Wicked Marigold, by Caroline Carlson

Wicked Marigold, by Caroline Carlson (Jyl 2024, Candlewick), is a delightful middle grade fantasy; really my only complaint was that the font was a tad smaller than I'm used to in mg books, and as someone who is getting older but refusing to concede any ground, it meant that I had to wait for a beautiful sunny weekend afternoon to finish it in natural bright light  It was a nice way to spend my afternoon, so no complaints on that score, but still a sad intimation of mortality...

Princess Marigold has spent her life living in the bright and beautiful shadow of her older sister Rosilind, who was a perfect princess, whose laugh made flowers bloom and who was beloved by everyone.  Rosilind was kidnapped before Marigold was born by the evil wizard Torville, and Marigold can't help but feel she's a poor replacement.  When Rosilind escapes, and come home, Marigold can't help but feel exceedingly cantankerous about her perfect sister, oozing sweetness and light all over the place, and her feelings culminate with dumping a bucket of water from her bedroom window over Rosilind.

Clearly it was a wicked thing to do, and full of anger and resentment, Marigold decides that the only option open to her is to embrace her wickedness and head of to Torville's tower, to be his evil apprentice. Torville and his imp Pettifog are less than thrilled when she shows up at their door, but take her in.  And Marigold is taken aback to find a tower that is much more domestic than terrifying.  But a bargain is made--if Marigold can prove she really is wicked, she can stay and learn evil magic; if she's not, Torville (who has had lots of practice doing evil magic) will turn her into a beetle.

Things get complicated when Marigold's efforts at magic go sideways (wizard Torville is sidelined by being turned into a blob which presents many problems for her and Pettifog the imp), and from there things get very tense indeed when all the evil magicians around recognize that Rosilind's remarkable powers of love and kindness threaten their livelihoods.  Marigold and Rosilind must join forces against them, but will this doom Marigold to beetle-hood?  

It is a fun and playful story, with lots of splashes of whimsy; I chuckled considerably!  It's also, underneath the magical shenanigans, a gently thoughtful one about figuring out who one is, which is perfect for the target age range.  I appreciated that Torville, having resisted Rosilind's assertive goodness, remains morally grey at best, and I appreciated that Marigold gets to put her own aptitudes and strength of character to do what Rosilind alone could not have accomplished.

It put me in mind, of course, of Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, but if you are looking for more middle grade reading along these lines, I highly recommend The Evil Wizard Smallbone, by Delia Sherman!