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Sir Callie #3
Sir Callie and the Witch's War
In the third book of this thrilling fantasy series a twelve-year-old nonbinary knight-in-training, a reluctant crown prince, a fierce young witch, and her troubled twin brother fight for the heart of their kingdom in a medieval world of dragons and magic.Being a hero is nothing like the ballads promised it would be. Scattered across the realm, Callie, Willow, Elowen and Edwyn have learned that when the fate of their world is at stake, choices are hard and the consequences are harder, even when striving for good. Hunted by both Helston and Dumoor, Callie and Willow flee to the walled city of Fairkeep in a last ditch effort to find allies. Meanwhile, Elowen grapples with a battle between her heart and her ambition at Alis's side as the Witch Queen's new protégé, and Edwyn, desperate to prove himself as brave as his friends, accepts a mission that take him back to the source of his Home. Helston. Faced with the reality of an impossible war, each are forced to confront the very parts of themselves they fear the most, and each must do it alone. But how can the four champions find the truth within a kingdom founded on lies?
400 pages, Hardcover
Published October 29, 2024
10 people are currently reading
276 people want to read
About the author
Esme Symes-Smith
4 books200 followersAfter cutting their teeth on a steady diet of fanfiction in the South-West of England, Esme Symes-Smith wandered north to Wales for their degree in Literature and Creative Writing then promptly migrated to Missouri after meeting their wife on Tumblr.
Esme has been a ghost-writer, an editor, a frozen-yogurt seller, a caffeine dealer, and now wrangles pre-schoolers for a living.
They are nonbinary and have a severe tea problem.
SIR CALLIE AND THE CHAMPIONS OF HELSTON is their debut middle-grade novel, slated for Fall 2022 with the launch of Penguin Random House's new imprint, Labyrinth Road, with a second book in the series coming later.
Esme has been a ghost-writer, an editor, a frozen-yogurt seller, a caffeine dealer, and now wrangles pre-schoolers for a living.
They are nonbinary and have a severe tea problem.
SIR CALLIE AND THE CHAMPIONS OF HELSTON is their debut middle-grade novel, slated for Fall 2022 with the launch of Penguin Random House's new imprint, Labyrinth Road, with a second book in the series coming later.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
October 12, 2024
Damn…this one was HEAVY but so good!
August 21, 2024
The Sir Callie series is truly one of the best middle-grade series I’ve ever come across, and this latest installment is no exception. Thoughtful, emotionally deep, and queer- and nonbinary-focused MG fantasy books are hard enough to come across on their own, but to find not just a standalone but an ongoing series that is all this and more is truly remarkable—and Sir Callie is exactly that. This third book in the ongoing series left me satisfied, validated, and wishing the fourth book was already out!
For me, the emotional heart of this book lies with Edwyn. He’s one of the most striking and real characters throughout the series (which is a hard distinction to make when every character is so incredible!), and seeing him come into his own during Sir Callie and the Witch’s War was truly wonderful. Anger, betrayal, love, hate, self-doubt—every one of his emotions jumps clearly off the page and makes me care about and sympathize with him even more.
Symes-Smith juggles the plotlines of Edwyn, Elowen, and Willow/Callie with flawless skill. Many middle grade books ignore the traumatic realities of young people, but this series never does, and instead of skirting around painful topics it faces them head-on and authentically portrays the challenge of loving and accepting yourself after struggling all your life to believe you deserve to be loved exactly for who you are. As someone whose own life has elements of these characters’ experiences, the validation and comfort in finding this reflected in a middle grade novel was incredibly healing, and I just want to reread it immediately now that I’m done.
This series truly keeps getting more and more incredible, and I can’t wait to read more about these characters and from this author!
For me, the emotional heart of this book lies with Edwyn. He’s one of the most striking and real characters throughout the series (which is a hard distinction to make when every character is so incredible!), and seeing him come into his own during Sir Callie and the Witch’s War was truly wonderful. Anger, betrayal, love, hate, self-doubt—every one of his emotions jumps clearly off the page and makes me care about and sympathize with him even more.
Symes-Smith juggles the plotlines of Edwyn, Elowen, and Willow/Callie with flawless skill. Many middle grade books ignore the traumatic realities of young people, but this series never does, and instead of skirting around painful topics it faces them head-on and authentically portrays the challenge of loving and accepting yourself after struggling all your life to believe you deserve to be loved exactly for who you are. As someone whose own life has elements of these characters’ experiences, the validation and comfort in finding this reflected in a middle grade novel was incredibly healing, and I just want to reread it immediately now that I’m done.
This series truly keeps getting more and more incredible, and I can’t wait to read more about these characters and from this author!
November 19, 2024
I just want to be happy again 😭😭😭 why can’t we all just be happy and safe 😭😭😭😭😭 I hate it here 😭😭😭
Read
June 12, 2025I’m going to consider this my fourth book I finished for Pride Month!! (I’m not counting “How We End”— I finished that with little fanfare and with the sole intent to judge it. Not sure if I’ll even review that one, but that’s beside the point.) As with the previous book, and in what I presume will be a pattern to continue until the last book, I won’t be leaving a star rating due to my own very mixed opinions. However, I did enjoy this more than book 2, even with the padding! IT WAS MORE ENJOYABLE, THANK GOD… particularly some of the action and magic was utilized in a way that was actually fun to read about! Every storyline was interesting, and easy to distinguish. I do wish, though, that there weren’t so many atrocities that every time something hopeful would happen, it would instantly go bad in the next chapter or so. (It made me a nervous wreck by the end😵💫)
As always, the audiobook was fantastic, it made me feel everything from triumph to anxiety tenfold, and finally getting a Sir Callie book in multi-POV was such a delight! I won’t lie, the main kids’ voices were a little hard to distinguish sometimes, but Elowyn’s was easily the most recognizable (and my favorite! I’ve always liked hearing it. But I made a reel/meme insinuating that already), and I still commemorate Martineck sticking to their dialogue voices for entire chapters.
It definitely feels like Symes-Smith’s writing is improving? I noticed a little less repetition and/or therapy-speak this time around, which was lovely! I feel like this is the first time since (a couple scenes of) book 1 where I’ve felt that the characters felt like kids, too?? It was interesting seeing each POV finally start to grasp the weight of their responsibilities, and I especially liked to see Callie and Willow’s interactions in Callie’s POV, which, when they led to arguments, they were intense in a way I thought was understandable for young people in as much stress as they were. (However, I’m not sure if I agreed with the final takeaway for… the major argument… even if up until that point both of them had valid points?! That’s a rant for another day. I think I just don’t agree with the author’s takes???)
Elowen and Edwyn’s POV chapters, though…
Edwyn’s earned character growth was relieving to read about, if anything. (And I loved the audiobook touches for the conversation he had with Peter behind his magic shield! They actually slightly muffled Peter’s talking!!) (And! Regarding Peter, the shift in their dynamic was interesting! I really liked it.) Admittedly, that came after a LOT of circling around, but I thought his internal dilemma made sense for his circumstances. God! I was kind of dreading reading his chapters, they got very graphic and very sad, very quickly. I was just as surprised (and probably numb) as he was, when things actually started looking up.
