10/28/2021

The Sprite Sisters: How It All Began - Marina And The Power Of Water by Sheridan Winn

The actual series, The Sprite Sisters, is a fantastic read. This book belongs to the series that is being published after the actual series. In the How-It-All-Began series, the author shows how the four sprite sisters gain their powers and what happens while they learn how to control them. So, if you are curious to discover how it all started, this one is a good opportunity to discover it.

The Sprite Sisters - Marina And The Power Of Water*

by Sheridan Winn
The Sprite Sisters: How It All Began Series #2
Translation Katrin Weingran

Publisher Fischer KJB on March 21, 2018
Genre Children 8+
Pages 200
Format Hardcover
Source Library
Goodreads
✶✶✶✶

It´s her ninth birthday and Marina is thrilled: She can do magic! The power of water is a wonderful gift and Marina can´t wait to finally use it. But then everything is not so easy, because firstly, Marina has to keep her magic a secret, secondly, she has to learn to control it, and thirdly, water is not as harmless as she thought! (Personal translation by ©Vi at Inkvotary).

Story

Marina´s ninth birthday is almost over when she discovers a strange feeling in her fingers. She has no clue what is happening but knows instinctively that something magical is about to happen. Together with her grandmother and her sister Flame she discovers her power of water and has to repair a lot of things she´s damaged while learning how to control her new power.

Style

The soft style and the lovely way how Sheridan Winn describes her figures, the scenes, and how the Cantrip family lives and does things is always wonderful to read. Even when bad things happen, it is nicely age-appropriate written. I really enjoyed reading this novel. This book contains some very hilarious scenes and dialogues, and it was fun to watch Marina how she gained control over her power of water. And yet, I missed something and have to say, that it was not as fantastic as the other books have been.

Characters

The author creates with only a few words her figures and gives the reader a wonderful picture. Marina is getting her power of water in a different way than Flame experienced her big moment. No wonder that Marina does everything while enjoying her birthday to get away from her sister. Oh yes, she loves Flame, but is it really necessary to have her sister literally glued to her feet? The way how Marina gains control over her new power, how she learns to use it, and what she should better not do with it is shown to the reader in a wonderful and nice way.

Conclusion

All in all, I had my reading pleasure with it. Good, it didn´t thrill me as much as the other books were able to but, in the end, I enjoyed my reading time and shared some laughter with the figures. If you are looking for an easy-to-read novel, this could be a good choice for you.

Happy reading

*This book was, at the time this review was published, only available in the German language. Unfortunately, I cannot provide you with a publishing date for the English edition.

Sheridan Winn

Sheridan Winn lives in Norwich, England. She is a freelance journalist and divides her time between freelance work and book writing. When she was six years old, her family moved to a big, rambling house in the country. Littlewood House became the inspiration for Sprite Towers. She worked for The Times, The Guardian and became 2012 a self-publisher when she bought back the rights for her series The Sprite Sisters. The author has two grown-up children and a granddaughter. She has a keen interest in the Arts, film and finds walking in the countryside a good way to think up ideas.

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10/28/2019

Vier Zauberhafte Schwestern Und Ein Wundersames Fest by Sheridan Winn

The Sprite Sisters is a series for all ages. I love the magic and the way how children and adults act together. This book is an anniversary edition and tells the story of Christmas and how problems can be handled with the love and support of a caring family. The setting is set before the actual series begins and after the books where the author tells her readers how it all began. 

Vier Zauberhafte Schwestern Und Ein Wundersames Fest*

by Sheridan Winn

The Sprite Sisters: Anniversary edition

Translation Katrin Weingran

Vignette/ Illustration Franziska Harvey

Publisher Fischer KJB on September 25, 2019

Genre Children 10+

Pages 227

Format Hardcover

Source Publisher 

Goodreads

✶✶✶✶✶  

Four sisters celebrate magical Christmas. On Cantrip Towers, the big Christmas is coming up. Flame, Flora, Marina, and Sky decorate the house with branches from the garden. But in one has hidden a small green goblin. And while everything is decorated festively, the Christmas visit arrives and smells it in the corridors for treats, the goblin sets up a lot of pre-Christmas chaos. Can the sisters stop the naughty gnome? (personal translation by ©Vi at Inkvotary).

Story

The four sisters are looking forward to celebrating Christmas with their family and loved ones. But something is odd. No matter where they look, the red berries from the holly seem to disappear. Some cake is missing and everywhere are crumbs. Something invisible is in the house, Flora can feel it.

