“This is a story about magic and fantasy. It is equally a tale of bigotry and bias […] The enemies that Callie and their friends face are not just dragons and witches but queerphobia, child abuse, and the generational trauma that comes from a society determined to suppress the very elements that make us shine the brightest.” – Author’s Note

“Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston” by Esme Symes-Smith is a thrilling new middle-grade Fantasy read that will have fans of Percy Jackson, Amari and the Night Brothers, Skandar and the Unicorn Thief, and more on the edge of their seats!

Following the story of Callie — a 12 year old kid who has always dreamed of being a knight — we learn about the Western Realm of Wyndebreal, a world where dragons, monsters, knights, and magic are all real. Running the Kingdom from the capital of Helston; the people of Wyndebreal value their brave young men who are knights and their poised and polite young girls who practice magic. Callie however, blurs the lines. Born with magic but not identifying as a girl, Callie struggles to find acceptance and support in their journey of becoming a knight. While their dads love and accept them for who they are and want to encourage their knighthood – they still hide them away from the capital of Helston. Callie feels like the Helston’s Knight Champion Tournament is the perfect place to prove to everyone that you don’t need to be a boy to be a courageous knight like their father is.

When Callie’s dad is called back to Helston to help train the hopeless young Prince Willow, Callie jumps at the opportunity to go and train as his squire. However, upon arriving in Helston, Callie learns this dreamland is not what it should be. People refuse to call Callie by their name, use the wrong pronouns, and insist that their dreams of becoming a knight are silly at best and dangerous and threatening at worst.

Relying on their new group of friends,  Callie aims to change the conservative attitudes about the gender binary in the Kingdom while also helping to fight a looming and mysterious evil force.

I absolutely adored this book, and it was one that would’ve made a huge impact on me had I read it at 12. The way Symes-Smith writes about friendship, identity, and acceptance is inclusive and crucial. The emotional undercurrents of the novel were also very impactful to me; friendship was key to this story but also family and the way our relationship with our parents can ebb and flow. The key message of the novel is that love, trust, and respect will always prevail over hatred, evil, and oppression.

I gave it 5 stars!