The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia: An Illustrated Novel

by Leia Ham

With atmospheric illustrations full of warmth, adventure, and friendship on every page, The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia is an unforgettable magical school story.To Sparrow Xia, power feels like fire; red-hot sparks dancing along her fingertips, or the blazing flames her brother wields. In a world where kids have magic and adults don't, being a super-rare fire mage should give her the edge she needs to make the most of her magical years. But Sparrow feels like a fraud-for all its rarity, her fire-magic is so weak she can barely conjure more than a match flame. Starting school at Zenith Academy for Magical Development is her one chance to finally strengthen her magic-to turn her pitiful match flame into something powerful. Something special. While Sparrow battles to master her talents, a strange illness begins to seep into the school, draining students of their magic. When Sparrow and her new friends are drawn into the search for a cure, they'll soon find that when magic means everything, some people will go to terrifying lengths to try to keep it . . .With exciting, atmospheric illustrations on every page, The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia is the beginning of an unforgettable adventure overflowing with friendship, mystery, and the truth that magic is everywhere.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Magic, Childrens

320 pages, Hardcover

Published May 5, 2026

Reviews

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia was such a cozy, magical ride. Imagine a magical school story mixed with mystery, friendship, and one very relatable main character who is basically running on “please validate me” energy the entire time. Sparrow felt super real...awkward, determined, emotional, and constantly comparing herself to everyone else.

The worldbuilding was fun without being overwhelming, and the magic system had that classic “I wish I could enroll in this school immediately” vibe. I especially loved Sparrow’s friendships because they felt genuine and sweet instead of overly dramatic. Also, the illustrations sprinkled throughout the book made everything feel extra charming.

Parts of the story moved a little slowly, and I wanted some side characters to get more development. But once the mystery picked up, I was hooked.

Overall, this book felt like a warm cup of hot chocolate with a tiny fireball floating on top. Perfect for readers who love magical schools, underdog heroes, and stories about learning that your worth isn’t tied to being the best.

Thank you Times Reads for sending the ARC in exchange for honest review.

[Isabelle Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

The blurb reads: With atmospheric illustrations full of warmth, adventure, and friendship on every page, The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia is an unforgettable magical school story.

To Sparrow Xia, power feels like fire; red-hot sparks dancing along her fingertips, or the blazing flames her brother wields. In a world where kids have magic and adults don’t, being a super-rare fire mage should give her the edge she needs to make the most of her magical years. But Sparrow feels like a fraud—for all its rarity, her fire-magic is so weak she can barely conjure more than a match flame. Starting school at Zenith Academy for Magical Development is her one chance to finally strengthen her magic—to turn her pitiful match flame into something powerful. Something special.

While Sparrow battles to master her talents, a strange illness begins to seep into the school, draining students of their magic. When Sparrow and her new friends are drawn into the search for a cure, they’ll soon find that when magic means everything, some people will go to terrifying lengths to try to keep it…

With exciting, atmospheric illustrations on every page, The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia is the beginning of an unforgettable adventure overflowing with friendship, mystery, and the truth that magic is everywhere.

And oh my gosh, y’all.

This book.

*collapses into sobs*

It broke me… Maybe even more than The Q did. (And that, my dear, is saying something. One does not simply write a book more heartbreaking than one of Beth Brower’s.) Just…. oh my goodness. The twists, the turns, the PLOT TWISTS, and the ending…

I originally picked this book up due to the absolutely gorgeous cover illustration and also because I wanted to read a book with a Chinese protagonist where the world isn’t really based on Chinese mythology or culture. (We need more of them!!) Not to mention the incredibly sweet Author’s Note written in the beginning! <3

And wow, this book did not disappoint at all.

The world and the plot and the characters… The characters in this novel are wonderful, and there really are just far too many good ones for me to possibly pick a favorite!! Camellia, Orla, Sparrow, Lyndon…They really are just so well-written!!

Though if I were to pick a favorite character, I would have to go with Sparrow. Not only does she have a terribly fascinating name, I related to her so much throughout the story, about wanting to be better and about not ever really feeling good enough. I do think it is something that a lot of people will be able to relate to, and I just loved seeing Sparrow grow throughout this book! ^^ Definitely one of my most beloved characters.

My second favorite would likely have to be either Camellia and Orla — Orla is just such a sweet character, and her friendship with Sparrow is absolutely wonderful!! And I loved seeing Camellia’s character develop throughout the story, especially how she becomes more than just the foil character meant to bully the protagonist.

And Sahir!!