Style

The soft, sensitive style of Sheridan Winn, mixed with great humor, some hilarious scenes and even more hilarious dialogues make this novel another great read for her fans. The magic some of the Cantrip sisters already have has to be kept a secret. And with that, some things need to stay hidden and can´t be done in the open. The way how the author lets her figures deal with everything is not only great to read but also shows that love and trust in yourself and others can move mountains.

This book is set before the actual series and it is quite remarkable that the author has not changed her style. Cantrip Towers is as magical as ever, the winter setting beautiful and I could literally smell all the delicious meals they were preparing in the kitchen as well as the warm atmosphere Cantrip Towers has. Sure, it is only a story, but brought to you as if it was for real. Mmmmmh I wish I could have some of the recipes Ottalie the mother of the sisters, was cooking or baking. Some of them made my mouth water while reading through the scenes. 

And I was laughing tears when I read the play Flame had organized. That was one piece of art! I want more *smile*

Characters

The Sprite Sisters are again portrayed in a warm, sensitive and wonderful way. Sky, the youngest is smart as hell and has her very own way of giving her elder sisters and parents a hard time. Because Sky seems to appear out of nowhere most of the time and that way, she gets to hear a lot of things she isn´t supposed to hear or see at all. And with magic in the family, that is not always good.

I loved in this book, how Sky is solving things, how she sees the world and that there is nothing, she won´t discover sooner or later. And when I remember how she started to discover her own magic, in the other books of the series, with this story it all became complete. 

Conclusion

I am so HAPPY that the author has written another book about The Sprite Sisters. In fact, I was very sad when the actual series was done with its tenth volume. And this anniversary edition is just perfect for the upcoming Christmas season. If you are a Sheridan Winn fan or love reading this series, you should definitely go and get it. For me, it was a must-have and must-read. Hopefully, there will be another book of this series sometime soon. Highly recommended.

Happy reading

*This book was, at the time this review was published, only available in the German language. The title was kindly provided to me by Fischer KJB in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you. Therefore, the cover of the German edition is shown first in this review.

Sheridan Winn

Sheridan Winn lives in Norwich, England. She is a freelance journalist and divides her time between freelance work and book writing. When she was six years old, her family moved to a big, rambling house in the country. Littlewood House became the inspiration for Sprite Towers. She worked for The Times, The Guardian and became 2012 a self-publisher when she bought back the rights for her series The Sprite Sisters. The author has two grown-up children and a granddaughter. She has a keen interest in the Arts, film and finds walking in the countryside a good way to think up ideas.

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11/24/2017

Vier Zauberhafte Schwestern Und Die Unsichtbare Gefahr by Sheridan Winn

A wonderful book for children age 9 and up. A few years ago, I stumbled across this beautiful series, with magically created covers at my library. There are silver stars sparkling all over the cover motive and the painting is so sweet and adorable *sigh* If you are looking for a series where love, loyalty and the values of a caring family are held high, then this series is what you are looking for. This series contains adventure, intrigues, passion told in an adorable and soft way, that you feel like home while reading.

Vier Zauberhafte Schwestern Und Die Unsichtbare Gefahr*

by Sheridan Winn
The Sprite Sisters Series #10
Translation Katrin Weingran
Original Title The Sprite Sisters The Power Of Four
Illustration Franziska Harvey
Publisher Fischer KJB on November 23, 2017
Genre Children 9+
Pages 333
Format Hardcover
Source Publisher

Goodreads

✶✶✶✶

It is spring, and the four sisters Flame, Marina, Flora, and Sky should prepare for their exams. But in Cantrip Towers, weird things happen: An invisible intruder sneaks through the corridors trying to steal the magical powers of the family. How should the sisters fight an enemy they do not see? They make a risky plan and go into great danger. Only with combined magic powers can they survive this adventure. (personal translation ©Vi at Inkvotary).

Story

Flame has lost her magical power. There is no tingling in her fingertips anymore and she is kind of desperate. After all those years where she had learned to control her power and sometimes had wished she´d never had gotten it, one moment of fury and everything seems lost. The timing couldn´t be worse. An invisible power seems to reach out to get Cantrip Towers into his hands and with that great danger overshadows the family life of the Cantrips.

Style

I love the soft and melodious tone and writing style the author uses, to tell her story about the Cantrip sisters. Even in the darkest scenes and moments, there is always some hope and warmth to feel. 

