Curse of the Night Witch
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-05-31 11:51:19
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Alex Aster
- ISBN：1728232449
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
A Seventeen。com Most Anticipated Book of Summer！
A Zibby Owens Summer Reading Pick on Good Morning America！
"Worthy of every magical ounce"--Kirkus Reviews， starred review
A fast-paced series starter， perfect for fans of Aru Shah and the End of Time and Percy Jackson， filled with adventure， mythology， and an unforgettable trio of friends。
On Emblem Island all are born knowing their fate。 Their lifelines show the course of their life and an emblem dictates how they will spend it。
Twelve-year-old Tor Luna was born with a leadership emblem， just like his mother。 But he hates his mark and is determined to choose a different path for himself。 So， on the annual New Year's Eve celebration， where Emblemites throw their wishes into a bonfire in the hopes of having them granted， Tor wishes for a different power。
The next morning Tor wakes up to discover a new marking on his skin。。。the symbol of a curse that has shortened his lifeline， giving him only a week before an untimely death。 There is only one way to break the curse， and it requires a trip to the notorious Night Witch。
With only his village's terrifying， ancient stories as a guide， and his two friends Engle and Melda by his side， Tor must travel across unpredictable Emblem Island， filled with wicked creatures he only knows through myths， in a race against his dwindling lifeline。
"Debut author Aster takes inspiration from Colombian folklore to craft a rousing series opener that's both fast-paced and thrilling。 As her protagonists face off against a host of horrors， they learn the value of friendship and explore the possibility of changing one's fate in a world where destiny is predetermined。"--Publishers Weekly， starred review
A Zibby Owens Summer Reading Pick on Good Morning America！
"Worthy of every magical ounce"--Kirkus Reviews， starred review
A fast-paced series starter， perfect for fans of Aru Shah and the End of Time and Percy Jackson， filled with adventure， mythology， and an unforgettable trio of friends。
On Emblem Island all are born knowing their fate。 Their lifelines show the course of their life and an emblem dictates how they will spend it。
Twelve-year-old Tor Luna was born with a leadership emblem， just like his mother。 But he hates his mark and is determined to choose a different path for himself。 So， on the annual New Year's Eve celebration， where Emblemites throw their wishes into a bonfire in the hopes of having them granted， Tor wishes for a different power。
The next morning Tor wakes up to discover a new marking on his skin。。。the symbol of a curse that has shortened his lifeline， giving him only a week before an untimely death。 There is only one way to break the curse， and it requires a trip to the notorious Night Witch。
With only his village's terrifying， ancient stories as a guide， and his two friends Engle and Melda by his side， Tor must travel across unpredictable Emblem Island， filled with wicked creatures he only knows through myths， in a race against his dwindling lifeline。
"Debut author Aster takes inspiration from Colombian folklore to craft a rousing series opener that's both fast-paced and thrilling。 As her protagonists face off against a host of horrors， they learn the value of friendship and explore the possibility of changing one's fate in a world where destiny is predetermined。"--Publishers Weekly， starred review
Reviews
Howard
，
I loved the adventure， the interaction among the characters was great 。 To me it was a cross between the wizard of oz and the hobbit。
Daniel
，
Excellent YA fare。 Be careful what you wish for， as you just might get it！ On the world of Emblem Island people are born with emblems which signify their talent。 Think of the various knacks in Orson Scott Card's Hatrack River series。 Tor Luna does not want his leadership emblem， but wishes he could breathe underwater。 His New Year's wish accomplishes the goal of losing the leadership sigil， but unfortunately it is replaced with a curse marking。 Join him and his friends Engle and Melda as they qu Excellent YA fare。 Be careful what you wish for， as you just might get it！ On the world of Emblem Island people are born with emblems which signify their talent。 Think of the various knacks in Orson Scott Card's Hatrack River series。 Tor Luna does not want his leadership emblem， but wishes he could breathe underwater。 His New Year's wish accomplishes the goal of losing the leadership sigil， but unfortunately it is replaced with a curse marking。 Join him and his friends Engle and Melda as they quest to find a way to remove their curses before they kill them。 Ties in heavily with the author's Columbian heritage with interspersed digressions in the story to explore pertinent folklore。 。。。more
Izzy