He is a raven, which I found positively delightful, as I adore ravens. He’s a wonderful animal companion and I loved what he calls Sparrow — “Bird-child”. Because of her name, Sparrow. For some reason, I found it terribly endearing. But most certainly a better one than “birdbrain” as her brother calls her.

And speaking of her brother…

…

*sighs*

I…. ehhhhhh…. ergh……

I hate him.

For the first part of the book, he is incredibly arrogant, selfish, terribly mean to his sister, so much to the point that he is just… deeply unsympathetic and something terribly terrible could happen to him and I would not particularly care.

Not to mention how, towards the end of the book, I was thinking that perhaps Ainsley and Sparrow would finally be able to set aside their differences and understand each other only to get to the climax…………..

…

*sobs*

I will not spoil anything, but oh. my. stars. and. skies.

The climax.

It was absolutely heartbreaking……

WHY AINSLEY WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There are no words that can explain my fury and despair.

There were just so many twists (twists that I kept trying to guess all throughout the novel but not once did ever successfully guess them correctly!!! Which hardly happens.) and so many times, I had to stop reading and — had I had a physical ARC — throw it across the room in despair.

So yes. Tis indeed terribly heartbreaking. But it is also wonderful to see how strong Sparrow has grown over the course of the story and to see her be able to stand up like that!!! I was ever so proud of her. But also still terribly heartbroken….

The worldbuilding of this book was fantastic though. I love magical academies, and Zenith Academy for Magical Development does not disappoint at all! Truly. With all of its teachers and the food and all the student relationships, it really does feel like a real school with an incredibly well-developed magic system!

Not to mention the illustrations!!!!

Now, seeing as this is an ARC, it means that quite a lot of the illustrations are rough/unfinished. But there are a few finished ones (well, I’m assuming they’re finished, but I could be wrong. And I don’t know either if they’re meant to be in color or to be printed in black-and-white as they are in the ARC. They would all be so darn gorgeous in color though!!) and they’re amazing!!! They really do help you picture the characters so well and really bring the story to life!

And the author illustrated this book herself. Which is severely cool, in my opinion.

I can’t share any actual illustrations from the book due to it being an unreleased ARC, but this is a link to one of her illustrations on her website.

The only qualms I have over this book is really only the fact that, on NetGalley reader, there is a page towards the end of the story. The background page color is black (a design choice which I really would love, except for the fact that the words themselves are dark blue. Rendering a full two pages of this book basically unreadable. Which was a bit irritating, but there wasn’t too much of the story lost. Twas only two pages, after all.)

But overall, this is a wonderful middle-grade novel, full of humor and heart and wonder and bravery that I think any middle-grade reader will fall in love with! It has so many relatable characters with such immersive worldbuilding that I just loved! Five out of five stars from me.

(Review originally posted on my blog. A thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic for the ARC.)

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 4 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Sparrow lives in the United Realms, a world where children have magic but adults do not. Because magic can be channeled into magestones and runs everything, the children with more magical abilities are sent to schools to cultivate their skills. Sparrow has always been told that she isn't as good as her brother Ainsley, so is both relieved and scared to be attending the Zenith Academy for Magical Development, the school her brother attends. After saying goodbye to their mother and heading through the Luneport, Sparrow arrives at the academy only to find that first year students have to climb a mountain to get to the school. She has befriended Lyndon Demara, who seems nice, but who takes off up the mountain and won't help Sparrow when another student, Orla, falls. Sparrow helps the other student, and the two manage to make it to the gates of school just in time, although many students do not. When the identification pendants are being handed out, Sparrow sees a vision when she looks upon the Eye of Zipporah, but no one else in her class has a similar experience. There are many classes, including an herb class with Silas Rowan, a snotty classmate, Camellia, and a lot of unpleasant run ins with Ainsley. Sparrow finds that her magic is stronger than she thought, and can be unmanageable when she becomes angry. When other students become ill with magedrain fever, she and her new friends try to investigate and find out what is causing it. Will Sparrow be able to develop her magic, complete her evals, and save Zenith Academy from destruction?
Strengths: While there are many fantasy books, I can't think of one that has such great illustrations. These add a lot to building the fantasy world, especially when there are so many pictures! I wish that more middle grade books were heavily illustrated. Zenith Academy has lots of things to recommend it: tasty meals, a variety of students, classes on magical topics, and, of course, a force of evil that must be stopped. Ainsley is really quite an evil older brother, and it's fairly clear why Sparrow suffers from poor self image. Despite the treatment she has received at home, she is a good person, and tries her best to be a good friend and classmate, which is endearing to see. The mystery about the sickness is well developed, and Sparrow and her friends do the best investigation that they can. I feel like there is something more to this story, and fully expect there to be more books coming out about Zentih Academy. The uniform is perfect for cosplay! If any of my students need a turtleneck, I've got a whole drawer of them, and the magestone identification pendants won't be hard to make. Wide legged pants should be hitting the thrift stores this spring and will be easy enough to turn into the cropped pants.
Weaknesses: I'm not sure when publishing will realize that younger readers are not as enthralled by books like Harry Potter as the generation before them was. There have been several articles about this, even in the New York Times, and I have definitely seen this in my school library. I used to have a whole list of "magical academy" books, but I haven't had a single student ask for one this entire year. The author's note at the beginning of the book added some insight to the trend I am seeing: she grew up escaping into fantasy books because there was a lot of pressure on her academically. My students today don't even feel pressure to turn in homework, and have little imagination, so it's not a surprise that they don't enjoy fantasy books.
What I really think: The illustrations do set this book apart from other fantasy books, and the story is fairly well constructed. I think fantasy books are going to start falling into a category like horse books or talking animal books; I'll buy one or two a year to add to my already large collection. This is one of the better books I have read lately, so I will purchase a copy in case my readers work their way through
Sanders' Keynan Masters and the Peerless Magic Crew, Elle's Taste Of Magic (Park Row Magic Academy #1), Perry's Jaden Powers and the Inheritance Magic, Alston's Amari and the Night Brothers, Adame's Chloe Vega and the Agents of Magic, Williams' Where There Be Monsters, Madanna's Vanya and the Wild Hunt, Okogwu's Onyeka and the Acadmey of the Sun, Dumas' Wildseed Witch, Thomas' Nic Blake, and Clayton's The Marvellers. I hope that the next book in the series explains a little more why children have magic and adults do not... always.