Sheridan Winn´s style is easy to read, and yet with some power. And the message is clear: Never lose hope, no matter what happens.

I absolutely love Sheridan Winn´s writing style. How she uses a soft voice to show hate, revenge and all the other dark sides, a human being can have. As a reader, you always know that there will be some sort of happy end. And for children of all ages, this series is simply a great read.

Characters

Nobody is allowed to know about the four sisters´ magical powers. In this book, their parents are getting involved and Ottalie, their mother, must learn a bitter lesson. Her ignorance and disbelieve throw her daughters in a very dangerous position. And there is nothing she can do, to help them. The love of a caring mother is everything. Here that love is on the test bench. The author shows with great sensitivity the conflict Ottalie is in and how she finds a way out. 

Flame is desperate. She doesn´t know if her fury outburst has cost the life of a human. And she doesn´t know if and how she will gain her magic back. Because she and her sisters were never meant to use their magic in fury against others. But that is exactly what Flame has done.

Conclusion

A beautiful, haunting and very thrilling new story about the four Cantrip sisters. Every page shows how it is when a family stands together and does everything to keep each other safe and sound. I absolutely enjoyed this book. 

Happy reading

*This book was kindly provided to me by Fischer KJB in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you. Therefore, the cover of the German edition is shown first in this review. At the time this review was published, the book was only available in the German language. So far, there is no publication date known for an English edition that I could provide you.

Sheridan Winn

Sheridan Winn lives in Norwich, England. She is a freelance journalist and divides her time between freelance work and book writing. When she was six years old, her family moved to a big, rambling house in the country. Littlewood House became the inspiration for Sprite Towers. She worked for The Times, The Guardian and became 2012 a self-publisher when she bought back the rights for her series The Sprite Sisters. The author has two grown-up children and a grand-daughter. She has a keen interest in the Arts, film and finds walking in the countryside a good way to think up ideas.

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7/12/2017

The Sprite Sisters: How It All Began – Flame And The Power Of Fire by Sheridan Winn

This is the prequel series to the Sprite Sister Series in which the siblings defend Cantrip-Towers with their magical powers from harm. How It All Began shows what happens to Flame and how she deals with her awakening power to control fire. Of course, I wanted to know how the story of the Cantrip-sisters began. I read all the books of the original Sprite Sisters Series and yes, those books are for grown-ups as charming and nice to read as they are for children. And the covers of the German editions do look really fantastic and I was fascinated the moment I discovered them at my library.

The Sprite Sisters-Flame And The Power Of Fire*

by Sheridan Winn
The Sprite Sisters: How It All Began Series #1
Translation Katrin Weingran
Publisher Fischer KJB on April 27, 2017
Genre Children 8+
Pages 217
Format Hardcover
Source Publisher
Goodreads
✶✶✶✶

When Flame wakes up on her ninth birthday, she immediately senses: Something is different! Her fingers are tingling, and all-day funny things happen to her. Soon Flame becomes clear: She can conjure! She can light flames with her bare hands as she concentrates. But that is a secret that must be strictly guarded! It´s not that easy if you have three curious little sisters who follow Flame at every step (personal translation by the reviewer).

Story

On her ninth birthday Flame discovers that her fingers are tingling and sometimes they even feel hot. And if that wouldn´t be enough, she can light up the candles on her birthday cake as easy as she is breathing. But why? Thank God, her grandmother is there and talks to her about this new secret in her life. Because one thing is for sure: Her power has to stay a secret.

Style

An invisible narrator tells in a light and soft way the story about Flame and how she starts to discover her magical power. How she, the one who always wants to tell the truth, has no to hide her power from her siblings and how hard that is for her.

Getting your powers is a life-changing thing and not easy if you can only speak with your grandmother about it. Sheridan Winn writes sensitive, and you can feel the love she feels for the place she grew up and that is kind of setting for Cantrip-Towers.

Characters

Four sisters, Flame, Marina, Flora and Sky. Each of them will get another power and together they have to protect their home from harm and the outer world. And each of them is totally different in character and how they see life.

To keep things hidden from others was never something Flame wanted. Being open with her family, the people she loves, her friends or others was always her main priority. Why lie when it only makes things worse? And being patient is for others but not her. So, when she has to learn that she can´t speak to the rest of her family, except her grandmother, about her growing powers, and that she can´t control the fire right away, she is not really happy. But she has no choice but to be patient and to practice whenever she can to get in control.

