Third Times the Charm.

Deborah Dowson is a Canaadian children’s librarian in North Wales,
Pennsylvania.

Great Aunt Abadelle has arranged for Sharon and her two cousins, all orphans, to come live with her in a magnificent mansion in Ontario. The kids are soon told that they are the last descendents of a prominent magical family, and that their parents and grandmother died under suspicious circumstances. As the children begin their instruction in the art of magic, they also seek to solve the mystery of who is threatening to destroy their family. With the help of a loyal Imp, and the power that the unity of their magic makes, the children are able to defend themselves against a frightening giant spider and manage to wound their enemy, Natase the Necromancer, before they return safely home.

The ideas for the general themes, plot, characters, and situations in this story are more than a little reminiscent of the Harry Potter books, but are used to considerably less effect. Although the slow unravelling of the plot may keep the young reader enthralled in the mystery and suspense of the story, the unremarkable descriptions, absence of humour, flat dialogue, and lack of depth and personality to the characters result in a mediocre story at best. With the use of so many concepts from the Harry Potter books, it is hard not to judge this book against its obvious inspiration, and to find it seriously lacking. The punctuation omission in the title is unfortunate as well. Not a first choice purchase.