The first book in the Starfell series, Willow Moss and the Lost Day by author Dominique Valente is an enjoyable read with everything you can hope for in a magical fantasy adventure.
Aimed mainly at middle grade tweens, the book is about a young witch named Willow Moss. Unfortunately for Willow, she does not have the same powers or skills that her elder sisters or her mother possess. Thanks to the severely tilted balance of power in the family, Willow feels she does not really get the respect she deserves. The only exception being her Granny Flossy who she absolutely adores.
Willow’s power is basically to find lost objects. This means people across the land of Starfell come to her to find menial things such as lost keys. However, things take a dramatic turn when the most powerful witch in the entire land, Moreg Vaine comes to Willow asking for her help. Moreg Vaine is not just powerful but extremely feared by one and all. Now Willow is asked to find last Tuesday, an entire day that has been lost and with it all recollection of events and happenings of the day.
Young Willow along with her only friend – the monster under her bed Oswin must accompany Moreg Vaine across the land to uncover the mystery and save Starfell from an unknown villain.
As mentioned earlier, Willow Moss and the Lost Day has everything one looks for in a fantasy quest. You have witches of course. Add to that there are monsters, dragons, cults, trolls and other magical creatures. Together it makes a super fun read with characters you will love.
The story never gets too intense or has any crazy plot twists. It’s definitely an easy read with lots of magic to keep you engaged. In fact, it has a feel good factor to it with an important message of – it does not matter what powers you have, what matters is how you choose to use your powers. With many books even for younger audiences getting dark a bit too soon, Willow Moss and the Lost Day maintains its upbeat narrative without losing any depth to its story.
Probably the only thing that kept me wanting a bit more was the main villain. Unfortunately, the antagonist of the story did not make much of an appearance throughout the book and hence there was no real connection with its side of the tale.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, this book is perfect for young readers aged 10+ looking for a fascinating fantasy adventure. I rate this book 4 out of 5 and highly recommend to the tween market.
For the young at heart who do not mind reading children’s fantasy, do keep in mind the age group for whom this book was written. Also do not expect anything too sinister or a tale with crazy twists and turns. If you keep that in mind, older readers will enjoy the book as well. Willow Moss and the Lost Day is a charming book with lots of interesting magical creatures to keep you engaged.
