Victoria Stitch: Dark and Sparkling

Victoria Stitch #3

by Harriet Muncaster

The third entry in a glittering, gothic middle-grade series from the bestselling author of Isadora Moon books. Victoria Stitch will stop at nothing in her quest for power . . . It had been so long since Victoria Stitch had done anything dangerous . . . And she would need dangerous and forbidden magic for an adventure like this . . .' Victoria Stitch is finally Queen of Wiskling Wood, along with her sister Celestine. She is also proud aunt to Princess Minnie Stitch-diamond baby and next in line to the throne. When old enemies resurface and kidnap Minnie, Victoria Stitch is intent on revenge. It's time for her to ride again and remind these Wisklings that Victoria Stitch is undeniable, incredible, and almost certainly unstoppable.

Victoria Stitch is a glamorous, glittering, wiskling - a miniature-sized fairy-like creature - and the series is perfect for fans of Tim Burton, Disney's Descendants , and The School for Good and Evil.

272 pages, Paperback

Published April 4, 2024

About the author

Harriet Muncaster studied illustration at Norwich University College of the Arts before going on to get an MA in children’s book illustration at the Cambridge School of Art. In creating the art for her first book for children, she was thrilled to have found a good outlet for her lifelong fascination with miniatures. She lives in Hertfordshire, England.

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of the first two Victoria Stitch books and eagerly anticipated the newest, saving it to read close to Halloween (not that there's anything Halloween-themed in the book, but I like my Halloweens only slightly dark and mostly sparkling so it's a good time of year for it). I must regretfully admit that I was slightly disappointed in the story. I still adore the writing style, but the pacing seemed a bit uneven and I felt the plot could have been more robust. Still, the illustrations are still simply marvelous and I'll award an extra star for them. I do think Victoria Stitch fans will enjoy reading this, it just wasn't *quite* as magical as the first two for me.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book because it was a good turn, off to see Victor stitches old anime, and to see little mini stitch and how much Victoria stitch loves mini

[Tim Roast · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Victoria Stitch: Dark and Sparkling" is the third tale about the "spiky and gothic queen" Victoria Stitch. It is self-contained and you don't need to have read the other two to follow it, although characters from those books do reappear.

Victoria Stitch "could never have imagined how perfectly her life would turn out. From having almost nothing, she now had everything she had ever wanted: her sister Celestine by her side, baby Minnie, and, of course, the throne - even if she had to share it with her twin sister."

They were "two Queens. Moonlight and sunshine... Dark and light. Bitter and sweet."

But one day their "tiny wiskling princess, born from a royal diamond", princess Minnie who "made Victoria Stitch's heart feel big and glowing" is kidnapped. "They stole the Book of Wiskling too. The most powerful book in the whole wood. It has every wiskling spell in it, including some really dark ones!"

It is up to Victoria Stitch to get Minnie back on an adventure full of magic and danger.

The story is well written, a good read and accompanied by a plentiful supply of nice black-and-white illustrations along the way.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Marysbookword · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lo compre porque me gusto la sinopsis sin darme cuenta de que era el tercer libro. Afortunadamente me resumió sutilmente los dos anteriores, tan bien que me lo leí en un día.

Esta bien para niños, no es memorable ya que no soy su principal público, pero me entretuvo mucho.

Irónicamente lo estaba leyendo al lado de mi sobrino pequeño.

[Ithzel Fernández · Rating 5 out of 5]

el mejor

Este libro es muy padre porque todas las noches antes dormir escuchaba su historia y era la mejor parte del día. Atte AnaSofia 6 años

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing continuation of the Victoria Stitch story, exploring more of the world of Wisklings. Harriet Muncaster is a family favourite.

[Nessi K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buenísimo✨💜

[Kirsty Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the atmosphere, exciting pace and detail of this book! I immediately read it again when I finished, wanting to go straight back into the miniature world of Wisklings. The tension between Victoria Stitch and her sister is so believable as well as her struggle with her former friend, Ursuline. Victoria Stitch’s character propels the story; she is a heroine with a realistic ‘flaw’ which many readers will relate to… and realize that sometimes a ‘flaw’, or an unusual passion that no one else seems to understand, can be an asset in life. Highly recommend this series for kids age 9-12.

[Kitchen Sink Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s impossible to do anything other than love Victoria Stitch. After all, have you ever seen a witch with a rose instead of sticks on the end of her broomstick? No, I haven’t either and I think it is a fantastic idea, plus it is purple which may happen to be my favourite colour! So, maybe there were some things that drew me to this book, nothing wrong with that at all. Be guided by those feelings when you look at books too, they are seldom wrong and can lead to the most wonderful discoveries, such as Victoria Stitch Dark and Sparkling the third Victoria Stitch title from Harriet Muncaster. As well as the rose and the colours there are plenty of other aspects of this book I love. There is, of course, the wonderful story (more to come on that below), then there are the illustrations. Full page, part page, overlapping pages, they are glorious in their bold black and white which leaves so much to the reader’s imagination. Plus, make sure to pay close attention to all the different crowns, one for each new chapter, a fitting addition to this story of not just Victoria Stitch but Queen Victoria Stitch…

Yes, you read that correctly. Victoria Stitch is now the Queen of Wiskling Wood, with her sister Celestine. Then there is the newest addition to the family, her niece, Princess Minnie Stitch (I love the pun) who is a diamond baby and next in line to the throne. This makes her vulnerable, it seems there are some old enemies who have decided now is the time to resurface, to kidnap Minnie. Victoria Stitch will not let any harm come to her niece and she is out for and intent on revenge. She is going to take to her broomstick and ride again. She is going to show the Wisklings that she is their Queen, she is Victoria Stitch, and she is incredible, unstoppable and undeniably incredible. Hold tight to your broomsticks for this is going to be a very exciting ride! There are magical images galore, there is a feisty heroine who loves to be at the heart of the action and there is plenty of fun too. For readers who love a touch of fantasy, want to be introduced to some gothic darkness and love their heroines funky, tough and yet full of glitter and sparkles, this is going to be your new go-to book and series.