This is such a fun read. And even though it's marketed for Middle-Grade readers, I feel like any reader at any age can read this and enjoy it.

Spellbinders: The Not-So-Chosen One by Andrew Auseon 5/5

This was a fun read. Spellbinders is a great middle grade book that is filled with adventure, plots turning, and great characters. I needed a change of reading and this one hit the spot. It was light and fun, easy to read and I found myself not wanting to put it down. I love that the book has silliness and some real relatable issues that we have all been through.

Spellbinders: The Not-So-Chosen One by Andrew Auseon is available for purchase July 2023.

This story was so creative. A fantasy world where the kings guard do patrol on flying narwhals and have weapons that harness the power of lightning? The power of spellbinders that write in notebooks? Teenage Assassins that don’t want to kill? Magical people with the power to mimic? Magical realms? Old abandoned mansions that are secretly portals? Count. Me. In.

I recieved a free eARC of this book, Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

Ben used to have a great life, with a regular group of gaming friends, As the GM, he's able to control, the world. He writes his games, his stories, his notes in a special notebook. .

But after his parents divorce, and a move to a new place, his life spins out of control and his friens slip away, untjl he's left, sitting on a bench, alone, after being ditched before the biggest con of the year.

When Niara, an assassin approaches and tells him he is the chosen one and needed, he goes along assuming it's a game. Except that it turns out to be all too real. And so are the stories he writes. See, Ben is a Spellbinder...one with the gift of putting magic into words and turning words into magic. And he's the only hope of a world which seems both familiar and strange.

Kids who love magic will love this book. Introverted gamers will love this book. The characters both manage to fall into RPG standard parties (assassin (who is a girl) , wily shape shifting non-binary thief, handsome fighter, and, of course, our main character the mage) and be new and interesting. This is undoubtedly the set up for a series-and one which will be well recieved.

This was a fun story full of adventure. I liked how the author handled the relationship between the main character and his mother, as well as the main character and the friends he moved away from. It was nice to see how these relationships evolved and it felt very realistic. There was also a lot of action within the story. It was interesting to see the book framed as a gaming quest. I think this will garner a lot of interest for young readers. I felt that the ending dragged on a bit. Otherwise, this was a fun story. Readers that enjoy gaming will likely enjoy this one.

As someone who has spent a ton of time playing role playing games, going to conventions, and consuming a ton of Fantasy media I fully enjoyed this book! Spellbinders reads like Douglas Adams for the middle grade audience. When Ben is first approached by the epically cool Niara he assumes he's in for a great night of LARPing, something he could really use since his old friends have completely abandoned him on what should be their annual tradition of conning together. The problem is, he's the only one role playing. For everyone else Lux is the real world and they need Ben to be the chosen one, for real. As Ben balances his role playing with real world consequences he realizes that not everything is as it seems in Lux...and just maybe, not everything is as it seems at home. This is a fun read for any fantasy loving kid, with a ton of humor, silliness and the very real navigation of friendships and life changes.

It hasn't been since reading Maggie & Abby's Neverending Pillowfort by Will Taylor have I been able to find a book that is capable of perfectly capturing the voice and imagination of preteens. This book is redonkulous in it's scope, epic in scale, but always perfectly settled within the imagination of a kid - from the cool and epic sounding flying Narwhals, to the hilariously punny "king's swine" which are actually knights riding giant guinea pigs, everything about this story was unexpected. It's quite a long story, whose adventure is never as linear as you would expect a hero's quest - full of moments of self-doubt, double-crossing, plots turning in on itself in delightful ways. Definitely enjoyed reading this one, though I would have adored to see the queer content higher. There are so many puns, plays on words that adults reading it will find plenty to keep them entertained (some things, even the 'everything coming up' joke, might not land for the youngest audiences, though it's not as if that would be something to take them out of the story) Highly recommended!

Imgr links go to Instagram graphics - Will be posted May 30th
Blog Post goes live May 30th


Ben, like many of my fellow TTRPG nerds, begins this story feeling incredibly lonely. His normal crew of friends have seemingly abandoned him, and his Mom has become even more distant since his family broke apart. Sitting on a bench at a convention where it seems he was once again left, he is scooped up by Niara - an assassin from Lux - who believes he is the chosen one. Unfortunately for Ben he starts to believe he may not in fact be the Chosen One, he may just be a guy with a notebook.

I'm going to be 100% honest here - I run D&D games, I write ridiculous worlds and adventures for fun for a group of friends so everything about this book was a joy for me. From the idea of the world when you truly find out it's source, to the magic that Ben discovers. I thought it was very cleverly done, and the messaging in this will really resonate with kids who have these types of hobbies (as we all seem to struggle with similar issues).

I thought the characters were clever and funny. I loved the casually diverse cast - and as a Non-Binary individual I adored a certain shape changing character you meet later in the series. The only real complaint I have about this book is that perhaps the start was a bit rocky. But once you get into the book, and really realize what exactly you're dealing with? It's hilarious and fantastic.

If you're a fan of middle grade fantasy, or a fan of TTRPGs I highly recommend this one. It's funny, inventive, and unique. I am definitely keeping my eyes out for the next in the series.

A fun adventure, I think that its strength lies in its relatability for me. A lonely seventh grader who writes more than he lives was a fun parallel. Overall playing with the chosen one trope was a fun thing to play with especially for younger readers.