Elowen’s POV, on the other hand, is even more isolated than Edwyn’s. Despite the stakes being equally high, I found her chapters to be a little repetitive, due to other characters besides Alis not being allowed as much on-page time with her. (Also, there was a cycle of each chapter forcing her to reconsider the truth, and being actively manipulated.) I’m getting used to Alis being a villain, though. She’s evil, in a way that’s very much abusive, but kind of fun to dissect: It’s interesting reading this series with the perspective of a young adult, and being able to catch the subtle ways she disrespects and belittles Elowen and the Roost. (Basically, all the red flags Elowen either doesn’t catch, or doesn’t think she should pay much attention to.) Unfortunately—this is why I wanted to talk about both POVs in the same point earlier, I also noticed a trend of the writing trying to draw as many parallels between Elowen and Edwyn’s storylines as possible, and it oftentimes hindered the prose, or the depth of their thoughts. A lot of emotional beats would be repeated, and while I suppose it can be argued that it made the differing outcomes of their conflicts be more impactful, it felt very repetitive. It got to the point where I’d start to get genuinely mad hearing any iteration of “It’s my choice”, a motif that, to my disdain, is crucial to this book. (Along with the different ways it can be used: actual empowerment, or an affirmation.) (Basically, “It’s my choice” is in book 3 like how “But they’re the enemy!” was in book 2.)
Callie’s POV objectively had the most going on, but I can’t say it’s my favorite, because outside of their friendship/dynamic with Willow, I’m not really liking them as a protagonist as much??? Yes, they’re lovably snarky, I admire how insistent they are about fighting to live as themself, and they have a big heart when it comes to their family. But their impulsivity is absolutely excruciating, especially in the context of the incredibly dangerous mission them and Willow are sent out on! They made some OUTSTANDINGLY terrible decisions!! And, yes, some of them are addressed, but not with the full gravity in which they should be😭 Dear. Lord
(But also, I feel terrible criticizing them! Their stress and their grief is understandable, and if I were a middle schooler tasked with the same thing, I would be equally stupid, if not moreso. Ugh.)
I feel like of the four POVs, Willow’s was my favorite?? I liked finally being in his head. The messages around monarchy are a little Funky but I do really enjoy being involved in the drama and complicated feelings surrounding the Helston royal bloodline. Sylvie was an interesting character too, I hope to know her more outside of plot convenience one day. (And, preferably, without the repetitive messaging around Willow growing into himself! The gender allegory got a little muddied with the monarchy and legalities sometimes, in my opinion???)
Anyhow! Maybe I’ll add more thoughts in the morning, maybe I won’t. But you have no idea how stoked I am that there’s FINALLY a reason to kill Peran, I’VE BEEN WAITING THE WHOLE SERIES FOR THIS #sicSatinontoLordPeran2025
As always, the audiobook was fantastic, it made me feel everything from triumph to anxiety tenfold, and finally getting a Sir Callie book in multi-POV was such a delight! I won’t lie, the main kids’ voices were a little hard to distinguish sometimes, but Elowyn’s was easily the most recognizable (and my favorite! I’ve always liked hearing it. But I made a reel/meme insinuating that already), and I still commemorate Martineck sticking to their dialogue voices for entire chapters.
It definitely feels like Symes-Smith’s writing is improving? I noticed a little less repetition and/or therapy-speak this time around, which was lovely! I feel like this is the first time since (a couple scenes of) book 1 where I’ve felt that the characters felt like kids, too?? It was interesting seeing each POV finally start to grasp the weight of their responsibilities, and I especially liked to see Callie and Willow’s interactions in Callie’s POV, which, when they led to arguments, they were intense in a way I thought was understandable for young people in as much stress as they were. (However, I’m not sure if I agreed with the final takeaway for… the major argument… even if up until that point both of them had valid points?! That’s a rant for another day. I think I just don’t agree with the author’s takes???)
Elowen and Edwyn’s POV chapters, though…
Edwyn’s earned character growth was relieving to read about, if anything. (And I loved the audiobook touches for the conversation he had with Peter behind his magic shield! They actually slightly muffled Peter’s talking!!) (And! Regarding Peter, the shift in their dynamic was interesting! I really liked it.) Admittedly, that came after a LOT of circling around, but I thought his internal dilemma made sense for his circumstances. God! I was kind of dreading reading his chapters, they got very graphic and very sad, very quickly. I was just as surprised (and probably numb) as he was, when things actually started looking up.
Elowen’s POV, on the other hand, is even more isolated than Edwyn’s. Despite the stakes being equally high, I found her chapters to be a little repetitive, due to other characters besides Alis not being allowed as much on-page time with her. (Also, there was a cycle of each chapter forcing her to reconsider the truth, and being actively manipulated.) I’m getting used to Alis being a villain, though. She’s evil, in a way that’s very much abusive, but kind of fun to dissect: It’s interesting reading this series with the perspective of a young adult, and being able to catch the subtle ways she disrespects and belittles Elowen and the Roost. (Basically, all the red flags Elowen either doesn’t catch, or doesn’t think she should pay much attention to.) Unfortunately—this is why I wanted to talk about both POVs in the same point earlier, I also noticed a trend of the writing trying to draw as many parallels between Elowen and Edwyn’s storylines as possible, and it oftentimes hindered the prose, or the depth of their thoughts. A lot of emotional beats would be repeated, and while I suppose it can be argued that it made the differing outcomes of their conflicts be more impactful, it felt very repetitive. It got to the point where I’d start to get genuinely mad hearing any iteration of “It’s my choice”, a motif that, to my disdain, is crucial to this book. (Along with the different ways it can be used: actual empowerment, or an affirmation.) (Basically, “It’s my choice” is in book 3 like how “But they’re the enemy!” was in book 2.)
Callie’s POV objectively had the most going on, but I can’t say it’s my favorite, because outside of their friendship/dynamic with Willow, I’m not really liking them as a protagonist as much??? Yes, they’re lovably snarky, I admire how insistent they are about fighting to live as themself, and they have a big heart when it comes to their family. But their impulsivity is absolutely excruciating, especially in the context of the incredibly dangerous mission them and Willow are sent out on! They made some OUTSTANDINGLY terrible decisions!! And, yes, some of them are addressed, but not with the full gravity in which they should be😭 Dear. Lord
(But also, I feel terrible criticizing them! Their stress and their grief is understandable, and if I were a middle schooler tasked with the same thing, I would be equally stupid, if not moreso. Ugh.)
I feel like of the four POVs, Willow’s was my favorite?? I liked finally being in his head. The messages around monarchy are a little Funky but I do really enjoy being involved in the drama and complicated feelings surrounding the Helston royal bloodline. Sylvie was an interesting character too, I hope to know her more outside of plot convenience one day. (And, preferably, without the repetitive messaging around Willow growing into himself! The gender allegory got a little muddied with the monarchy and legalities sometimes, in my opinion???)
Anyhow! Maybe I’ll add more thoughts in the morning, maybe I won’t. But you have no idea how stoked I am that there’s FINALLY a reason to kill Peran, I’VE BEEN WAITING THE WHOLE SERIES FOR THIS #sicSatinontoLordPeran2025
November 3, 2024
esme symes-smith turn on your location i just want to talk
May 5, 2024
❣️
big huge thank you to netgalley and penguin random house children’s/labyrinth road for allowing me to read an electronic advanced readers copy of this in exchange for an honest review
❣️
╔══ ❀•°𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘°•❀ ══╗
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
╔══ ❀•°𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕕 𝕤𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕜°•❀ ══╗
🎩 my way by frank sinatra - “for what is a man, what has he got. if not himself, then he has naught.”
💫 golden slumbers by the beatles - “once, there was a way to get back homeward. once, there was a way to get back home.”
🙌 gilded lily by cults - “haven’t i given enough, given enough?”
