The Midwinter Witch is a graphic novel published in 2019, written and drawn by Molly Ostertag, and serves as the concluding sequel to The Witch Boy and The Hidden Witch.
It's winter, and Ariel has been studying magic with Aster's family, while Charlie and Sedge attend the local junior high school. A reunion festival with the entire magical Vanissen family is approaching, and it'll culminate in contests for the titles of The Midwinter Shifter and The Midwinter Witch.
Aster is interested in entering the competition as a witch, even though his family is skeptical of his recent break in tradition. Ariel is considering entering too, but her emotions about drawing closer to the family are conflicted, particularly when she begins having mysterious dreams, dreams that point her to her blood relatives.
The Midwinter Witch provides examples of: (spoilers for the prior books are unmarked)
- Chekhov's Gag: At the end of The Witch Boy, Charlie asks Aster if witches ride on brooms, to which Aster responds with confusion. At the climax of this book, Isabel uses a tree branch in a manner similar to a flying broom.
- Combat Pragmatist: During the Midwinter Witch race, Ariel competes like this. While Aster outwits his opponents through creative feats of magical skill, Ariel simply waits for him to create a safe path and knock out all the other opponents, then speeds past him when he's nearly won.
- Disqualification-Induced Victory: Invoked. Ariel concedes her victory of the Midwinter Witch competition, causing Aster to win because he was in second place, as she knows the title means much more to him than it does to her.
- Family of Choice: The choice that weighs on Ariel as to whether she should stay with the Vanissens, or take a chance on her unknown aunt.
- Family Theme Naming: Much like the Vanissens with their plant names, the other branches of the family seem to all have their own themes, e.g. stone names (Flint and his sister Mica).
- Gravity Screw: The site where the Midwinter Witch race is held is a chasm where magic has diminished the local gravity. As such, boulders float in it like platforms, and anyone who falls there just floats harmlessly. This turns out handy for Aster and Aster when they fall off of Isabel's grasp.
- It's All About Me: How Isabel Torres regards magic. In her view, the Vanissens are far too meek and charitable about their powers, while Isabel sees no reason why she can't use them to just take whatever she wants.
- Parental Favoritism: Aster accuses his mother of this, when she's discouraging of her son's attempt to compete as a witch but is encouraging towards Ariel to do the same.
- Parents as People: Holly seems to have largely come around on the idea of her son being a witch, but her concern for how their less-understanding relatives might treat him leads her to tell him to not compete in the Jolrun, and is disapproving when he decides to compete anyway. She eventually comes to realize, and admits to Aster, that that wasn't her decision to make.
- Power Parasite: Ariel is being coaxed to join the Vanissens since her birth family the Torres have a reputation for stealing magic. Holly worries that Ariel may end up exploited by them, either used to drain magic or be drained from.
- Psychic Link: Ariel's strengthening magic, thanks to her tutoring by the Vanissens, results in Isabel being able to track her and form a mental connection in dreams.
- Ship Tease: It's implied that Charlie might be developing feelings for Ariel, as she blushes when her dad asks if she's collecting snacks for "trying to impress someone", is Ariel's most loyal supporter, and invites her to the festival's dance. Ariel towards the end even manages to admit that Charlie makes her feel "soft".
- Survivor Guilt: Ariel admits she's been suffering from this ever since Mikasi died to save her.
- Title Drop: No points for guessing.
- Unskilled, but Strong: Since Ariel has never had magical tutoring and had to learn all her spells through trial and error, this is what kind of witch she is. Her first attempt to create a fire creates a roaring blaze, but aimed at the wrong area and burning up a tree.
- Villainous Lineage: Ariel isn't tempted to join Isabel when she sees how selfish and sinister she is. However, after winning the Midwinter Witch race and humiliating Aster, combined with lingering guilt over her Fetch, Ariel fears that it's in her nature to hurt people just like the Torres and resigns herself to joining them.
