The past and present collide in the fifth fanatical instalment of Isobel’s journey – as she and her best friend and fellow witch Holly go on their first holiday alone to Lancashire. They have decided to spend a few weeks at the infamous Pendle Hill, known to be home to witches and witch trials, a few centuries ago. This instalment is a fresh, tranquil yet twisting series of events for the Spiton witches, as a simple holiday turns into a magical race against time, to save Pendle Hill and it’s ancient magical forces.
On arrival to their holiday location, Isobel and Holly run into Professor Ronald Hatton, a famous historian who appears to have re discovered Mallon Tower. A tower that unknown to the three of them; can act as a magical portal to a world of witchcraft, and surrounded by centuries old feuds.
This originates from Old Demdike, a woman who made a living from luring on the fears and superstitions of the village, and against her adversary Old Chattox, a devious scaremonger. The two witchy cones and their families feuded for years until Judge Nowell arrested Demdike, imprisoning her in Lancaster Castle in 1612. Her daughter Elizabeth held a meeting in secret, planning to free her mother but attendees were accused of wanting to blow up Lancaster Castle and were hung for witchcraft without a trial.
There is a stark contrast between the teenage Isobel and Holly in Pendle Hill, compared to the young inexperienced witches they were in the ‘Serpent of Anata’. The girls characters have gone through quite the development in the last five books as the magical battles they must face get darker, dramatic and more difficult as they gradually become more capable, gifted and mature witches who are ready for the magic beyond sleepy old Spiton.
Let’s not forget to mention the family secret of Isobel’s that’s been left veiled in mystery but the lore of Pendle Hill may aid in revealing these untold truths to Isobel and her friend, as the climatic tension builds as it falls to the young witches to close the portray to save generations of witches from destruction, and to save the nearby residents of the Hill, who have no idea about the dangers lurking around them.
The White Witch and the Curse of Pendle Hill is an intriguing continuation of the older darker tone of series, as Isobel and Holly grow into the flawed heroines that are relatable to readers, they don’t pretend to be perfect but they work together to do what they feel is right, in face of the varying consequences and benefits of the magical freedom and maturity they must come to terms with, as they’re on their own for this one.
You can purchase the The White Witch of Spiton and the Curse of Pendle Hill and the rest of the books in the series, on Amazon; here:
The White Witch and the Serpent of Anata
The White Witch and the Book of Dreams
The White Witch and the Stones of Destiny
The White Witch and the Goddess of the Moon
the girl and the city of books 
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