The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia
Leia Ham
Puffin

Twelve year old Sparrow Xia lives in a world where children have magic but lose it when they become adults. Sparrow is a fire mage and is starting her first year at Zenith Academy for Magical Development, situated on the other side of the United Realms. However she feels inferior to her older brother Ainsley whose magic is far stronger than hers; he’s thriving at the Academy and is also her parents’ favourite, something she resents.

Hopeful that things might change once she settles in, Sparrow is determined to do her very best to strengthen her fire-magic, which is merely a tiny flame. Before long, she has started to form friendships with Lyndon an air mage and Orla, a nature mage, both of whom value kindness over strength.

As Sparrow endeavours to develop and master her talents, a mysterious illness starts to affect the school’s most powerful students, draining them of their magic. She and her friends take the opportunity to solve the mystery of its cause and search for a cure, and in so doing, win some respect from her brother who loves to belittle Sparrow.

With Sparrow’s unwavering endeavours to find self-worth, superb world-building, and powerful black and white illustrations at almost every turn of the page, Leia Ham has created a truly engrossing start to what promises to be a great fantasy series. I devoured it in a day and I’m sure readers around Sparrow’s age will love it too.