The Wizards of Once

September 18, 2017
In a whimsical fantasy set in a “British Isles so old it did not know it was the British Isles yet,” Cowell (the How to Train Your Dragon books) launches a series featuring two feuding societies: the “Wizards, who were Magic” and the “Warriors, who were not.” The Warriors are determined to stamp out all magical beings, forcing the Wizards into hiding along with giants, pixies, and other creatures. When 13-year-old Xar, a Wizard without magic, sets out to capture a dreaded Witch (long thought extinct) in order to steal its power, he instead encounters Wish, a Warrior Princess looking for an adventure of her own. Though supposedly enemies, the two become reluctant allies as their escapades bring them into conflict with an actual Witch, as well as their own families. The tongue-in-cheek voice combines with scribbly b&w interior illustrations, rampant use of capitalized words, and an omniscient (and occasionally unreliable) narrator to sustain a sense of wonder and mayhem from start to finish. Cowell skillfully mixes adventure with silliness in a satisfying story for younger fantasy fans. Ages 8–12. Agent: Caroline Walsh, David Higham Associates.

July 1, 2017

POPGr 4-6-Readers of "How To Train Your Dragon" will be ecstatic to get their hands on this first volume in Cowell's new series. Thirteen-year-olds Xar (a wizard prince whose magic hasn't kicked in yet) and Wish (a warrior princess who is anything but warriorlike) meet in the wildwood as enemies. When they discover the return of witches, thought to be extinct, they must rise above the prejudices of their parents and work together to fight the bad magic. Cowell crafts two believable and lovable main characters, each with their own story arc, who change just enough in this installment so that readers will want to follow them in upcoming entries. Kids will snicker at the creative swearing ("By mistletoe and leafmould and the ginger sideburns of the Great Grim Ogre") and delight in fantastical details, such as traveling by door. The author's hallmark sketches are sprinkled throughout, and full-page illustrations every few pages of text will help younger readers make it through this hefty tome. While this is a less emotionally compelling and original tale than Cowell's previous work, the author's fans will be quite satisfied with this fast-paced novel. VERDICT A strong new series starter by a best-selling author; buy multiple copies wherever possible.-Hillary Perelyubskiy, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2017
A King Enchanter's 13-year-old son and a Warrior Princess wind up together on a humorous journey of self-discovery. Set in a realm where wizards and warriors are at war with one another, this novel is a rollicking adventure tale and coming-of-age story rolled into one enjoyable package. Though from two different worlds, Prince Xar and Princess Wish are united by their mutual misfit status within their respective communities. For Xar, the fact that he cannot perform magic makes him the target of ridicule from his cruel brother and a disappointment to his powerful father, while Wish's inability to conform to the codes of her warrior clan renders her a friendless oddity. A chance meeting in the woods separating their kingdoms brings the teens together on a journey that teaches them the importance of learning to think for themselves. Cowell's latest work offers a fully realized fantasy world abounding with witches, sprites, killer plants, and talking ravens. Her scrappy teenage protagonists are wonderfully flawed and almost scarily realistic in their bravery, selfishness, and desire to please their parents yet not surrender their individuality. The omniscient narrator's voice is pitch-perfect, sounding appropriately young without ever talking down to the target audience. Readers will fall in love with the imaginative worldbuilding and humorous dialogue and asides. Cowell's scratchy, smudgy drawings, many full-page, liberally illustrate the text, depicting both Xar and Wish with pale skin. A delightful magical romp. (Fantasy. 9-13)

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August 1, 2017
Grades 3-6 Long before our story starts, a great battle was fought between the Witches, who had bad magic, and the Warriors, who had no magic at all. The Warriors swore to destroy all magic, ignoring the fact that some, like the Wizards' magic, could be good. Now, the Witches have vanished and are presumed extinct by everyone but an incorrigible Wizard boy named Xar. At 13, Xar is a late bloomerhis magic hasn't arrived, and he worries it won'tso he sets off with his cohort of magical creatures, entering Warrior territory to hunt a Witch and steal her magic. Instead, he encounters Wish, the odd daughter of the formidable Warrior queen, accompanied only by her bodyguard and forbidden, enchanted pet spoon. The chance meeting catapults the two born enemies into a world of secrets and an adventure they never saw coming. A cheeky, unidentified narrator sets the tone, and Cowell's trademark chaotic black-and-white illustrations add to the whimsy. This playful, energetic romp is a treat for any reader. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: This series starter is imbued with the same madcap spirit that made How to Train Your Dragon (2004) such a hit; if that's not enough, the six-figure marketing campaign will do the trick.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2018
In this lighthearted fantasy series-opener set in a medieval-like world, the invading Warriors maintain a fierce feud with the indigenous Wizards; both are terrified of the villainous Witches. Two misfits--brash thirteen-year-old Wizard Xar and introspective, similarly aged Warrior Wish--reluctantly join forces to face those Witches, magic, and more. Snarky narration and the spirited commentary in Cowell's scratchy pen-and-ink drawings keep everything moving briskly along.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2018
Wizards, Warriors, and Witches populate Cowell's rollicking tale, one in which capital letters indicate Importance and Emphasis (mostly tongue-in-cheek) and a plethora of energetic illustrations keeps the textual excitement high. In a fanciful medieval-like Britain, the invading magic-abhorring Warriors maintain a fierce feud with the indigenous Wizards; both are terrified of the villainous Witches. We first meet the thirteen-year-old Wizard Xar--a brash boy in the vein of Peter Pan or Mowgli--who, tired of waiting for his magic to come in on its own, takes off with his massive entourage of magical creatures to find a Witch who, he is certain, will give him what he needs. Within pages they encounter the introspective Wish, a similarly aged Warrior with a much smaller collection of companions. Having both struggled all their lives as disappointments to their parents and oddities in their communities, the two misfits reluctantly join forces to sort out a variety of Serious Issues involving those Witches, Magic, and More. While there are scary moments, the snarky and occasionally intrusive narrator as well as the spirited commentary in Cresswell's scratchy pen-and-ink drawings have everything briskly moving along so as to keep nightmares at bay. Middle-grade readers with a penchant for lighthearted fantasy are sure to enjoy this series opener and look forward to the next volume. monica edinger

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)