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 4 starsWow， I really really enjoyed this book。 This book gives you large Percy Jackson vibes， The Starless Sea writing style， The Thief adventure plotline， and most of all Harry Potter friendship。 All three great books/series that make you enjoy every last minute。 Although this book is like the ones I mentioned prior it is its own book with its own unique mythologies and world building。 The book itself is made for a younger audience， middle school age， but I still was captivated nonetheless。 It 4 starsWow， I really really enjoyed this book。 This book gives you large Percy Jackson vibes， The Starless Sea writing style， The Thief adventure plotline， and most of all Harry Potter friendship。 All three great books/series that make you enjoy every last minute。 Although this book is like the ones I mentioned prior it is its own book with its own unique mythologies and world building。 The book itself is made for a younger audience， middle school age， but I still was captivated nonetheless。 It is very VERY fast paced so it makes for an easy， quick read to get you out of a reading slump but leaves you wanting more。 Each chapter is a new thing they have to defeat， and although I did love the fast pace I think it would've been nice to lengthen some of the action scenes and give more details because the mythology behind the character is SO GOOD。 Aster's writing style is amazing。 Like I said before it keeps you entertained at a fast pace without making you feel lost。 She introduces the plot and foreshadows in a way I have never seen an author do before， especially in a novel made for a younger crowd。 Between the chapters there are stories supposed to be from the Storyteller's book they are following。 In these I think is some of the best writing。 It's written in a very poetic way， giving readers vivid imagery in which they can incorporate in the next chapter。 The characters are great they remind me a lot of Ron， Hermione， and Harry。 The way their friendship developed was very well done and I loved seeing them grow as characters。 Engle was my favorite by far。 The book itself is just a great one for anyone ANY age。 The fast paced， light hearted atmosphere this book creates will stay with you long after you finish the book。 。。。more
Teresa Laureano
，
Excellent story
Joshua
，
I WANT TO READ IT
Laura
，
I didn't remember pre-ordering the book， but I'm glad I did。 Read it in a few hours， and looking forward to book 2。 I didn't remember pre-ordering the book， but I'm glad I did。 Read it in a few hours， and looking forward to book 2。 。。。more
Jodie
，
I really liked this one。 Decided to read it because it's a pick of the month for kids in May。 Wanted to read it before it comes out in paperback so that I can get a few copies for the young readers in my life。 Reminded me of Percy Jackson a bit。 Loved the inclusion of Latin American folk tales in the story。 Looking forward to sharing this one and to book #2。 I really liked this one。 Decided to read it because it's a pick of the month for kids in May。 Wanted to read it before it comes out in paperback so that I can get a few copies for the young readers in my life。 Reminded me of Percy Jackson a bit。 Loved the inclusion of Latin American folk tales in the story。 Looking forward to sharing this one and to book #2。 。。。more
Wina
，
Great fantasy for ages 8-12。 This was a fascinating world， with chapters divided by stories from an old book， printed to look like aged paper。 Characters are wonderful， story is exciting and full of surprises。 I look forward to the next in the series。
Kim Gontarz
，
Every child is born with an emblem to show what skill them have and the job they will do during their life time。 Tor doesn't like his leadership emblem so wishes for a different one during the New Year's Eve celebration。 What happens from there get him and his two friends into some death defying situations。 Will they be able to find the Night Witch to change their fate of dying with in a week？ Will Tor be able to get the emblem that he desires？ Every child is born with an emblem to show what skill them have and the job they will do during their life time。 Tor doesn't like his leadership emblem so wishes for a different one during the New Year's Eve celebration。 What happens from there get him and his two friends into some death defying situations。 Will they be able to find the Night Witch to change their fate of dying with in a week？ Will Tor be able to get the emblem that he desires？ 。。。more
bowiesbooks
，
I loved the world building in this- there were so many smart details！ The characters were great and it was such a fun adventure story to read。 I absolutely loved the ‘tales’ told in this book， it added a different depth to the story。 I would definitely recommend if you’re looking for a fun adventure book that will take you away to a different world。
Phillip
，
