Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts

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Looking for a story filled with myth, mystery, magic, and motion?  Look no further than Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts.  A fun read for people of all ages, but particularly the late elementary-middle school years.   So much happens within the confines of the covers, you’ll want to be in on all the action. 

A quick overview of Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts

Erika Lewis presents us with book one in the series The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts.  Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts is a hardcover, along with dustcover, of 336 pages.  Written for 8-12-year-olds, it suits that age range full well.  34 chapters round out this middle school read I am reviewing on behalf of Raincoast Books. 

You’ll find Kelcie, living a tough life as a foster child on earth, having the worst day of her life, falling through into her true home world. This is the start to her true life as a Saiga, a defender of the summer world.  Come along on her adventures with her fianna!  Full of action, a blend of mythology and magic, and an interesting new world to explore. 

Looking within the pages

The characters are so real!   Seriously.  I can fully see Kelcie fighting hard to survive as a foster child and her complete shock with being dropped in a school full of oddities.   Her confusion was so profound… and yet, and yet she coped.  So even in her shock, she survived. 

Her friends, as we learn, are also survivors, each with their own hard things in life to cope with.  Secrets are revealed as their “fianna” becomes closer.  All these items, along with well-written action scenes make this tale such an enjoyable read.

The history of Summer World slowly leaked out as the story took place.  Helping Kelcie learn, as she naturally would, the history of her own people.  Even as she learned the history, she learned some of the secrets of the kingdom.  Secrets, perhaps better left unknown? 

The writing style suited this age group well.  Lots of action, great descriptions, and a good amount of humour.  Just as middle schoolers can find themselves baffled and having to make do with what they know, so do Kelcie and her friends. 

Sometimes it feels like they are a bit behind the ball, and sometimes, it feels like they are being pushed harder than realistically possible.  And yet throughout, hope, hope abounds that they will solve the mystery, that they will have the necessary skills to battle the evil that Summer world faces. 

Concern I had

When it was outlined what their days would look like I thought, hold on, no way kids that age could do all that.  This was my biggest hesitation, the impossible physical plan.  YET, as I continued to read it all fit together.  You could see how hard the children/youth were pushed so that they would indeed be ready for the tasks awaiting them. 

A glossary at the end of the book!  Love having a glossary as it helps with world-building and gaining more insight into it. 

Some reviewers are comparing the Academy books to Harry Potter’s world.  I can’t say that I agree.  This world doesn’t feel as dark, though like in the Potter books youth have to deal with bullies, boarding school, good and bad teachers, and magic. 

Should you read it?

I enjoyed reading Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts.  It was a good story, but at times completely unbelievable.  The things these children were asked to do in the course of a singular day, were to me, unrealistic. 

BUT the action, the mystery, the relationships, the bullies, and the stepping up to defend others, was well done.  I don’t recall any agendas being pushed other than this firm need to defend your people and to fight against evil. 

So, if you like fantasy, and a world-built much like our own, but with some needed differences, this novel will work well.  I liked the characters and thoroughly enjoyed watching a bad guy get beat!   Hopefully, I get to read book two in the series!