╔══ ❀•°𝕗𝕒𝕧𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕖 𝕢𝕦𝕠𝕥𝕖s°•❀ ══╗
💘 “ when we love someone, we give them permission to hurt us. ”
💧 “ sad doesn’t feel useful in the way that anger does. ”
⚔️ “ there is no valor in suffering. it helps no one. taking care of yourself does. ”
╔══ ❀•°𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨°•❀ ══╗
⭕ o v e r a l l - i liked this book a lot. i have so much love for this entire series and all the characters so it makes sense that this book would be another absolute knockout. i really appreciated getting to see other areas of the kingdom in this book — sometimes i feel like i forget that this takes place in a kingdom and not just helston as a city.
this book, like all books in the sir callie series does not shy away from the more ~mature~ topics of violence, prejudice, and grief. however, it is still clearly written for children in the middle grade genre vein. all these topics are talked about with grace while also being agonizingly real and true. characters in this book go through terrible things not because of plot development or needing to have strong character development. no. characters go through terrible things in this book because children go through terrible things in real life everyday. this is a fantasy story involving dragons and witches but it’s so hard to not remember every 5 pages that this is really just a big metaphor for the things d i f f e r e n t children go through whether that be because they’re neurodivergent, queer, or just seen as wrong in real life. i think it was done amazingly.
💨 p a c i n g - i’m not crazed about how the first 30% felt both agonizingly slow and also unnecessarily jam packed with info loading of current situations where book two left off. i’ll be honest, i read the first 30% and then put it down for about a week and a half before i could go back to it. i came off a high from book two and i knew that if i sped through book three it would be sour in my mouth just in comparison. this book is amazing and i’m glad i gave it that space. these are two different books. both wonderful in their own regard.
🫂 c h a r a c t e r s - i did not really vibe with the multi-pov for this story at the first couple of switches but once we got into the deep sh*t that each character had found themselves in, it was so worthwhile to see every little piece of the puzzle come together all across wyndebrel. every chapter seemed to be a punch in the gut the further and further we got into this book and definitely had me feeling for all the characters (not just the main ones!).
the character’s felt a lot more fleshed out in this one. i love how each character this book focuses on has something that completely radically challenges their beliefs for better or worse. for callie it’s the violence and death in their wake, for elowyn it’s the fact that she has a sensitive heart that people will see as a weakness, and for edwyn it’s the fact that he realizes he can stand up to those that abused him before.
⚖️ m o r a l i t y - i really appreciated how ~gray~ everything was. obviously i think callie stands for a lot of the right things and that the adults are wrong and are terrible but to a certain extent, i feel like this book puts a little more perspective on things. this is by no way translated as a DEFENSE against those who were wrong, just makes you realize that at the end of the day there are no enemies, just humans (and dragons!) making terrible choices (on both sides!).
❤️🩹 c o n c l u s i o n - if book two ended with devastation and death and grief and desperation… book three ends with hope. and that’s enough.
╔══ ❀•°𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘°•❀ ══╗
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
╔══ ❀•°𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕕 𝕤𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕜°•❀ ══╗
🎩 my way by frank sinatra - “for what is a man, what has he got. if not himself, then he has naught.”
💫 golden slumbers by the beatles - “once, there was a way to get back homeward. once, there was a way to get back home.”
🙌 gilded lily by cults - “haven’t i given enough, given enough?”
╔══ ❀•°𝕗𝕒𝕧𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕖 𝕢𝕦𝕠𝕥𝕖s°•❀ ══╗
💘 “ when we love someone, we give them permission to hurt us. ”
💧 “ sad doesn’t feel useful in the way that anger does. ”
⚔️ “ there is no valor in suffering. it helps no one. taking care of yourself does. ”
╔══ ❀•°𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨°•❀ ══╗
⭕ o v e r a l l - i liked this book a lot. i have so much love for this entire series and all the characters so it makes sense that this book would be another absolute knockout. i really appreciated getting to see other areas of the kingdom in this book — sometimes i feel like i forget that this takes place in a kingdom and not just helston as a city.
this book, like all books in the sir callie series does not shy away from the more ~mature~ topics of violence, prejudice, and grief. however, it is still clearly written for children in the middle grade genre vein. all these topics are talked about with grace while also being agonizingly real and true. characters in this book go through terrible things not because of plot development or needing to have strong character development. no. characters go through terrible things in this book because children go through terrible things in real life everyday. this is a fantasy story involving dragons and witches but it’s so hard to not remember every 5 pages that this is really just a big metaphor for the things d i f f e r e n t children go through whether that be because they’re neurodivergent, queer, or just seen as wrong in real life. i think it was done amazingly.
💨 p a c i n g - i’m not crazed about how the first 30% felt both agonizingly slow and also unnecessarily jam packed with info loading of current situations where book two left off. i’ll be honest, i read the first 30% and then put it down for about a week and a half before i could go back to it. i came off a high from book two and i knew that if i sped through book three it would be sour in my mouth just in comparison. this book is amazing and i’m glad i gave it that space. these are two different books. both wonderful in their own regard.
🫂 c h a r a c t e r s - i did not really vibe with the multi-pov for this story at the first couple of switches but once we got into the deep sh*t that each character had found themselves in, it was so worthwhile to see every little piece of the puzzle come together all across wyndebrel. every chapter seemed to be a punch in the gut the further and further we got into this book and definitely had me feeling for all the characters (not just the main ones!).
the character’s felt a lot more fleshed out in this one. i love how each character this book focuses on has something that completely radically challenges their beliefs for better or worse. for callie it’s the violence and death in their wake, for elowyn it’s the fact that she has a sensitive heart that people will see as a weakness, and for edwyn it’s the fact that he realizes he can stand up to those that abused him before.
⚖️ m o r a l i t y - i really appreciated how ~gray~ everything was. obviously i think callie stands for a lot of the right things and that the adults are wrong and are terrible but to a certain extent, i feel like this book puts a little more perspective on things. this is by no way translated as a DEFENSE against those who were wrong, just makes you realize that at the end of the day there are no enemies, just humans (and dragons!) making terrible choices (on both sides!).
❤️🩹 c o n c l u s i o n - if book two ended with devastation and death and grief and desperation… book three ends with hope. and that’s enough.
October 31, 2024
i have no coherent thoughts about how much this series means to me, i love it so much.
May 25, 2024
I had the privilege of reading an ARC through Net Galley. The book comes out in October.
Hoo boy, this one was even darker than volume two, as our team of heroes splits up and winds up facing down personal demons along with escalating political conflict. As one of the great joys of this series has been the bonds between the kiddos, it was really hard to see them spend so much time apart, but it did feel like a natural and necessary progression for the series. They have all needed to learn lessons that need to be learned on their own. In some ways, this volume reminded me of Taran Wanderer, from The Prydain Chronicles-- the volume where the rest of the ensemble is least present but Taran grows up the most, and which has a lot of rich emotional depth even though it is not as lighthearted as many other volumes. The benefit of splitting the party is that we get POV chapters from all four kiddos for the first time, which is excellent. The last part of the book starts getting our heroes in position for the fourth and final volume, and I'm so excited to see what Symes-Smith has in store to finish off this series!
Hoo boy, this one was even darker than volume two, as our team of heroes splits up and winds up facing down personal demons along with escalating political conflict. As one of the great joys of this series has been the bonds between the kiddos, it was really hard to see them spend so much time apart, but it did feel like a natural and necessary progression for the series. They have all needed to learn lessons that need to be learned on their own. In some ways, this volume reminded me of Taran Wanderer, from The Prydain Chronicles-- the volume where the rest of the ensemble is least present but Taran grows up the most, and which has a lot of rich emotional depth even though it is not as lighthearted as many other volumes. The benefit of splitting the party is that we get POV chapters from all four kiddos for the first time, which is excellent. The last part of the book starts getting our heroes in position for the fourth and final volume, and I'm so excited to see what Symes-Smith has in store to finish off this series!
