The Witch, the Sword, and the Cursed Knights

Intro to Book

Hello Readers, 

As a parent, I’m usually trying to convince my kids to read books. Good books. While I enjoy comic books as much as the next guy, and allow my kids to read them, I want to hand them something of more substance that I approve of. I know this may be bad parenting 101, but I’ve even tried bribing them to read. Cash money. And it worked! Often though, they don’t trust me, so in a couple of episodes I’ll talk about a series I had to convince my kids to read and they ended up loving it. For now, I’m still trying to convince them to read the book I’m reviewing today and I know they’ll end up loving it as much as I did. Who doesn’t love a chivalrous adventure story? Maybe your kids will end up reading it before mine do.

The book is The Witch, the Sword, and the Cursed Knights by Alexandria Rogers. Admittedly this book is two years old. But it is the first of a series and I’ll be reviewing the second book soon. This is Rogers’s debut novel. It is about a girl named Ellie who is a witch from a magical realm and a boy named Caedmon from our realm who gets sucked into the world of magic, both of whom are 12 years old. Ellie wants to be a fairy godmother, but they’ve never accepted a witch before. Caedmon just wants to stay out of trouble. All the while, normal childhood hijinks, and some other dark presence seems to be trying to stop them from accomplishing their goals.

Summary

Ellie and Caedmon both get called to the Knight Academy and realize that their goals can be mutually accomplished together instead of alone. They are both outcasts so it works to team up and they find friendship in their time together. Ellie wishes to prove herself as a magic user to become a fairy godmother, and Caedmon wishes to prove himself as a knight to make sure he can go protect his family. To do so they have to go through multiple trials and study hard. But their ambitions get in the way of actually accomplishing their goals and they get set back many times. Some of the setbacks seem to be triggered by something outside of the academy but they are told it is impossible. Eventually, they get completely off-track from the things of the academy and everything turns to chaos. Ellie, Caedmon, and some of their companions must make hard choices and try to fix everything that is broken and falling apart or all the realms will suffer the consequences.

If you’re not excited to read this book yet, whether as a parent or as a kid looking for the next great book, I don’t know what to tell you. You should use the link to the book to find out more about it, or just continue listening.

The major characters are Ellie and Caedmon. But there are several others in the book. Some magical, some human, some who are good and evil, and some who are hard to tell.

Characters

Ellie is an adventurous twelve-year-old girl. She’s kind of always been on her own, and so she’s figuring out how to do life with a new friend. Letting some of her independence go and trust someone else. She’s also learning to trust herself, to be herself even though she thinks people won’t like the real her.

Caedmon is a twelve-year-old boy who likes his security. Ellie’s adventurous nature is contrary to his own but it challenges him to break out of his shell. Not shy, but not self-assured even though he shows potential for greatness. He’d rather stay in the shadows but it seems that life, and Ellie, won’t let that happen.

They have many friends, and frienemies, that help them out along the way. Both have to learn to trust each other and their new companions at the academy which is where most of these things take place. The world is broken up into many realms, one of which is the non-magical realm. This is our known world. The rest of the realms are hidden by magic from the non-magical world. The Knights live in their own realm and are the protectors and enforcers of the other magical realms, and only interact in the non-magical realm when something from one of the magical realms leaves or escapes. It is in this realm, at the Knights Academy, that most of the story takes place. It is a school, like another famous magical school, where children who are selected for knighthood study to become knights.

Analysis

I don’t want to give too much away for the book. I hate ruining those things for others just as much as when someone ruins something for me. There are no spoiler alerts in this show. But I do want to highlight some features of the story for you. Like major themes, writing style, gospel connections, and the like.

Major Themes:

There are some great themes in this book. While Fantasy and Adventure might explain the genre, I think they can also be themes. I don’t know Rogers, but I feel she just had fun creating such a fantastic world (see what I did there?) She also wrote themes of friendship, good versus evil, identity, self-acceptance, and loyalty. I would love to delve into these topics in-depth, but I feel I would reveal too much about the book. They are there and they are well-written. I especially enjoyed the themes of friendship and self-acceptance. These were done from a child-like view and I could imagine myself as a pre-teen struggling with the same issues and feeling a connection to the book. They were healthy, age-appropriate, and came to a great conclusion in my opinion.

Writing Style:

Speaking of which, I think this book, which is about a twelve-year-old is appropriate for the same age. I would put the writing style, length, and vocabulary from anywhere between 10-14. I say this fully enjoying the book and wanting to pick up the second for myself more than my kids. So, even adults in their 30s can enjoy this story, but the age group fits a similar age group as the characters in the book. There is enough light, humorous writing to appeal to the younger reader, and enough edgier themes to appeal to older readers wanting a little more substance. I wouldn’t put it in the absolute silliness of middle-grade books, or darker young-adult books. I would say it fits Upper Middle Grade, which is one of my favorite spots to read. 

Plot:

The plot likewise is perfect for the age range. It is easy enough to follow for a 10-year-old and retain their interest, and complex enough for a 14-year-old to think about. It is fast-paced with most chapters being less than 10 pages long (in the paperback version I have). Chapters alternate from the perspective of Ellie or Caedmon so it may be difficult for some readers to keep track, but the story is still driven despite whose perspective the chapter is written in. It is driven by both the main characters so that neither shines above the other but both are equal. It is unique as there are shifting perspectives. While the plot of some evil character manipulating things is nothing new, the way evil interacts in this story, the reasons why, and the backstory are all unique.

Gospel Connections:

So what are the biblical implications? Well, there’s magic in this world and it is used regularly. I don’t have a problem with magic in books, but I do know there are some Christians out there that do, so be aware. I would suggest talking to your kids so they know magic isn’t real, but some people do attempt to practice magic even today. This goes back to the garden when the snake suggested we could be like God. Our desire to practice magic is the desire to have power. But again, it doesn’t bother me. I just talk to my kids about it. There is also a pretty dark evil in this book, murder, and death. The latter are talked about in negative ways, reflecting what the Bible says about murder in particular. These scenes can be disturbing so I would suggest reading those portions in the book to have a better perspective on them. Overall there is a good versus evil theme. I think this fits in with the Bible. There is evil and yet good always overcomes. One of the characters is fighting this same thing in his or herself. I don’t want to give away who. But seeing that fight is like seeing the fight against sin in our own lives. It is a great conversation piece for our kids.

Social Impact:

Finally, I think some things fit socially. There are many political situations that this book fits. Many of the realms disagree and need to work together. Many of the kids at the academy are from different realms and don’t get along because of it but they learn to work together when trouble comes. Also, there is a character that struggles with their mother. This may be the hardest one as the mother is a bit of a character in how she treats her child. We as parents make mistakes, but this mom seems to dislike her child. So be prewarned that this topic may come up and upset your child. If you’re struggling with your relationship it may be a straining topic.

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed this book and I think your kids will too. There are many great things about the book which can point back to the Bible. I think the most important thing is to discuss these things with your kids. 

Until next time, have a good read.