The Serpent's Spell

William Wychwood was born to a magical family, but he doesn't know this until fifth grade, when he and his pet snake, Esme, must go to live with his aunts and his cousin Sophie whom he has never met. They live in Middlegate, a village that is hidden inside Winnipeg, Manitoba, and entered through a magical gate. Wil and Sophie enroll in school at Gruffud's Academy, where the curriculum includes classes that you and I never had in school; numeristics, verbology, and botanicals may have some parallels to modern classes, but they are quite different. One of the favorite games is snapdragon, a battle of wits between shadows. Wil and Sophie are concerned about the deaths of hundreds of the sacred snakes of Narcisse, and they decide to try to find out what happened to these wonderful creatures. While on a field trip to see the snakes, Wil and Sophie discover a clue and begin a magical journey of exciting adventures. Wil has a magical medallion that his grandmother had entrusted to him before she died in a suspicious fire, and it may have something to do with the mystery of the snakes. The kids encounter danger with kidnappings, serpents, evil magic, and shadow duals. In this very imaginative fantasy, Bridgman adds a numeristic table of contents, Latin verbiage, and sketchings that bring the magic of snakes and sorcery alive. The characters are exciting and fresh, and the plot is fast-paced and creative. Reviewed by: Grandma Bev

Reviewed by Regan Windsor for Reader Views (9/06) Welcome to Gruffud's Academy, where the curriculum includes numeristics, verbology, and botanicals and the students learn to play games such as snapdragon; a battle of wits between shadows. The academy is located in a mystical pocket of Winnipeg in the secret city of Middlegate. Wil arrives at Middlegate from Toronto with nothing except the clothes on his back, his snake Esme, and the medallion and ring his grandmother has given him. A fire has caused her death and he is sent to live with a set of aunts and cousin he was until now unaware of. Their existence, however, turns out to be the first of many family secrets Wil is soon to discover. As Wil and his cousin Sophie begin the school year, a cloud of mystery surrounds the slaughter of hundreds of snakes in the nearby pits of Narcisse. While on a fieldtrip to see the snakes, Wil and Sophie stumble upon a discovery which begins a magical journey of friendship and adventure. Things soon begin to turn dangerous as they search for the significance of Wil's medallion and its implication in the mysterious circumstances that ensue. With kidnappings, sorcery, serpents, and shadow duals the reader is left breathless with anticipation. "The Serpent's Spell" is a delight for all readers! Rae Bridgman adds sorceress zeal with a numeristic table of contents, Latin verbiage, and sketchings that bring the magic of snakes and sorcery alive. In a novel destined to be the next Harry Potter of fantasy, Bridgman delivers a festively imaginative tale. As this first adventure ends, the reader is left with one key question....when will the next adventure begin?