October 10, 2024
IDK WHY MY DUMBASS THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE A TRILOGY BUT I WAS ON THE SECOND TO LAST PAGE AND WAS LIKE HUH HOW ARE THEY GONNA SOLVE THIS PROBLEM LOOKS LIKE THERES NOT MUCH LEFT AND THEN I TURN THE PAGE AND SEE I HAVE INDEED JUST REACHED THE END OF THE BOOK
LIKE PLEASE I LOVE THIS SERIES BUT JUST LET THOSE KIDS ALL BE HAPPY ALREADY
LIKE PLEASE I LOVE THIS SERIES BUT JUST LET THOSE KIDS ALL BE HAPPY ALREADY
October 31, 2024
sir callie i’m holding you so gently in my hands forever
March 18, 2024
ARC received bc of job. All thoughts are my own.
I love this series (I think it might be a new favorite of mine for a children’s series and I recommend it to everyone) and I think this is the strongest installment yet. It is tense and action packed and it talks about heavy topics with ease. I eagerly await each installment and I love the characters. In this the one Callie, Willow, Edwyn, and Elodyn really begin to come into their own and forge their paths while learning more about themselves. I was sat on the edge of my seat in enjoyment with the action and adventure waiting for it to continue. I didn’t even realize I finished the book until I hit the acknowledgements. I wish there was more and I eagerly await it.
I love this series (I think it might be a new favorite of mine for a children’s series and I recommend it to everyone) and I think this is the strongest installment yet. It is tense and action packed and it talks about heavy topics with ease. I eagerly await each installment and I love the characters. In this the one Callie, Willow, Edwyn, and Elodyn really begin to come into their own and forge their paths while learning more about themselves. I was sat on the edge of my seat in enjoyment with the action and adventure waiting for it to continue. I didn’t even realize I finished the book until I hit the acknowledgements. I wish there was more and I eagerly await it.
November 8, 2024
Rounded up. I freaking LOVE this series!
February 4, 2025
AHHHHHHHHH!!!! WHAT?!?!
I'm not okay. I won't be okay until ALL of these kids, and Neil and Nick, are okay. Don't let me down 😭
I'm not okay. I won't be okay until ALL of these kids, and Neil and Nick, are okay. Don't let me down 😭
September 2, 2024
First of all, this book gave me a weeks long book hangover. I am STILL in such a slump! And having the hardest to letting go and moving on. I spent weeks reflecting on this story, the characters, their story and how it affected me. A month later and I still feel like I need more time.
Sir Callie and the Witch's War was a fast paced and emotional third installment of the series. It picks up almost immediately after the events at the end of The Dragons Roost, except this time we are following our heroes as they are scattered around Wyndebrel.
I loved the multi POV of this book, and getting to know each of the kids more intimately because we got to see their POV. We are able to see events unfold through the eyes of Callie, Willow, Edwyn and Elowen, and a prologue by someone unexpected!
Each of the children is on their own journey with their own goals and expectations.They each make their own way of doing things, contributing to events, plotting to make a difference and learning and growing as they go. There is growth and mistakes; hope and anger; grief and fear. The emotions and stakes are high and impactful. Willow is really starting come into his own. Elowyn is learning from her mistakes, and doing her best to enact change. Edwyn is growing in their personal strength and confidence (even though his story hurt SO much). And Callie...I am terrified for them. They have come so far, and are in such a precarious position, because they are doing what they think is right.
We get to see some incredibly unique parallels and differences between the two antagonists in the story. They continue to be such realistic and easy to despise "villains". The number of times I tossed my kindle yelling out in anger and frustration at the words and actions of these villains was many.
This book handled some incredibly dark and mature themes with grace and understanding. We were again shown how the adults in our lives are not all powerful and all knowing.
These kids are always thinking on their feet, two steps behind, trying their best, learning from their mistakes and trying to be there for each other.
No other book has ever left such an everlasting impression on my soul.
Callie, Willow, Edwyn and Elowen are fighting for their world, and through their story they are teaching me (and my kiddos) to fight for ours.
Sir Callie and the Witch's War was a fast paced and emotional third installment of the series. It picks up almost immediately after the events at the end of The Dragons Roost, except this time we are following our heroes as they are scattered around Wyndebrel.
I loved the multi POV of this book, and getting to know each of the kids more intimately because we got to see their POV. We are able to see events unfold through the eyes of Callie, Willow, Edwyn and Elowen, and a prologue by someone unexpected!
Each of the children is on their own journey with their own goals and expectations.They each make their own way of doing things, contributing to events, plotting to make a difference and learning and growing as they go. There is growth and mistakes; hope and anger; grief and fear. The emotions and stakes are high and impactful. Willow is really starting come into his own. Elowyn is learning from her mistakes, and doing her best to enact change. Edwyn is growing in their personal strength and confidence (even though his story hurt SO much). And Callie...I am terrified for them. They have come so far, and are in such a precarious position, because they are doing what they think is right.
We get to see some incredibly unique parallels and differences between the two antagonists in the story. They continue to be such realistic and easy to despise "villains". The number of times I tossed my kindle yelling out in anger and frustration at the words and actions of these villains was many.
This book handled some incredibly dark and mature themes with grace and understanding. We were again shown how the adults in our lives are not all powerful and all knowing.
These kids are always thinking on their feet, two steps behind, trying their best, learning from their mistakes and trying to be there for each other.
No other book has ever left such an everlasting impression on my soul.
Callie, Willow, Edwyn and Elowen are fighting for their world, and through their story they are teaching me (and my kiddos) to fight for ours.
April 13, 2024
**Many thanks to Labyrinth Road/Random House Children's Books, and Netgalley for an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) of this book**
Hoo boy, here we go back into the depths of Helston's descent into madness...
Esme. Esme. My dear Esme. Why must you take me on such a roller coaster up and down, round and around, and make me feel such things?!
There is war on the horizon for Helston, Dumoor and Eyrewood, where every adult in a position of power has visions of fame, grandeur and righteous indignation so thick and slimy, it's disgusting. Of course, the kids are not alright. Not for the first time, our bunch of lovely adventurers (Callie, Willow, Elwyn and Edwyn) are caught in the crossfire of adult ambition at the expense of compassion, acceptance and love. Except this time, Callie and their friends find themselves apart from each other. And they must learn how to grow apart with a better understanding of themselves and their places in the world before they can grow back together as a whole.
That's right: our foursome is (for the most part) scattered to the wind, and each one experiences their own trials and struggles. Sometimes, the only shoes you have to walk in are your own, and there's no one walking beside you on the same path.
Callie, our brave champion, wars with themselves with guilt and mistrust. Willow continues to struggle with seeing what he might be, could be, is, and what society expects from a future king. Elowyn learns the hard way about gilded cages of her own making.
And Edwyn? Fighting back against the abuse you face from anyone, let alone the parents who have taken your innocence, is the hardest battle of them all. I say that because Callie, Willow and Elwyn's struggles can be solved much easier with experience, time and maturity. Edwyn's cannot without a harder mountain to climb.
I will be honest, this book was a hard one to get through for me. I physically felt ill at times, for the right reasons- I hate what Peran, what Helston, what the world is doing to these kids. It's targeted abuse, whether it is physically beating these kids down or using them as weapons for some twisted crusade. I know this is a multi book series. I know not everything will be solved by the end of the book. But my heart is craving catharsis. My heart hurts, HURTS, for these kids. And... that is the point. Even though these books are examples in a fantasy world, and the situations are not 1 for 1 to the real world, the sentiments and struggles ARE. It reminds us (society) that at the end of the day, our politics should not matter. Our agendas should not matter. Our selfishness should not matter. THE KIDS SHOULD MATTER.
