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Witchlings #3
House of Elephants
From New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Claribel A. The third bookin the spellbinding Witchlings series!
It's been months since the end of the Golden Frog Games, and a cure for the hex that turned young witches to stone still hasn't been found. Seven and Thorn want nothing more than to find a way to heal their friends, but everything they try ends in failure.
When the Black Moon Ceremony arrives earlier than expected, Seven and Thorn take it as a chance to welcome any new Spares into their coven. But rather than welcoming a few Spares like they thought, all the witchlings in the ceremony are chosen to enter the Spare coven!
The new Spares are met with anger from the Hill Society. They create more unfair laws that ban Spares from using magic and being equals in Twelve Towns society! On top of all that, Spares start disappearing. And no one seems to care.
As Seven and Thorn struggle to find a cure for the stone hex and to stop the Twelve Town's unfair treatment of Spares once and for all, they discover a piece of hidden history that will change everything-if they can get anyone to listen to them.
It's been months since the end of the Golden Frog Games, and a cure for the hex that turned young witches to stone still hasn't been found. Seven and Thorn want nothing more than to find a way to heal their friends, but everything they try ends in failure.
When the Black Moon Ceremony arrives earlier than expected, Seven and Thorn take it as a chance to welcome any new Spares into their coven. But rather than welcoming a few Spares like they thought, all the witchlings in the ceremony are chosen to enter the Spare coven!
The new Spares are met with anger from the Hill Society. They create more unfair laws that ban Spares from using magic and being equals in Twelve Towns society! On top of all that, Spares start disappearing. And no one seems to care.
As Seven and Thorn struggle to find a cure for the stone hex and to stop the Twelve Town's unfair treatment of Spares once and for all, they discover a piece of hidden history that will change everything-if they can get anyone to listen to them.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2024
55 people are currently reading
754 people want to read
About the author
Claribel A. Ortega
20 books945 followersNew York Times Bestselling and award-winning author, Claribel A. Ortega is a former reporter who writes middle-grade and young adult fantasy inspired by her Dominican heritage. When she's not busy turning her obsession with eighties pop culture, magic, and video games into books, she’s co-hosting her podcast Bad Author Book Club. Claribel is a Marvel contributor and has been featured on Buzzfeed, Bustle, Good Morning America and Deadline.
Claribel’s NYT Bestselling debut middle grade novel Ghost Squad is being made into a feature film. Her latest book Witchlings (Scholastic) was an Instant NYT and #1 Indie Bestseller. Her graphic novel Frizzy with Rose Bousamra is out now from First Second and was an Indie Bestseller. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram and Tiktok @Claribel_Ortega and on her website at claribelortega.com.
Claribel’s NYT Bestselling debut middle grade novel Ghost Squad is being made into a feature film. Her latest book Witchlings (Scholastic) was an Instant NYT and #1 Indie Bestseller. Her graphic novel Frizzy with Rose Bousamra is out now from First Second and was an Indie Bestseller. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram and Tiktok @Claribel_Ortega and on her website at claribelortega.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
November 5, 2024
MANY THOUGHTS. But to start:
1) I am continually amazed by how this series can examine and put its young characters through the different, complex emotions I would expect them to, but still stick to a simplified/distinctly juvenile style.
2) SYBELL I AM YOUR BIGGEST FAN😭🫶they were AWESOME in the last act but ugh. What happened to them made me SEETHE! but fiinneee we need another major conflict for the fourth book
3) I was iffy on just how much buildup there was, but it paid off with *that* moment (I mean, Valley’s on the cover. That’s already a spoiler). However, the sheer number of plot points that couldn’t be wrapped up or addressed until then made the pacing a mess. Doesn’t help that each chapter seems to end on an action or a cliffhanger.
4) So many plot points happened in this book. A good number of them are wrapped up by the end but, dear god.
I will put up the rest of my thoughts later. I will say that although this is a very flawed installment, I adored the continuations of all the main characters (Seven was always a favorite and that still remains the case), and this brought back some of the magic I was missing in “Golden Frog Games”.
