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The Seven Thunders: Rise of the Twinkling Heir
304 pages, Hardcover
Published October 1, 2025
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32 people want to read
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June 26, 2025Hermium is a tinkerer, not a warrior, so he’s less than enthused to be selected for a prestigious warrior school (make that two - and he doesn’t get to choose). The bullies and grueling curriculum don’t do much to change his mind, but as Hermium makes friends and stumbles across old secrets, he’s swept up in a conflict of political powers and mythical creatures beyond anything he could have imagined.
Hermium’s journey begins as a classic school story, complete with proud but disconnected parents, a need to prove himself, bullies who are just plain mean, and mysterious artifacts in old closets. Everything is overflowing with detail, which creates the feeling of a complete, lived-in world. But be prepared to be tossed into the deep end! From the first page, there’s names, creatures, and inventions mentioned in context, and it’s up to the reader to piece together what it means, or to wait until there’s a direct description later on. While I admire the immersive approach, there were times when I struggled visualizing what was happening. (Is this character talking to a human? A magic tiger? Both?)
Perhaps counter-intuitively for an adventure story, I most enjoyed the quieter moments with Hermium where we really get to see what he’s feeling and what he thinks of the things happening around him. These parts felt the most grounded and relatable. When it comes to the action, there isn’t much introspection, and I wish we got to see more through Hermium’s eyes.
If you’re new to fantasy, I’m not sure this is the place to start. But fans of the genre’s hallmark fanciful names and hidden powers could enjoy getting to know this new world. The hardcover edition features full color maps on the endpapers, a printed cover, and a scattering of colored interior illustrations.
**Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to review with YA Books Central. See YABC for more reviews!**
Hermium’s journey begins as a classic school story, complete with proud but disconnected parents, a need to prove himself, bullies who are just plain mean, and mysterious artifacts in old closets. Everything is overflowing with detail, which creates the feeling of a complete, lived-in world. But be prepared to be tossed into the deep end! From the first page, there’s names, creatures, and inventions mentioned in context, and it’s up to the reader to piece together what it means, or to wait until there’s a direct description later on. While I admire the immersive approach, there were times when I struggled visualizing what was happening. (Is this character talking to a human? A magic tiger? Both?)
Perhaps counter-intuitively for an adventure story, I most enjoyed the quieter moments with Hermium where we really get to see what he’s feeling and what he thinks of the things happening around him. These parts felt the most grounded and relatable. When it comes to the action, there isn’t much introspection, and I wish we got to see more through Hermium’s eyes.
If you’re new to fantasy, I’m not sure this is the place to start. But fans of the genre’s hallmark fanciful names and hidden powers could enjoy getting to know this new world. The hardcover edition features full color maps on the endpapers, a printed cover, and a scattering of colored interior illustrations.
**Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to review with YA Books Central. See YABC for more reviews!**
July 2, 2025
“You look at life through a peephole and you think you know about fate.”
The cover of OC Jaime's The Seven Thunders: Rise of the Twinkling Heir reminded me very strongly of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. And there are several reasons to suggest that Jaime must have been at least partially inspired by the magical world accessed through Platform Nine and Three-Quarters at King's Cross Station in London. You have middle graders, a chosen one, dragons, a dark lord, and a lot of other familiar elements.
However, there are some differences too. Rowling's work featured several whimsical touches that showcased her vivid imagination like moving staircases or owls delivering letters. That’s not the case here. However, if what you liked about the Potterworld was the hero’s adventures and you’re looking for something similar, this book might be just the perfect fit for you.
Our story follows the adventures of Hermium Goodspeed, a boy who is meek, scrawny, and seems to carry a bit of impostor syndrome, at least in the beginning. However, he gets a letter inviting him to attend a military academy. As if to prove it wasn’t a fluke, he receives yet another letter from a different academy. Now, if you’re confused and wondering what military schools are doing in a world that was supposed to be about magic, the answer is that the two are the same. It is these elite military schools that use magic to defend their world.
Our boy finds himself training as an airjock in such a school and these airjocks use their magical suits to fly and defend the world. Moreover, the suits seem to have a sort of personality of their own, a bit like the Cloak of Levitation (the one worn by Doctor Strange). And then there are monsters—the dead-undead:
“We still have the challenge of how to destroy something that’s already dead. Difficult, for sure. But I am convinced not unsolvable. We just have to widen our aperture.”
And of course, a secret Destiny awaits the boy. Despite using all these tropes, the story stands out as a genuine and appreciable effort.
I think this book will appeal tremendously to fantasy lovers, especially those with a nostalgia for a world like that of Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, except with more action. The prose and characters are mostly adequately well-done. I think this is a world that shows great potential for growth, and that is exactly my issue here. There should be more to a fantasy world than is immediately needed for the story. I don’t want to hear about it. I want to see it, hear it, feel it. And I got the impression that there weren’t sufficient details that built the world beyond the most important elements. Of course, the things the author describes were often wonderful.
All in all, it remains one of the better works of fantasy for children that I have come across, and I recommend it wholeheartedly to lovers of fantasy adventures.
The cover of OC Jaime's The Seven Thunders: Rise of the Twinkling Heir reminded me very strongly of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. And there are several reasons to suggest that Jaime must have been at least partially inspired by the magical world accessed through Platform Nine and Three-Quarters at King's Cross Station in London. You have middle graders, a chosen one, dragons, a dark lord, and a lot of other familiar elements.
However, there are some differences too. Rowling's work featured several whimsical touches that showcased her vivid imagination like moving staircases or owls delivering letters. That’s not the case here. However, if what you liked about the Potterworld was the hero’s adventures and you’re looking for something similar, this book might be just the perfect fit for you.
Our story follows the adventures of Hermium Goodspeed, a boy who is meek, scrawny, and seems to carry a bit of impostor syndrome, at least in the beginning. However, he gets a letter inviting him to attend a military academy. As if to prove it wasn’t a fluke, he receives yet another letter from a different academy. Now, if you’re confused and wondering what military schools are doing in a world that was supposed to be about magic, the answer is that the two are the same. It is these elite military schools that use magic to defend their world.
Our boy finds himself training as an airjock in such a school and these airjocks use their magical suits to fly and defend the world. Moreover, the suits seem to have a sort of personality of their own, a bit like the Cloak of Levitation (the one worn by Doctor Strange). And then there are monsters—the dead-undead:
“We still have the challenge of how to destroy something that’s already dead. Difficult, for sure. But I am convinced not unsolvable. We just have to widen our aperture.”
And of course, a secret Destiny awaits the boy. Despite using all these tropes, the story stands out as a genuine and appreciable effort.
I think this book will appeal tremendously to fantasy lovers, especially those with a nostalgia for a world like that of Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, except with more action. The prose and characters are mostly adequately well-done. I think this is a world that shows great potential for growth, and that is exactly my issue here. There should be more to a fantasy world than is immediately needed for the story. I don’t want to hear about it. I want to see it, hear it, feel it. And I got the impression that there weren’t sufficient details that built the world beyond the most important elements. Of course, the things the author describes were often wonderful.
All in all, it remains one of the better works of fantasy for children that I have come across, and I recommend it wholeheartedly to lovers of fantasy adventures.
November 6, 2025
4.75/5!!!
I love the Harry Potter similarity & magic aspect!!!
I would like to be friends with Hermium, if he was a real person!!!
By the way, Herm is a tinkerer.
I love the Harry Potter similarity & magic aspect!!!
I would like to be friends with Hermium, if he was a real person!!!
By the way, Herm is a tinkerer.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews