School Library Journal
08/12/2022
Gr 3–5—The saga of Santa's twin Kristtörn, the Christmas Witch, continues in this second installment of Plaza and Murphy's fairy tale-esque narrative. When Kristtörn wakes after centuries buried deep in ice, she discovers a world she doesn't recognize. Christmas has been co-opted by a cold and sterile conglomerate known as the Kringle Corporation. Meanwhile, in a faraway household, a young girl named Poppy argues with her family that Santa is a fraud, and that her father's awful company—the abovementioned Kringle—has ruined Christmas. While Kristtörn searches for her brother, Poppy searches for meaning in the holiday. Their stories intertwine after Poppy observes Kristtörn in the woods and begins to leave her gifts. Inspired by the witch's mysticism, Poppy seeks to learn more about Santa and Christmas from her grandmother and discovers the Christmas Witch's legend. Kristtörn finds her brother, and an epic sibling conflict ensues. Santa didn't sell out Christmas; he felt forgotten in the commercialization of the holiday. This story is positively labyrinthine, switching in and out of mystical dreams and "reality." The illustrations are colorful and evoke early European fairy tales; while they match the story in theme, overall they feel pedestrian. VERDICT The length and complexity of the text, combined with a meandering plot, will require older readers with a deep well of patience. Recommended for libraries only where the first book was wildly popular with patrons.—Jennifer Noonan
Kirkus Reviews
2022-08-17
Author Murphy and actor Plaza’s follow-up to The Legend of the Christmas Witch (2021) sees the titular character entering the modern world.
After hundreds of years sleeping in ice, Kristtörn, the Christmas Witch and the sister of Santa Claus, awakens to find she is alone and has lost her magical powers. After walking through a blizzard, she is welcomed indoors by a worker at Kringle Headquarters, a corporation that has replaced Santa Claus. While the Christmas Witch finds a spot to sleep in the woods, a girl named Poppy causes a ruckus at home, ridiculing her brother for believing in Santa. When Poppy discovers Kristtörn in the nearby woods, she leaves food and clothing for her, and Kristtörn leaves her gifts from the natural world in return. But as Kristtörn discovers more upsetting realities of the modern era and recovers her magic, she blames her brother for abandoning Christmas and decides to seek vengeance, making everyone pay. Santa arrives barely in time to stem the tide of his sister’s violent rage and save Christmas. This tale’s commentary on the commercialization of holidays is overshadowed by the destructive woman’s rage, leaving readers to decipher layered messages about capitalism and anger; those unfamiliar with the first book will have an especially hard time doing so. Iredale’s illustrations have a classic fairy-tale feel, with tones of white, brown, and forest green. Kristtörn and Santa are light-skinned; Poppy is tan-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Strictly for fans of the character’s first outing. (Picture book. 5-10)
