A middle grade fantasy set at a magical boarding school, with a Black, queer protagonist.
Jaden and Elijah have been best friends since first grade, even though Jaden is more reserved and Elijah more outgoing. “Elijah was all that I needed,” Jaden reflects. Yet Jaden will be starting seventh grade at the public middle school, while Elijah goes to a fancy private boarding school.
But then Elijah disappears, and while the boys’ parents say he is dead, Jaden knows better, since he has a secret note from Elijah asking for help. Then a mysterious invitation appears for Jaden to attend The Five Emergences School of Magic—the school Elijah had actually been attending. Elijah, it turns out, has magical powers, and somehow, before his disappearance, he transferred some of them to Jaden.
Jaden must learn to master his new powers while adjusting to the new school—where Elijah is accused of having used forbidden powers that are tied to a dark force threatening the whole magical world. Can Jaden find his friend and stop the danger? Aided by new friends, the human Mikael Levine and water nymph Scion Midra, from the kingdom of Atlantis, he just might.
Despite the school’s assertion to Jaden that “you are not a witch or a warlock,” but a sorcerer, there is much here that readers will recognize from the the magical school series by She Who Must Not Be Named: a shop full of wands and the dictum “a wand chooses its owner” (compare: “The wand chooses the wizard”) ; a magical transportation network (though using puddles instead of fireplaces); a teacher of “Deterring Danger” (read: “Defense Against the Dark Arts”) who leaves unexpectedly, with a new teacher taking over; wealthy magical families that hold power and influence; a magical bag of holding; floating candles; a class on potions “For those students who dare brave the brewed arts” (compare: “for those select few who possess the predisposition”); moving staircases; and more. The plot diverges in significant ways from that of the earlier series, however, in terms of the threat to the world and the person who turns out to be the actual villain (which I won’t spoil). Jaden is also a quiet, thoughtful boy with a different personality than Harry—and the first-person narrative gives readers a greater intimacy with him and his thoughts.
Many readers will much prefer this story, which puts a Black, queer protagonist in the spotlight, uses spells and magical materials that evoke West African cultures, and avoids association with a problematic author. There’s also an undercurrent of social justice in the relations between humans and the fae, who “think that they should be able to dominate other supernatural creatures because they don’t understand them.” Author Jamar J. Perry keeps the action and awe going and gives us a protagonist driven by his love for another as well as his desire to learn more about himself. It’s a powerful combination, making this a recommended title.
Jaden’s queerness isn’t made explicit here, but it’s easy to see in the love he and Elijah have for each other, even if they are also still described as “friends.” (Author Jamar Perry’s previous Cameron Battle series has a queer, Black protagonist, too, which means this isn’t a huge leap.) Let’s hope in the next volume of Jaden’s tale (which is clearly hinted at), he and Elijah continue to forge their own path, moving even further from the series that has gone before.
