The magically inept son of a wizard king and the magic-possessing daughter of a warrior queen meet on the wildwood trail of a deadly witch before embarking on an adventure that changes the fabric of their worlds. By the best-selling author of How to Train Your Dragon. Simultaneous eBook. 100,000 first printing. - (Baker & Taylor)

Young wizard prince Xar, who has no magic, and warrior princess Wish, an outcast, team up on an adventure that brings them to witches long believed to be extinct. - (Baker & Taylor)

Wizard prince Xar and warrior princess Wish meet as enemies in the wildwood but join forces despite the prejudices of their parents to fight the bad magic of the witches upon learning of their return. - (Baker & Taylor)

In the first book of a new series by the bestselling author of How to Train Your Dragon, the warring worlds of Wizards and Warriors collide in a thrilling and enchanting adventure.

Once there were Wizards, who were Magic, and Warriors, who were not. But Xar, son of the King of Wizards, can't cast a single spell. And Wish, daughter of the Warrior Queen, has a banned magical object of her own. When they collide in the wildwood, on the trail of a deadly witch, it's the start of a grand adventure that just might change the fabric of their worlds.

With Cressida Cowell's trademark wit, and the same stunning combination of action, adventure, heart, humor, and incredible artwork that made How to Train Your Dragon a beloved bestselling franchise, The Wizards of Once will transport and enchant readers. - (Grand Central Pub)

Cressida Cowell lives in London with her husband, Simon; children Maisie, Clementine, and Alexander; and two cats, Lily and Baloo. In addition to translating Hiccup's memoirs, she has written and illustrated picture books including Hiccup, the Viking Who Was Seasick, Little Bo Peep's Library Book, and That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown. Her website is www.cressidacowell.co.uk. - (Grand Central Pub)

Booklist Reviews

Long before our story starts, a great battle was fought between the Witches, who had bad magic, and the Warriors, who had no magic at all. The Warriors swore to destroy all magic, ignoring the fact that some, like the Wizards' magic, could be good. Now, the Witches have vanished and are presumed extinct by everyone but an incorrigible Wizard boy named Xar. At 13, Xar is a late bloomer—his magic hasn't arrived, and he worries it won't—so he sets off with his cohort of magical creatures, entering Warrior territory to hunt a Witch and steal her magic. Instead, he encounters Wish, the odd daughter of the formidable Warrior queen, accompanied only by her bodyguard and forbidden, enchanted pet spoon. The chance meeting catapults the two born enemies into a world of secrets and an adventure they never saw coming. A cheeky, unidentified narrator sets the tone, and Cowell's trademark chaotic black-and-white illustrations add to the whimsy. This playful, energetic romp is a treat for any reader. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: This series starter is imbued with the same madcap spirit that made How to Train Your Dragon (2004) such a hit; if that's not enough, the six-figure marketing campaign will do the trick. Copyright 2017 Booklist Reviews.

Horn Book Guide Reviews

In this lighthearted fantasy series-opener set in a medieval-like world, the invading Warriors maintain a fierce feud with the indigenous Wizards; both are terrified of the villainous Witches. Two misfits--brash thirteen-year-old Wizard Xar and introspective, similarly aged Warrior Wish--reluctantly join forces to face those Witches, magic, and more. Snarky narration and the spirited commentary in Cowell's scratchy pen-and-ink drawings keep everything moving briskly along. Copyright 2018 Horn Book Guide Reviews.

Horn Book Magazine Reviews

Wizards, Warriors, and Witches populate Cowell's rollicking tale, one in which capital letters indicate Importance and Emphasis (mostly tongue-in-cheek) and a plethora of energetic illustrations keeps the textual excitement high. In a fanciful medieval-like Britain, the invading magic-abhorring Warriors maintain a fierce feud with the indigenous Wizards; both are terrified of the villainous Witches. We first meet the thirteen-year-old Wizard Xar--a brash boy in the vein of Peter Pan or Mowgli--who, tired of waiting for his magic to come in on its own, takes off with his massive entourage of magical creatures to find a Witch who, he is certain, will give him what he needs. Within pages they encounter the introspective Wish, a similarly aged Warrior with a much smaller collection of companions. Having both struggled all their lives as disappointments to their parents and oddities in their communities, the two misfits reluctantly join forces to sort out a variety of Serious Issues involving those Witches, Magic, and More. While there are scary moments, the snarky and occasionally intrusive narrator as well as the spirited commentary in Cresswell's scratchy pen-and-ink drawings have everything briskly moving along so as to keep nightmares at bay. Middle-grade readers with a penchant for lighthearted fantasy are sure to enjoy this series opener and look forward to the next volume. monica edinger Copyright 2017 Horn Book Magazine Reviews.

