad. I honestly think this is just one of those cases where a story or writing style isn't for me. (Though I will say - having three main characters with E names - Eliza, Emma, Edgar - did not help my confusion.)

There isn't much to write about this one because I just couldn't take it in. I didn't hate it so it's not a one star, but it just did nothing for me. I will most likely forget I even read this one.

I was surprised by just how quickly the characters in this book began their journey to Witch City. They are "escaping" before we truly know what Witch City even is. Within just 3 chapters we have firmly established the central characters as magical and at risk of execution and sent them on their way. The characters reflect later, but only briefly. The pacing is almost too fast, with no time for the characters to consider anything but the events directly before them.

There is going to be a second book right? Because I need a second book to be written!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Emma has a strong suspicion that she is a witch and is going to fail "The Test". Emma is not wrong and the adventure that she embarks on after failing "The Test" was interesting and magical.

A great book for young readers that enjoy a story about friendship, adventure, and magic.

I really liked the concept and overall storyline of this book. I also thought there was some very imaginative writing; such as the three worlds being set in London but all very different versions of it, Emma feeling heartbeats and her magic abilities connected to them, and the vivid descriptions related to the world-building. I did feel the story moved too slowly, and some scenes feel too long for their role in the book. I would purchase this book if a patron asked for it, but I'm not sure I'll buy it for my collection.

☆☆☆☆ /5
(english review below)

C’est une lecture qui m’a enchantée, faite voyager et emportée. J’ai passé un très agréable moment avec ce roman !
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Emmaline Black a un secret. Elle peut entendre le rythme des battements cardiaques. Pas seulement le sien, mais celui des autres aussi. C'est un rythme qu'elle a appris à contrôler, et cela ne peut signifier qu'une chose... Emma est une sorcière.
Dans un monde où les sorciers ne sont pas acceptés et où tous les enfants qui ont atteint l'âge de treize ans sont testés pour s'assurer qu'ils n'ont pas de sang de sorcier, Emma doit tenter d'éradiquer son pouvoir avant que son propre test n'arrive. Mais plus elle fait de recherches, plus elle commence à soupçonner que sa tante et sa mère radicalement anti-sorcières cachent quelque chose. La vérité sur leur sœur, sa tante Lenore, qui a disparu dans des circonstances mystérieuses il y a des années.
Le jour du test arrive, et les résultats d'Emma l'associent non seulement à d'étranges nouveaux amis, mais la mettent également sur la voie de défier tout ce qu'elle n’a jamais appris sur la magie et de révéler des secrets de famille enfouis depuis longtemps. Il semble que les sorcières n'aient pas été si faciles à bannir après tout. Villes secrètes, pouvoirs inexploités, membres de la famille disparus, Emma est sur le point de découvrir un tout nouveau monde.
¤
J’ai apprécié découvrir ce nouvel univers, en même temps que notre protagoniste. Fuyant son propre monde qui ne tolère pas les gens comme elle, les sorciers, elle va en découvrir un autre rempli de magie. Le système de magie était très intéressant à connaître ! Plutôt original et nouveau, toutes les descriptions m’ont fait rêver. Également, j’ai beaucoup aimé voir l’évolution d’Emmaline. Elle va grandir, maturer et faire face à des révélations qu’elle ne soupçonnait pas.
En effet, le roman s’est lu d’une traite de mon côté et je ne me suis pas ennuyée une seule seconde. Il se passe tellement de chose entre Emmaline qui essaie d’effacer ses pouvoirs, le test, sa fuite, la rencontre de ses nouveaux amis et alliés, la découverte d’un nouveau monde et des secrets déterrés. L’autrice m’a emporté dans son univers, dans des aventures sans pareille que j’ai aimées vivre aux côtés d’Emmaline.
D’ailleurs, j’ai particulièrement aimé les thèmes qui ont été soulevés dans ce roman concernant l’amitié et la famille. Les relations entre les personnages sont fortes et j’ai adoré leurs interactions, qui faisaient que je m’attachais de plus en plus à eux. Mais surtout au niveau de la famille, l’autrice va parler distinctement de la famille dans laquelle on naît et de la famille que l’on choisit. Après tout, la famille n’est pas synonyme de sang seulement et parfois, notre vraie famille, ce sont nos amis.
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En bref, c’est un roman avec lequel j’ai passé un bon moment de lecture et dont le système de magie et de sorcellerie m’a fasciné.

