Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts

Three chapters in and I knew I wasn't going to put it down! With connections to myth and legend, and the always appealing "tough but loveable" main character, the fast paced writing sucks a test in and makes her hang on for the ride.

This book has all the elements that I love in a fantasy: a girl who is drawn into a magical world, meets new friends, attends an academy for magic, discovers new power, and finds herself in the center of an epic struggle against evil beings. Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for Unbreakable Arts weaves fascinating Celtic lore into this fast-paced, action-packed, imaginative adventure, as well as deeper themes of family and friendship ties. A winner all around!

Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts is a great start to what will be an exciting series. It had lots of twist and turns that were unexpected. The folklore that was integrated into the story was interesting and the other characters were well developed and interesting. I am looking forward to seeing what happens next to Kelcie.

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts by Erika Lewis is an all-ages fantasy that will appeal to fans of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. The story revolves around Kelcie, an ordinary girl who has bounced from foster home to foster home in the human world. Unbeknownst to her, she's actually "the heir." She has magical powers, and she has to go to a magical academy to train. Will she be able to

Here is an excerpt from Chapter 1 that introduces us to the setting::

"There were no seismic quakes, horrendous storms, nothing suspicious at all to warn Kelcie Murphy that she was about to unleash the greatest evil the world has ever known. Only a field trip to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
She’d been suddenly moved back to Boston last week, to a group home as miserable as the last nine, and it was her first day at yet another new school.
The bus ride was filled with the usual awkward smiles. Kelcie did her best to remain invisible, choosing a seat in the very back, and slinking down, pretending like she was asleep."

Overall, Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts is a Chosen One story that will appeal to fantasy fans of all ages. Besides for the well-known books that everyone will compare it to, I was also reminded of Studio Ponoc's Mary and the Witch's Flower, which I enjoyed a lot! One highlight of this book is the Celtic mythology that is woven into the plotline. The author included a helpful glossary at the end of the book. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of fantasy in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in March!

I had the immense pleasure of reading this KELCIE MURPHY AND THE ACADEMY FOR THE UNBREAKABLE ARTS
With vivid world-building, and a marvelous blend of mythology and magic, The Academy of Unbreakable Arts is a rip-roaring ride pulsing with the heart of its fierce and tenacious heroine!
The opening installment of this epic new fantasy series will leave readers clamoring for more.

I absolutely loved this book! It was fun, imaginative, and full of excitement and magic. It’s a fresh take on Celtic mythology, with rich worldbuilding and engaging characters. Kelcie is one of my new favorite heroines, one that I know will surprise and delight many middle grade readers (and grown-up readers, too!).
Kelcie’s never had it easy, having been bounced from foster home to foster home, but her struggles shift and change as she learns the truth about her social worker and finds herself transported to The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts. She manages to get herself enrolled at this awesome and magical school, where five dens of students work to perfect their magic and fighting skills. As her adventure continues, Kelcie finds friendship, elemental magic, the truth about her family and past, and her own agency.
As I read this book, I couldn’t help but think of all the students I would recommend this to. It’s fun, exciting, sweet, and easy to immerse yourself in. I’m definitely looking forward to more Kelcie books!

This was an enjoyable quick read. I enjoyed the comfort of the boarding school for "special" teens and yet the difference with Irish mythology. Kelcey is a likable character who does the best she can against human odds for an orphan child with amnesia tricked by horrible fairies.

I am very particular about my sleep, so it is the highest compliment that I can offer when I say I stayed up waaaay past my bedtime reading this book for several nights in a row.

Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts grabbed me from the very first chapter and never lets me go. Erika Lewis is one of the best writers of action that I've read in a long time and almost every scene kept me on the edge of my seat. This book is perfect for fans of the Percy Jackson, School for Good and Evil, and Keeper of the Lost Cities series. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Thank you to the author and publisher for access to an early copy of this book.

An action-packed magic school book full of lovable characters! This is the kind of story with the kind of world-building I would've wanted to return to over and over again as a kid, imagining myself as a student at the Academy alongside Kelcie and her friends. The twists and suspense as Kelcie tried to unravel the mystery of her past had me completely hooked. I also loved the use of Celtic mythology, plus the team-as-family trope (one of my favorites). Anxiously awaiting the sequel!

One moment, Kelcie Murphy is an emotionally isolated orphan on a terrible field trip with kids who she's sure will eventually ostracize her, and the next, she is caught up in a bizarre faerie-magic ritual that unleashes a power she doesn't understand. In the midst of chasing answers, she ends up transported via a mystical tree network to The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts, where five dens of students compete for their right to stay as they develop their fighting skills and magical abilities.

It's all new to Kelcie, who once again feels like an outsider, but as she learns the secrets of unlocking and using her elemental powers, she also finds a way to be vulnerable and bring out the trust in her classmates, even when it turns out she's the daughter of the most reviled prisoner in the realm. The question is whether she can unlock her own past before she unlocks a slumbering weapon that could destroy the entire school... and so much more.

Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts doesn't do anything halfway. The action is intense and the magic is enthralling, where the emotional highs and lows are astounding. This debut has the arcane potency of Harry Potter, the action and bloodlines of Percy Jackson, and originality of a homebrew D&D campaign. Readers are going to love Kelcie and her friends for pages and sequels to come.