1) I am continually amazed by how this series can examine and put its young characters through the different, complex emotions I would expect them to, but still stick to a simplified/distinctly juvenile style.
2) SYBELL I AM YOUR BIGGEST FAN😭🫶they were AWESOME in the last act but ugh. What happened to them made me SEETHE! but fiinneee we need another major conflict for the fourth book
3) I was iffy on just how much buildup there was, but it paid off with *that* moment (I mean, Valley’s on the cover. That’s already a spoiler). However, the sheer number of plot points that couldn’t be wrapped up or addressed until then made the pacing a mess. Doesn’t help that each chapter seems to end on an action or a cliffhanger.
4) So many plot points happened in this book. A good number of them are wrapped up by the end but, dear god.
I will put up the rest of my thoughts later. I will say that although this is a very flawed installment, I adored the continuations of all the main characters (Seven was always a favorite and that still remains the case), and this brought back some of the magic I was missing in “Golden Frog Games”.
November 10, 2024
WHEN I TELL YOU I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS SERIES.
I AM JUST SO IN LOVE WITH THIS WORLD AND CHARACTERS. THE WORLD BUILDING, THE WRITING, EVERYTHING
If you want a series to get OBSESSED with this is one for you. It has so much to love about it. So many amazing things!!!
I could talk about these books for hours
Like Claribel Ortega i just want to talk.....you know what you did
buddy reading this with my best friend made it all better as well
I AM JUST SO IN LOVE WITH THIS WORLD AND CHARACTERS. THE WORLD BUILDING, THE WRITING, EVERYTHING
If you want a series to get OBSESSED with this is one for you. It has so much to love about it. So many amazing things!!!
I could talk about these books for hours
Like Claribel Ortega i just want to talk.....you know what you did
buddy reading this with my best friend made it all better as well
October 29, 2024
For starters, let me be honest, I’m biased. I enjoy just about any story about witches. This series’ inclusivity, representation, and heart make it an automatic 5-star for me. I will always support a non-binary author that writes for middle grade readers. They are an underserved demographic, and the values this compelling story conveys are important for young readers. The dialogue feels like authentic 13-year olds, but there’s also elements of civil disobedience, censorship, racial equality, and queer rights for older readers appreciate.
July 10, 2024
I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Surprising absolutely no one, I absolutely adored this book. The characters are like my children now and I cried.
This entire series is absolute perfection and I love it with all my heart. It can be so frogging silly but, also, sometimes so serious and it talks about so many captivating subjects.
I just love everything about it and if Claribel keep writing those in ten years, I'll be forty and reading this incredible series.
I could not recommend this more and I can't wait for more by this amazing author.
Surprising absolutely no one, I absolutely adored this book. The characters are like my children now and I cried.
This entire series is absolute perfection and I love it with all my heart. It can be so frogging silly but, also, sometimes so serious and it talks about so many captivating subjects.
I just love everything about it and if Claribel keep writing those in ten years, I'll be forty and reading this incredible series.
I could not recommend this more and I can't wait for more by this amazing author.
January 3, 2025
Absolutely no complaints!
The characters picked up right where they left off and had not un-realistic character traits. The ending was great! With a “sad/bad” ending and a happy epilogue to follow the book! It was wrapped up perfectly!
This book always has me guessing who is behind everything and why their behind everything! I can never tell with this book who is ⓐⓒⓣⓤⓐⓛⓨ behind everything! I thought several characters were good until they were definitely not!
These books are NOT predictable, super entertaining, and deserve sooo much more attention! Be sure to check this series out!
The characters picked up right where they left off and had not un-realistic character traits. The ending was great! With a “sad/bad” ending and a happy epilogue to follow the book! It was wrapped up perfectly!
This book always has me guessing who is behind everything and why their behind everything! I can never tell with this book who is ⓐⓒⓣⓤⓐⓛⓨ behind everything! I thought several characters were good until they were definitely not!
These books are NOT predictable, super entertaining, and deserve sooo much more attention! Be sure to check this series out!