This book upsets me because these kids should not have to go through this. They should not be living in a world where this type of hatred should exist, where adult ambition should triumph at the cost of the children's welfare.
It's also a testiment to Esme's ability at writing characters to make me feel such pain for Edwyn, such remorse for Elwyn, such sadness for Willow... and such frustration with Callie ( and all their bullheadedness). I love all these kids. The antagonists are such vile, irredeemable wastes of human life that I need to go read something fluffy to get my mind off them now. And that's one of the biggest compliments I can give to Esme's masterful storytelling- they have such a wonderful grasp on each character.
There is one thing I should point out, before I conclude this review; I would be doing this book an injustice if I didn't. Since the first book, the series has gotten progressively darker as we've rolled along. I would place Sir Callie #1 in the 10-12 year old range, Sir Callie #2 would be closer to 12-13. Sir Callie #3 is at least 13, if not borderline YA. I would not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone adult, even a young adult, but if it's a kid, I would want to make sure that kid is emotionally ready for it, and understands what they are heading into.
There's some trigger warnings for abuse, language, misgendering, LGBTQ+ hate (a few others that are spoilery, but if you can handle the previous, you can handle what develops). I have no doubt that someone too young would be frightened of what happens in certain scenes, or would not fully grasp how meaningful some moments in the book are. THIS IS NOT A NEGATIVE on the book. It is still a good book, and worth reading. However, for parents, I would check on your kids, assess their reading level and maturity, and proceed with this third installment when they are ready for it.
Overall, where's the next book, Esme?!?! More please. :)
(And I echo Esme's statement in the back of this book- if you are a kid [or adult!], or know of a kid [or adult!] facing any type of abuse from anyone [parent, spouse, significant other, friend, family member, complete stranger], DO NOT HESITATE TO CALL any hotline for help.
Childhelp hotline #1-800-422-4452
National Domestic Violence Hotline #1-800-799-7233
EVERY PERSON IS PRECIOUS. It's not your fault. You are one of a kind, and you deserve to be fought for!)
Hoo boy, here we go back into the depths of Helston's descent into madness...
Esme. Esme. My dear Esme. Why must you take me on such a roller coaster up and down, round and around, and make me feel such things?!
There is war on the horizon for Helston, Dumoor and Eyrewood, where every adult in a position of power has visions of fame, grandeur and righteous indignation so thick and slimy, it's disgusting. Of course, the kids are not alright. Not for the first time, our bunch of lovely adventurers (Callie, Willow, Elwyn and Edwyn) are caught in the crossfire of adult ambition at the expense of compassion, acceptance and love. Except this time, Callie and their friends find themselves apart from each other. And they must learn how to grow apart with a better understanding of themselves and their places in the world before they can grow back together as a whole.
That's right: our foursome is (for the most part) scattered to the wind, and each one experiences their own trials and struggles. Sometimes, the only shoes you have to walk in are your own, and there's no one walking beside you on the same path.
Callie, our brave champion, wars with themselves with guilt and mistrust. Willow continues to struggle with seeing what he might be, could be, is, and what society expects from a future king. Elowyn learns the hard way about gilded cages of her own making.
And Edwyn? Fighting back against the abuse you face from anyone, let alone the parents who have taken your innocence, is the hardest battle of them all. I say that because Callie, Willow and Elwyn's struggles can be solved much easier with experience, time and maturity. Edwyn's cannot without a harder mountain to climb.
I will be honest, this book was a hard one to get through for me. I physically felt ill at times, for the right reasons- I hate what Peran, what Helston, what the world is doing to these kids. It's targeted abuse, whether it is physically beating these kids down or using them as weapons for some twisted crusade. I know this is a multi book series. I know not everything will be solved by the end of the book. But my heart is craving catharsis. My heart hurts, HURTS, for these kids. And... that is the point. Even though these books are examples in a fantasy world, and the situations are not 1 for 1 to the real world, the sentiments and struggles ARE. It reminds us (society) that at the end of the day, our politics should not matter. Our agendas should not matter. Our selfishness should not matter. THE KIDS SHOULD MATTER.
This book upsets me because these kids should not have to go through this. They should not be living in a world where this type of hatred should exist, where adult ambition should triumph at the cost of the children's welfare.
It's also a testiment to Esme's ability at writing characters to make me feel such pain for Edwyn, such remorse for Elwyn, such sadness for Willow... and such frustration with Callie ( and all their bullheadedness). I love all these kids. The antagonists are such vile, irredeemable wastes of human life that I need to go read something fluffy to get my mind off them now. And that's one of the biggest compliments I can give to Esme's masterful storytelling- they have such a wonderful grasp on each character.
There is one thing I should point out, before I conclude this review; I would be doing this book an injustice if I didn't. Since the first book, the series has gotten progressively darker as we've rolled along. I would place Sir Callie #1 in the 10-12 year old range, Sir Callie #2 would be closer to 12-13. Sir Callie #3 is at least 13, if not borderline YA. I would not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone adult, even a young adult, but if it's a kid, I would want to make sure that kid is emotionally ready for it, and understands what they are heading into.
There's some trigger warnings for abuse, language, misgendering, LGBTQ+ hate (a few others that are spoilery, but if you can handle the previous, you can handle what develops). I have no doubt that someone too young would be frightened of what happens in certain scenes, or would not fully grasp how meaningful some moments in the book are. THIS IS NOT A NEGATIVE on the book. It is still a good book, and worth reading. However, for parents, I would check on your kids, assess their reading level and maturity, and proceed with this third installment when they are ready for it.
Overall, where's the next book, Esme?!?! More please. :)
(And I echo Esme's statement in the back of this book- if you are a kid [or adult!], or know of a kid [or adult!] facing any type of abuse from anyone [parent, spouse, significant other, friend, family member, complete stranger], DO NOT HESITATE TO CALL any hotline for help.
Childhelp hotline #1-800-422-4452
National Domestic Violence Hotline #1-800-799-7233
EVERY PERSON IS PRECIOUS. It's not your fault. You are one of a kind, and you deserve to be fought for!)
November 15, 2024
I went into this audiobook expecting it to be the series finale and didn't realize I was wrong until the very end, although my suspicions grew sharper with each hour that elapsed without bringing us closer to a satisfying resolution. This installment works well as part of a longer series, but I would have enjoyed it more if I had known what to expect from the beginning.
I'm especially glad that there is still room for the story to develop, because I want to see more of Tio, who doesn't get much time to shine in this book. Edwin is the real MVP, in my opinion. It was his chapters that I looked forward to the most. I still love the other characters, but Callie and Willow's chapters frustrated me a bit, since I kept thinking, "Why are they going off on this quest? How is this going to build into the final conflict?" and Elowen's chapters felt lonely without the other main characters present for her to bounce off of.
Overall, this is my least favorite Sir Callie book, but that's because 1) I expected it to be something that it wasn't (a finale), and 2) the protagonists were split up for the majority of the book. I especially wanted to see Callie interact with Edwin and Elowen some more. The only character separation that I enjoyed in this story was Callie and Willow parting ways near the end, because I enjoyed being in Willow's head for once (which was unnecessary for most of the book, since he was doing the same thing as Callie) and his drama/adventures with Sylvie.
