The Mystwick School of Musicraft by Jessica Khoury is a middle grade fantasy currently scheduled for release on January 21 2020. Amelia Jones always dreamed of attending the Mystwick School of Musicraft, where the world’s most promising musicians learn to create magic. So when Amelia botches her audition, she thinks her dream has met an abrupt and humiliating end—until the school agrees to give her a trial period. Amelia is determined to prove herself, vowing to do whatever it takes to become the perfect musician. Even if it means pretending to be someone she isn’t. Meanwhile, a mysterious storm is brewing that no one, not even the maestros at Mystwick, is prepared to contain. Can Amelia find the courage to be true to herself in time to save her beloved school from certain destruction?
The Mystwick School of Musicraft has a nice blend of middle grade angst, mystery, and magic. Amelia has more questions than answers about her late mother, and just wants to be like her as a way to connect with what she has lost. In a world were music and magic go together, that means making music with her mother's flute- and following in her footsteps. Like in most fantasy worlds, magic comes with risk and cost which are not always apparent at first glance. Readers learn this lesson along side Amelia as she also has to deal with fairly typical middle school angst, imposter syndrome and self doubt, and mysterious weather and tricks that make everything even harder. I really enjoyed that while a boarding school of magical music makers is fantasy, the fears of he characters were completely realistic. I found how the characters acted, interacted, and reacted to everything to be consistent with what I have seen in real people. This holds true in actions that I agreed with, and those that left me shaking my head or cringing. The hearts of the characters were very real, even when they were acting badly. I really enjoyed the world and character building and hope that this story continues as a series, because I want to know more about Amelia's adventures.
The Mystwick School of Musicraft is a solid middle grade fantasy with action, relatable characters, and a good dose of mystery and magic.