A slightly darker Wizard of Oz， aimed at a slightly older audience。 On the night of the annual celebration one child wishes to change emblems （the mystical markings on their arms designating their future path）。 He no longer wants to be a leader but to become a water-breather but wakes to find a curse instead， one that can only be removed by the feared Night Witch， who lives on the other side of the island。 The journey， accompanied by two friends， traverses many different kingdoms， each populated A slightly darker Wizard of Oz， aimed at a slightly older audience。 On the night of the annual celebration one child wishes to change emblems （the mystical markings on their arms designating their future path）。 He no longer wants to be a leader but to become a water-breather but wakes to find a curse instead， one that can only be removed by the feared Night Witch， who lives on the other side of the island。 The journey， accompanied by two friends， traverses many different kingdoms， each populated by strange creatures and beings， all of which relate back to their prized book of folk tales。 Most chapters end with an tale from the book， all of which are influenced by Colombian folk tales。 While there is a definite ending to this storyline， the set up for the second adventure is briefly explored in the final pages。 Middle Grade or， like me， much older。 。。。more
Cathie （ClassyLibrarian）
，
This book is so full of color， magic， relationships and just good stuff！I loved all the color imagery and fantastical creatures the kids encountered on their journey to find the Night Witch。 So well done and can't wait for the second book！！Recommend to purchase for school libraries and public ones as well。 This book is so full of color， magic， relationships and just good stuff！I loved all the color imagery and fantastical creatures the kids encountered on their journey to find the Night Witch。 So well done and can't wait for the second book！！Recommend to purchase for school libraries and public ones as well。 。。。more
Paige Y。
，
I really like the way the author included Columbian folktales in the story。 This is going to be a great book to use with my 6th graders。
j o a n n a ☀️
，
Oof。Well， I finally finished this and I am *conflicted*。 On the one hand， I loved the worldbuilding and the characters， but on the other hand， I couldn't get past the choppy writing。 It was very hard to read because the pacing was so off。 The characters jumped from place to place so fast and I kept on wondering just how small this island was because their quest only took them about a week。 I know it's a small thing， but it kept me from really enjoying the story。 I did， however， really enjoy the Oof。Well， I finally finished this and I am *conflicted*。 On the one hand， I loved the worldbuilding and the characters， but on the other hand， I couldn't get past the choppy writing。 It was very hard to read because the pacing was so off。 The characters jumped from place to place so fast and I kept on wondering just how small this island was because their quest only took them about a week。 I know it's a small thing， but it kept me from really enjoying the story。 I did， however， really enjoy the worldbuilding in this book。 It was stunningly vivid。 The author did a fantastic job of painting a picture。 I also liked the many myths she included in this story and how they guided the characters on their journey。 I was so annoyed by that ending though。。。it was so anti-climatic and I felt like it didn't really match up with what we'd been told the whole book。 Maybe I was missing the point。 Anyways， 2/5 stars for this。。。maybe 2。5 because I am interested in the potential for a sequel？🌈🌴🌊 。。。more
Brenda
，
Tor has always wanted a different life line then the one running across his palm。 Why can't his be filled with adventure， instead of following a straight path？ He's also wanted a different emblem， and defiantly not the boring leadership emblem he currently shares with his mother。 In his heart he knows he's meant for something else and now that it is New Years Eve， he plans to change his fate by throwing his desire into the bonfire and making a wish。 But Tor should've been careful what with what Tor has always wanted a different life line then the one running across his palm。 Why can't his be filled with adventure， instead of following a straight path？ He's also wanted a different emblem， and defiantly not the boring leadership emblem he currently shares with his mother。 In his heart he knows he's meant for something else and now that it is New Years Eve， he plans to change his fate by throwing his desire into the bonfire and making a wish。 But Tor should've been careful what with what he wished for。 Instead of having his desire answered， he instead becomes cursed and sets off a series of events that lead his friends to be cursed as well。 With little time to save themselves， Tor and his friends set out on a quest to defeat the Night Witch and release their curse。 Curse of the Night Witch was inspired by stories that the authors grandmother told her growing up。 Between each chapter are mini stories that are from The Book of Cuentos， which Tor and his friends use as a guide to get them to the Night Witches Castle。 I enjoyed how the monsters from the book were explained in the short pages between， but some didn’t seem to match the action。 For example， The Creation of Eve doesn’t appear until much later in the book。 There are a lot of characters， monsters and elements to digest， some characters only have a brief fleeting appearance， but overall this was an enjoyable read。 。。。more
Mark Buxton
，
