The Tinker and The Witch A Cozy Fantasy Character Tale, A Book Review
Book cover image from Amazon
A charming, modern fairy tale, The Tinker and The Witch: A Cozy Fantasy Character Tale by G.J. Daily, takes me back to those juvenile fantasies like Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of OZ, The Phantom Tollbooth, and A Wrinkle in Time with its beautiful setting, richly developed characters, and a plot that’s built on themes of chance and destiny.
Andrew, a young tinker, lives in the swamp with his adopted father, Lithuel and does not know about his birth family. A snowstorm at nearby Jatoba puts him in the direct path of Lorna, an eccentric witch. Andrew feels a strange connection to her so he searches for the answers to questions that have surrounded him since infancy.
The Tinker and The Witch is written for a late elementary school age to adult readership. The tropes please readers with gentle character driven fantasies that aren’t about big quests and epic battles. In this case, Andrew’s curiosity about his origins turn this into a personal quest of discovery.
The enchanting setting might be found in any fairy tale, but it offers enough originality to stand out. Andrew and Lithuel live in the swamp surrounded by nature to which they connect in various ways.
Andrew respects his horse, Brylee, and thinks of her as a protector. Lorna uses herbs for healing illnesses and injuries, and predatory creatures live in the swamps where characters encounter and fight against them. Daily explores the motif of nature with unique creativity.
Daily’s imagination captures the milieu of this fantasy world. One of the more delightful examples is the magical creatures that carry the focus of the book. Jatoba is almost entirely populated by Minotaurs and Longbeards which are described as descendants of Dwarves but taller than Humans.
One species is rarely seen in fantasy novels, while the other is an adapted and evolved version of a frequent species.
The Tinker and The Witch has excellent characters rich in development, particularly the eponymous duo of Andrew and Lorna.
Andrew is a bright, intelligent, and loyal young man. He is close to Lithuel and acknowledges him as his real father but there are questions hanging over his head over who he is, where he comes from, and why he seems to be the only human in these lands. Many readers will understand his search for his identity and family history.
Lorna is also fascinating. She is a woman who suffered tremendously in her past and is now a recluse. She is capable of kindness by treating Andrew’s wounds and telepathically communicating with Brynlee but she faces the world’s rejection by living inside her own head.
She shows signs of dementia so some of the most heartbreaking moments are when she momentarily forgets Andrew, with whom she has developed a bond.
Some plot points in The Tinker and The Witch seem coincidental and even contrived, particularly some of the revelations that occur later — but that might be the point. Fairy tales often convey levels of fate and destiny.
A magical guide takes the protagonist down the right path. A task or journey leads them to family, love, or riches. In this case, some hidden magical fate seems to put Andrew in Lorna’s path, leads him to various other people or places that facilitate his next steps, and helps him find the answers that he was looking for.
I was moved by Andrew’s search for identity and Lorna’s struggles in connecting to her past. Their realistic human struggles faced in a unique fantasy setting captivated me while I read, and lingered long after I turned the last page.
Check out our other reviews to find your next favorite read!
- Book Review: A Touch of Light – The Ashes of Avarin, Book 1
- Slaver’s Bane – A Fantasty Novel Review
- Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries – Novel Review
- Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands, a Fantasy Book Review
- Thief Liar Lady, an Adult Fairy Tale Review
- Secrets of Hopelight – Fantasy Fiction Review
- The Six Best Fantasy Books of All Time
Or read some fantasy short stories at the MockingOwl Roost.
- Where Would I Be Without You? – Dark, Comedy Romance Fiction
- Gertrude and Alice Go On Holiday – Light-hearted Fantasy Fiction
- Like Father, Like Son – Urban Fantasy Fiction
- The Fantasy Issue of the MockingOwl Roost – 2024
- Sleeper of R’Lyeh – Special Speculative Fiction Issue
Julie Sara Porter
Julie has a Masters in Library Science from Indiana University.and a BA-English from University of Missouri-St. Louis. She's been a reader her whole life and a Professional Book Reviewer since 2017. She loves to read Fiction — especially Fantasy, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literature, Classics, and Mysteries — and Nonfiction like Biographies, History, Gender Studies, New Age/Spiritualism, and Literary Criticism. Julie lives in De Soto, Missouri. When she's not reading or reviewing, she's watching movies, shows, and YouTube videos; listening to New Age, Classical, and Retro music; writing fanfiction; and searching the Internet for new and interesting information and knowledge.
Find more of her work on the Bookworm Reviews Blog, and follow her on Facebook, LinkedIn, Bluesky, Threads, and Goodreads.
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Image by C.S. Lewis from Amazon
Image by Allison Saft from BookShop
Book cover image from Lanternfish Press