I will stick with this series until the end, and I will make sure that I know if the next book is the finale or not before I begin listening to it, so I can more properly appreciate it for what it is. I do wonder how current events will influence the writing and storyline of the next installment(s), though... It was a bit difficult to listen to this audiobook and its theme of hostile wannabee despots considering what's happened in the United States this past week.
I'm especially glad that there is still room for the story to develop, because I want to see more of Tio, who doesn't get much time to shine in this book. Edwin is the real MVP, in my opinion. It was his chapters that I looked forward to the most. I still love the other characters, but Callie and Willow's chapters frustrated me a bit, since I kept thinking, "Why are they going off on this quest? How is this going to build into the final conflict?" and Elowen's chapters felt lonely without the other main characters present for her to bounce off of.
Overall, this is my least favorite Sir Callie book, but that's because 1) I expected it to be something that it wasn't (a finale), and 2) the protagonists were split up for the majority of the book. I especially wanted to see Callie interact with Edwin and Elowen some more. The only character separation that I enjoyed in this story was Callie and Willow parting ways near the end, because I enjoyed being in Willow's head for once (which was unnecessary for most of the book, since he was doing the same thing as Callie) and his drama/adventures with Sylvie.
I will stick with this series until the end, and I will make sure that I know if the next book is the finale or not before I begin listening to it, so I can more properly appreciate it for what it is. I do wonder how current events will influence the writing and storyline of the next installment(s), though... It was a bit difficult to listen to this audiobook and its theme of hostile wannabee despots considering what's happened in the United States this past week.
March 15, 2025
esme symes smith don’t be shy, drop your location
From start to finish, this was heavy. Seriously, did I finish this book or did it finish me? It ripped me apart and quashed my hope of ever feeling happiness again. Everyone was going through it and I just want them to finally get the rest they deserve
While the themes of child abuse, child trafficking, violence, transphobia and bigotry were all hard pills to swallow, the author handled them all delicately. Of course that doesn’t mean the apothecary scene didn’t make me hurl a little on the inside. seriously i’m not over that scene! for a middle grade book that was so dark. and Edwyn’s continuous abuse from his father and Adan broke my heart. He’s best boy and he deserves to be happy
I love that each character got their own pov. I think it really worked here to even out the pacing and plus it was interesting seeing the thoughts of characters aside from Callie. Willow and Edwyn quickly became my favourite characters last book so being able to read from their povs was really special. Willow’s journey of self-discovery of being possibly genderfluid was really refreshing. It isn’t represented enough in the media so props to the author for exploring the topic. Willow, we stan you. And you too Sylvie. Genderfluid baddie
Im feeling hopeful that the final chapter of this series will finally be the reprieve i’ve been needing. This book has been nothing short of devastatingly miserable and has left me feeling hollow and empty by the end. It doesn’t help the author left a note on the next book with a TW of death. Yeah. I’m really hopeful.
Anyway, Peran, you better watch yourself because i’m coming for you
From start to finish, this was heavy. Seriously, did I finish this book or did it finish me? It ripped me apart and quashed my hope of ever feeling happiness again. Everyone was going through it and I just want them to finally get the rest they deserve
While the themes of child abuse, child trafficking, violence, transphobia and bigotry were all hard pills to swallow, the author handled them all delicately. Of course that doesn’t mean the apothecary scene didn’t make me hurl a little on the inside. seriously i’m not over that scene! for a middle grade book that was so dark. and Edwyn’s continuous abuse from his father and Adan broke my heart. He’s best boy and he deserves to be happy
I love that each character got their own pov. I think it really worked here to even out the pacing and plus it was interesting seeing the thoughts of characters aside from Callie. Willow and Edwyn quickly became my favourite characters last book so being able to read from their povs was really special. Willow’s journey of self-discovery of being possibly genderfluid was really refreshing. It isn’t represented enough in the media so props to the author for exploring the topic. Willow, we stan you. And you too Sylvie. Genderfluid baddie
Im feeling hopeful that the final chapter of this series will finally be the reprieve i’ve been needing. This book has been nothing short of devastatingly miserable and has left me feeling hollow and empty by the end. It doesn’t help the author left a note on the next book with a TW of death. Yeah. I’m really hopeful.
Anyway, Peran, you better watch yourself because i’m coming for you
July 2, 2024
Thank you so much to NetGalley and to the publisher for early access to this book. The third book dives even deeper into the impact of trauma on these kids and how adults and society tend to fail our most vulnerable. The metaphors and real world connections are powerful and I believe make this an accessible book for young readers. This book is a masterpiece and I have enjoyed every second of these characters and their story. The way the author can bring them to life is incredible. These kids will live in my heart forever.
Ps I already NEED the next book so if anyone has a Time Machine that I could use, that would be great.
Ps I already NEED the next book so if anyone has a Time Machine that I could use, that would be great.
dnf
August 14, 2024I WILL try this book again once it's released. I absolutely loved the first two but for some reason I have not been able to get into this and after sitting at 60% for the better half of a month, I just need to call it quits. I'll give the audiobook a shot once my library gets that but even if I never get around to finishing the series, I'll still be recommending this series because the first two were just that good.
September 13, 2024
Thank you Random House Children's, Labyrinth Road, and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this book. This is a continuation (book 3) of Sir Callie series with same well-developed, diverse characters, dark subject matter, mature topics, and great writing. It was agonizingly slow in the beginning and very difficult to get through (for the right reasons) and due to the heavy subject matter, I would recommend this book for mid to upper teens (YA).
November 3, 2024
BUY this book!
But....wait to read before the last book comes out. This series is so wondrously amazing and I am deeply saddened that I have to wait once more for the next installment (supposedly last one).
This series is true magic and should move to the top of everyone's list!!
But....wait to read before the last book comes out. This series is so wondrously amazing and I am deeply saddened that I have to wait once more for the next installment (supposedly last one).
This series is true magic and should move to the top of everyone's list!!
December 14, 2024
When I reviewed Dragon’s Roost I said I had hoped for more deep diving into being nonbinary and gender feels and the author did wonderfully with that in this one. I also continue to love how well this story moves along while also touching on serious topics. There are a lot of good conversations and realizations happening in these books and I’m glad kids are going to have them. Cheers for #4!!
December 16, 2024
Really good book I need another
June 29, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and Labyrinth Road for sharing the ARC with me!
Let me start by saying that I am a huge fan of this series now. Because Symes-Smith's first two books were just so good, I walked into this one worried whether they could keep the momentum going because everyone knows that sequels are challenging! But, as usual, Symes-Smith managed to craft an excellent story that avoids clichés, portrays believable and relatable characters, and draws the reader into the world. As a reader with ADHD, I rarely can read for more than 5 minutes straight, but - as with the rest of the series - I just couldn't put this book down.
Like The Dragon's Roost, the second book in the series, The Witch's War is darker than The Champions of Helston, though the grimness of the overall plot is well-balanced by the hope we get from the personal growth of the main characters. This fits well with what I feel is an overarching theme in the series: the world itself may be grim, and things may feel hopeless, but efforts to unlearn social norms that teach us to repress our true selves can give us strength and help us build communities to make changes in our world. In this book, I feel that we are starting to see the most poignant character growth yet in the series. In all, I really appreciate how this book clearly depicts characters' active efforts to replace self-loathing with healthier and/or more functional ways of thinking.
I cannot recommend this series, and this particular book, enough. Do yourself a favor and give these a read!!
Let me start by saying that I am a huge fan of this series now. Because Symes-Smith's first two books were just so good, I walked into this one worried whether they could keep the momentum going because everyone knows that sequels are challenging! But, as usual, Symes-Smith managed to craft an excellent story that avoids clichés, portrays believable and relatable characters, and draws the reader into the world. As a reader with ADHD, I rarely can read for more than 5 minutes straight, but - as with the rest of the series - I just couldn't put this book down.
