The Somewhat Wicked Witch of Brigandale by C. M. Waggoner
Fantasy
Published on March 17, 2026 by Ace

Reviewed by Kate

The Somewhat Wicked Witch of Brigandale is a delightful short novel that plays around with fairytale tropes and manages to weave in commentary about democracy. Billed as cosy, it lives up to that expectation. 

Gretsella, the witch with the reasonable prices, comes home one day to discover a baby on her stoop. She decides to keep him, and she calls her coven together, where they give the baby Bradley magical gifts, including a spectacular right hook. The story proceeds in this manner from there, with some shorter chapters in the middle of other chapters, and a slightly meandering way of dropping hints along the way. Unsurprisingly, Bradley turns out to be the king’s son, and forest animals start following him around when he turns 18, convincing him he needs to take his place as king. He does, and it does not go well (to say the least). So Gretsella leaves Brigandale and goes to save the kingdom. 

Waggoner has a specific sense of humor that I have noticed over her books – I was unable to get into Unnatural Magic, but I enjoyed The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society quite a bit. I recommend reading a sample of The Somewhat Wicked Witch of Brigandale before going in fully – you’ll get a feel for the style and the humor right away, so you can tell if it will be for you. 

For me, the humor and narration really worked. I enjoyed the digressions, and was unable to completely predict exactly how the book was going to end up (which was my experience with The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society as well). Gretsella is not a normal fantasy novel main character, being an older single parent, and I loved her straightforward approach of handling things. The other characters, including her coven and the king’s council she assembles, are quirky and fun, standing out even with their brief time on the page. Bradley turns out to be a very lovable dope and even gets a sweet little romance with one of his knights in the background as well. The setting and worldbuilding are somewhat lacking, but in my opinion the characters more than make up for it, and the lack of a clear sense of place is fairly normal in fairytales.

Overall, The Somewhat Wicked Witch of Brigandale reads quickly, and is a nice little cosy fairytale treat. I would recommend it if you enjoy a tongue in cheek sense of humor or fairytale tropes turn on their head. 

Grade: A-