October 14, 2024
3.5✨
This a series that I love but this was my least favorite book in the series so far. My biggest issue is I could not picture some of the scenes/magic action scenes. I felt that there needed to be more detail and it needed to be fleshed out a lot more. There were some repetitive moments that totally could have been edited out. I will continue with the series because I love the witchlings.
This a series that I love but this was my least favorite book in the series so far. My biggest issue is I could not picture some of the scenes/magic action scenes. I felt that there needed to be more detail and it needed to be fleshed out a lot more. There were some repetitive moments that totally could have been edited out. I will continue with the series because I love the witchlings.
November 16, 2024
I'm not okay??
I love that the author went there but I'm also all kinds of not okay and in pain about it.
This book was EVERYTHING. It was a harder one to stomach, because of the themes and because of the insane treatment these CHILDREN have to deal with from adults who just hate them because they are a Spare. I just want to protect them all from all this.
The twists and turns where insane actually.
Once again I didn't see any of this coming.
Have I mentioned that this one hurt me. A LOT?!
I love that the author went there but I'm also all kinds of not okay and in pain about it.
This book was EVERYTHING. It was a harder one to stomach, because of the themes and because of the insane treatment these CHILDREN have to deal with from adults who just hate them because they are a Spare. I just want to protect them all from all this.
The twists and turns where insane actually.
Once again I didn't see any of this coming.
Have I mentioned that this one hurt me. A LOT?!
November 1, 2024
This book made me feel the whole spectrum of feelings! It was so engaging and easy to get lost in. The relationship between the Seven, Thorn, and Valley only grows stronger with each book. Their relationship shows how important it is to be honest and accept help when needed. The antagonist was surprising but also kinda not (I was suspicious of him in the 2nd book) and there was a scene that absolutely gutted me. I cannot wait to get my hands on the rest of this series!
October 22, 2024
Uhm, I need the next book immediately! Also, Claribel levels up with each book in this series. I love Seven, Thorn, and Valley so much. The friendship, the family dynamics, and the mystery! And the way the story keeps building on things presented in earlier books, umph, so stinkin’ good!
Want to read
January 18, 2024The way I’ve never been more grateful for a spoilery cover
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2024
Love this series! My fave middle grade recent fantasy series.
February 15, 2025
i really enjoyed reading this book.
February 25, 2025
The various ways in which life intimates art and vice versue is truly not funny. And yet here we are
September 16, 2025
2.5 stars
Seven and Thorn are trying to find a magical cure for one of their friends who has been hexed. They begin to realize that the answers lie in the past history of all the Spares in the Twelve Towns. If they can uncover the secrets of the past, they will be able to restore the magical balance and save their friend from the hex.
I love the magical adventure and mystery in this book! There's a great magic system and interesting world-building. I really liked that the witches' world has a distant past that must be reckoned with. You really get a sense of the depth of the history behind their laws and the way their everyday lives are ordered.
I especially enjoyed the exploration of deep themes about belonging, courage, family love, friendship, and justice for every person in their world.
I loved the humorous writing style in this book! Despite the serious subject material, the writing is funny and light-hearted. There is a great balance in the pacing as well, and it all comes together for some excellent story-telling!
However, there were a few places that I felt like the writing could have been better. It was just a little cheesy in some scenes, so that was slightly annoying since I've come to expect a much better writing style in this series.
The plot is exciting and there is a lot of suspense and mystery, mixed in with quieter moments for the characters.
There are quite a lot of LGBTQ characters in this third book of the series. Valley is in a lesbian dating relationship. Poppy is a minor character who has two moms. And we see the same lesbian couple from the first book again as well. We also see a couple of scenes with the drag queen from the second book.
The best part of this book was the exploration of family. There are several characters that are rejected or abused by their blood family, and they find a new family with their friends, their neighbors, and new adoptive parents. This theme is explored with several different situations, and it is so heartwarming to see these characters finding love and acceptance and healing from their past trauma.
To see sensitive content in this book, check it out on the Screen It First website! https://screenitfirst.com/book/house-...
