Jaunty yet eerie and frightening at the same time. Bloodwitch sucks you in like quicksand in a nightmare and doesn't let go.
How Timandra Whitecastle manages to pack so much in a novella, I have no idea. When I think back on the story, there as many main plot points and events, with the same stakes, as most novels I've read that are five times as long. What starts out as mischievous young people conning folks by using magic in a simple boardwalk game becomes a magic school mystery becomes a terrifying end-times fantasy-horror novel. It's somehow very present and relevant, yet feels very much like a dream. Yeah, I know, but I mean it. Give it a shot. It won't give you nightmares. I promise...