Eva Evergreen and the Cursed Witch is the sequel to Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch by Julie Abe, and is the second book in the duology.
[Look out--there are spoilers for the first book!]
Eva Evergreen, Novice Witch, has finally found the source of the Culling--a mysterious and powerful magic storm which sweeps through Rivelle Realm every year and wreaks destruction in its wake. Ever since it began, all the realm's magic-users have been searching for its source, and how to stop it. No one ever would have expected it came from Grand Master Hayato Grottel's tower, the leader of the Council of Witches and Wizards.
Eva thinks that discovering this will end the Culling for good, but when Grottel escapes, everything goes wrong. The Culling begins striking with increasing frequency, and the efforts of the country's best witches and wizards are barely working as they attempt to reach Grottel's tower. Eva finally gets placed in the group trying to penetrate the tower--and what she discovers there will change everything.
Eva Evergreen and the Cursed Witch continues the fun, quirky narrative of Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch to a satisfying series conclusion. Eva remains a realistic, awesome character who is determined to save her friends and family as much as the whole realm, and in this way, her fight to save Rivelle Realm always feels personal and close to home. I recommend the Eva Evergreen series to readers ages nine and up who like lighthearted, engrossing fantasy stories which feel driven by character as much as plot.