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
Seven and Thorn are trying to find a magical cure for one of their friends who has been hexed. They begin to realize that the answers lie in the past history of all the Spares in the Twelve Towns. If they can uncover the secrets of the past, they will be able to restore the magical balance and save their friend from the hex.
I love the magical adventure and mystery in this book! There's a great magic system and interesting world-building. I really liked that the witches' world has a distant past that must be reckoned with. You really get a sense of the depth of the history behind their laws and the way their everyday lives are ordered.
I especially enjoyed the exploration of deep themes about belonging, courage, family love, friendship, and justice for every person in their world.
I loved the humorous writing style in this book! Despite the serious subject material, the writing is funny and light-hearted. There is a great balance in the pacing as well, and it all comes together for some excellent story-telling!
However, there were a few places that I felt like the writing could have been better. It was just a little cheesy in some scenes, so that was slightly annoying since I've come to expect a much better writing style in this series.
The plot is exciting and there is a lot of suspense and mystery, mixed in with quieter moments for the characters.
There are quite a lot of LGBTQ characters in this third book of the series. Valley is in a lesbian dating relationship. Poppy is a minor character who has two moms. And we see the same lesbian couple from the first book again as well. We also see a couple of scenes with the drag queen from the second book.
The best part of this book was the exploration of family. There are several characters that are rejected or abused by their blood family, and they find a new family with their friends, their neighbors, and new adoptive parents. This theme is explored with several different situations, and it is so heartwarming to see these characters finding love and acceptance and healing from their past trauma.
To see sensitive content in this book, check it out on the Screen It First website! https://screenitfirst.com/book/house-...
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
January 30, 2025
4.5 stars
What a great continuation of this series! It picks up right where the last one leaves off. Valley has been turned into stone and no one knows the cure. New laws are created to stop spares from having as many rights as others. And now, at the new Black Moon Ceremony, ALL the witches become spares. Then, large groups of spares start going missing. Seven and Thorn need to figure out how to free Valley, but they also want to figure out why their fellow spares are going missing.
This book had a lot to do with "lesser" groups of people being mistreated which I think mirrors the current real life situation well. Even if people support these lesser groups, it doesn't matter if the richer and more powerful people don't. They are used as servants and nothing can be done. There is a real undercurrent of hope, and even when plans get ruined and things start to go south again, there is still that thread of hope that will pull us through.
The friendship between Seven, Thorn and Valley really grows in this book. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses and they compliment each other well. I love how supportive their parents are (except Valley's dad, ew). I love a good parent role model (or role models), especially in a middle grade book.
The plot was really interesting. It went in a way that I didn't expect, but I loved. I don't want to give anything away, but I really enjoyed my time with it. It was pretty fast paced and I was 100% engaged the whole time.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was great. While she was an adult, she had a childish tone to her voice that really made it sound like Seven was narrating.
I didn't know if this series would be a trilogy, but with that ending it better not be! I can't wait to see how the Witchlings thwart the new evil that has arisen!
What a great continuation of this series! It picks up right where the last one leaves off. Valley has been turned into stone and no one knows the cure. New laws are created to stop spares from having as many rights as others. And now, at the new Black Moon Ceremony, ALL the witches become spares. Then, large groups of spares start going missing. Seven and Thorn need to figure out how to free Valley, but they also want to figure out why their fellow spares are going missing.
This book had a lot to do with "lesser" groups of people being mistreated which I think mirrors the current real life situation well. Even if people support these lesser groups, it doesn't matter if the richer and more powerful people don't. They are used as servants and nothing can be done. There is a real undercurrent of hope, and even when plans get ruined and things start to go south again, there is still that thread of hope that will pull us through.
The friendship between Seven, Thorn and Valley really grows in this book. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses and they compliment each other well. I love how supportive their parents are (except Valley's dad, ew). I love a good parent role model (or role models), especially in a middle grade book.
The plot was really interesting. It went in a way that I didn't expect, but I loved. I don't want to give anything away, but I really enjoyed my time with it. It was pretty fast paced and I was 100% engaged the whole time.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was great. While she was an adult, she had a childish tone to her voice that really made it sound like Seven was narrating.
