The Somewhat Wicked Witch of Brigandale reads like a fairy tale – always fun, very tongue in cheek, with singing forest animals and a prophesied king who doesn’t understand anything about running a kingdom. The eponymous witch likes to think of herself as being wicked and foreboding, but she’s quite endearing, tossing a bit of grumpiness around before she saves the kingdom or does something thoughtful. She’s a great main character, giving the story its begrudging heart and soul. I found it a joy to read and a solid addition to the adult fairy tale genre.

A Few of My Favorite Things

Bradley, the King Who Can’t King

Fairy tale creatures can find the subject of a prophecy, but should they be trusted when deciding whether or not to run a kingdom? In Bradley’s instance, he starts out excited to find he’s meant to rule the kingdom but quickly discovers it’s a complicated mix of taxation, keeping the rich and the poor happy, and always watching your back for the next coup. He doesn’t understand the humor of a jester and he can’t seem to figure out economics no matter how hard he tries. The whole book is about Gretsella helping him help himself and he really just wants to head back to his small town, take over the hairdressing salon, and marry a nice man. He’s a funny concept for a fairy tale prince, one that felt like a breath of fresh air.

How to Democracy

The latter half of the book is a tongue in cheek look at democracy and how hard it is to convince your royal subjects that it’s okay for them to vote for someone other than their king. Everyone struggles – the first election chooses Bradley by a landslide, the second has initially low turnout because the people aren’t getting paid to be there – and finally the country takes the next step thanks to aggressive jesters who run about town singing their hearts out all day. The whole thing starts as Gretsella trying to start a coup without killing Bradley so he can come home with her, but it ends with bettering the kingdom. 

The Witchiness

I love pretty much every witch book and this one was no different. Being a witch in Gretsella’s world is a mix of magic you’re born with, potions and tinctures, and companionship with other witches. She lives in the woods in a remote cottage that she imagines to be scary but it’s clear no one else agrees. She has her frenemies who get together for baked goods and witchy events, all of whom are endearing in their own ways. There’s a lot of “cursing” but it’s more “you always have to tell the truth” than “you’ll sleep a thousand years like the dead.”