A classic middle grade, trio-on-a-quest tale, Curse of the Night Witch is the first in a new series inspired by Latin American lore. It's situated in a beautifully built fantasy world and infused with a delicious and colorful inventiveness (literally: gemstone puddings and pie). Tor, his best friend Engle, and his school nemesis Melda use a book of terrifying legends as a map to discover the Night Witch and end the curse that links them to each other and to a fast-approaching death.

The use of a few familiar tropes (this trio of friends feels very familiar, as does the choice/lesson/setup at the end) is offset by the breakneck pace of the adventure and the delightfully interesting world of the Emblemites. Including the legends throughout is also a great addition, and I found myself looking forward to each creative new "Once upon a…" tale ("Once upon a boiling cauldron, there was a cave." "Once upon a lilac dawn, there was a boy." "Once upon a family secret…")

Content notes: fairytale peril and pain with some gruesome off-screen violence/horror and some magical physical trauma to our heroes. Also: strong female leaders throughout, matter-of-fact physical diversity, a variety of strengths and intelligences embraced