I didn't know if this series would be a trilogy, but with that ending it better not be! I can't wait to see how the Witchlings thwart the new evil that has arisen!
October 3, 2024
Book 3 in The Witchlings series by CO out this week!
🐘
Since we left the Witchlings their friends are frozen after the Golden Frog Games and Seven and Thorn are desperately trying to find a way to save them. When the Black Moon Ceremony arrives earlier than expected, all the witches there get sorted into the Spare coven. Now Seven and Spare have a bunch of witches to keep track of, while many members of other covens are angry at Spares and are treating them as less-than. Seven’s powers are growing, but even so, will it be enough to find the stone hex cure and stop Spare hate once and for all?
🐘
I just love these MG books Instead of pushing HP on the children, share this series with them! It’s full of magic, great lessons and adorable & strong characters. Thanks @scholastic for the ARC. This title is out now!
CW: prejudice, parental abandonment, neglect
🐘
Since we left the Witchlings their friends are frozen after the Golden Frog Games and Seven and Thorn are desperately trying to find a way to save them. When the Black Moon Ceremony arrives earlier than expected, all the witches there get sorted into the Spare coven. Now Seven and Spare have a bunch of witches to keep track of, while many members of other covens are angry at Spares and are treating them as less-than. Seven’s powers are growing, but even so, will it be enough to find the stone hex cure and stop Spare hate once and for all?
🐘
I just love these MG books Instead of pushing HP on the children, share this series with them! It’s full of magic, great lessons and adorable & strong characters. Thanks @scholastic for the ARC. This title is out now!
CW: prejudice, parental abandonment, neglect
October 9, 2024
I absolutely love this series! The characters are adorable, it's full of magic and many great lessons! House of Elephants gives us more history of the Twelve Towns and gives more depth to the characters and after the last book's cliffhanger I couldn't wait to read this one and it sure didn't disappoint! I hope there will be many more books to come! Thank you Rockstar Book Tours, Claribel A. Ortega and Scholastic Books for sharing this book with me!
October 29, 2024
4.75
Cover 5; Characters 5; Plot 4; Pace 5; Engagement 5; Worldbuilding 5; Readability 4; Theme 5; Enjoyment 5; Emote*
Once again Claribel has made me weep. This series is so dang good y'all! If you want magic and friendship and bravery and taking down the government with the power of love, this series is for you!
Cover 5; Characters 5; Plot 4; Pace 5; Engagement 5; Worldbuilding 5; Readability 4; Theme 5; Enjoyment 5; Emote*
Once again Claribel has made me weep. This series is so dang good y'all! If you want magic and friendship and bravery and taking down the government with the power of love, this series is for you!
December 31, 2024
So good!! I think this is my favourite book in the series so far. The characters were all so cool and amazing, and their development was great! The plot twists definitely kept me guessing, and I read the book quicker than most. So excited for the fourth book!
November 11, 2024
Justice for the system. 🥀
October 7, 2025
I do enjoy this series.
July 19, 2025
This book has such a big plot twist and I love it so much! This is 100% recommend for younger audiences because older people might find it childish.
July 4, 2025
“we must always shout the truth, so that the lies do not become the only sound”
December 31, 2024
Title: House Of Elephants
Author: Claribel A. Ortega
Synopsis: Since the end of the Golden Frog Games, a cure for the stone hex victims still hasn't been found. And Seven and Thorn want nothing more than to find a way to heal their friends.
When the Black Moon Ceremony arrives earlier than expected, Seven and Thorn take it as a chance to welcome any new Spares into their coven. But rather than welcoming a few Spares like they thought -- all the witchlings in the ceremony are chosen to enter the Spare coven!
Confused, and with so many new witchlings to look after, Seven and Thorn decide to split Seven will focus on finding a cure for the hex and Thorn will try and figure out why there are so many Spares this year. But the rising number of Spares is met with anger from the Hill Society and unfair rules that ban Spares from using magic! And with Seven's growing powers she is drawn deeper and deeper into the cursed forest and closer to the monstruos that live there.
