War of the Witches by Maite Carranza (Translated by Noel Baca Castex)
Release Date: May 2008
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Age Group: 12 & up
Pages: 352
Anaid is a smart, dependable, often overlooked teenage girl. She is the exact opposite of her beautiful, fun spirited and exuberant mother. It’s hard to believe that the two are even related. On the morning of Anaid’s mother disappearance, she discovers that there is much more to her mother than meets the eyes. Selene, her mother, is a witch. “The Chosen One” to be exact, the witch that is prophesied to end the war between the two witch clans.
Taught and trained by four other women of her mother’s clan, they discover that Anaid is more powerful than any other witch they have come across. She seems to be the only one that can save Selene from the rival witch clan.
Redefining the term of witch, Carranza immerses her readers in the tale of an unlikely girl, whose powers come from the natural elements found around her. Although the cliche of the unnoticed teenager destined for great things is often overplayed, the actual logistics for this transformation is an astonishing addition to the plot! Teen readers will find themselves easily relating to Anaid and her wish for friendship and her perseverance through her struggles.
Even though the novel starts out slow, it makes up for lack of intrigue in the remaining chapters! While there are many tales of witches, the mythology relating to the history of the clans is sure to captivate the curiosity of any reader. The multiple plot twits will keep readers guessing until the very end!