The Witchlings series has to be one of my favorite middle grade series. And House of Elephants is a fantastic sequel! I love the ways Ortega has advanced the world and kept solidifying the place on my shelf! Keep reading this book review of House of Elephants for my full thoughts.
Summary
Since the end of the Golden Frog Games, a cure for the stone hex victims still hasn’t been found. And Seven and Thorn want nothing more than to find a way to heal their friends.
When the Black Moon Ceremony arrives earlier than expected, Seven and Thorn take it as a chance to welcome any new Spares into their coven. But rather than welcoming a few Spares like they thought — all the witchlings in the ceremony are chosen to enter the Spare coven!
Confused, and with so many new witchlings to look after, Seven and Thorn decide to split Seven will focus on finding a cure for the hex and Thorn will try and figure out why there are so many Spares this year. But the rising number of Spares is met with anger from the Hill Society and unfair rules that ban Spares from using magic! And with Seven’s growing powers she is drawn deeper and deeper into the cursed forest and closer to the monstruos that live there.
Can Seven and Thorn find a cure for the stone hex and stop the Hill Society’s unfair treatment of Spares, for good?
Review
In House of Elephants, Ortega features an amazing sequel in this series which has beautifully grown. Reeling from the survivor guilt from the last book, House of Elephants is about making amends, but also how we confront hatred. It’s about monsters and those who masquerade with power. In this world, we’ve discussed the ‘horrors of being a spare’ and this prejudice, this treatment of Seven and her friends. And how can Seven and her friends, and other Spares, confront the treatment they receive? How do we not allow ourselves, and our feelings, to not harden?
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House of Elephants broadens even more so into a larger world and the history of the Spares. I cannot wait for book four. This is such a special middle grade series about realizing that we can never save our future if we don’t look at the past. If we forget the past and where we came from. It’s incredibly relevant as it discusses the importance of protecting the truth, of honoring the past, and how we can use what happened to more forwards. Like all of the other books, the themes of friendship and the power of community is a constant. Yet another win for this series and middle grade books as a whole! Find House of Elephants on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.