Twice Magic (Wizards of Once Series #2)

by Cressida Cowell

Overview

From the bestselling author of How to Train Your Dragon comes an exciting high-adventure series—set in a magical time, full of Wizards, Warriors, Giants and Sprites.

This was once the story of a young boy Wizard and a young girl Warrior who had been taught since birth to hate each other like poison.

But now, the boy Wizard and girl Warrior have been brought together in the Badwoods and they have witnessed the shocking consequences of the Stone That Takes Away Magic. They will need to cast aside their differences once more—for an Evil Spell has broken free.

It's up to Xar and Wish to find the ingredients. But it means entering dangerous territory unannounced...

Cressida Cowell brings her trademark wit to this spellbinding sequel, along with the stunning artwork and heartfelt adventure that has made her beloved around the world, weaving a story that is sure to transport readers to a world that will enchant and bewitch them.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316508391
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	09/17/2019
Series:	Wizards of Once Series , #2
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	237,048
Product dimensions:	5.55(w) x 8.25(h) x 1.40(d)
Lexile:	930L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Cressida Cowell lives in London with her husband, Simon; children Maisie, Clementine, and Alexander; and two cats, Lily and Baloo. In addition to translating Hiccup's memoirs, she has written and illustrated picture books including Hiccup, the Viking Who Was Seasick, Little Bo Peep's Library Book, and That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown. Her website is www.cressidacowell.co.uk.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for The Wizards of Once:


"A rollicking adventure tale and coming-of-age story rolled into one enjoyable package...Readers will fall in love with the imaginative worldbuilding and humorous dialogue and asides...A delightful magical romp."—Kirkus


"A clever and fresh new series.... Cowell fans will be elated to have a new world to get to know, and they'll welcome the author's familiar writing style and humor."—BCCB


"The tongue-in-cheek voice combines with scribbly b&w interior illustrations...to sustain a sense of wonder and mayhem from start to finish. Cowell skillfully mixes adventure with silliness in a satisfying story."—Publishers Weekly


"Cowell crafts two believable and lovable main characters...A strong new series starter by a best-selling author."—School Library Journal


"The first in a series, this book will delight and engage readers of fantasy both young and old."—School Library Connection


"The first volume of a new series by author and illustrator of the How to Train Your Dragon series is an event....Funny, thoughtful and surprisingly wise and lively, this is another coup from Cowell."—The Sunday Times (UK)


"A new fantasy world fizzing with evil, magic, Iron Age history, laugh-out-loud jokes and a huge cast of memorable characters. Another bestseller is born."—The Daily Mail (UK)


"The detail of Cowell's world is a delight...This one will run and run."—The Observer (UK)


"One of the most eagerly awaited children's books of the year, this magical adventure is also one of the most spellbinding....Enormously entertaining and satisfying, it's narrated and illustrated with tangible energy and verve. The fantasy world and quest-driven plot are a triumph."—The Bookseller (UK)

From the Publisher

Narrator David Tennant returns for this sequel. He gives each character a voice so distinct that this audiobook is comparable to a full-cast production. The wizard Xar practices dark magic—but at what cost? The warrior Wish has innate magical abilities, skills that are unheard of among her people. Xar and Wish set out on a quest to rid their land of witches, an act they believe will fix all their problems. Characters have accents that represent a variety of dialects across the British Isles. Listeners enjoying this audiobook should be warned that booming sound effects sometimes appear, seemingly out of nowhere. More appealing are the few occasions when characters share the songs of their clans. Tennant sings these beautifully. S.P. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

FEBRUARY 2019 - AudioFile

2018-08-14

Into the woods Xar and Wish go again; they have to every now and then….

In this action-packed magical sequel to The Wizards of Once (2017), Cowell returns readers to a fantasy world chock-full of wizards and warriors, distrust, and discord. Following the events of the first novel, Xar, the Enchanter's son, finds himself imprisoned after a self-injection of Witchblood, an attempt to make his own magical powers manifest themselves. On the other side of the kingdom, Wish, the daughter of the Warrior Queen Sychorax, is locked in a magical cupboard, still being ignored by her mother. Desperate to recapture the Kingwitch and halt the infestation of witches in the kingdom, both teenagers break out of their respective prisons and join forces. The tale zips along, aided by the author's humorous dialogue and the antics of returning characters, from Xar's sprightly advisers to Wish's beleaguered bodyguard, Bodkin, and her anthropomorphic Spoon. Magical mischief aside, this is a tale about parent-child relationships and the lengths to which the latter will go to gain the former's respect. Xar's and Wish's parents love them but fail to recognize them as individuals coming into their own. This is a cautionary tale demonstrating the danger of not taking children seriously, and the parental blunders while trying to understand their children feel very real. Both children present white in Cowell's scratchy, smudgy illustrations.

Readers will clamor for more. (Fantasy. 9-13)

Kirkus Reviews