Wishes and Choices: Mythral's Wish

by D B Thomas

Overview

Mythral, the defender of the Realms, and Kit, a contemporary teenage girl, have nothing in common. They come from different Realms, one with magic and one without. One has had far too many adventures, many unpleasant, and the other is desperately seeking adventure. To save the Realms from the rise of dark magic, Mythral must quickly train Kit to become a great wizard.

It is a long-standing prophecy that "Mythral's Choice will doom or save the Realms." But which choice is that: the initial spell creating the Three Realms; the unorthodox selection of a girl apprentice; or the desperate casting of an insanely dangerous Spell?

Wishes and Choices: Mythral's Wish is filled with moral dilemmas and mental puzzles to engage and challenge the reader. The quest to alter Mythral's foreseen death leads them to all three Realms. Within these Realms, the reader will encounter gryphons, dragons, wizards with unique talents, and even stranger dwellings, myths, and mysteries. As they confront dark magic and betrayal, they must face their own flaws. Surviving the final confrontation compels both of them to fundamentally alter themselves in unforeseen ways.

The reader will learn why using wands and hand gestures to do magic is only for beginners. The secrets and physics behind the Time-Space Continuum, déjà vu, and visions into the past and the future will be explained. Did I mention the sarcastic and smug Cat who narrates the story? Warning: Cat never lies, but he does like to toy with you readers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781964239019
Publisher:	St. Petersburg Press
Publication date:	09/15/2024
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.55(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

Editorial Reviews

09/02/2024

A great wizard faces off against the forces of darkness with the help of his unexpected teenaged apprentice in this realms-crossing middle grade debut. Mythral is widely known as the greatest living wizard, but when he casts his mind into the future via a sensing spell and foresees his own death at the hands of the evil magician MorKano, who aspires to rule the Realms and defeat the council of WISDOM. Mythral’s only chance to avert this future, according to his “very large, frowning, furry, four-footed feline” companion, Cat, is to take on a seemingly ordinary apprentice named Kit, a 14-year-old girl of “no special skills” from the nonmagical Realm One.

Self-important and still pained by a great loss, Mythral is unconvinced a girl could succeed as his apprentice, though he does admire the spark and wit she demonstrates when he first begins testing her and offers her the role of assistant shopkeeper in his bookshop. After all, he thinks, the unexpected choice might buck the future timeline—and “one had to look beyond an individual’s limitations and hope for the positive exceptions and surprises in life.” Soon, Kit is studying spells—including through a talking book called Remedial Spelling—and wondering how she’ll fare in the face of a real threat, as Mythral prepares for the “impending battle” and begins introducing her to the three Realms (via “translocation”).

The buildup to a “final test” is tense and fun, with lessons about personal biases and procrastination, though some stiff transitions and an abundance of adverbs often slow down scenes. With occasional explanations from the opinionated Cat about the worldbuilding and stakes, Thomas keeps the story moving and concepts like the Law of Equilibrium and much mucking with timelines clear. Still, for all the universe-threatening magic, what resonates most here is the cozy relationships, especially Mythral’s slow thawing toward Kit, Kit’s friendship with the wizard’s friend Perci, and the slow building of trust.

Takeaway: Realms-crossing adventures and a great wizard test a young teen.

Comparable Titles: Lindsay Fryc’s Emma and the Queen of Featherstone, Callie C. Miller’s The Hunt for Hollower.

Production grades Cover: A- Design and typography: A Illustrations: N/A Editing: A- Marketing copy: B-

BookLife Reviews