I received the eARC from the author via Netgalley.

This is a YA portal fantasy, which is not my usual choice of book, but I was intrigued by the blurb enough to give it a try.

The story starts in our world with a father and son. Tragedy hits early on and the boy, Jack, is swiftly thrust into a new fantasy world of pirates, samurai, and every feasible fantasy creature you can imagine.

The story is relentlessly action-packed, which I did struggle with at times. I had to take a break from reading it, for a few weeks it turned out, but eventually returned to finish it. There is a lot going on, and the action doesn't let up throughout. And for some reason I needed a break from.so much action!

Despite all the action, the characters and their development is not ignored, especially Jack. The author really does nail the emotional aspects of Jack's age (14), his circumstances, and growth, brilliantly. This is the standout element of the writing - Jack's emotional journey and self-discovery is a great coming of age story.
The story of how a teenage boy becomes a young man in the face of tragedy and the strange situations he finds himself in.

The author has certainly created something very special, which will appeal to all ages who love the adventures we all dreamed of when we were young.

This was a young adult book, that I think, would work great as middle grade too! Written in the intersectionality of the two genres, the fantasy world was explore quite well in the book. And the warming relationship between the father and son, really had my heart. And the premise is quite interesting too, a coming of age story that's quite unique from the others. But unfortunately, I couldn't quite connect with the book. As I said, it had all kinds of intriguing elements but in the end, I couldn't bring myself to care about the characters.

All in all, this is a very great book objectively, I'd definitely recommend it. It's just that it didn't fit into my preferences, which is honestly, a me problem.

Thank you to the publisher for ARC recieved via Netgalley.

Before I really begin this review, I need to share a little bit about myself. I am not a very emotional person. I will bury them deep and do my best to not show much. That being said, this book cast a hook to the bottom of my soul and pulled all of my feelings out to be shown to the world.

This book had my attention from the very beginning. It is a very well told Young Adult portal fantasy. There are interesting characters, loyalty, pirates, knights, zombies, and more. Everything that a person could want in a fantasy story make an appearance.

Now to why I really loved this book. It spoke to me as a father and a son. It has a strong dedication to that bond which hit me in ways that I was not expecting. It explores all avenues of this relationship and speaks to the importance of having the fatherly figures, whether by blood or discovered. It made me think of all of the relationships that I have cultivated over the years and the type of example that I present to them. The author does a great job of building these relationships that become meaningful and create a very real connection to the characters he has put on the page.

The world contained within these pages is unique. It has a very real history that is explained while still leaving us wanting to know more. It was explored in ways that were familiar and new at the same time.

It is an excellent telling of how legends can begin. Growing up, I loved hearing the legends of the Greeks, Native Americans, and others. I have always found the origins extremely interesting and have always found that everyone has a different take on the legend. So now I encourage this, read The Legend of Black Jack and discover your own beliefs on what makes a legend. I know I did and enjoyed every minute of it!

Thank you for reading my review, and as always I wish you the best of reading!!

This is an extremely face-paced, fun read. Hitting an older middle-grade to younger YA core audience, readers will love the number of new creatures/fantasy elements to discover, the super-smart and brave main character Jack, and the triumphant hero's journey he goes on. My favorite elements were the border knights, the zombies (yes zombies - I promise it doesn't get cheesy though), and the wilder/undefined magic which I think works well in this novel.

Although I think books aimed at a younger audience should be fast-paced and action packed, I will admit this book felt a little *too* full a lot of the times. There was not a moment of breather between action, and combined with a large cast of characters that are thrown at you one after the other, made it difficult to connect to characters that I knew were important since I didn't actually have time with them. I also think there was some missed opportunity with Jack as a character - I always love a genius kid, but some things established early on about Jack kind of go away without addressing them, and I think it would've been nice for those to be more incorporated.

This is a coming of age fantasy. After a major tragedy 14 yr old Jake finds himself in a rough foster care situation. He is kidnapped into a magical realm where so much happens. There is a lot of action and adventure to keep the reader engaged.

This book just seemed to be a great book. I loved all the characters and the plot line. Super easy to follow. Nothing too confusing. Definitely recommend

I received a free copy from NetGalley and the author in exchange for an honest review.

Asleep in a Foster home in Chicago, Jack Swift turns 14. Clever and able to remember everything, Jack hopes to become a doctor. While he sleeps, a stranger arrives that will change everything...

In Keymark, a land of Majik, death and destruction stalk the people. The Fell Prince seeks his throne, opposed only by the seven Border knights. But against the necromantic horde, they are outnumbered. But there is a legend in Keymark; a legend of a man of many talents. The legend of the man in black...

The Legend of Black Jack is a solid coming of age story following Jack Swift since he was orphaned at 7. Marketed as YA, I would think it would be suitable for most age groups, probably 14 and above (hello early 40's!). The prose is well written, with some lovely description. The pacing is fast, with a lot of action packed into its pages. However, although a lot happens to Jack, it doesn't seem forced at any point. I didn't feel that things were happening just to move the narrative along. There are some incredibly heart-aching moments (chapter 16 I am looking at you) but also moments of laughter and delight. One warning would be that there are some quite descriptive surgical scenes. These are not gory but do form the focal points of a few chapters, including early in the book. This might not suit everybody but I felt they were informative without being gruesome. Also, the introduction of science into a land of magic seemed novel and unique. As a scientist, it was great to see scientific method in a fantasy book!

There are several main characters, with the focal point being Jack himself. These are well formed and I formed firm favourites during my read. Memphis, Rooker and Fugi forever! My only criticism would be a lack of female characters. With the exception of Leah, all the major players are male. I would have liked a few more but it wasn't a major sticking point for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and have found a new comfort read. Emotional and heart rendering at times, I will return to Keymark again and again. I really hope there will be more books featuring Jack and his friends.

