Title: The Witches of Winderry Spires
Author: Karen Foxlee
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Allen and Unwin
Published: 29th September 2026
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 352
Price: $24.99
Synopsis: An unforgettable and heartwarming quest fantasy from the award-winning and bestselling author of Dragon Skin and Lenny’s Book of Everything.
No one ever knows what happens to the Clock Tower Girls …
The last thing Lucy Broadmeadow expected was to become the Clock Tower Girl and be sent to live with the witch at faraway Winderry Spires.
But when she arrives the witch is missing, the clock won’t stop chiming and an injured winged wolf-pup appears – all signs that there is a Rift tearing the world apart.
Lucy might not be magical, but she is kind and brave. And she does have the help of her new companions – Sig the water dragon and Mustard the gloomy Pegasus.
Can Lucy and her friends find the witch, save the wolf-pup and heal the Rift before time runs out?
A classic children’s fantasy in a special first edition hardback featuring textured cover, green foil, green and black internals, lush endpapers and green coloured edges.
Perfect for:
– Readers aged 9+ who love stories about talking animals and animal friends
– Parents, teachers and librarians looking for gentle heartwarming fantasy–adventure
– Gift-givers looking for a deluxe hardback to gift a young book lover
– Fans of classic children’s fantasy such as books by Diana Wynne Jones or Judith Rossell
~*~
Karen Foxlee is back with a new middle grade story. This time, with a magical story about witches, magic, talking animals and girls that look after clock Towers. Meet Lucy Broadmeadow, a seemingly ordinary girl living in one of the Kingdoms beneath Winderry Spires. She never expected to become a Clock Tower Girl, especially because nobody ever knows what happens to them when they go away to help the Ticking Witch. Everyone knows about Clock Tower Girls and the Ticking Witch. And now, it’s Lucy’s turn.
Lucy is the first girl in eighty-nine years to be chosen from the South, ever since a girl called Celia was chosen. And as Mrs Shelley tells her before she sets off, no one ever knows what happens to Clock Tower Girls.
But Lucy’s alone when she arrives at Winderry Spires, apart from a Winged Horse called Mustard, a small dragon called Sig, and a missing witch. Oh, and the clock won’t stop chiming, and then an injured wolf-pup appears. Lucy’s task is not going to be easy, especially when she has to make plain cakes all the time and tend to Mustard, who is gloomy and deal with a water-dragon that doesn’t like water. There’s nothing they can do to save the witch in the tower, so they head off on a mission into the clock and towards the Rift to fix things before everything falls apart.
Along the way, they meet all kinds of people like Lady Tuesday, who have tasks for them and want information she can’t give. Lucy’s work at the tower is cut out for her, especially as she never really wanted this and didn’t think she would ever be a Clock Tower Girl. After all, she’s not that magical and most Clock Tower Girls are magical in some way. The book that guides her is a litany of rules on how to be a Clock Tower Girl, with asides from previous Clock Tower Girls.
This is a rollicking fantasy adventure filled with magic, talking animals and a quest that is set to change everything Lucy knows. She’s allowed to be insecure and make mistakes, because let’s face it, nobody is perfect. And she has an awesome ride-or-die crew with Mustard, Sig, Hen and Midnight. They are with her through thick and thin as she tries to find the witch and does what she has to do to save the Kingdoms. Whilst there is a threat moving throughout the book that I was well aware of, there were times it felt like it wasn’t as hectic as I have read in other books.
In fact, I felt like this got a really nice balance of quest, learning and threat throughout the book. Lucy’s anxiety and worries were reflected well, and I think it is a great fantasy that had me wanting to know what happened next without putting everyone in peril all the time. I think this makes it a great read for kids who want a cool fantasy adventure quest without the sense of unease that some fantasy epics have. It’s an utter delight, with moments of levity and serious moments, where there is doubt and unease. Moments where Lucy truly comes through and it is these moments of achievement that shape who she will become. And why she became the Clock Tower Girl, why she was chosen. It all evolves over the book as the knowledge that nobody ever knows what happens to Clock Tower Girls hangs over her.
I did wonder if Sig, Hen and Mustard knew, but of course, even if they did, they can’t tell her. Otherwise there’d be no story, and we need there to be a story. I adored this and hope that readers aged ten and older enjoy it too. It is the perfect story to engage with when you want something different. Something that doesn’t need technology to drive the story, and I find these stories work very well. They have to work harder to engage the reader and that’s exactly what this one does.
Another great Karen Foxlee book for middle grade readers!
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