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Title details for Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston by Esme Symes-Smith - Available

Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston

#1 in series

by Esme Symes-Smith
Dani Martineck
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
In a magical medieval world filled with dragons, shape-shifters, and witches, a twelve-year-old nonbinary hopeful knight battles for the heart of their kingdom. This USA Today bestselling series explores identity and gender amid sword fights and magic, and proves anyone can be a hero.
“These heroes come in all shapes and skills—I cheered for them throughout their exciting journey.” —#1 New York Times bestselling author Tamora Pierce
When their ex-hero dad is summoned back to the royal capital of Helston to train a hopeless crown prince, Callie lunges at the opportunity to finally prove themself worthy to the kingdom’s "great and powerful." Except the intolerant great and powerful look at nonbinary Callie and only see girl. But Callie has always known exactly what they want to be, and they’re not about to let anything stand in their way.
Trapped in Helston’s rigid hierarchy where girls learn magic and boys train as knights, Callie discovers they aren’t alone—there’s Elowen, the chancellor’s brilliant daughter, whose unparalleled power is being stifled; Edwyn, Elowen’s twin brother desperate to win his father’s approval; and Willow, the crown prince who was never meant to be king.
In this start to an epic series packed with action, humor, and heart, Callie and their new friends quickly find themselves embedded in an ancient war—and their only hope to defeat the threats outside the kingdom lies in first defeating the bigotry within.

"Everything you could possibly want from a middle grade fantasy." —The Nerd Daily

  • Creators

  • Series

    Sir Callie

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    November 8, 2022

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780593611647
      • File size: 275686 KB
      • Duration: 09:34:20

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Lexile® Measure: 710
    • Text Difficulty: 3

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from October 31, 2022
      Nonbinary 12-year-old Callie dreams of becoming a knight in service to the royal court of Helston. When their retired knight father—formerly champion to Helston’s king, who vanished years ago under mysterious circumstances—is recalled to help train the 12-year-old crown prince for an upcoming tournament and a future as ruler, Callie joins him. Helston’s court frowns upon anyone deviating from strict gender norms: magic-less knights are expected to fight, ladies to “sit still and be quiet and make pretty, useless things with their magic.” Confined to their chamber by the cruel Lord Chancellor Peran, Callie nonetheless continues to secretly train as a squire, soon befriending the nervous prince as well as Peran’s defiant daughter. Together, the trio, each of whom flout Helston’s gender norms, fight to be recognized for who they are in an increasingly oppressive system, all in the shadow of a looming war. In this uplifting debut, Symes-Smith skillfully crafts an emotionally rich adventure starring an intersectionally inclusive cast of courageous characters. With narrative undercurrents addressing identity, found family, and healing, there’s a lot to unpack and appreciate, all for the better, in this character-driven fantasy series starter. Ages 8–12. Agent: Megan Manzano, D4EO Literary.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Dani Martineck shines in presenting a confident character who feels confined in a disapproving world. Listeners will travel to the royal capital of Helston with Callie, a nonbinary 12-year-old who is determined to become a knight in a forbidding place with strict boundaries between genders. In this intolerant kingdom only girls can study magic, and boys must stick to swordplay. Martineck's narration makes it easy to differentiate the large cast of characters who are expressing emotions that range from despair to hope. They also capture the comforting voices of Callie's dads. An introductory author's note provides a content warning and a list of resources for those who may be uncomfortable with Callie's journey. E.J.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:710
  • Text Difficulty:3

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