My name is Tor， and I'm starting to regret my wish for a different legend。 I never believed I'd be cursed by the Night Witch， because I didn't think she was real。 I'm forced to complete a quest to find her along with my friends， Engle and Melda， and we only have a week before our lifelines say we'll die。 Oh， and now I'm supposed to kill the Night Witch。 The good news is I think we've figured out a map to locate her， but the bad news is we'll need to face impossible monsters and challenges。 The w My name is Tor， and I'm starting to regret my wish for a different legend。 I never believed I'd be cursed by the Night Witch， because I didn't think she was real。 I'm forced to complete a quest to find her along with my friends， Engle and Melda， and we only have a week before our lifelines say we'll die。 Oh， and now I'm supposed to kill the Night Witch。 The good news is I think we've figured out a map to locate her， but the bad news is we'll need to face impossible monsters and challenges。 The worse news is that no one who has searched for the Night Witch in the past has ever returned alive， so we're guessing about everything we "know"。 I can't believe my friends are risking their lives because of me， and I wonder if it's worth it。This book was a finalist for the 2020 Cybils Award in Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction。 The concept of three kids being sent on an impossible quest was fairly common in middle grade novels， and even the idea of them having special abilities wasn't unusual。 Legends were marks found on newborns' skins and identified their talents。 Engle had super vision， Melda was a leader， but Tor gave up his leadership emblem for the curse。 Being emblemless was very rare and Tor wanted a new one， so it was easily predictable that he would get an extraordinary legend in the end。 However， the ramifications of his new abilities will affect the book's sequel。 Tor's insecurities made him vulnerable and identifiable to middle grade readers。 Engle was the most entertaining character， as he was very impulsive and obsessed with food。 If he disappeared， the others just needed to find a food source and they'd find him。 The kids followed the progression of terrifying stories in a book in order to find the Night Witch， so these tales became introductions to upcoming chapters。 It helped to predict events， but they weren't needed。 Some chapters felt almost redundant。 Overall， I enjoyed this book and recommend you give it a shot。 。。。more
Alicia Mesa
，
Friendship develops between three children on a dangerous journey to find the Night Witch。 Interspersed between the chapters are fables that are dark but hold clues。 I am literally down for any book that talks about La Llorona。
Diana
，
DNF
Katrina
，
A great adventure book！ No sex， no swearing， no love triangle。 I'm getting this for my elementary school！ A great adventure book！ No sex， no swearing， no love triangle。 I'm getting this for my elementary school！ 。。。more
Gordon
，
Interesting overall， but very off pacing-wise。
Kae
，
Nicely done。 I’d known absolutely nothing about this book when I started reading it cause I didn’t bother to read the description or look at the cover so my expectations where pretty much at zero but this short book blew me away。 I had expected nothing and it gave me so much more。 Definitely recommend it， there are lessons to be learned for all of you care enough to look。
LaLeasha
，
I flew through this quick， didn't realize it was part of a sequel， and am pissed at the ending that I'm going to have to wait to wrap up becuaw the second book isn't even out yet！That being said， I loved this story， the idea of emblems and having special gifts。 I didn't like the back and forth from fairy tale to current life but understood the importance of it about half way through。Highly reccomed for a quick gripping read！ I flew through this quick， didn't realize it was part of a sequel， and am pissed at the ending that I'm going to have to wait to wrap up becuaw the second book isn't even out yet！That being said， I loved this story， the idea of emblems and having special gifts。 I didn't like the back and forth from fairy tale to current life but understood the importance of it about half way through。Highly reccomed for a quick gripping read！ 。。。more
Katrina
，
Myths and magic and a grand adventure！ Very enjoyable。
Jessica
，
There were a few times where I struggled to continue on but I really enjoyed the world building and the characters。 I’m super intrigued for the sequel
PottWab Regional Library
，
A
Brenna
，
I really liked the world and it was so fun to imagine。 The monsters were all really cool and scary。 But in my opinion， the characters didn't have much depth。 Engle's personality was basically liking food， Melda's wasn't the worst， and Tor just didn't seem to have any traits that made him a great character。 and， I don't know for sure， but if Melda and Engle fall in love I'm gonna be triggered。 I think they have no chemistry at all to be honest。 I really liked the world and it was so fun to imagine。 The monsters were all really cool and scary。 But in my opinion， the characters didn't have much depth。 Engle's personality was basically liking food， Melda's wasn't the worst， and Tor just didn't seem to have any traits that made him a great character。 and， I don't know for sure， but if Melda and Engle fall in love I'm gonna be triggered。 I think they have no chemistry at all to be honest。 。。。more
