The Witch's Guide to Magical Combat

Spellchasers #3

by Lari Don

Molly's shape-shifting curse is getting stronger and more unpredictable. Becoming a hare she could cope with. At least she could run... fast. But now she's turning into the prey of any predator she hears. Life's pretty dangerous if you become a worm whenever you hear a bird tweet.
As Molly and her friends search for a stone that can curb the Promise Keeper's powers, and each one of them must face their own monster, Molly is forced to is she prepared to use dark magic to break her curse? Will she become a witch and enter into magical combat? And if she does, will she lose the friendships she most cares about?
In this third and final thrilling instalment of the breathtaking Spellchasers trilogy the team faces a blizzard of powerful threats. Can they bring balance to the magical world, defeat the creatures that pursue them and finally break Molly's curse? Or will darkness triumph over friendship?

274 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 17, 2017

About the author

I'm a children's writer based in Scotland, and most of my fiction is inspired by the Scottish landscape and local legends. I love writing fantasy adventures for 8-12 year olds, including the Fabled Beast Chronicles and the Spellchasers trilogy, but I also love creating stories for other age groups.
I've gone darker and more dangerous in my YA thriller MindBlind.
And I've worked with amazing illustrators on picture books, including a retelling of the Scottish tale of the kelpie, The Secret of the Kelpie, with gorgeous pictures by Philip Longson, and a new fable about Nessie, The Treasure of the Loch Ness Monster, with fabulous artwork by Nataša Ilinčić.
I've written collections of myths and legends, including heroine tales from all over the world in Girls Goddesses & Giants, and Scottish tales in Breaking the Spell and Viking saga tales in The Dragon's Hoard, both illustrated by the wonderful Cate James.
I'm passionate about sharing old stories, creating new ones, and inspiring new young readers and writers. And I'm writing more adventures and retelling more myths, right now!
But I'm also reading... I read a lot of non-fiction, because a lot of my fictional ideas are inspired by folklore and history. I also read a lot of children’s fiction, because kids get all the best stories! And sometimes I remember how old I am, and read books for adults.
I also love discussing books, and answering queries about my books and stories, so please do get in touch. You can chat to me here on Goodreads, or through my own website, http://www.laridon.co.uk, or find me on Twitter @LariDonWriter, Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/laridonwriter, or Instagram: laridonwriter Have fun reading!

Reviews

[Christina Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoo-hoo! I finally finished a trilogy ( I have problems with this because of not wanting a series to be over!)
The Witch's Guide to Magical Combat tied the story up nicely, while still leaving open some possibilities for the reader's imagination to continue the story.
I would recommend this trilogy for age 8+, anyone who is a fan of fantasy or folklore or anyone looking for a MG series set in the U.K.
Lots of questions about friendship, loyalty and the responsibility to make good decisions when it is easy not to!

[Thalia S. A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely sequel to the first of Spellchasers by Lari Don.

The Witch's Guide to Magical Combat finished the story nicely, with a small cliffhanger, leaving possibilities to continue the story. Lots of friendship, mystery and creative creatures in this second book.

Will be looking out for the next book in the Spellchasers series, and in the meantime, I recommend you try the first!

[Electro Space Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

much better than the other books i slightly forgot the second book so it made it harder to read

[Frog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very satisfying end to the series

[RHTQ1 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as the other two.The ending feels cheap and pointless. The last 2 books have pushed the fact that magic isn't good or evil, and depends on what you do with the power. They give plenty of examples. But by this book's end, Molly is still convinced that using spells would be evil. (Despite the spells of her magical friends and their good witch mentor being good). Beth, in particular, is infuriating, with her insistence on not using 'dark' magic. Non-dark magic being only natural magic like hers, or things she was taught, and nothing Molly can learn (despite her birthright) is truly acceptable. Not even the spells Beth herself had to learn. Even once Molly's curse is gone, and her magic is seemingly as natural as a human could ever have, it's something to 'put up with'. Beth even encourages their witch mentor to keep using good spells, yet Molly decides not to even consider other (nonviolent) forms of magic in part because of Beth's disapproval.


Not to mention, the titular book that helped convince Molly that witches are "evil," "The Witch's Guild to Magical Combat," was on the same dang shelf as "The Liar's Guide to Promises" and "The Musician's Guide to Silence." Imma have to privately hope another book was planned, one where Molly learns some magic, but it was cancelled.