Spellslinger (Spellslinger #1) by Sebastien de Castell | Book Review

I don’t remember if someone recommended this book to me or I just liked the cover, but it’d been on my Goodreads TBR for a while and I’m so glad I finally read it. This book was also chosen to be the book of the month for March for the book club I used to co-host with Rhoquel, The Book Dragon book club.

Spellslinger is about this world full of magicians. At age sixteen, everyone has to endure four trials to become a spellcaster, Kellen’s sixteen and his about to go through these duels, but there’s only one problem, his magic is gone. The arrival of a stranger to town might be the only hope for Kellen.

I know this blurb doesn’t say much, but unless you want to get spoiled, this is all you’re getting. There are more things going on in this story, but going into it almost blind is the best option for you to enjoy Kellen’s story.

This is a fantasy book, so we read about a completely new world that is full of magic and very bad people. I seriously didn’t know what to expect from the world, but I was so intrigued and curious, I couldn’t put the book down because I was left wanting to know more. Thankfully this is a big series, there are like six books, so there’s a lot more to know and understand about the world than what we learn in this first book. However, I’m not binge reading these books because I might get in a reading slump, but I’m definitely continuing with them some time in the future.

I think what makes this book stand out for me, is the reason that it is told in the perspective of the main male protagonist, Kellen. I have only read another story like this, the Percy Jackson series. Now, Percy Jackson and Kellen’s story have nothing in common but they are both teenagers trying to defeat all the obstacles that come into their life while being funny, sarcastic and just adorable in their own way.

So let’s talk a little about Kellen. He is a teenager, he is fifteen almost sixteen, and he gets bullied and feels like an outcast but even when he should have lost any kind of hope and faith, he surprises us with his bravery and his will to make things right and fight for it. I really admire him. Also, my heart broke for him a couple of times so I have this need to protect him from the world.

There are other characters that help Kellen and I just don’t want to talk about them individually because spoilers, but oh god I have to say that I love Reichis. He was so funny and I hope we get to see more of him in the upcoming books.

There were some plot twists I could see coming, others I guessed lines before they were revealed and some others that I didn’t see coming at all. But no matter the circumstances, I was left surprised and wanting to know how everything was going to turn out.

I recommend Spellslinger to anyone, but I have the feeling that teenagers will like it even more. However, if you like Percy Jackson, I’m sure you will like reading Kellen’s story as well.