The Legend of the Christmas Witch

Thus begins The Legend of the Christmas Witch, the untold story of Kristtörn, Santa’s long-lost twin sister who just so happens to be a witch.

A long time ago, or so the legend says, there was a pair of infant twins named Kristoffer and Kristtörn who were abandoned in the Black Forest. After being raised by the animals in the forest, the twins start to develop some unique powers. While Kristtörn can talk with animals and make trees and flowers grow, Kristoffer has the power to disappear and reappear at will.

The siblings are inseparable, and, as they grow, so does their bond. Their bond is so strong they think they will never be apart. That is until Kristoffer wanders off in the forest one day and meets the Kringles, a childless Danish couple who are so enthralled with him that they take Kristoffer to their home. Devastated by the loss of her brother, Kristtörn cries for four days straight until she meets a witch named Lutzelfrau who takes her in and raises her as her own.

While growing up with the Kringles, Kristoffer develops a taste for baked goods and carpentry and is taught to work hard and give back to others. His sister, on the other hand, is schooled in the art of witchcraft and lives a wild and carefree life in the forest. While trying to save a rabbit from a hunter one day, she is accused of witchcraft and must flee the only home she has ever known.

After hearing that her brother is living a quiet life in the North amongst elves and reindeer, Kristtörn decides to go out in search of him. She begins her journey on a small boat which eventually capsizes in the ocean, inadvertently landing her in Antarctica. While there, Kristtörn befriends some penguins who take her in and embrace her love of Yuletide or the Winter Solstice. One night, after celebrating Yuletide, Malachi, Lutzelfrau’s trusted raven, descends upon the South Pole with some news. He has found Kristoffer, who now goes by St. Nicholas, and he is beloved around the world for bringing gifts and joy to people on Christmas Eve. Excited by this news, Kristtörn decides to head North once again in search of her brother.

And so, that is why, during every Yuletide season, Kristtörn goes in search of her brother, Santa Claus, determined to reunite with him. As she goes around the world, she, too, leaves gifts in order to catch her brother’s eye. Occasionally, a little child hoping to catch a glimpse of Santa would see Kristtörn instead, and thus the Legend of the Christmas Witch was born. However, where Santa is known as a jolly fellow, Kristtörn is seen as a nasty witch trying to ruin Christmas for everyone.

Over the years, Kristtörn keeps searching for Kristoffer and never finds him. That is until, one night in a piazza in Lucca, Italy, Kristtörn finally catches a glimpse of her long-lost twin brother. As they call to each other, the villagers hear them and surround Kristtörn, wanting to rid their village of the evil witch. Kristoffer tells her to run away and he will find her wherever she goes.

Upon returning to the South Pole, Kristtörn is finally reunited with her brother who keeps his promise. However, he tries to dissuade Kristtörn from following him around the world, arguing that she is safer hidden away in the South Pole. While he has a destiny to fulfill as Santa Claus, Kristtörn is a witch who will never be accepted by the public.

Hurt and upset by what she sees as her brother’s betrayal, Kristtörn decides that she will end this commercialized version of Christmas once and for all. After stomping her feet three times on the ground, the ice she is standing on cracks and swallows up her and her penguin friends. There they lie, frozen and asleep, trapped in an ice palace ever since.

Finally, the story does end with an ominous warning; over the centuries, as the earth continues to warm up and glaciers begin to melt, “…the Christmas Witch’s tomb of ice drip-drip-drips away…”

Gorgeously written, The Legend of the Christmas Witch is a magical new take on the traditional tale of Santa Claus. Murphy and Plaza do a great job in taking a very tried and true story and turning it on its head, breathing new life into a classic tale. However, it is Julia Iredale’s illustrations that really stand out here. They are both fresh and nostalgic at the same time, giving this book a very magical feel. In the end, it is her rich, sumptuous palette that makes you just want to curl up with this book by the fire with a nice cup of hot cocoa.

Destined to become an instant holiday classic, The Legend of the Christmas Witch is highly recommended.