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It's a slithery tale... When a suspicious fire destroys everything in ten-year old Wil Wychwood’s life, he must leave Toronto to live with his aunts and a cousin he has never met. With nothing but his pet snake Esme and his grandmother’s gift of a mysterious black medallion and a gold ring, Wil boards a train destined for adventure. A magical portal reveals that his new home and family live in the hidden city of MiddleGate, where nothing is as it appears. Cousins Wil and Sophie become entangled in a case of serpicide – snake murder – in the ancient caves of Narcisse. They learn to master the magical power of shadows, but will it be enough? Can Wil and Sophie decipher the mystery of the medallion in time to save the snakes—and themselves? Author
reading excerpt The bus weaved along busy streets and as it stopped at a red light, Wil's eyes fixed on an ornate wrought-iron door decorated with two green serpents, which looked as though they were guarding the door. Then the bus jolted along a side street pitted with potholes until it turned into a large, deserted parking lot by a brick house. It seemed to be the only house in the area, surrounded as it was by a sea of parking lots dotted with warehouses. A rising sunburst decorated the peak of the house, and a five-pointed star graced each corner. Why were they stopping in a parking lot filled with old weeds? A sign by the side of the parking lot said Half Moon Lane but there was no street. The bus inched past a rusty dumpster filled with garbage bags. Two men were unloading cartons at one of the warehouse loading docks, but they didn't even look up when the bus rolled past them. The bus turned to face a brick wall at the back of the house. A faded mural on the wall featured an enormous box of Black Mirror chocolates, and underneath in peeling letters the words, Satisfy Every Sweet Desire. The wall had gaping cracks and was missing chunks of mortar. Faded pink insulation poked out from a stovepipe hole, beneath which there was a green door with a small brass doorknob. The bus driver got up from his seat, stepped out of the bus and inserted an ornate key into one of the chocolates. Then he clambered back onto the bus. The bus jerked forward, its engine chortling. The box of chocolates began to melt away. Wil blinked his eyes.The bus was driving right through the wall. Wil looked about wildly, but no one else seemed the least bit interested that they...they were driving right through a solid brick wall...into a long stone tunnel lit by lanterns. Wil turned to look back at Sophie. Her eyeglass frames were brilliant yellow. Hadn't they just been red and white polka dots? Wil looked down at Esme, shut his eyes for a moment and wished he could curl up tight inside her little hut. Also available in French
Le
sortilège du serpent |
The
Serpent's Spell Snakes
aren't the only victims in Bridgman's superb page-turning flight of fancy....[and]
there is a lot of fun to be enjoyed before the serpicide mystery is solved.
There is also a good deal of useful information about snakes, their habits
and habitats. Finally Bridgman's spellbinding story has sentence after
sentence of melodiously evocative language....If it's exquisitely told
spells you're after, 'The Serpent's Spell' has more than enough for even
the most discriminating and insatiable reader.
full article
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. As this first adventure
begins, the reader is left with one key question.... when will the next
adventure begin?
Rae
Bridgman has created a wonderful yarn that is reminiscent of the Harry
Potter series in that witchcraft, sorcery, and unusual magical games are
the backdrop; but there the comparison ends. The Serpent's Spell is in
a class of its own. full
article
The Serpent's Spell is a quaint little novel that is perfect for a rainy day....The twist with all the snakes was quite enjoyable and the revealing of the antagonist behind the deaths of so many snakes took me by surprise. Reading the climax over again, I remembered all of the clues that the author dropped throughout the novel and was kind of mad at myself that I hadn't figured it out sooner....This is a series to keep your eye on, and hopefully there will be many more books to come! full article
[The Serpent's Spell] has an atmosphere and mood of its own...a charming and engaging story...including lovely illustrations and quizzical latin phrases for each chapter, it was fun to turn the pages. full article
Bridgman’s snake lore and information about eggs, specifically magical Firebird eggs, sets her magical fantasy apart from other Harry Potter-type books....The Serpent’s Spell is a delightful read. It is hoped that Rae Bridgman will continue Wil and Sophie’s adventures in MiddleGate for years to come. full article
...a very nice edition. Bridgman divides her story up into 52 short chapters..., but also provides a neat drawing as a chapter heading, as well as a Latin saying for each; the combination made for a unique feel. full article
The Serpent's Spell is an ambitious first trip down a fantasy path that is already well-blazed by such notables as J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter), Eion Colfer (Artemis Fowl) and Jenny Nimmo (Charlie Bone)....
[F]ans
of fantasy will undoubtedly delight in the magic, engaging protagonists,
talking statues, a mischievous library ghost, unique school activities,
an ophidiophobic Minister on the Status of Magical Creatures, cops called
Firecatchers, the bullying Sly twins, and the other minutiae of daily
life in MiddleGate. full
article
There are many interesting features of MiddleGate that young readers will appreciate: phosphoworm lanterns; eyeglasses whose frames change colour; unusual sweet foods such as snakecake and chocolate toads; the "ditchball" game they play; and the school subjects they study (numeristics, verbology, cartology, botanicals, shadow-cutting). I like the way the author includes Manitoba features such as mosquitoes, cold winter weather, the Dragonfly Festival at Bird's Hill Park, and the Narcisse Snake Pits. At the same time many features of MiddleGate are completely different, such as the mysterious exploding blue eggs and the talking statues. full article
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....The characters are exciting and fresh, and the plot is fast-paced and creative. full article
The pace is fast...and the quotes in Latin...[are] a nice touch that adds to the overall fun! full article
See also the reviews by Laura Lehman, SF/Fantasy Books at Bellaonline.com and Heartland Reviews |
© Rae Bridgman 2006-2010
www.raebridgman.ca
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