The Afterward by E.K. Johnston (YA)
Where Shadows Bloom by Catherine Bakewell (YA)
A Knight to Remember by Bridget Essex
The Fireborne Blade by Charlotte Bond
Her Pretty Knight by Mariah Rae Birch
Bonus: Coming in June 2025, Lady’s Knight by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner (YA)
Double Bonus: For two MG series with nonbinary knights, check out Splinter & Ash by Marieke Nijkamp and Sir Callie by Esme Symes-Smith
Today on the site I’m delighted to welcome Esme Symes-Smith to reveal the cover of the fourth and final book in the MG fantasy Sir Callie series, Sir Callie and the Final Stand, which releases October 14, 2025 from Labyrinth Road/PRH! Here’s the story:
In the conclusion of this bestselling fantasy series a nonbinary knight-in-training, a reluctant crown prince, a fierce young witch, and her resilient twin brother must fight for the heart of their kingdom against tyranny, once and for all.
Helston and its champions have been torn apart by war. Finally reunited after being scattered across the realm fighting personal battles, Callie, Elowen, Edwyn and Willow must prepare to step into the roles they’ve been training for: Champion, Witch, Knight and King.
Even if it feels like their best will never be enough to conquer the infection of hate that has spread across Wyndebrel, even when their numbers seem so small compared to the might of their enemies, they must hold true to their mission: to create a better and safer realm for everyone.
With the aid of Eyrewood, Fairkeep, and the dragons, they are as ready as they’ll ever be to ride on Helston and Dumoor, to confront the newly crowned King Peran and the Witch Queen, and finally define what peace truly means. And there is a single truth Callie and friends must cling to: The battle is still worth fighting even when victory seems impossible.
Before we get to the cover, here’s a note from author Esme Symes-Smith:
Dearest Readers,
All the way back in the beginning, I promised you a happy ending, and a light at the end of the darkness. Even though SIR CALLIE is a fantasy story full of magic and dragons, it has always been important to me that it feels real.
There were many times in writing where a happy ending felt impossible, and I struggled to believe in it for myself. Of course, as the author, I could give my characters a Happily Ever After in just a few words, but I wanted it to feel real. I wanted to leave you with the certainty that they’re going to be okay, not just in the last few pages, but long after the book is finished.
It’s hard to believe in happy endings right now, when everything I know to be good and true is ignored in favor of all the things I know to be bad. But I have come to learn that I am not at the end of my story, only the dark middle when everything feels hopeless and it would be so much easier to quit than to keep fighting. I feel the way Callie did, and Willow and Elowen and Edwyn. I feel like a kid in a grownup’s world, witnessing all the wrong and trying to be heard. It feels like a battle that I keep losing, over and over.
But, you know what? I’m going to get up and fight again, even if I lose. I’m going to keep speaking, even if no one hears me. And I’m going to keep believing that my story only ends when I’ve won. I’m just not at that part of the story yet.
Throughout my journey with SIR CALLIE, I have been reminded so many times why the fight is worth fighting, and what the happy ending looks like. It’s in the fierce hope of the readers, and it’s that hope which keeps my own kindled.
Everyone’s journey is their own, everyone has their own way of being a hero, and everyone’s happy ending is a little bit different with a single commonality: the right to live as yourself with those who see you and love you, all the way through.
Thank you for giving me hope.
Be brave, be kind, be you.
Love, Esme Symes-Smith
And here’s the fierce cover, illustrated by Kate Sheridan!
Bio: After cutting their teeth on a steady diet of fan fiction in the Southwest 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.
In their spare time, they take care of the next generation as a preschool teacher, and run their local chapter of Good Books, Young Troublemakers.
Today’s gift guide is for the DnD lovers out there! It’s a combination of books actually featuring DnD (or similar games, especially if they’re fictional) and books with DnD vibes (a popular rec Ask!), and even a preorder option if you want to bring some future joy to a fan!
This is the first in a series; the second is out as well.
Middle school is a dungeon… At least, that’s how Jess sees it.
Luckily, she and her best friend Olivia know how to escape into the sprawling worlds of their own imaginations. The two friends have always loved making up stories, first with little kid games of make-believe, and more recently with the fantasy roleplaying game, Dungeons & Dragons. When they play, Olivia runs the game as Dungeon Master and Jess is the solo party member, playing a take-no-prisoners, lone-wolf fighter of her own design named Sir Corius.
But when Olivia wants to add new players to their group, Jess finds herself struggling to share their game—and her best friend. Will their epic campaign withstand all this change, or has their adventure—and their friendship—finally come to an end?
This is the third book in the Sir Callie series
Being a hero is nothing like the ballads promised it would be. Scattered across the realm, Callie, Willow, Elowen, and Edwyn have learned that when the fate of their world is at stake, choices are hard and the consequences are harder, even when striving for good.
Hunted by both Helston and Dumoor, Callie and Willow flee to the walled city of Fairkeep in a last-ditch effort to find allies. Meanwhile, at Alis’s side, Elowen grapples with a battle between her heart and her ambition as the Witch Queen’s new protégé. Edwyn, desperate to prove himself as brave as his friends, accepts a mission that takes him back to the source of his nightmares: home. Helston.
Faced with the reality of a devastating war, all four champions are forced to confront the very parts of themselves they fear most, and each must do it alone. But how can they find the truth within a kingdom founded on lies?
Benji Zeb has a lot going on. He has a lot of studying to do, not only for school but also for his upcoming bar mitzvah. He’s nervous about Mr. Rutherford, the aggressive local rancher who hates Benji’s family’s kibbutz and wolf sanctuary. And he hasn’t figured out what to do about Caleb, Mr. Rutherford’s stepson, who has been bullying Benji pretty hard at school, despite Benji wanting to be friends (and maybe something more). And all of this is made more complicated by the fact that, secretly, Benji and his entire family are werewolves who are using the wolf sanctuary as cover for their true identities!
Things come to a head when Caleb shows up at the kibbutz one night . . . in wolf form! He’s a werewolf too, unable to control his shifting, and he needs Benji’s help. Can anxious Benji juggle all of these things along with his growing feelings toward Caleb?
Continue reading Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Middle Grade Fiction: July-December 2024
B.E.S.T. World by Cory McCarthy
Cameron Battle by Jamar J. Perry
The Devouring Wolf by Natalie C. Parker
Battle Dragons by Alex London
Sir Callie by Esme Symes-Smith
Bonus: These are all series where at least one book has been published, but keep an eye on the upcoming fantasy duology Lulu Sinagtala and the Tagalog Gods by Gail D. Villanueva
