Trapped in Helston's rigid hierarchy, Callie discovers they aren't alone-there's Elowen, the chancellor's brilliant daughter, whose unparalleled power is being stifled Edwyn, Elowen's twin brother, locked in a desperate fight to win his father's approval and Willow, the crown prince who was never meant to be king. When their ex-hero dad is summoned back to the royal capital of Helston to train a hopeless crown prince as war looms, Callie lunges at the opportunity to finally prove themself worthy to Helston's great and powerful.Įxcept the intolerant great and powerful look at Callie and only see girl. Callie has always known exactly what they want to be, and they're not about to let a silly thing like gender rules stand in their way. In a world where girls learn magic and boys train as knights, twelve-year-old nonbinary Callie doesn't fit in anywhere. I am here as Papa's squire, and I want to train as a knight. A thrilling middle-grade series opener that stars a nonbinary tween and explores identity and gender amid sword fights. Among the best of the year-and a debut, no less.In a magical medieval world filled with dragons, shape-shifters, and witches, a twelve-year-old hero will search for their place as an impending war threatens. All in all, it’s a can’t-miss, one-of-a-kind (for now!) page-turner, bursting with heart as it beautifully reorients classic fantasy tropes to center on queer kids (and grown-ups) and their struggles and triumphs.
As a character-driven fantasy, this focus makes the stakes feel incredibly high throughout, and the conflicts cut deep. Despite the medieval setting, Symes-Smith’s fantasy world is built around contemporary attitudes and ideas, so while our exact identity labels may not be present, modern language is used to explore those concepts, making for a more accessible-and fun-adventure. As noted in a foreword, this is a story of adventure and magic but also one of “bigotry and bias.” As such, the pages are crowded with loudly queerphobic antagonists, but hope and courage and progress are depicted in equal measure through a powerful young protagonist with a ton of agency, amounting to an experience that will be a boon to young (and old) readers. While Callie’s father attempts to train the timid Prince Willow (known to most as Will) in combat, Callie goes up against the cruel Chancellor in a fight to change the culture, gain acceptance, and protect their found family. Meanwhile, as a powerful threat rises beyond the city walls, a greater threat is found within, where an aggressively bigoted culture works to squash the nature of its people. After finally finding a supportive home, they get the chance to travel with their aged-hero father to Helston, the royal capital, where Callie hopes to prove themself in the tournament arena. The only thing Callie wants more than to be a knight is to be themself.
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