"Brignull's The Hawkweed Prophecy is a deft exploration of friendship, sacrifice, and betrayal. I can't decide who I love more, the sweet and trusting Ember or the spunky, dark Poppy. You can't help but cheer for both girls, and ache when they are pitted against one another. I was completely absorbed in the sinister, complicated world of magic and witches. The coven is described so confidently and beautifully, it's hard to emerge from the novelw ithout wondering if these women are operating somewhere just below the surface of our world. Full of romance, heart, and suspense, readers will find themselves staying up all night just to spend a little more time with Ember and Poppy."
—Madeleine Roux, author of the Asylum series
"Wildly delightful."
—Laini Taylor, author of The Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy
"Irena Brignull's The Hawkweed Prophecy is a book of wicked, beautiful magic. Compulsively readable and delightfully gritty, one does not mess with these Hawkweed witches."
—Kendare Blake, author of Anna Dressed in Blood, and Three Dark Crowns
"Wise, weird, a touch evil and totally charming, Irena Brignull's tale of magic in our time is as rich and complicated as sisterhood. From the first page, I felt drawn into a modern classic."
—Anna Godbersen, author of The Luxe, and Bright Young Things series
"I loved this book! Irena has created such a beautiful complete world-our world, and nestled within it, a simmering world of magic. The Hawkweed Prophecy has everything: friendship, desire, delicious earthy magic, secrets and spells, and at its centre, the wonderful young Poppy, on a journey of self-discovery."
—Karen Foxlee, author of Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy, and A Most Magical Girl
"The Hawkweed Prophecy was bewitching from the get-go. Irena Brignull does an amazing job weaving a tale of pure magic in this debut novel. She'll have you on a roller coaster of emotions from the very first page. Get ready to be spellbound."—Paige McKenzie, author of The Haunting of Sunshine Girl series
"Brignull develops story and characters slowly, long, luxurious sentences balancing the magic and the mundane expertly and building the world of the witches by showing how out of place Ember is in it. Tension builds inexorably to the inevitable witch showdown, which brings small victories but not a happily-ever-after for all. The third-person narration switches focus from character to character as they make frustrating, heart-rending, totally believable choices. Fantasy and nonfantasy readers alike will appreciate this gritty and intriguing coming-of-age story."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Brignull...debuts with an instantly engrossing novel...It's a fantasy with the air of a classic, yet one that's also entirely contemporary in its tight focus on identity, friendship, and romance. Ages 12-up."
—Publisher's Weekly Starred Review
"For fans of mysticism and witches, this is a must-buy."
—School Library Journal
"Witchy, soulful, vibrant, mysterious."—Rachel Ashworth Writes
2016-06-22
Poppy and Ember, switched at birth, discover the truth and each other in this coming-of-age fantasy.Poppy Hooper has always been different. Though raised by humans, the dark-haired white girl with different-colored eyes is a witch, switched at birth by her power-hungry aunt. Meanwhile, secluded in a forest, Ember Hawkweed—Poppy's counterpart—has been raised by witches. The blonde white girl's something of an anti-witch: "soft and weak," failing at witchy things and preferring aesthetic pleasures. Conversely, Poppy unintentionally performs extraordinary feats of magic (to often problematic effect). When Poppy's father moves them across the country, Poppy and Ember meet, precipitating an intense, immediate bond that deepens as Poppy introduces Ember to the modern world, sharing music and gossip magazines. Soon thereafter Poppy encounters Leo, a beautiful, olive-skinned homeless boy, and mutual sparks fly. These new relationships are tested when Poppy brings Leo to meet Ember, who falls for him (the first boy she's seen) straightaway. Brignull develops story and characters slowly, long, luxurious sentences balancing the magic and the mundane expertly and building the world of the witches by showing how out of place Ember is in it. Tension builds inexorably to the inevitable witch showdown, which brings small victories but not a happily-ever-after for all. The third-person narration switches focus from character to character as they make frustrating, heart-rending, totally believable choices. Fantasy and nonfantasy readers alike will appreciate this gritty and intriguing coming-of-age story. (Fantasy. 14 & up)
