The Firelight Apprentice - Bree Paulsen - ★★★★.¼

AUTHOR: Bree Paulsen

GENRE: Middle-Grade Graphic Novel (Fantasy)

PUBLICATION DATE: October 29, 2024

RATING: 4.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: A middle-grade fantasy graphic novel about two sisters and their struggles, whether worldly or otherworldly. Unusual storyline. Great magical elements and also some unexpected spooky elements. Somewhat bittersweet. Darker than the author’s popular Garlic and the Vampire series.

Plot Preview:

As an elder sister and motherless daughter, Ada shoulders many responsibilities: taking care of their father’s shop as he struggles with his health, ensuring that her younger sister Safi is safe from the power-stealing liches who have infested their land, and trying to find a magician under whose apprenticeship Safi can learn to control her magical powers but without too much of a financial burden on them.

When a travelling group of magicians come to the city for a show, Ada and Safi go to the performance. Ada’s quest is rewarded when the head magician recognises Safi’s skills and takes her under his charge. But is everything going to be okay now on? Will Safi be happy in her new home? Can Ada finally stop worrying about her little sister?

When I saw the author’s name on the cover, I didn’t hesitate even a second and immediately jumped at this book without even reading the synopsis. Ever since I read ‘Garlic and the Vampire’, I knew I would read any and every book by this talented author-illustrator.

The Firelight Apprentice’ is also a middle-grade fantasy graphic novel. However, that’s where the similarity ends. This latest offering of hers goes much darker than the Garlic series, covering a couple of scary themes (scary in terms of worry as well as paranormal.) One of the scenes is distressing and one is nightmare-fodder. In other words, don’t expect this to be a light, relaxing read.

That said, the story is compelling in a very different way. This is not an ordinary tale of magic and success. Rather, the magic is secondary to the human content. A father’s love, a daughter’s worry, a teacher’s pride, a child’s joy, a sister’s apprehension, a dissatisfied person’s greed – the story covers a gamut of human emotions. This, interspersed with the magical elements, makes the plot quite different from the ordinary.

What makes the proceedings even more special is the characters. The two main characters are wonderful in their own way, with their contrary personalities not coming in the way of their sibling bond. But even the side characters, right from the girl’s doting father to the interfering Myrium to the magicians Sergio, Calaban, Monica, and even the Great Elba… all the characters with spoken lines elevate the reading experience.

The title makes it seem like this is primarily Safi’s story as she is the firelight apprentice. But the plot is written in such a way that Ada and Safi share the responsibility of taking the story ahead, and both handle it well. I felt especially close to Ada because as an elder daughter myself, I could feel the strain on her to keep things going without the younger sibling feeling the same burden. One particular scene that contains parallel panels showing what's going on in the individual lives of Ada and Safi simultaneously is especially heartbreaking.

For us adults, it is not too difficult to spot the twisty reveal in the final quarter, but kids are sure to be caught by surprise (and shock.) That scene is chilling and yet so powerful! I enjoyed that final clash even though I could see it coming well in advance.

Where the book could have better for me was in establishing the backstory more neatly. We know this city has just come out of a major war, we know the girl’s mother was a magician and passed away because of the war, but the intricacies of many such background events are not detailed out. Even the girls’ ages aren’t clarified throughout the book. A bit more filling in of some of the back-details would have helped.

The book is aimed at middle-graders and while the page count might seem a bit too much for them, many pages have no conversational bubbles or captions. So this 228-page novel goes by quite fast.

The artwork is in this author’s distinctive style. While I was not a big fan of Safi's disproportionately large head, I loved her freckles and her exuberance. Ada and her emotions are depicted well throughout, as are the other characters. The magical scenes are…well, magical! The colour tone works excellently for the story, giving it a kind of old-world charm.

All in all, I mostly enjoyed this story, though it turned out to be darker than I was prepared for. Some of the content might be a little triggering for sensitive readers, so adults, please do read the book first before passing it to your little ones.

Recommended to middle-graders who love magical stories and can handle darker issues and paranormal content.

My thanks to HarperCollins Children's Books and Quill Tree Books for providing the DRC of “The Firelight Apprentice” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.