Like The Dragon's Roost, the second book in the series, The Witch's War is darker than The Champions of Helston, though the grimness of the overall plot is well-balanced by the hope we get from the personal growth of the main characters. This fits well with what I feel is an overarching theme in the series: the world itself may be grim, and things may feel hopeless, but efforts to unlearn social norms that teach us to repress our true selves can give us strength and help us build communities to make changes in our world. In this book, I feel that we are starting to see the most poignant character growth yet in the series. In all, I really appreciate how this book clearly depicts characters' active efforts to replace self-loathing with healthier and/or more functional ways of thinking.
I cannot recommend this series, and this particular book, enough. Do yourself a favor and give these a read!!
December 18, 2024
I know I'm late with this review, but I STRUGGLED.
First thing you should know if you don't: this is the third book in a series. For those of you who haven't read the others, circle back to book 1. For those of you who have, let me clarify: this is NOT the third book in a trilogy. I'm guessing that this will eventually be a quartet but at this point who knows.
I really struggled with this book, in large part because at least 50% felt like filler. I did like getting to follow Edwyn's POV, but even he made at least one choice that made no sense but did further the plot. Elowyn's storyline? Nothing really happens. Callie's storyline? Maybe three things happen, and two of them simply don't make sense. To avoid spoilers, I will simply say that it drives me nuts when someone says, "Our lives all depend on us not doing X," and then the same people do X in the next couple of chapters with little to no provocation.
By the book's finale, a few events have occurred, but it all felt like setup for another book. In the last roughly 100 pages, several things do finally come to fruition, but as one of the characters remarks, "We're having the same conversation over and over again." True. We know, because most of this book is conversations, with a rare moment of action sprinkled in.
I know the tone of this review is zesty, but I was frustrated by how little occurred, and how many chapters of this book progressed with no meaningful changes. All four of the storylines (Willow gets a few chapters at the end) finish with other characters making choices that lead to the story moving into its next phase.
I have enjoyed this series, though I've sometimes struggled with its clunky prose. However, I'm not sure that I'll continue from here, given that this book was so heavily padded out. While I understand the appeal of the cliffhanger at the end, the stuff in the middle could have included more events rather than chapters upon chapters of cyclical conversations. On top of that, there are some places where the message of this book gets muddled. So... we're against using agency to defend ourselves from outside attacks, and we're pro-monarchy? I'm not sure I'm on board. There are some passages about identity that I quite liked, but they felt didactic on the context of as story that was making little to no progress.
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley, and was very excited to (I thought) complete Callie's journey. Though there will obviously be more books, I'm not sure if I'll continue.
First thing you should know if you don't: this is the third book in a series. For those of you who haven't read the others, circle back to book 1. For those of you who have, let me clarify: this is NOT the third book in a trilogy. I'm guessing that this will eventually be a quartet but at this point who knows.
I really struggled with this book, in large part because at least 50% felt like filler. I did like getting to follow Edwyn's POV, but even he made at least one choice that made no sense but did further the plot. Elowyn's storyline? Nothing really happens. Callie's storyline? Maybe three things happen, and two of them simply don't make sense. To avoid spoilers, I will simply say that it drives me nuts when someone says, "Our lives all depend on us not doing X," and then the same people do X in the next couple of chapters with little to no provocation.
By the book's finale, a few events have occurred, but it all felt like setup for another book. In the last roughly 100 pages, several things do finally come to fruition, but as one of the characters remarks, "We're having the same conversation over and over again." True. We know, because most of this book is conversations, with a rare moment of action sprinkled in.
I know the tone of this review is zesty, but I was frustrated by how little occurred, and how many chapters of this book progressed with no meaningful changes. All four of the storylines (Willow gets a few chapters at the end) finish with other characters making choices that lead to the story moving into its next phase.
I have enjoyed this series, though I've sometimes struggled with its clunky prose. However, I'm not sure that I'll continue from here, given that this book was so heavily padded out. While I understand the appeal of the cliffhanger at the end, the stuff in the middle could have included more events rather than chapters upon chapters of cyclical conversations. On top of that, there are some places where the message of this book gets muddled. So... we're against using agency to defend ourselves from outside attacks, and we're pro-monarchy? I'm not sure I'm on board. There are some passages about identity that I quite liked, but they felt didactic on the context of as story that was making little to no progress.
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley, and was very excited to (I thought) complete Callie's journey. Though there will obviously be more books, I'm not sure if I'll continue.
August 3, 2024
This third book in the Sir Callie series picks up where we left off at the cliffhanger ending of book two, with the kingdom on the brink of war and Callie & friends caught in the middle of it all. This book differs a bit from the others in that Callie, Willow, Edwyn, and Elowen are increasingly fighting their own battles (literally and otherwise), so the chapters alternate between their perspectives. At first I was concerned that this new style would feel jarring, but it didn't - instead it deepened my understanding of and empathy for each character, seeing the world through their eyes. Each of these kids is such a unique individual, with their own struggles and strengths and ways they show up for each other, it's impossible to pick a favorite.
Besides the lovely character development, we get to see some new places and meet some new people, from super creepy villains to outlaw kids to a confident genderfluid(?) adult who is a fantastic role model for both the kids in the book and kids reading the book! We also learn about more injustice and cruelty happening in this world, and witness some pretty intense physical, verbal, and emotional abuse. As I said in my review of the last book, it may be a bit too dark for some young readers, but there are many others who will see their own experiences reflected here and find incredible comfort, validation, and hope within these pages. Grown-ups too.
And of course the metaphors for our real-world issues continue to be unfortunately apt, though woven into such an engaging fantasy that it never feels preachy. That said, I hope kids reading this book will consider the ways that they too can stand up for what they believe in, and adults will consider the ways that we as a society are failing our young people. And then, like Callie and their friends, let's do something about it!
If you enjoyed the first two Sir Callie books, I know you'll be lining up outside your local bookstore to get your hands on this one, and you won't be disappointed. I suppose it's too soon to beg for book four given that this one isn't even out yet...
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.
Besides the lovely character development, we get to see some new places and meet some new people, from super creepy villains to outlaw kids to a confident genderfluid(?) adult who is a fantastic role model for both the kids in the book and kids reading the book! We also learn about more injustice and cruelty happening in this world, and witness some pretty intense physical, verbal, and emotional abuse. As I said in my review of the last book, it may be a bit too dark for some young readers, but there are many others who will see their own experiences reflected here and find incredible comfort, validation, and hope within these pages. Grown-ups too.
And of course the metaphors for our real-world issues continue to be unfortunately apt, though woven into such an engaging fantasy that it never feels preachy. That said, I hope kids reading this book will consider the ways that they too can stand up for what they believe in, and adults will consider the ways that we as a society are failing our young people. And then, like Callie and their friends, let's do something about it!
If you enjoyed the first two Sir Callie books, I know you'll be lining up outside your local bookstore to get your hands on this one, and you won't be disappointed. I suppose it's too soon to beg for book four given that this one isn't even out yet...
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.
July 29, 2025
Genuinely this series has gotten better and better by the book. The lore keeps expanding in ways that are both compelling and make sense for the world. This series gets super dark but in a way that’s still accessible for kids and is actually a really great way for kids to engage in themes like parental abuse, corruption among those in power, and queerphobia/how to combat it. Sir Callie is really a trailblazing series when it comes to the sheer variety of queer representation with a variety of cool characters. I started reading this series out of a curiosity of what kinds of kids fantasy media is out there today (and what queer books are out there for kids now that I would’ve liked). Sir Callie is such a genuine game changer with the representation given so widely across a spectrum of identities. Like seeing neopronouns in a kids book (and for a dragon mind you) was genuinely kinda mind blowing as someone growing up before gay marriage was even fully legal.
