Which Witch?

I owned this book growing up, and I hadn't thought of it in ages until I was looking at books to give to a friend's kiddo. I reread it before I gave it away, and I'm pleased to say that it's still entertaining, even as an adult. All of the characters are fun, though some are a little shallow. The plot itself is fairly straightforward, but it's a good read, even without too many twists and turns.

Although Eva Ibbotson's The Secret of Platform 13 is the more well-known novel, I've always felt it's completely overrated. This, in my opinion, is her real work of genius. I read it repeatedly as a child and loved it more each time, finding great new aspects I'd missed each time. Now, many years later, it's still as adorable and enjoyable, with a complex plot, highly unique characters that grow on you, and a mystical, fantastical tone that anyone will love. Ibbotson demonstrates her great talent at plot twists as well in this great book! My one minor complaint is that she does spend a little too much time directly describing each character (your typical paragraph blurb, giving a physical description), and that's something that always disturbs my reading and my imagination in general. Rating: 5/5

After I had read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, I had read many more books, hoping to find one that was equally enchanting. And it took quite a while for me to find one, until I stumbled onto this gem. This book is absolutely wonderful. Magic was present on nearly every page of this book, making me wonder about what surprises lay ahead. The ending is excellent, just how an ending should be; an ending in which everything was resolved and completed. If you love fantasy, if you love J.K. Rowling's, Rhoald Dahl's, or Brian Jacques's highly praised novels, then you'll agree with me that Which Witch? is a work of art.

Arriman the Awful, a wizard of great power and darkest evil, has grown bored with his life. Realizing that he needs a son to carry on the cause of darkness and evil, Arriman searches for a suitable wife. Only a witch of the darkest evil will serve, but which witch? The obvious course of action is found, a competition in evil witchcraft, with the witches in formal evening gowns!Among the witches, though, there is one who nobody expects to win, the pretty and (most shockingly) white witch Belladonna. Alone among the witches, Belladonna has fallen in love with Arriman. When the exceedingly evil Madame Olympia, who has already married and done away with five husbands, Belladonna realizes that she must be blacker than she has ever dreamed of being if she is going to win the contest and save Arriman. But how?This book is frightfully funny (pardon the pun)! The characters are interesting and funny; the storyline slides along keeping you glued to the pages. This is a great book, suitable for all ages. I highly recommend this book.

If you are impatiently waiting for the next Harry Potter book as we were this will definately sustain you. Infact I can't wait for Eva Ibbotson's next book! This book is an intriguing combination of love and evil. Arriman, a black wizard seaches for a wife while the witches in the contest compete the outcome is a total surprise.

Although this book is intended for a bit younger readers than I am, I enjoyed it immensely! I found the characters so charming and the writer has avoided stereotyping them (even Belladonna, the white witch who seems like such a typical, innocent goodie at first, surprises you if you let her. I like the way she so desperately wants to become an evil witch). The humor has wit, pace and an occasional dark turn, just the way I like it. Arriman the Awful is definitely the most wicked and most ENDEARING wizard in all literature. Give this book a try, it won't take long and I bet you won't be disappointed!