A review by tasharobinson
Castle Hangnail by Ursula Vernon

4.0

This book is just straight-up adorable. Diana Wynne Jones fans jonesing (I see what I did there) for a new book from her should pick this one up — it reminds me so much of her screwball books with big casts of witches and wizards, and there's one element that's particularly similar to her Charmed Life. That said, Ursula Vernon has a talent for funny turns of phrase that's more similar to Terry Pratchett's, and her usual focus on practicality and kindness over Vast Magickal Power (and on a fondness for oddball creatures and gardening knowledge) is like no one else's. I've been keeping up on her kids' books out of curiosity because I'm such a fan of her art and of her books for adults, published under the name T. Kingfisher. This one comes closest to her adult writing, but it's also accessible and kid-friendly, and it gives 12-year-old girls a great role model in the protagonist, who's smart and sweet and ambitious.