Ami Schroder
，
Great middle grade fantasy/adventure！ This will appeal to boys and girls。 As a bonus， the myths woven throughout the book are Latin American myths told to the author from her grandmother！ Follow Tor， Melda and Engle as they seek the Night Witch and a way to break the curse before it’s too late！
Eleni
，
Despite the fact that it is relying heavily on other children's literature （e。g。 Harry Potter， there are three children， two boys who are best friends， and a girl who is a bit annoying because she is clever and serious -- by the end， the boys grudgingly give her credit for her good ideas as she helps them on their quest so much）， the idea that organizes the quest that the three children go on to reach the Shadows is a good one， and I want to finally meet the Night Witch。These are the two reasons Despite the fact that it is relying heavily on other children's literature （e。g。 Harry Potter， there are three children， two boys who are best friends， and a girl who is a bit annoying because she is clever and serious -- by the end， the boys grudgingly give her credit for her good ideas as she helps them on their quest so much）， the idea that organizes the quest that the three children go on to reach the Shadows is a good one， and I want to finally meet the Night Witch。These are the two reasons why I will complete this book， but it's a bit of an annoying read because of the author's juvenille use of language。 Even before I looked at the back of the book to learn this is a recent graduate of U Penn， it was clear from the uncontrolled nature of the writing:"Even with the small hole of sunlight raining down， the tunnel was the closest to pitch black" [this woman needed a good editor！！！ The way it should have been was "Even with the small hole raining down sunlight"]And her metaphors！！！ "But promises， like snowflakes， are easily broken" -- how does one BREAK a snowflake？？？？"'He paced around his room， then around the kitchen， then around his family's table。 As if walking in large circles was a dance that could fix all his problems" [walking is dancing？ and dancing is something that fixes problems？]"[protagonist is in a hammock 50 feet above the forest floor] A sliver of light on Tor's face woke him the next morning。 He had only slept a couple of hours， but jumped up at once" [you can't jump up in a hammock。 You can quickly SIT up in one or swing one's legs over the side but not jump UP]"A confetti of nerves burst in his chest。 His arms were covered by pajamas。 All he had to do was peel back his sleeve。。。。" [his arms were covered NOT by pajamas but the sleeves of his pjs]The thought brought him a crumb of relief， but mostly an unexpectted tsunami of shame" [too much！ Stick to one metaphoric idea per sentence]"her tiny chia seed eyes squinted" [if they are that small， no one could see them squint -- have you seen the size of a chia seed？]"Soon a carpet of stars would be blinking back at them" （one of those "too many metphors in one sentence" moments again）"one moment they werre drowning in gold， and the next， every ounce of radiance was ripped away" {something you are DROWNING in cannot be RIPPED away！！！]"Tor's mouth became a bowl of dust， barren， his tongue a dried-up sponge" [is she thinking of the DUST BOWL that the USA was in the 1930s？ That's different （and can be barren as that refers to land） than a BOWL of dust -- which cannot be barren！ It's a bowl！]。"Just beyond the threshold， the passageway narrowed to three feet wide。 A path like a tight-rope。" [since when is three feet wide THAT narrow？ why not say one foot at least？ that's harder to walk across]Some readers might not care about this kind of sloppy language; I do。And， unless I missed somethng， the writer forgets what the kids have with them: a compass！ They could use it in the dessert but no， Tor tries to draw lines in the sand with a dagger to help them -- which is useless when wind gets rid of the lines。Authors and editors need to put more time and care into their work。 。。。more
Megan
，
Think of the storyteller not as a writer， but as an explorer。Fast-paced and fun fantasy， with bright strokes of world-building and an enjoyable on-page use of myths & stories。 I don't read Middle Grade fantasy very often （I'm a tough sell re: kids-in-constant-peril， no matter how adventurous said peril is！）， but I liked this。 Think of the storyteller not as a writer， but as an explorer。Fast-paced and fun fantasy， with bright strokes of world-building and an enjoyable on-page use of myths & stories。 I don't read Middle Grade fantasy very often （I'm a tough sell re: kids-in-constant-peril， no matter how adventurous said peril is！）， but I liked this。 。。。more
IT Librarian
，
3。5
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Curse of the Night Witch
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Curse of the Night Witch&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft