Rip my heart out of my chest and stomp on it, why don’t you?
Sir Callie and the Dragon’s Roost is the darker, more complex sequel to the smash-hit Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston. You’d think after the way the first book ended, happier times were upon our rag-tag team of heroes, right? Joke’s on you. Callie and their friends may have won the battle, but will they lose the war?
This sequel does an amazing job at narrating rising discontent, continued harassment of marginalised groups, disbelief at the ignorance of some individuals in power, and the ever-daunting question whether to give up and give in or to pull yourself upright one more time to fight for what is right. While I don’t want to go too deep into the plot, I will say that Callie and their friends have some extremely tough decisions to make and eventually have to choose whether to put their own safety first or risk losing everything by staying in an environment as toxic as Helston is becoming.
Lest you think this book is filled with nothing but darkness, rest assured that Callie, Willow, Elowen, and Edwyn also have some moments of levity, of genuine connection, and heartwarming sincerity between them. We are also introduced to a whole bunch of new characters, the most important (and the one who needs to be protected at all costs, if someone comes for my new baby there will be riots in the streets) being Teo, who introduces the gang to a whole new world, starting with what dragons are really like and the existence of neopronouns. Read that again: dragons! By far my favourite part of building on an already fascinating world is that we finally get to learn more about dragons and see Callie and their friends be exposed to them and learn more about how the world outside of Helston’s walls really works (and what secrets some familiar characters have been keeping).
Now, this may be a personal opinion, but I think you can tell an author is fantastic at their job when they write scenes so visceral that you have to put the book down and reflect on your life, if only for a moment. This happened multiple times while reading this sequel. I don’t want to talk about all of them or spoil them, but I do want to shed light on one scene that I think might be the most important I’ve read in queer middle grade fantasy fiction. In one scene, Callie, who has so far been very open-minded and fought against the stereotyping they are exposed to in Helston, is faced with being the one to stereotype another minority group based on what they have heard and picked up on from bigoted minds. I can’t accurately describe how hard this hit me—to be reminded that even when you are part of a marginalised community and have created a safe space for yourself and your friends, you are still not exempt from making mistakes, making quick judgments based on the indoctrinations you didn’t even NOTICE were happening to you in your everyday life.
Like a true champion, of course, Callie apologises for their reaction and gradually understands and overcomes the harmful stereotypically instilled messages in their mind. For me, this scene is so eye-opening and will surely rock a lot of readers’ worlds. To be reminded that we all are somewhat prejudiced, even when we don’t want to be, even when we didn’t even know it, hit hard. But to also know that we can always learn to be better, to listen, understand and grow, meant the world to me. I can’t wait to read other people’s reviews and find out whether they felt the same about this exceptionally written scene.
Whilst this is only one example, Sir Callie and the Dragon’s Roost is filled with insightful, devastatingly honest depictions of what it means to fight for a better world and being knocked down time and again—only to get up once more and fight for your right to exist (which should never even be questioned). Rooting for the underdogs takes up a new meaning in this series and I for one cannot wait to see how this battle turns out. After all, from truly heartwarming scenes of friendship, supportive found family moments where pronouns are introduced to the truly gutting consequences of trauma, abuse and bigoted hatred, this book pulls no punches and yet somehow still leaves the reader with that one thing no one can ever truly rid the world of: hope.
I could go on and on about this book and how much I love it and how much these characters have become to feel like genuine friends (from the blossoming relationship between Callie and Elowen to Edwyn’s continued struggle to face the abuse he has had to face throughout his entire life to Willow’s slowly emerging confidence, there is far too much to discuss in a review because it all needs to be experienced), so you’ll just have to read it and see for yourself.
Side note: That ending was uncalled for and unfair and I personally want to let the author know that I will be (im)patiently waiting to find out what our heroes will do now that everything is—once again—absolutely unbearable.
Sir Callie and the Dragon’s Roost marks the magnificent return of our favourite nonbinary hero Callie and their determined fight to make the world a place of acceptance, not just tolerance. Darker in tone, more enchanting in its found family representation and entrancing world-building (and featuring an ungodly amount of high-stakes situations), this sequel is not for the faint of heart. So be brave, grab your friends (and some much-needed tissues) and dive into this extraordinary story.
Sir Callie and the Dragon’s Roost is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of November 7th.
Will you be picking up Sir Callie and the Dragon’s Roost? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
The battle is won, but the war is far from over. In this thrilling sequel, a twelve-year-old nonbinary hopeful knight fights for the heart of their kingdom in a magical medieval world filled with dragons, shape-shifters, and witches.
Thanks to Callie and their friends, Helston seems to be changing for the better: Boys are allowed to explore their magic, and girls are permitted to train as warriors. Callie is an official Helston page, Willow in on track to become king, and Elowen and Edwyn are finally safe and free of their father. Everything is…perfect.
Except it isn’t.
Not in Helston, where every step forward is accompanied by a storm of opposition. Even Queen Ewella and Sir Nick are struggling against the wave of fear and anti-magical sentiment growing daily, while the encroaching threat from across the bridge looms.
Callie isn’t foolish; they notice the suspicious glances thrown Neal’s way and hear the doubtful murmurs following Willow. They know what people think about them, too. Tolerance is not the same as acceptance, and when the fragile peace finally shatters, Callie and their friends have no choice but to leave their home and run.
On the other side of the bridge, old secrets are revealed and new allegiances are formed that will throw into question everything Callie thought they knew about their world. Including what it means to be a hero.
