Review: Vanishings: The Wythic Wood Mysteries Series, Book One – Catharina Steel

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

For fans of Amanda Foody and Debbie Watson comes a magical adventure story about an twelve-year-old girl who will do anything to help a friend—but could use a lesson or two in looking before she leaps.

Tilly’s friend Michael disappeared from Wythic Wood a year ago, and he’s still missing. Convince...

For fans of Amanda Foody and Debbie Watson comes a magical adventure story about an twelve-year-old girl who will do anything to help a friend—but could use a lesson or two in looking before she leaps.

Tilly’s friend Michael disappeared from Wythic Wood a year ago, and he’s still missing. Convinced that no one’s searching for him, Tilly convinces her gran to allow her to spend the summer with Opa, their family’s magical teacher and wizard, at his home in Clayton Forest—which just so happens to be right next to Wythic Wood.

In Clayton Forest, alongside her twin cousins, Jess and Zach, Tilly meets magical beings like fairies and gnomes, gets lessons in potion-making and a goblin style of martial arts called Gobight fighting, and starts to understand her own magic better. But none of this excitement distracts her from her real goal, and with Jess and Zach at her side, she soon embarks on a perilous journey to uncover the truth about Michael’s vanishing. But as usual, impulsive Tilly doesn’t exactly think ahead—and she and her cousins soon find themselves hunted by the Witch of Wythic Wood and the creatures under her command.

An enchanting escapade perfect for fans of Percy Jackson and The Wingfeather Saga, Vanishings is a tale of friendship and teamwork in a realm where magic can be wielded for both good and evil purposes.

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Vanishings is a beautifully layered fantasy that offers more than just a magical adventure—it’s a story about loyalty, self-discovery, and the power of believing in something bigger than yourself. Catharina Steel’s writing is vivid and inviting, with a magical world that feels both exciting and dangerous in all the right ways. The friendships are genuine, the stakes feel real, and the emotional undercurrent gives the story weight without losing its charm.

It’s the kind of book that reminds you why young readers fall in love with fantasy in the first place—and why adults never really grow out of it.

Reviewed by: Orsayor

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