Rande Goodwin

One to Read: The Witchfinder’s Serpent by Rande Goodwin

History has a nasty habit of repeating itself, and Windsor, Connecticut has a particularly dark past. However, history is the furthest thing from Nate Watson’s mind when he moves into town under the care of his mysterious Aunt Celia, whom he’d never met before his father’s death. As Nate and his brother Marc begin adapting to their new home and school, they aren’t looking for trouble; it just seems to find them. Aunt Celia only show more has one steadfast rule in her house - they must not open the locked door on the second floor. One day, the temptation becomes too great, and the brothers discover the room is full of artifacts and items used in witchcraft. Forced to confront questions about his ancestry when a powerful demonic serpent bracelet chooses him as its new owner, Nate must discover what secrets the town is hiding before an ancient evil comes back with the intent of restarting the terror once ignited during the Salem Witch Trials.

In this delightful blend of young adult fantasy and historical fiction, Goodwin’s writing is both entertaining and educational. The dark, visceral scenes set in the 1600s draw their inspiration from real circumstances involving the hanging of America’s first accused witch, carefully woven with well-researched historical elements. Balancing the reality with a dose of fantasy and fiction, Goodwin sets an equally high stakes adventure brimming with magic in modern times. The clear settings, strong characters, and action-packed plot caught my attention from the first page. I highly recommend this novel to readers who (like me) grew up with series like Mary Pope Osborne’s Magic Tree House or Erica Kirov’s Magickeepers: this story is infused with the flavor of youthful fantasy, but contains a darker undertone paying homage to classic horror tropes and authors such as Stephen King. This is the perfect book to read as autumn begins, and I am so excited to read the next installment in the series! show less

The past and present intermingle in this captivating story of witches and magic. The imagery is vivid, and it felt more like watching a movie than reading a book. It's clear research went into this, and the peeks into the past added depth to the story. The plot is compelling, and you're drawn in from the start. The MCs could easily be people you'd meet on the street, and I'd love to spend an afternoon just chatting with Aunt Celia. If you enjoy YA fantasy, I can't recommend this enough!

This was a great sequel to the Witchfinder's Serpent. I love that this book picks up right where we left off in book one. Nate and his friends were put through the ringer in this book and I honestly cannot tell if there will be another book in this series but I will read it if there is one.
I loved the author's notes at the end of the book explaining that parts of this book were based on real historical events.

Nick Mondelli did a great job narrating the book. Nick kept a great pace with a show more modulated tone. I will look for more of Nick's narrations in the future. show less

A great start to The Witches of Windsor series. Nate and his brother have been through so much in such a short time. I am glad that they have found friends in Windsor and that their aunt let them in on her secret.

I loved the author's information at the end of the book about the research completed to write this book.

Nick Mondelli did a great job narrating this novel and I hope Nick continues narrating the remainder of the series.