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ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: Sir Callie and the Witch’s War
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://esymessmith.com
CITY: St. Louis
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY:
LAST VOLUME: SATA 401
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in Exeter, England; married.
EDUCATION:Aberystwyth University, undergraduate degree.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author and editor. Has worked in the food and coffee retail business; has served as a ghostwriter and editor; KinderCare, child-care worker.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Esme Symes-Smith, who uses they/them pronouns, was born in Exeter, not far from Cornwall in the southwest corner of England. Their time growing up there was an inspiration for the setting of their first published novel, Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston, which kicked off their “Sir Callie” series. Before that, Symes-Smith went to Wales to earn an undergraduate degree in literature and creative writing, then got married, and then moved to Missouri in the United States. Symes-Smith met their wife through a shared interest in Sherlock Holmes fan fiction, and Symes-Smith takes it as a compliment when people say their novel reads like fan fiction.
Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston is set in fourteenth-century England and focuses on a nonbinary twelve-year-old who dreams of becoming a knight–as only boys can–except everyone around them believes they are a girl who should learn magic instead. [open new/revised]Opportunity comes when Callie’s father, formerly the king’s champion, is summoned by the lord chancellor to the capital of Helston to help train the crown prince, for both a tournament and looming war. Coming along to prove their worth, Callie soon finds others who, not unlike them, are trapped in roles they are not suited for. Callie and their new friends–Elowen, the lord chancellor’s daughter, and Willow, the crown prince–are soon wrapped up in an ancient war, as well as present prejudice, and must deal with threats from without and within.[suspend new]
Symes-Smith has talked about how Callie was not a nonbinary character initially, but the act of writing Callie pushed Symes-Smith to explore their own identity and the significance of being nonbinary. A Kirkus Reviews contributor praised this debut, calling it “fierce, heartfelt, and determined” and noting that the conclusion “balances hope with the lingering suspense of lurking danger.” The reviewer appreciated how “gentle and affirming romance blossoms gradually throughout the story.”
With Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston the first of a planned four-part series, it was followed by Sir Callie and the Dragon’s Roost. [open new]With the defeat of a nefarious figure within Helston’s royal government quelling insistence on restrictive gender roles, Queen Ewella issues a decree: anyone can either train to be a knight or study magic. Nevertheless, the council wants the queen to force Crown Prince Willow to conform to a conventionally masculine path. With the outside threat of fearsome dragons and witches on the kingdom’s mind, internal tensions boil over when tragedy unfolds and Callie and their family get scapegoated and must flee, with Willow in tow. An unlikely new acquaintanceship leads to a reckoning with just who is good and who is evil in the environs of Helston.
A Kirkus Reviews contributor hailed Sir Callie and the Dragon’s Roost as a “fast-paced sequel” that “confronts complex topics, including abuse, trauma, and unlearning bias.” The reviewer affirmed that “exciting plot twists and a cliffhanger ending heighten anticipation” in this ongoing “suspenseful fantasy quest” keyed to social themes.
Sir Callie and the Witch’s War finds Callie and Willow training at Eyrewood, anxious as the forces of both Helston and Dumoor—abode of witch queen Alis—are poised on the brink of battle. Elowen has sworn an oath to Alis, simply hoping to protect as many people as she can, but her situation grows precarious. Meanwhile her twin brother, Edwyn, has returned to their father’s side in Helston in hopes of proving his loyalty and bravery on a secret mission. The novel alternates between the perspectives of Callie, Willow, Elowen, and Edwyn. With the broadening narrative “increasing the stakes and scope of the imminent war,” a Kirkus Reviews writer proclaimed that Symes-Smith “builds momentum and suspense” in this “page-turning continuation of an adventuresome series.”[close new]
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, October 1, 2022, review of Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston; October 15, 2023, review of Sir Callie and the Dragon’s Roost; September 1, 2024, review of Sir Callie and the Witch’s War.
ONLINE
Esme Symes-Smith website, https://esymessmith.com (May 26, 2025).
Nerd Daily, https://thenerddaily.com (November 7, 2022), Mimi Koehler, author interview.
Publishers Weekly, https://www.publishersweekly.com (December 16, 2022), author interview.
Rapunzel Reads, https://rapunzelreads.weebly.com/ (October 14, 2024), review of Sir Callie and the Witch’s War.