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ENGLISH REVIEW:

It was a reading that enchanted me, made me travel and carried away. I had a great time with this book!
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Emmaline Black has a secret. She can hear the rhythm of heartbeats. Not just her own, but others' too. It's a rhythm she's learned to control, and that can only mean one thing... Emma's a witch.

In a world where a sentence of witchcraft comes with dire consequences and all children who have reached the age of thirteen are tested to ensure they have no witch blood, Emma must attempt to stamp out her power before her own test comes. But the more she researches, the more she begins to suspect that her radically anti-witch aunt and mother are hiding something. The truth about their sister, her Aunt Lenore, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances years ago.

The day of the test comes, and Emma's results not only pair her up with strange new friends, but set her on a course to challenge everything she's ever been taught about magic, and reveal long-buried family secrets. It seems witches may not have been so easy to banish after all. Secret cities, untapped powers, missing family members -- Emma is about to discover a whole new world.
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I enjoyed discovering this new universe, along with our protagonist. Fleeing her own world which doesn’t tolerate people like her, witches, she will discover another filled with magic. The magic system was very interesting to know! Rather original and new, all the descriptions made me dream. Also, I really enjoyed seeing the evolution of Emmaline. She will grow, mature and face revelations she never knew she had.
Indeed, I read the book in one day and I wasn’t bored for a single second. There‘s so much going on between Emmaline trying to erase her powers, the test, her escape, meeting new friends and allies, discovering a new world and unearthed secrets. The author took me into her world, on unparalleled adventures that I loved living alongside Emmaline.
In fact, I particularly liked the themes that arose in this story concerning friendship and family. The relationships between the characters are strong and I loved their interactions, which made me become more and more attached to them. But especially at the family level, the author will speak distinctly about the family into which one is born and the family that one chooses. After all, family isn't just about blood, and sometimes our real family is our friends.
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In short, this is a book that I had a good time reading and whose system of magic and witchcraft fascinated me.

Emmaline Dorthea Black has a terrible secret. Ever since witches destroyed much of her city, the Aunt the Queen has banished all witches on pain of death! But life as she knows it unravels at the age of thirteen, when all children are tested to ensure they have no witch blood.

On the run with new friends, on a desperate search for the fabled Witch City, a haven for all magical people, Emma encounters amazing new places like the In-Between and the parallel Londons. This story is rich in substance, the magic system is beautifully descriptive, and the depths of the world created by Latimer are fascinating to read.

*4.5 stars rated up to a 5 *

I was very excited that I got accepted for this novel even though I am not normally a middle grade reader, and I must say I am so happy that I requested it.

This novel was a lot more than I was expecting from a middle grade novel and it created a new and interesting witch setting dealing with friendship, companionship, and found family. It follows a group of unlikely friends in a world that despises witches and when Emma and her cousin Edward test with a high percentage of witch magic an adventure ensues with their two new witch friends to find the Witch City. This novel reminded me a lot of Harry Potter, but with a little more unexplained magic system that I enjoyed. I enjoy when characters have a different magic that they are the best at and have to learn to control on their own.

One major aspect that this novel touches on is that found or chosen family is a thing. Our blood families do not always mean love and acceptance but can also be extremely toxic. This is something that takes people a long time to learn if they can ever learn it. This seemed to be a perfect way to introduce this theme to children who are always taught to respect and love their all their family members no matter what. For someone who has worked with kids and dealt with family abuse of my own this is an important life lesson.

E. Latimer has easily become one of my favorite authors over the last couple years. I read her adult/new adult novel and absolutely adored it and cannot wait for the next installment. Her writing is easy to enjoy, and the story is always entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada, and Tundra Books for the E-ARC for a honest review.

Escape to Witch City was exactly what I'd been hoping: dark, a little bit spooky, and filled to the brim with magic.