[Carrie Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia is about a young girl named Sparrow who is starting her first year at Zenith Academy for Magical Development. Zenith is a school where the students learn how to strengthen their magical abilities. In Sparrow's world, children are the ones with magic and will eventually lose their abilities by adulthood. It's important for them to make the most of their magic while they still have it and find a place in their world without it.

Sparrow has been living in the shadow of her more talented older brother, Ainsley, for her entire life and she hopes to be able master her fire mage abilities. One of her motivations is to make those around her proud and prove herself to them. While, she works hard at the academy a strange illness starts affecting the other students, which is draining their magic from them. Sparrow works with her friends to try and find out what is going on and who is causing this to occur.

Leia Ham has created a great book for middle grade readers and those like me who still like to read this age range. I was originally drawn to Sparrow's story because of Leia's stunning illustrations. She is one of the artists I follow on Instagram. Each page in this stunning book is illustrated and they all look absolutely beautiful. I cannot wait to see what a finished copy of this book will look like.

Sparrow's story is one I relate to. I had to work very hard in school when I was in elementary and middle school to keep my grades higher. Like Sparrow, I always wanted to make my parents proud of me and in my mind that was getting the best grades I could. She never feels like she is good enough and I know there are plenty of people who can relate to her. It was a joy to watch her grow throughout the novel.

Along with Sparrow, I highly enjoyed following all of the friends she made at Zenith including: Lyndon, Orla, Camellia, etc. There are so many strong characters in this book which make it even more enjoyable. I loved watching their characters develop over the course of the story and I look forward to seeing more of their adventures in future books.

One of my absolute favorite characters from the story was definitely the raven, Sahir. I'll always be a sucker for a talking animal in a story and he was great. He was such an endearing character and I loved the nickname he had for Sparrow, "bird-child," so cute!

The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia is a wonderful middle grade fantasy story which has a lot of heart, humor, and a story that will draw you in. The characters are relatable and the world-building is interesting. I believe middle grade readers will love this story and I'm sure there are plenty of older readers who would love Sparrow's story too. Cannot wait for more adventures in this world and to add this one to my collection.

*Thank you to Edelweiss, the publisher, and Leia Haim for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*

[K.C. Norton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm of two minds about this one, so I'll break this down into pros and cons. For starters, let me just say that I'd compare this to a wizarding school series that I refuse to name; the Septimus Heap series (minus the tongue-in-cheek narration); and the fire magic elements kept bringing me back to Avatar: The Last Airbender.

---

What I Liked:
- The illustrations, which really make this pop. The prose is a little light on descriptions but the lovely art fills in those gaps.
- The world is a lot more inclusive than many others in this genre. It's not based on a single culture or mythos; instead, the cast is diverse, as are the aesthetics of the world, the food, the manifestations of magic, and so on.
- It's an interesting mechanic to have magic fade as people get older, and I thought Ham used that in a compelling way to explore how this shifts power dynamics. People in positions of authority, and with a lot of education, are inherently weaker in their magic. Kids are still kids, and can be manipulated by adults, but kids have a huge advantage and as such don't need to be as physically cautious around parents and teachers.