Can Seven and Thorn find a cure for the stone hex and stop the Hill Society's unfair treatment of Spares, for good?
Review: I genuinely can’t name a single issue with this series! I love how the author puts the characters through difficult and complex problems! This world is such a delight! The characters feel like real young girls! The inclusivity, censorship, and queer rights! Which I know many people go through is so important for young children to read about it! That cliff hanger left me upset and I absolutely need the next book!
Author: Claribel A. Ortega
Synopsis: Since the end of the Golden Frog Games, a cure for the stone hex victims still hasn't been found. And Seven and Thorn want nothing more than to find a way to heal their friends.
When the Black Moon Ceremony arrives earlier than expected, Seven and Thorn take it as a chance to welcome any new Spares into their coven. But rather than welcoming a few Spares like they thought -- all the witchlings in the ceremony are chosen to enter the Spare coven!
Confused, and with so many new witchlings to look after, Seven and Thorn decide to split Seven will focus on finding a cure for the hex and Thorn will try and figure out why there are so many Spares this year. But the rising number of Spares is met with anger from the Hill Society and unfair rules that ban Spares from using magic! And with Seven's growing powers she is drawn deeper and deeper into the cursed forest and closer to the monstruos that live there.
Can Seven and Thorn find a cure for the stone hex and stop the Hill Society's unfair treatment of Spares, for good?
Review: I genuinely can’t name a single issue with this series! I love how the author puts the characters through difficult and complex problems! This world is such a delight! The characters feel like real young girls! The inclusivity, censorship, and queer rights! Which I know many people go through is so important for young children to read about it! That cliff hanger left me upset and I absolutely need the next book!
August 23, 2025
Disclaimer: One of the central plot points of this book concerns one of the main characters, but writing a review about this book without referring to that plot would be impossible, which is why I put this entire review in one spoiler.
Knowledge, history, friendship above all...
After a slightly less fine Book 2, House of Elephants ups the stakes once more. It's over 400 pages long, and I am very happy to say that Valley is destonified about halfway through, which means that we still see a lot of her. I was very afraid that it would take Seven and Thorn the entire book to save her. Glad that Ortega herself wanted her to come back earlier as well! You can already see it on the cover that she will be fine in the end, of course, but it's always the question which scene is being played out and when that scene occurs... Also, don't you just love Thorn's longer hair and pink streak? It's great!
It's very clear how the author keeps on expanding the Witchlings world. I love all the new words she has added - such as 'toadally', made me laugh -, the spells (sometimes several lines in Spanish now), the new towns that we visit and the so-called witching hour train.
Most importantly, though, House of Elephants deals with the history of the Twelve Towns and the Spares. The first half of the book is used to set the stage, to hand over all the questions the main characters come across, and then - mostly after Valley is back among us - they start getting answers. Whenever a book's synopsis starts mentioning things like 'secrets that have long been buried and forgotten', as is the case here, I always start frowning because those synopses do have a way of painting a better picture than what happens in the actual story. But that is definitely not the case here. There are, indeed, a couple of enormous secrets infused in the backstory of the Twelve Towns and the Spares in particular. Without giving too much away: It has something to do with the title of the book. It only gets explained very late, in the final quarter of the book, and I was only beginning to have my suspicions just a couple of chapters earlier. Turns out that some things have, indeed, been buried deep and forgotten for a very long time...
Some of the questions we've been asking ourselves since The Golden Frog Games are now resolved. Even though House of Elephants starts off relatively slow, a lot happens afterwards. The final quarter of the book is just one big blast of action, thrills, exhilaration and plot twists that made my mouth drop open time and again. I never saw coming who was behind all that was going on and going wrong. A masterful execution.
The old, familiar characters are all back, and although I was afraid at first that more attention would be redirected towards Seven and Figgs and their vague romance (which doesn't interest me in the slightest) all of that falls back into the background when things get serious as the book goes on. Seven makes some good decisions, Thorn and Valley have both developed into well-rounded characters as well... This is some kind of witchy Holy Trinity! Unstoppable, brave, you name it, they're it.
It was also nice seeing some more of Sybell, the Oracle, who up to now remained something of a mystery and too vague. In this book, they become an actual part of the story and play a key role in it, which I loved as well.
Some new characters appear, too, although none of them really stood out. But there are already so many great people around that it didn't bother me in the slightest - not everyone can be amazing. From the older characters, Beefy is almost entirely out of the picture, which was also a plus if you ask me, because he wasn't very relevant anyway.
As House of Elephants comes to an end, it's clear that the Twelve Towns in general and Ravenskill in particular have seen the most fundamental change in their way of life of the past centuries. The Spares, their abilities, their histories and so on have shaken up the town and its inhabitants. With two more books coming up, I can't wait to see what else is still going to happen.
9.3/10
Knowledge, history, friendship above all...
After a slightly less fine Book 2, House of Elephants ups the stakes once more. It's over 400 pages long, and I am very happy to say that Valley is destonified about halfway through, which means that we still see a lot of her. I was very afraid that it would take Seven and Thorn the entire book to save her. Glad that Ortega herself wanted her to come back earlier as well! You can already see it on the cover that she will be fine in the end, of course, but it's always the question which scene is being played out and when that scene occurs... Also, don't you just love Thorn's longer hair and pink streak? It's great!
It's very clear how the author keeps on expanding the Witchlings world. I love all the new words she has added - such as 'toadally', made me laugh -, the spells (sometimes several lines in Spanish now), the new towns that we visit and the so-called witching hour train.
Most importantly, though, House of Elephants deals with the history of the Twelve Towns and the Spares. The first half of the book is used to set the stage, to hand over all the questions the main characters come across, and then - mostly after Valley is back among us - they start getting answers. Whenever a book's synopsis starts mentioning things like 'secrets that have long been buried and forgotten', as is the case here, I always start frowning because those synopses do have a way of painting a better picture than what happens in the actual story. But that is definitely not the case here. There are, indeed, a couple of enormous secrets infused in the backstory of the Twelve Towns and the Spares in particular. Without giving too much away: It has something to do with the title of the book. It only gets explained very late, in the final quarter of the book, and I was only beginning to have my suspicions just a couple of chapters earlier. Turns out that some things have, indeed, been buried deep and forgotten for a very long time...
Some of the questions we've been asking ourselves since The Golden Frog Games are now resolved. Even though House of Elephants starts off relatively slow, a lot happens afterwards. The final quarter of the book is just one big blast of action, thrills, exhilaration and plot twists that made my mouth drop open time and again. I never saw coming who was behind all that was going on and going wrong. A masterful execution.
The old, familiar characters are all back, and although I was afraid at first that more attention would be redirected towards Seven and Figgs and their vague romance (which doesn't interest me in the slightest) all of that falls back into the background when things get serious as the book goes on. Seven makes some good decisions, Thorn and Valley have both developed into well-rounded characters as well... This is some kind of witchy Holy Trinity! Unstoppable, brave, you name it, they're it.
It was also nice seeing some more of Sybell, the Oracle, who up to now remained something of a mystery and too vague. In this book, they become an actual part of the story and play a key role in it, which I loved as well.
Some new characters appear, too, although none of them really stood out. But there are already so many great people around that it didn't bother me in the slightest - not everyone can be amazing. From the older characters, Beefy is almost entirely out of the picture, which was also a plus if you ask me, because he wasn't very relevant anyway.
As House of Elephants comes to an end, it's clear that the Twelve Towns in general and Ravenskill in particular have seen the most fundamental change in their way of life of the past centuries. The Spares, their abilities, their histories and so on have shaken up the town and its inhabitants. With two more books coming up, I can't wait to see what else is still going to happen.
9.3/10
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2025
I enjoyed this one more than the second installment. I love the friendship between the main characters; that's the main reason I enjoy these books so much. Each installment gets darker and sadder than the one before; this one deals a lot with discrimination, and it’s definitely a heavier read. But I appreciated that it was handled in a way that still feels appropriate for younger readers. The bad guy and the direction the story took really surprised me, so many interesting revelations and twists.
