*** Special Thanks to Netgalley and author Esme Symes-Smith for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review***
In this episode, I returned to Sir Callie’s story…
Friends, friends, friends.
Welcome back to Teatime Reading where there are books in progress.
One of the biggest surprises of the last 12 months had to be Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston. I cannot describe how powerful and revolutionary of a story it was. I reviewed it in February of that year and you can find my thoughts on it right here.
I’ve discussed how moved I was by the characters of Sir Callie, Willow, and Elowen in book one. In this early review of its sequel Sir Callie and the Dragon’s Roost, I was even more struck by the harshness of a world that is determined to oppress, hate, and divide.
This is an incredibly dark book and there are trigger warnings right here. There is also a beautiful level of representation that feels natural and perfect even in the difficult world of this story.
rep: non-binary MC;
Sapphic LI; implied genderfluid secondary character; secondary and tertiary characters who use neopronouns; gay parents; LGBTQIAP+ tertiary characters.
cw: child abuse; trauma; war violence; incarceration; false imprisonment; implied torture; deadnaming; misgendering; injury; other content warnings provided by author.
For me, the critical question that this sequel had to ask was this: What happens when a social and personal victory is not actually a triumph?
That was the question for Sir Callie, Willow, Elowen, and her brother Edwyn. This book was an intense exploration of war, prejudice, conflict, treachery, and most importantly, the importance and possibility of a safe home.
This book was significantly darker than book one, and no part of that escalation seemed forced. When Sir Callie and her friends achieved what they did at the end of Champions of Helston, I never expected society to quietly move into its new era of equality and acceptance.
However, even I was unprepared for the backlash at the beginning and as the story progressed, I was fascinated by the values that Helston and its enemy Dumoor disagreed on, and the interesting things that made them alike. Introducing a new dragon friend Teo was delightful, and the dragons using neopronouns was an interesting way to bring that into this world. Sir Callie and her friends were forced to accept many truths and discover where they had been lied to. There was a scene with our heroes meeting queer adults and learning about pronouns and identity in such a beautiful way
All in all, this book reinforced the Sir Callie series as a compelling adventure with beautiful lead characters in Callie, Willow, Elowen, Edwyn, and Teo. The battles continue to rage into the heart-stopping final act of this book, and the only downside of reading this book six months ahead of its release is that I have to wait even longer to get to book three.
Unless I get another advance copy of course.
Sir Callie is a powerful, deliberately inclusive book series that reminds me of my favorite Tamora Pierce series. The Author is more intentional in her writing style than some authors which results in more overt references to equality and inclusion in this book, and for a middle-grade series, that makes me so incredibly happy to know that children everywhere are learning about themselves and others in such a realistic, and fantastical way.
Until next time, keep your bookmarks close.
Peace, Love, Pages.
Note: As Always, Affiliate Links are here for your convenience at no cost to you. All reading was at my own expense.