What Didn't Work for Me:
- There are many tropes of the magical school genre that were included here, but which don't necessarily make a lot of sense with the mechanics and worldbuilding. I felt that there were a lot of plot and logistical holes that were never addressed.
- There are some major plot points where adults make choices that are dubious at best and then hold the kids accountable for them? I can't get too in-depth here without spoilers but overall I wish that there had been a bit more development and detail in those places because sometimes things happened just to move the plot forward in a way that felt contradictory.
- I often felt that plot momentum was valued over character development, which I know is fine for some people but is not my preference.

I would say that this is early middle grade, and that most target readers are going to be less concerned about plot structure, etc. etc., but I wish that this book had relied less on "magical academy" tropes and had delved more into the world and into the characters than it did. That said: it's a debut novel, and the author notes that she sees herself as an artist first, so I would happily read later installments of this to see where it goes. Pretty sure, based on context clues, that this will be a trilogy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this beautifully illustrated novel.

[YSBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sparrow, a 12-year old fire mage, is heading off to Zenith Academy for Magical Development. Constantly being compared to her impressive and powerful older brother Ainsley, Sparrow feels immense pressure to succeed in school, despite her brother’s magic being more powerful than hers. On her first day at Zenith, she connects with other mages whose magic isn’t especially powerful, finding a community at school. While working with the school’s Healer to strengthen her powers, a mysterious illness begins spreading among the students, draining them of their power. The magedrain fever targets the most powerful mages in each class, specifically students whose files were stolen from the Healer’s office by a thief. Sparrow sets out to figure out who is behind the illness diminishing the power of her peers, while also learning about herself and her relationship to her magic. Who is the thief and why are they stealing magic? Does Sparrow have more potential than she ever thought possible? 

There are illustrations on almost every page of this book and they’re all beautifully done! They’re black-and-white and semi-realistic, featuring a range of diverse characters. Sparrow and her family are Chinese, Sparrow’s friend Lyndon is Black, and the school’s steward - Mistress Noor - is a brown woman wearing a hijab – these are just a few examples. Beyond the diversity depicted in the illustrations, Ham celebrates the diversity of Zenith’s students in other ways, such as mentioning that the cafeteria has foods that Sparrow is familiar with, as well as lots of foods that she’s unfamiliar with but enjoys trying, such as dosas, chutneys, and pickled fish. The cultural diversity amongst the characters was beautifully portrayed throughout, both in the illustrations and storytelling. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Ingrid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ended up finishing 90% of the book in one sitting. Once the mystery started going it was so hard for me to put down! Sparrow was particularly relatable on a personal level. Her desire to be acknowledged and her insecurities about never being enough in the eyes of her family hit hard, and I just want to give Sparrow (and the author :,) ) a big hug. It felt so cathartic to read about Sparrow learning to not repress her emotions in order to access the potential of her powers, and I really enjoyed her journey of self-acceptance. Despite me predicting the true culprit pretty early on, the build-up of the mystery all the way to the climax was exciting and well-done, with a couple misdirections and red herrings to keep you on your toes. The story is fast-paced with not a moment wasted, though I wish we got to spend more time with the characters and the setting. Sometimes I felt that the plot moved so quickly that there was not a lot of time to linger on the students' class activities and their day-to day lives at the academy. I just want to see the kids hang out together more because they're so cute! The magic system is interesting, but as with the plot moving fast, I wish that the intricacies of the magic system were discussed more.

Overall, it was such a wonderful story with very charming characters (except Ainsley of course; he was SO rude)! I was also shocked at the sheer amount of illustrations and flourishes included in the book. I couldn't believe nearly every page is delightfully decked out. The story has a similar whimsical-with-somewhat-dark-undertones as "Little Witch Academia" and "Witch Hat Atelier," so if you're a fan of those I think you'll enjoy this book!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second I read the summary of this book, I was reminded of the "only kids have magic" plot point in "Where There Be Monsters" by Alby C. Williams, mixed with a bit of the magical illness in Dhonielle Clayton's "The Memory Thieves." And once I started reading, some of the details REALLY did remind me of "Where There Be Monsters." But it also felt a lot like reading "Harry Potter" (if Ron Weasley were the main character and Percy was his only sibling). Since I was reminded so strongly of multiple different books while reading this, it didn't feel super original at times. That said, this story does take all of those familiar elements and throw in a commentary on toxic achievement culture (in this context, referring to when achievement is or feels required to earn love/respect/admiration), that is not something I have seen done much. It was done well and in a way that it feels like can be built on in the second book. I didn't feel like this book had as much mystery or magic occurring on page as I expected, and there were some awkwardly worded bits in the advance copy that I read. However, the illustrations were fantastic, and I liked the way the story wrapped up. I think this title could really speak to the right audience.
3.5 stars, rounded up.