My main issue with this book is that the pacing felt uneven throughout. Also, I’m not sure why, but I was convinced this was the final book in the series, so I was really surprised when a new conflict picked up at the end. It felt like the story could’ve wrapped up there, and the twist felt a bit unnecessary, if I’m honest. But I’m not going to complain too much, I'm just excited we’re getting another book in this world.
March 5, 2025
I probably won't be reading further in this series. I loved the first book, enjoyed the second, but, maybe it's because it too perfectly mirrors what's happening now, it's too frustrating to read. I love the world-building and the friendships but the plot is falling a little short on reasonability. There were a lot of moments in this one that seemed too unrealistic or simplistic and pulled me out of the story.
March 31, 2025
Such a good series! Twists and turns and friendship galore :)
December 27, 2024
With each failed attempt to cure the effects of stone hex, Seven is becoming increasingly worried that they will not find the cure in time. Plus, the prejudice toward Spares is at an all-time high, and the Hill Society is trying to take away every last right Spares have. Just when Seven’s life couldn’t get any crazier, the Black Moon Ceremony throws everyone through a whole new loop: all of this year’s witchlings are Spares! Something crazy is happening with magic, and a whole bunch of people are trying to blame all Spares!
I have been absolutely loving this series. I was so excited to get my hands on this book, but unfortunately, the first half suffered pacing issues because there were so many open plot points. While I loved the book, it really felt like two books got squished together and published as a single book. It’s great for me because I feel like I just read two books in the series back to back, but I don’t know if everyone’s going to love that.
The second half of the book was excellent, but it was so fast paced and worked to wrap up so many open plot points that I honestly thought this was the final book. I was like, oh. I guess this is a trilogy! As I got closer to the end, it became clear that this was NOT the final book. I’m so happy that this is not the end!
That said, phew. My poor emotions! This book was heavier than the previous ones as the prejudices against Spares reached new heights in the past and present. There were a lot of revelations that were just crazy while still making perfect sense to the story. While it feels like there were two books jammed into a single book with some pacing issues, it was still an excellent read. The epilogue has me BEYOND excited for the next book, so count me in for book four!
I have been absolutely loving this series. I was so excited to get my hands on this book, but unfortunately, the first half suffered pacing issues because there were so many open plot points. While I loved the book, it really felt like two books got squished together and published as a single book. It’s great for me because I feel like I just read two books in the series back to back, but I don’t know if everyone’s going to love that.
The second half of the book was excellent, but it was so fast paced and worked to wrap up so many open plot points that I honestly thought this was the final book. I was like, oh. I guess this is a trilogy! As I got closer to the end, it became clear that this was NOT the final book. I’m so happy that this is not the end!
That said, phew. My poor emotions! This book was heavier than the previous ones as the prejudices against Spares reached new heights in the past and present. There were a lot of revelations that were just crazy while still making perfect sense to the story. While it feels like there were two books jammed into a single book with some pacing issues, it was still an excellent read. The epilogue has me BEYOND excited for the next book, so count me in for book four!
November 9, 2025
I found this series at the beginning of the year, had the hardest time getting hold of this book, and so had to put it on hold. After many to buy suggestion papers had been submitted to the local libraries (it was closer to begging if I'm being honest by the time June had arrived) it finally showed up on Friday and I managed to snag it. Its technically not due back until next Tuesday but I have reading plans in motion due to a new big release this week, but didn't want to miss out on this so I binged this book hard. As its the third book in the series there are a lot of spoilers but I'll just say that the book takes off a few weeks after the events of the ending in book 2. It takes quite some time for the consequences to get somewhat fixed and even then there a great load of changes along the way. Its not until close to the middle that we even get a hint as to what the House of Elephants is but when we do, the ramifications are huge and make a certain amount of sense. When things end however things are done extremely well and just chef's kiss perfect place to end the story. That being said the fourth book was published in I think it was September, and I'm definitely going to want to read it. I might be able to get ahold of it sometime in December as that is my slowest reading month but wouldn't be surprised if I don't get around to it before January. This series continues to be a fun delight and I would highly recommend it.
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