Doomspell Books in Order
Part ofCliff McNish Books in OrderSee the Doomspell books by Cliff McNish in order, with concise summaries, series background, and an easy guide to starting this fantasy trilogy.
Last updated: July 15, 2026
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Doomspell books in publication order
3 books
The Doomspell
by Cliff McNish
2000
Rachel and her younger brother Eric are dragged from their home into the frozen world of Ithrea, ruled by the Witch Dragwena. Rachel discovers a gift for magic, but the Witch wants to turn that power to her own cruel ends.
The Scent of Magic
by Cliff McNish
2001
Rachel and Eric return to a world where children everywhere are discovering magical powers. As the Witches hunt those children to build an army, the siblings race across Earth to find allies before their enemies do.
The Wizard's Promise
by Cliff McNish
2002
Magic has spread among Earth's children, but Rachel knows the Witches will strike back. With Eric beside her, she must face the invasion and travel to Ool, where living mountains, deadly snow, and a new enemy await.
Doomspell books in chronological order
Series background & context
The Doomspell trilogy begins when siblings Rachel and Eric are ripped through the wall of their home and carried into Ithrea, a freezing magical world ruled by the Witch, Dragwena. They are not the first children to be taken there. For years, the Witch has stolen children from Earth, and Rachel and Eric arrive in a world shaped by fear, harsh weather, and powerful spells.
Rachel quickly learns that she has abilities the Witch recognizes and wants to control. She can make spells and change shape, gifts that make her useful to Dragwena but also give her a chance to fight back. Eric has a different power, one that can destroy spells. Together, the brother and sister become central to the struggle between the Witches, their captives, and the Wizards who oppose them.
It starts as a rescue story, then becomes much larger.
In The Doomspell, the focus is on survival in Ithrea and Rachel's discovery of what she can do. The Scent of Magic brings the conflict to Earth, where more children are found to have magical gifts. Rachel and Eric must seek them out while the Witches try to turn those same children into an army. The story moves across countries and into the Arctic, widening the world without losing the sibling bond at its center.
The final book, The Wizard's Promise, raises the stakes again as the Witches' invasion arrives and Rachel and Eric travel to Ool, the Witches' home world. Ool is not a pleasant fantasy kingdom. It is a hostile place of living mountains, dark skies, and snow that is far from harmless. Eric's role grows across the trilogy, making the series as much about two siblings learning to trust their different strengths as it is about magic and monsters.
These are fast-moving middle-grade fantasy adventures with a real edge. The Witches can be cruel, the settings are cold and eerie, and the characters often have to make hard choices. But there is warmth in the friendships Rachel and Eric form, and in the idea that young people can refuse to become what powerful adults expect them to be.
Read the books in publication order: The Doomspell, The Scent of Magic, and The Wizard's Promise. Each volume continues the same conflict, develops the children's powers, and carries the story toward its final confrontation.
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