I enjoyed reading this, and there's no doubt that Furlong is a talented, thoughtful writer. As a prequel, however - Juniper features as its young protagonist the mentor figure of Wise Child - I'm not sure it's an unqualified success. I mean, these books both have the exact same story. A well-loved, well-spoiled little girl goes to live with a good but unsympathetic witch, where she learns practical skills, an awareness of nature, and basic magical abilities. There is a pivotal friendship with a young boy her own age - in both cases a cousin. Finally, she undergoes an initiation where her own suitability for witchiness is assessed through a dream of flying. Once aware of her own potential, the child then faces down a magical threat from a close female relative (in Juniper it's an aunt, in the previous volume a mother) who the child defeats but does not kill, before said child leaves her community to establish a new life elsewhere.

And honestly, Wise Child did it better.