Hi friends! Welcome to my stop on the tour organized by The Children's Book Review (and in partnership with Erika Lewis) for Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts. Check out my post to learn more about the books, the author, and enter the giveaway!
About the Book Series
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The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts
Written by Erika Lewis
A 2023 Teacher Favorites Winner (6th-8th Grade) for the Children's Book Council
Brimming with Celtic mythology, action, and danger, Erika Lewis's Kelcie Murphy and The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts introduces readers to a new kind of magical school and a warrior who must choose with which side of an epic battle her destiny will lie.
The Otherworld is at war. The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts trains warriors. And Kelcie Murphy―a foster child raised in the human world―is dying to attend.
A place at AUA means meeting Scáthach, the legendary trainer of Celtic heroes. It means learning to fight with a sword. It means harnessing her hidden powers and―most importantly―finding out who her parents are, and why they abandoned her in Boston Harbor eight years ago.
When Kelcie tests into the school, she learns that she’s a Saiga, one of the most ancient beings in the Otherworld. Secretive, shunned, and possessed of imposing elemental powers, the Saiga are also kin to the Otherworld's most infamous traitor.
But Kelcie is a survivor, and she’ll do whatever it takes to find her parents and her place in their world. Even if that means making a few enemies.
PURCHASE LINK
REVIEW Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts (The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts #1) by Erika Lewis
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date:
Format: Audiobook (Library)
Publisher: Starscape
Erika Lewis’ Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts was an action packed and fun middle grade fantasy read. Brimming with fantastical elements and references to Celtic mythology, Kelcie is thrust into the magical world with no knowledge after living for the past eight years in the human realm. She has to work quickly to catch up to her peers, and make sure that she earns an invitation back to the Academy for her second year (or risk losing her connection to the Otherworld forever).
Kelcie was a very relatable character. After finding out she’s not a regular human orphan, she’s desperate to know more about her family and why she was sent away. At the same time, she has to learn how to control her immensely strong elemental powers and make friends with her teammates (the members of her ‘Fiana’). There’s a lot of mystery surrounding her heritage, and it was really fun to get to see her bonds with her friends evolve. I especially liked Niall, and how his disability was displayed in the book (Everyone else in the world had an extra hand compared to Niall’s one, which was a notable comment in the book). While there is a magical element to their challenges, at the end of the day the foursome is just a group of kids trying to make it through the school year. You have bullies, you have strict teachers, and you have impossible gym classes (this time compounded by magical powers and weapons).
The Celtic mythology was a really unique aspect of the book. I loved the world building in the book and how we got to learn about things with Keclie. With listening to the audiobook, it’s really hard to know how certain things are spelled but I had fun looking things up and getting to learn even more tidbits. Scathach was very intense as the sort of ‘headmaster’ for the academy, but she does care about her pupils and is very good at her job. Surprisingly, as compared to other books like the Percy Jackson series, individual gods are not mentioned all that much but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Justis Golding did an excellent job bringing the story to life with her performance in the audiobook narration. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy authors like Rick Riordan, Tamora Pierce, or Dhonielle Clayton. After the ending of the book, I’m really excited to see what’s next for Kelcie and her friends in the sequel, Kelcie Murphy and the Hunt for the Heart of Danu.
About the Author
Erika Lewis is the author of the Kelcie Murphy Series from Starscape, The Color of Dragons from HarperTeen, Game of Shadows from Tor Books, Firebrand from Legendary Comics, and more, many of which have been published around the world.
She grew up in Virginia before going off to Tennessee for school. While at Vanderbilt University, studying Math and Theatre, she spent a semester abroad, visiting haunted ruins and magical forests that would forever spark her imagination and leave behind an insatiable need to travel.
An internship at CNN led to exciting years working in television, developing scripted and reality shows for various studios and networks. Then, one day, Erika knew it was time for her to write on her own, to build fantastical worlds that stayed with her after every return from a trip, and also to play her part in inspiring the next generation of readers and writers.
For more information, visit erikalewis.com
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