St. Louis, https://www.stlmag.com (November 8, 2022), Christine Jackson, “Esme Symes-Smith Launches a New Fantasy Series with ‘Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston,’” author interview.
After cutting their teeth on a steady diet of fanfiction in the South-West of England, Esme Symes-Smith wandered north to Wales for their degree in Literature and Creative Writing then promptly migrated to Missouri after meeting their wife on Tumblr.
Esme has been a ghostwriter, an editor, a frozen-yogurt seller, a caffeine dealer, and now wrangles preschoolers for a living.
They have a severe tea problem, and are a passionate advocate for the freedom to read.
Symes-Smith, Esme SIR CALLIE AND THE WITCH'S WAR Labyrinth Road (Children's None) $17.99 10, 29 ISBN: 9780593711088
Torn apart by war, Callie, Willow, Elowen, and Edwyn confront new enemies, grapple with difficult decisions, and rally the courage to fight for a better future.
Callie and Willow, exiled to Eyrewood after escaping Helston, wait and train for their next battle. Guilt and worry eat away at Callie's patience as the adults hesitate to plan their next move. Any day now, the forces of Helston or Alis, the Witch Queen of Dumoor, could attack. Meanwhile, Elowen swears an oath to Alis, who promises to make Elowen her heir. By remaining at the Witch Queen's side, Elowen plans to protect everyone she loves, but as Alis makes demands of her trust and dismisses her concerns, Elowen starts to question whether she's made the right decision. Edwyn never wanted to return to Helston or to see his father again, but now he rides beside him on a secret mission to prove his loyalty and atone for betraying Alis. More than anything, Edwyn wants to prove his bravery to himself. This third installment continues to expand the world around Callie and their friends, increasing the stakes and scope of the imminent war. Identity and autonomy remain core themes of the story. Symes-Smith builds momentum and suspense right up to the cliffhanger ending by alternating among the perspectives of the four main characters. Callie, Willow, Elowen, and Edwyn are cued white; the world around them reflects racial diversity.
A page-turning continuation of an adventuresome series. (author's note)(Fantasy. 8-12)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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Source Citation
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"Symes-Smith, Esme: SIR CALLIE AND THE WITCH'S WAR." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Sept. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A806452662/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a7cd59f2. Accessed 5 May 2025.
Sir Callie and the Witch’s War (Sir Callie, Book 3) by Esme Symes-Smith (2024)
10/14/20240 Comments
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Sir Callie and the Witch’s War is the third book in the ongoing Sir Callie series by Esme Symes-Smith. The previous books are Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston (book 1) and Sir Callie and the Dragon’s Roost (book 2).
As war comes to Helston and Dumoor becomes an uncertain haven, Callie, Willow, Elowen, and Edwyn must forge new paths if they ever want to see each other again—let alone the future they’ve all dreamed of. But doing that will mean facing their worst fears without the support, friendship, and camaraderie they’ve come to rely on from one another. And their failure will leave Helston and Dumoor alike bound for an even more terrible future than they could’ve imagined.
The Sir Callie series is truly one of the best middle-grade series I’ve ever come across, and this latest installment is no exception. Thoughtful, emotionally deep, and queer- and nonbinary-focused MG fantasy books are hard enough to come across on their own, but to find not just a standalone but an ongoing series that is all this and more is truly remarkable—and Sir Callie is exactly that. This third book in the ongoing series left me satisfied, validated, and wishing the fourth book was already out!
For me, the emotional heart of this book lies with Edwyn. He’s one of the most striking and real characters throughout the series (which is a hard distinction to make when every character is so incredible!), and seeing him come into his own during Sir Callie and the Witch’s War was truly wonderful. Anger, betrayal, love, hate, self-doubt—every one of his emotions jumps clearly off the page and makes me care about and sympathize with him even more.
Symes-Smith juggles the plotlines of Edwyn, Elowen, and Willow/Callie with flawless skill. Many middle grade books ignore the traumatic realities of young people, but this series never does, and instead of skirting around painful topics it faces them head-on and authentically portrays the challenge of loving and accepting yourself after struggling all your life to believe you deserve to be loved exactly for who you are. As someone whose own life has elements of these characters’ experiences, the validation and comfort in finding this reflected in a middle grade novel was incredibly healing, and I just want to reread it immediately now that I’m done.
This series truly keeps getting more and more incredible, and I can’t wait to read more about these characters and from this author! Highly recommended!
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed here are my own.