“Magic is power and the secret is no one wants you to know it.”
Twelve-year-old Callie has always known that they aren’t a girl; has always known that no matter how hard people pushed they would never fit into the narrow box assigned to “girls” or “boys” and the arbitrary roles that go with each.
After leaving their childhood home with Papa, Callie has a new family with Papa and his husband and the other people that the rest of the country would call misfits at best. After years of not fitting anywhere, Callie knows they belong here. But living on the outskirts of Helston is no way to become a knight.
When Papa is summoned back to the capital to help prepare the crown prince for war, Callie knows its the perfect opportunity to begin training as a proper squire.
Callie knew the capital wouldn’t be as progressive as home but even then they weren’t prepared for how many people are unwilling to see anything but “girl” when they look at Callie. After years of tamping down their magic–something Helston believes only girls possess–and avoiding anything strictly female, Callie is told to adhere to Helston’s strict gender divisions or risk severe punishment for themself and their father.
But under the capital’s rigid surface Callie finds likeminded friends in Elowen, the sharp and rebellious daughter of the odious chancellor intent on keeping Callie in their place. And then there’s Willow, the crown prince no one expected to become king who is struggling under the weight of the Helston’s expectations.
With friends and family by their side, Callie is intent to change things in Helston for the better before the country tears itself apart from within in Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston (2022) by Esme Symes-Smith.
Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston is Symes-Smith’s debut novel and the start of a series focusing on Callie and their adventures. Characters fall across the LGBTQ+ spectrum but most are cued as white.
Readers are thrown into the action with a prologue showing the difficulties and hurtful situations Callie faces in their home life before Papa takes them away to start a new life. Readers should be aware that Callie faces transphobia (misgendering and dead naming especially) throughout the book which may be hard to see on the page.
Callie and the novel’s ensemble cast make Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston a standout adventure and leaves some of the world building for the rest of Helston feeling thin in comparison. Friendships, crushes, and family demonstrate the many ways that family can be chosen and support systems can be built.
With a strong focus on gender identity and inclusivity, Sir Callie and the Champions of Helson is an action-packed fantasy adventure that fits well alongside classics in the genre.
Possible Pairings: The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani DasGupta, The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro, The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag, The Deep and Blue Dark by Niki Smith, The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy by Anne Ursu
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