Conclusion

A nice story about the beginning of the magical powers the Cantrip-sisters have. Charming, beautiful and with the appearance of the lovely grandmother, I´ve missed for a long time.

Happy reading

*I read the German edition new release. At the time this review was written this book was only available in the German language. The title in this review as well as the blurb is a personal translation by the reviewer and doesn´t mean that the English edition will have the same title or contain the same blurb.

Sheridan Winn

Sheridan Winn lives in Norwich, England. She is a freelance journalist and divides her time between freelance work and book writing. When she was six years old, her family moved to a big, rambling house in the country. Littlewood House became the inspiration for Sprite Towers. She worked for The Times, The Guardian and became 2012 a self-publisher when she bought back the rights for her series The Sprite Sisters. The author has two grown-up children and a grand-daughter. She has a keen interest in the Arts, film and finds walking in the countryside a good way to think up ideas.

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12/10/2016

The Sprite Sisters A Wisdom Of Owls by Sheridan Winn

A couple of years ago I found the first four books of this beautiful series at my library and fell in love with their covers. Since then I waited every year for the author to publish a new story about The Sprite Sisters and their magical life at Cantrip Towers. This series is a huge success in Germany and for me, as a grown-up, it is still a pleasure to read them. The love of a family, caring about each other, trust, friendship, loyalty and some family traditions. All those things are very important, if not the most valuable things in the world – especially in our times …

The Sprite Sisters-A Wisdom Of Owls*

by Sheridan Winn
The Sprite Sisters #9
Translation Katrin Weingran
Vignette Franziska Harvey
Publisher Fischer KJB on August 25, 2016
Genre Children 8+
Pages 302
Format Hardcover
Source Publisher

Goodreads

✶✶✶✶

Four sisters against a dark menace. The magical secret of Flame, Marina, Flora and Sky is in danger! Sarah Stringer, the new school secretary tries with every means to make life difficult for the girls and to get behind how their magic works. Sarah receives support from her nephews, the mysterious twins Oliver and Simon. But why do they care about the sisters? Despite the help of unexpected side, Flame, Marina, Flora and Sky get into a mean ambush.

Story

The school´s new secretary is giving the Cantrip sisters a rough time. She seems to feel what they are and tries at every chance she gets to trick them. Danger is in the air whenever the Cantrip sisters have to walk into the office. But why? The girls have done nothing to her and still they feel something is terribly wrong.

Style

I love the way how Sheridan Winn describes the world and daily life the Cantrip sisters are living in and having. Yes, I´ve read them all, and even as a grown-up woman, I am hooked by them. 

The author has a very nice way and writes with lots of warmth about the Cantrip family, their home, animals and how they protect each other. Her language is simple but wonderful and the stories are always very magical, with the right amount of adventure and love. And you should probably know that not all of the family members do have that magical power. Only the sisters know about it and their grandmother. The rest doesn´t believe in it. So whenever their home is in danger, the girls have to do their magic in secret. This brings a beautiful kind of tension into the books and makes you want more. It is quite nice to see how the sisters grow up, how they become teenage girls, what that means to the family and how they have to deal with the fact that they are not allowed to tell anyone outside the family about their magic. 

Characters

For Marina and Flame, the two eldest Cantrip sisters it becomes more and more difficult to hide what they are from their friends. And since they have boyfriends, it is even more, a problem for them.

Sky, the youngest, has to deal with the fact, that her sisters are now going to a different school and that she can only see them during the weekend. Something she doesn´t really like. She is a very smart little girl and has some powers you won´t expect.

Sheridan Winn created some wonderful and very strong characters, along with a warm-hearted grandmother, a mother who denies that magic even exists and a father who does everything for his girls. He always wonders what is going on around him and probably feels that there is more to his girls but the ordinary.

Conclusion

Again a nice book, though I missed the usual charm, wit, and humor a bit the other books had. But nonetheless a wonderful read for little children. 

Happy reading

*At the time of the review, the book was only available in the German language so I can´t provide a UK/US cover.

Sheridan Winn

Sheridan Winn lives in Norwich, England. She is a freelance journalist and divides her time between freelance work and book writing. When she was six years old, her family moved to a big, rambling house in the country. Littlewood House became the inspiration for Sprite Towers. She worked for The Times, The Guardian and became 2012 a self-publisher when she bought back the rights for her series The Sprite Sisters. The author has two grown-up children and a grand-daughter. She has a keen interest in the Arts, film and finds walking in the countryside a good way to think up ideas.

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