The curse looks so much like that described in the forbidden tales in the adult version of The Book of Cuentos that the kids are convinced it’s from the legendary, probably mythical Night Witch. Either way, in short order the curse has spread to both his best friend, far-seeing and always hungry Engle, as well as to Melda. When a black, blinking eye shows up on his wrist instead and his lifeline shortens to just a week, it’s not immediately clear if it’s because he made a ceremonial wish for a new emblem or because he swam down to a shipwreck rumored to be cursed. There’s also some jealousy of his little sister Rosa, whose singing emblem gives her obvious joy as well as a contribution to the life of the community. Also, as one of the only two kids with leader emblems, he’s stuck in class every day with know-it-all Melda, who is better at all of it than he is. 12-year-old Tor Luna does not like either of his marks – not the purple lines around his wrists that show that he is destined to be a leader like his mother when he’d rather be under the water, and not the smoothness of the lifeline that shows he’s destined for a life of boring predictability.
On Emblem Island, everyone is born with a birthmark that reveals their true talent and a lifeline that shows the course of their lives, though these can change. I still wish that KidLitCon 2020 had happened, where I would have been able to meet Alex!Ĭurse of the Night Witch. As promised, more Latinx middle grade fantasy! Columbian-American debut author Alex Aster delivers a refreshingly new take on the epic fantasy quest, inspired by her abuela’s stories.
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