Magical fantasy is, by far, one of my favourite middle grade genres which is why I was very excited to read the fourth addition to the Royal Institute of Magic series. And why I was very disappointed in myself for not already having read the previous three instalments! Fortunately, this did not make any difference to how much I enjoyed this book and how easily I followed the plot.
“To most, he’s a talented apprentice and an exceptional spell shooter, but Ben is also a Guardian, responsible for uniting Elizabeth’s Armour, the only artefact powerful enough to overthrow the evil dark elves. With two pieces of the armour secure, finding the third may be Ben’s toughest challenge yet. His only clue is a magical key, a tenuous link to a legend called the Silver Dwarf. With the dark elves slowly conquering the Unseen Kingdoms, Ben races against time to gather the pieces of armour and unite the Guardians entrusted with them. If that wasn’t hard enough, new challenges and old enemies await him at the Institute, and his friendship will be tested like never before.”
As I’ve already mentioned, this was the first of the six book series which I had read. You might think that jumping in with book four would make the plot hard to follow and the characters hard to root for, but you would be wrong.
Very quickly, I was immersed in the contemporary magical world created by Kloss and found myself wishing I could join in a game of spellstrike and possess a spellshooter of my own.
Readers will all find a member of Ben’s friendship group whom they identify with, whether it’s the eagle-eyed Natalie, the smart and logical Charlie, or perhaps the bold, talented Ben himself. I found Ben to be an interesting protagonist, full of contradictions and self-doubt despite his skill.
If you are looking for a fantastical, fast-paced magical quest with more than a hint of danger, this is the book (and the series) for you. I’d suggest it is most appropriate for upper key stage two and tween readers.
Jo.
*Many thanks to Vinci Books for sending me this title to review*
Library Girl and Book Boy 