[Naadhira Zahari · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia is a story of self discovery, set in a magical academy in a world where only children possess magic. This was a fun read, especially with the accompanying illustrations that I finished before I even realised it.

There's just something about middle grade stories that encapsulates very deep yet meaningful themes that doesn't quite hit the mark like YA or adult books. And this is one of it which makes it an even more memorable read. I thought it was going to be a simple read halfway through and I'm so glad that it was more complex than that—the culprit behind all the fevers as well as Sparrow's relationship with her family and friends.

Every page is a page turner what with all the illustrations done from the author (that is what we call talented!) that it really made me the whole reading experience more immersive. It's really pretty too!

All in all, I recommend you to read this book and I'm looking forward for the sequel.

[Mary Putrasahan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ugh I’m waffling on this one. Not sure what to rate it. I was really hoping it would blow me away.
The illustrations are gorgeous, and I think I really like the concept (kids have magic, adults don’t), which I think leaves lots of room for kid characters to have agency.
But many things detracted from what I think could have been really amazing! Overall, the character development was sparse. I understand there was a lot of plot to get to, but I feel like I missed out a lot on relationships I could really be rooting for. So many things were told to us— namely, Sparrow’s feelings. Not a lot was shown, which I also think played a bit into the lack of character development. I also would have loved to see more of the magic system. It felt very general.
I do think this is a good book for early middle grade readers, so I’m not trying to judge it by adult fantasy standards at all!

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thanks to Edelweiss and Scholastic for the DRC*

Fun and engaging magical academy fiction, this is a book that fans of Harry Potter and Avatar The Last Airbender will enjoy. The illustrations are really nice and add a lot to key moments and help us visualize Sparrow and her world. The magic system is simple and easy to grasp, and the mystery element of the book will keep readers turning pages. The writing and characterization were the biggest weaknesses of the book, especially dialogue. Several moments lean on cliches too heavily which blunt the impact of otherwise strong parts of the story. Many of the side characters also wind up feeling flat. But those quibbles aside, this is strong middle-grade fiction with some wonderful illustrations. 3.5 stars round up to 4.

[Peggymsu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an ARC from the publisher, sent to Barnes and Noble.

Books set at magic schools will forever have the ghost of Hogwarts lurking, but this sets itself apart in several ways. Only kids have magic. Magic fades as they age, but is still used in many aspects of society, so the adults seem to manage the use while kids supply the power. What happens when an illness drains magic? Sparrow and her friends search to discover what is causing the sickness while grappling with all the uncertainties of being a teenager, including popularity, family expectations, sibling rivalry, and general belief that they will never be good enough.

[Cathy Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot! This is a great story about friendship, loyalty, and family, as a girl struggles to find her fit in her magical world in the shadow of her powerful older brother. The characters are easy to care about, and I enjoyed seeing them develop throughout the book. The illustrations really added a lot of depth to the story and helped me visualize the characters and scenes. I look forward to reading the next book in this series! Highly recommended for middle-grades readers interested in magical fantasy.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

[Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, I loved this. I have a love for illustrated novels in general because I think they bridge an unspoken gap in the literature world. I love the characters, and I love how, while there wasn't much growth in the characters themselves, there is a wonderful setup for growth in the series, and that alone makes me stoked to continue this series.

[Dahlia (ofpagesandprint) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5

The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia is a magical, exhilarating middle-grade fantasy.

I absolutely adored this one. From the first page, Leia Ham swept me away with her whimsical, witty, and immersive prose. The world-building was lush and creative, and the magic system was spectacular. The characters were vivid and compelling, and I loved the exploration of friendship and family. Ham’s illustrations captivated me, and they brilliantly enhanced the rich character and world development. The plot was propulsive, and the pacing fit the story beautifully. I cannot wait for the next adventure with Sparrow!

Thank you to the publisher for the free review copy!

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow i actually cannot wait for this to be officially published. AMAZING.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast paced mystery at a magical boarding school. Very enjoyable with good setup for book 2. The illustrations are lovely and serve as useful character building which is absent in the text.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. (To come.)

[Nausicaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very charming and lovely. The illustrations are incredible and really add to an already very good story. Middle Grade stories are not usually my thing but this one really won me over !