An extremely well done character in this book in particular was Edwyn. Seeing his thought patterns as a victim of abuse and how he has to remind himself he doesn’t deserve to be hurt was both heartbreaking and really well done as a resource for kids who may be in a similar situation.
I also really liked seeing Willow starting to explore being bigender, and how he could inhabit both masculine and feminine presentation/titles. It felt like a natural next step in his arc and the late addition of Sylvie to the cast helped.
I will say my ONE nitpick is that the continued pendulum of Queen Ewella’s opinions never feels earned. I never think she gets enough page time to really make sense of any of her decisions and what she’s thinking—her random flip flops from side to side feel convenient to the plot because of how little we get from her as a character. Like Alis wasn’t even in book one and Lord Peran’s wife Anita is hardly around but I’ve gotten so much more of both of their motives and where they stand respectively than I have Ewella.
Also there wasn’t nearly enough Neal in this book like MORE NEAL PLEASE!
Anyway I’m READY for book 4. Started out mildly curious and decently excited to read but now VERY invested—Peran count your days jerk (using kid friendly language here).
An extremely well done character in this book in particular was Edwyn. Seeing his thought patterns as a victim of abuse and how he has to remind himself he doesn’t deserve to be hurt was both heartbreaking and really well done as a resource for kids who may be in a similar situation.
I also really liked seeing Willow starting to explore being bigender, and how he could inhabit both masculine and feminine presentation/titles. It felt like a natural next step in his arc and the late addition of Sylvie to the cast helped.
I will say my ONE nitpick is that the continued pendulum of Queen Ewella’s opinions never feels earned. I never think she gets enough page time to really make sense of any of her decisions and what she’s thinking—her random flip flops from side to side feel convenient to the plot because of how little we get from her as a character. Like Alis wasn’t even in book one and Lord Peran’s wife Anita is hardly around but I’ve gotten so much more of both of their motives and where they stand respectively than I have Ewella.
Also there wasn’t nearly enough Neal in this book like MORE NEAL PLEASE!
Anyway I’m READY for book 4. Started out mildly curious and decently excited to read but now VERY invested—Peran count your days jerk (using kid friendly language here).
December 17, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
As a HUGE Tamora Pierce fan, especially the Tortall universe.....I am so very much in love. This had that same feeling I get when I visit Tortall and it made my heart so happy.
This series is vital. Not only is the universe fun and wonderful, but it hits on topics critically important to all people - especially young adults. Life is hard, people don't like change, but being different is what makes us beautiful and EVERYONE should be celebrated for who they are, not who society says they should be. That's the core of this book - yes it's got magic and knights and dragons...but it's about found family, loving yourself, accepting yourself and others, and pushing back against bigots that would force you into a box you don't fit in.
This story continues down the path of accepting yourself, accepting others, and celebrating differences. Symes-Smith is careful to give trigger warnings and resources at the start and is respectful but realistic in portrayals of a diverse cast and the very real prejudices they face. Fantastic fantasy setting, devastating realties.
I adore the addition of multi-POVs in this book - it adds a depth to the books that makes them even better, somehow, and I love how differently but how accurately each character is portrayed as they suffer and deal with their own adversities. I love these books.
This is a story about badass kids, but it's also about love and hope and daring to be different in the face of adversity. It's wonderful, it's important, and it holds a special place in my heart now - just like Tammy has for years.
As a HUGE Tamora Pierce fan, especially the Tortall universe.....I am so very much in love. This had that same feeling I get when I visit Tortall and it made my heart so happy.
This series is vital. Not only is the universe fun and wonderful, but it hits on topics critically important to all people - especially young adults. Life is hard, people don't like change, but being different is what makes us beautiful and EVERYONE should be celebrated for who they are, not who society says they should be. That's the core of this book - yes it's got magic and knights and dragons...but it's about found family, loving yourself, accepting yourself and others, and pushing back against bigots that would force you into a box you don't fit in.
This story continues down the path of accepting yourself, accepting others, and celebrating differences. Symes-Smith is careful to give trigger warnings and resources at the start and is respectful but realistic in portrayals of a diverse cast and the very real prejudices they face. Fantastic fantasy setting, devastating realties.
I adore the addition of multi-POVs in this book - it adds a depth to the books that makes them even better, somehow, and I love how differently but how accurately each character is portrayed as they suffer and deal with their own adversities. I love these books.
This is a story about badass kids, but it's also about love and hope and daring to be different in the face of adversity. It's wonderful, it's important, and it holds a special place in my heart now - just like Tammy has for years.
May 28, 2024
Sir Callie and the Witch's War continues Callie and their friends journey throughout Helston and Dumoor. This book picks up right where Dragon's Roost ended, and I was SO excited to be able to continue reading about their journey!
This book is definitely a lot darker than the first 2 books in the series, but its focus is still on the heartwarming characters that we have grown to love. This book switches perspective with each chapter so we are able to see how each character feels about all of the adventure. I don't usually enjoy multiple povs in my stories, but Esme Symes-Smith handled this so well!
The non-binary & queer representation continues to be stellar, but the hate that they are facing only grows. Please read Esme's content warnings before the book, as they are extra important with this one.
I devoured this book and eagerly await the 4th! I always want to know what happens after the happy ending in my adventure stories, and Esme Symes-Smith is definitely answering that for me. Every character is flawed, and their growth throughout the series has been amazing to see. I love Esme's books and will be reading them as long as they write them!
Thanks to NetGalley, Esme Symes-Smith, and Random House Children's for the chance to read and review!
This book is definitely a lot darker than the first 2 books in the series, but its focus is still on the heartwarming characters that we have grown to love. This book switches perspective with each chapter so we are able to see how each character feels about all of the adventure. I don't usually enjoy multiple povs in my stories, but Esme Symes-Smith handled this so well!
The non-binary & queer representation continues to be stellar, but the hate that they are facing only grows. Please read Esme's content warnings before the book, as they are extra important with this one.
I devoured this book and eagerly await the 4th! I always want to know what happens after the happy ending in my adventure stories, and Esme Symes-Smith is definitely answering that for me. Every character is flawed, and their growth throughout the series has been amazing to see. I love Esme's books and will be reading them as long as they write them!
Thanks to NetGalley, Esme Symes-Smith, and Random House Children's for the chance to read and review!
October 29, 2024
This is heavier than I expected for a “thrilling fantasy adventure” (right from the official synopsis) - and it hits very close to home for me after working on Dangerous Intent: just how many kids (kids!) are rejected, gaslit, denied, manipulated, abused for who they are. And they are queer - whether that’s gender (Callie and Willow), sexuality (Elowen), or their role in a cishet world (Edwin). And while our characters are only 12 years old, it’s so so important to show kids that age that queerness is nothing to be ashamed of (can, in fact be empowering and beautiful) and that not all adults are right.
And we never get to forget that, despite their bravery and adventures, they are still kids. They’re figuring themselves out, trying new ways to fit into their skin, failing and hurting each other with words they don’t mean. And sometimes the walls the adults have built are too strong to break and too high to climb alone.
And we never get to forget that, despite their bravery and adventures, they are still kids. They’re figuring themselves out, trying new ways to fit into their skin, failing and hurting each other with words they don’t mean. And sometimes the walls the adults have built are too strong to break and too high to climb alone.
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