Review by Ian Keogh

Anyone saddled with the birth name of Edelweiss Nikola Birch would surely prefer to be known as Edie. A necessity to leave town in a hurry coincides with the arrival of a letter from her recently deceased grandmother, a woman Edie’s never met, offering her the family home in a small Maine town. Paige Hender reveals the complexities of a dysfunctional family efficiently, with Edie having more relatives than she realised, being told she comes from a long line of witches, and indeed may be one herself. It’s a lot to take in for someone who’s cultivated an urban cynical personality.

We soon learn, though, that Edie’s surly character is a protection from insecurity, and that Hender has an unusual way with a story. For a start Hart Creek is a community that celebrates their local witches, and the witches in turn protect the town, which is located in an area where subterranean magic breaches the surface. Edie, though, inherits a great responsibility, and has no ideas on how to continue the family service and meet expectations. The one thing going for her is new friend Leander and his enthusiasm.

Hender’s art is detailed and appealing in showing people who seem real, rather than idealised glamour models. With the tone and shading it resembles European cartooning, perhaps something seen on the Dungeon series, yet it changes considerably just via the application of sepia colour for scenes set in the past. These are strong, disturbing and well plotted to echo Edie’s situation. Also good visually is the house Edie inherits along with its magical properties. Hender’s pulled this from Eastern European fairy tales, but slots it well into the world she creates.

Much about Witch’s Inheritance is very good, but accompanied by some clumsy transitions. The most obvious is mention of table-top gaming later leading to the introduction of Leander’s friends, and in turn to revelation of his own fragility. It’s contrived, and the story would be stronger for Leander being a staunch friend rather than someone whose own problems are thrown in as needing addressed and then ignored. Edie’s situation provides more than enough suspense to turn the pages.

Everything to do with Edie, which is most of the book, has a strength, but it dissipates slightly when the focus shifts. Hender, though, is an inventive storyteller, and follows an individual and unpredictable path in reconciling past and present, and rectifying mistakes. If you want a spooky reading treat for Halloween, this will do nicely.