Kirkus Reviews

A King Enchanter's 13-year-old son and a Warrior Princess wind up together on a humorous journey of self-discovery. Set in a realm where wizards and warriors are at war with one another, this novel is a rollicking adventure tale and coming-of-age story rolled into one enjoyable package. Though from two different worlds, Prince Xar and Princess Wish are united by their mutual misfit status within their respective communities. For Xar, the fact that he cannot perform magic makes him the target of ridicule from his cruel brother and a disappointment to his powerful father, while Wish's inability to conform to the codes of her warrior clan renders her a friendless oddity. A chance meeting in the woods separating their kingdoms brings the teens together on a journey that teaches them the importance of learning to think for themselves. Cowell's latest work offers a fully realized fantasy world abounding with witches, sprites, killer plants, and talking ravens. Her scrappy teenage p rotagonists are wonderfully flawed and almost scarily realistic in their bravery, selfishness, and desire to please their parents yet not surrender their individuality. The omniscient narrator's voice is pitch-perfect, sounding appropriately young without ever talking down to the target audience. Readers will fall in love with the imaginative worldbuilding and humorous dialogue and asides. Cowell's scratchy, smudgy drawings, many full-page, liberally illustrate the text, depicting both Xar and Wish with pale skin. A delightful magical romp. (Fantasy. 9-13) Copyright Kirkus 2017 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly Reviews

In a whimsical fantasy set in a "British Isles so old it did not know it was the British Isles yet," Cowell (the How to Train Your Dragon books) launches a series featuring two feuding societies: the "Wizards, who were Magic" and the "Warriors, who were not." The Warriors are determined to stamp out all magical beings, forcing the Wizards into hiding along with giants, pixies, and other creatures. When 13-year-old Xar, a Wizard without magic, sets out to capture a dreaded Witch (long thought extinct) in order to steal its power, he instead encounters Wish, a Warrior Princess looking for an adventure of her own. Though supposedly enemies, the two become reluctant allies as their escapades bring them into conflict with an actual Witch, as well as their own families. The tongue-in-cheek voice combines with scribbly b&w interior illustrations, rampant use of capitalized words, and an omniscient (and occasionally unreliable) narrator to sustain a sense of wonder and mayhem from start to finish. Cowell skillfully mixes adventure with silliness in a satisfying story for younger fantasy fans. Ages 8–12. Agent: Caroline Walsh, David Higham Associates. (Oct.)

School Library Journal Reviews

In a whimsical fantasy set in a "British Isles so old it did not know it was the British Isles yet," Cowell (the How to Train Your Dragon books) launches a series featuring two feuding societies: the "Wizards, who were Magic" and the "Warriors, who were not." The Warriors are determined to stamp out all magical beings, forcing the Wizards into hiding along with giants, pixies, and other creatures. When 13-year-old Xar, a Wizard without magic, sets out to capture a dreaded Witch (long thought extinct) in order to steal its power, he instead encounters Wish, a Warrior Princess looking for an adventure of her own. Though supposedly enemies, the two become reluctant allies as their escapades bring them into conflict with an actual Witch, as well as their own families. The tongue-in-cheek voice combines with scribbly b&w interior illustrations, rampant use of capitalized words, and an omniscient (and occasionally unreliable) narrator to sustain a sense of wonder and mayhem from start to finish. Cowell skillfully mixes adventure with silliness in a satisfying story for younger fantasy fans. Ages 8–12. Agent: Caroline Walsh, David Higham Associates. (Oct.)