The main character Emma stole my heart. She's trying to conceal her magic in a world where it isn't always safe to be a witch. Though this is a familiar concept in fantasy, E. Latimer's newest release made it feel fresh and whimsical. I loved spending time with Emmaline as she built new friendships and struggled to find her place in the world. So glad I already have a finished copy pre-ordered, because I have no doubt I'll want to read it again very soon.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3/5 Stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

You're in for a ride of Magic, friendship, and adventure with this book. I really liked how these characters came together in a time of need and really had to work together to survive and get to witch city. I thought the magic was really intersteing and would love to learn more. I will admit I was a little disappointed with this book because I wanted more. I feel like this book was very surface level. I wanted more detail about the world and it's magic. I wanted to learn more about witch city and all the politics happeneing. I would've also loved to see more family dynamics happening. Like I said I just really wanted more. Everything felt super rushed and I felt like I didn't have time to enjoy the world we were in. Overall I would say this is a great book for kids who are wanting to get into fantasy as it doesn't really need any explanation. It's a good starter book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publishers and/or author for providing me an e-ARC of this title in return for am unbiased review.

In 'Escape to Witch City,' we are following Emma, a young girl who is trying to find a way to conceal her magic abilities. Emma's aunt also happens to be the Queen and after witches destroyed their city, the Queen has banished all witches. Every child is tested when they are 13 for abilities and if they fail the test it is a death sentence. After Emma and her cousin, the Prince, both fail their tests they are set on a path with unlikely friends to save themselves by finding a hidden colony of witches called Witch City.

This is a very good middle-grade fantasy with an interesting magic system. The world is described enough to intrigue readers, while leaving enough unexplored to keep you wanting more. I'm not sure if there are plans for a sequel, but if so, it is set up very well for one. The characters were fun and there is a good message about friendship. As expected, this mystery includes some unexpected twists along with some predictable ones. It was fun to watch the characters discover their abilities throughout the book.

Fans of V.E. Schwab and Harry Potter will most likely enjoy this book. People interested in a dark or Gothic aesthetic will appreciate the world that is set up. There is some magic along with some mystery for those who enjoy that.

Escape to Witch City has just enough spooky and just enough fantasy that it will enthrall both types of readers. I love that these young witches have to learn to control their “magic” and their “emotions”. Great lessons to learn without being didactic. I will be looking for more by E. Latimer.

4.25/5
Escape to Witch City is a middle grade fantasy following Emma, a young royal living in a castle in London with her mother, her Aunt the Queen, and her cousin Edgar who is the crown Prince. Ever since witches destroyed their city, the Queen has gone through great lengths to eradicate them from their country, going as far as Testing every child and making people drink thistle, which witches have a weakness to. When Testing Day approaches, Emma, her cousin Edgar, and two other children from London, Maddie and Eliza, are tested and found to be witches. This sends them on a journey to escape from their death sentence and locate the mythical Witch City.

I really enjoyed this book, especially the first half leading up to the mystery. I do wish the In-Between and the parallel Londons had been explained a little better and that more time was spent exploring the Witch City, but the ending has a great set up for a sequel to remedy these things. I love the Victorian gothic aesthetic and thought the 4 main characters were fun. Overall, very enjoyable!

***My version isn’t the finished version, but there is a line in the ARC about sleeping off a concussion and you definitely shouldn’t sleep when you first have a concussion. I hope that's a line that is revisited.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a Middle Grade Fantasy book. I really loved this book, and I loved the world in this book. The characters where fun, and I fell in love with them. The magic was fun and very different. I have to say the magic and the world is my favorite part of this book. There is some twists in this book, and I saw some of them coming and I did not see others coming. Great book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Tundra Books) or author (E. Latimer) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that. This book is schedule to be release on August 3-2021.

Escape to Witch City is a fun magical adventure that anyone who has dreamed of having secret powers will love.

In Emmaline Black's world magic is in your blood. And it’s also forbidden. Witches are tested, hunted, and killed. So when Emma gets tested and discovered as a witch she and 3 other witch children have to escape from being taken to their deaths and find Witch City - a secret haven for all witches.

I enjoyed the story. It was fun, fast-paced, and filled with magical surprises that kept me wanting to know more about the world. Witch City is a place I’d love to visit! Honestly, my only complaint is that it took so long to reach Witch City that I didn’t get to spend enough time exploring all the magical nooks and crannies.

I definitely recommend this book to fantasy lovers, Harry Potter readers, and anyone dreaming of having powers of their own.