The Legend of Black Jack is the debut novel by Emmy winning A.R. Witham and with that in mind, the quality of the writing is remarkable, expertly bringing this fantasy to life.

I absolutely loved this book - it sucked me into its world from the start and I found it really difficult to put down. The art in the book is amazing.

The Legend of Black Jack surprised me in the best way. It’s not the story I thought it was but I loved it all the same. I loved getting to see Jack’s journey and the legend that grew. The book was full of beautiful descriptions and wonderful magic. I highly enjoyed it and think it is one of those books to revisit time and time again for that adventure we all wish we had as children.

First and foremost, thanks to Andy (A.R. Witham), and Nepenthe Press for providing me with a NetGalley eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jack Black is a swashbuckling adventure and coming of age tale that enmeshes the reader in other worlds, magic, legends of yore brought to the present, fighting cats, crocs, Minotaurs, pirates, and samurai knights, among others. The adventuring was solid, and I could see precocious younger readers really enjoying this (and any future adventures that may end up being written).

Andy's imagination and storytelling skills are on full display in this novel!

I am an enormous stickler for detail, so there were a couple of hinky details that stood out to me and detracted early on in from the story for me (about the first 25-30% of the book). These included mentions of baobab trees in rainforests (these don’t grow in rainforests, but DO grow in other types of forests), the description of the foster mother as not only abusive but overweight (smacked for me of the myth of the welfare queens and just rubbed me the wrong way personally), and our protagonist playing in childhood as a made up/combined Native warrior leader in the Badlands (“Chief Charging Bull” - seems like a combo of Sitting Bull and perhaps Charging Bear - both Sioux leaders from this region) being referred to as a “Buffalo killer” or “Buffalo hunter” which is… a strange take and one that feels troublesome to me given the intended audience of the novel. That said, these specifics may not bother most readers at all, let alone might they feel it detracts from the story.

In all, I’m giving the novel four stars and forgiving some of the details I’m nitpicking on, as the novel itself once it gets rolling isn’t problematic in these ways, and tells a good story that’ll draw readers who enjoy adventure fantasy in quite nicely.

Mild/Moderate CW for child abuse within the foster care system.

4.5/5 stars

I love an introduction that perfectly explains everything but in the most incomprehensible way so you don’t realize it was all foreshadowed until you finish the story. The Legend Of Black Jack had the perfect introduction, a stunning conclusion, and a fantastic middle. It felt a bit like a TV show where the characters are doing so many things that though they seem unrelated, are all connected into this giant adventure.
It combined YA fantasy, classic adventure stories, and pirate tales in a compelling saga that follows a young doctor, Jack, as he gets swept into a magical world and its troubles.
What I loved most was how Witham placed us in Jack’s shoes when Jack was given a chance to go home. I’ve never seen the feeling of escaping to fictional worlds so well described.

4.5 stars! Absolutely lovely writing and an adorable story. Jack is a child prodigy obsessed with medicine, but he's never really had any friends (he's also autistic-coded in a really realistic way). When he gets kidnapped and taken to a magical land, he learns to become a hero and find a family. This story has been told before and will be told again, but the hero's journey never gets old. I happen to love this writing style, so I was completely enraptured. The whole beginning is really sad, so it was great to see Jack laughing and growing in confidence as the stakes got higher. Very emotional overall. There was a twist that I found super obvious, but other than that I liked everything.

First of all I have to thank Netgalley and A. R. Witham for giving me an arc in exchange for my review.

Oh man this book is a giant hodgepodge of characters/creatures in the best way possible. I jokingly shared this with the author already but the only thing missing from this epic fantasy story is a clan of Ninjas. Seriously Andy where the heck are they :)

Okay jokes aside this was an awesome adventure that had me hooked from the start, although I may be a little biased since the opening takes place in my home state. Honestly I had never heard of this book or the author until I attended an online event where he offered up the arc for all who were interested. I was looking for something new to read and decided to give it a try and I'm so glad I did.

The story centers around Jack Swift who has a knack for learning that is unmatched. While the opening to the book would lead you to believe he is destined to become the greatest archaeologist to ever live, fate has other plans for him. As a result Jack discovers his true passion which becomes both a blessing and a curse as his adventure unfolds. Jack starts off the story as a young boy and ends with him in his teenage years. Throughout his adventure we get to see him struggle with doubts and fears which not only makes him very relatable but also makes you cheer him on more and more. I definitely got some Robin Hood and his merry men vibes from this book in the sense that Jack is surrounded by an amazing cast of characters that are extremely loyal to him. I also found myself becoming extremely attached to a few of them which at times hit me in the feels as the story unfolded.

The Legend of Black Jack is one wild ride that feels like if it was a video game it would be an instant classic. A. R. Witham did a fantastic job of showing us this vast and wonderful world with each stop on the journey containing its own unique elements all through Jack's eyes and I loved every minute of it.

"Live or die, they're gonna remember us. Good stories are the only way men can hope to live forever. And I aim to make sure I get my own verse" - Rooker Flynn

Jack Smith is a child twice bereft - his mother died when he was 4, and his father when he was 7. Originally placed with a compatible foster parent who supports Jack's unusual intelligence and interest in science, particularly medicine, Jack is sent adrift in the foster system when his first foster parent has to go elsewhere to care for a sick family member and can't take Jack with him. Bounced from home to home, removed from his advanced classes at a new school that doesn't understand his abilities, Jack is alone, ultimately placed with a neglectful alcoholic woman who collects foster children for the money they bring. Then, one night, a stranger appears in Jack's room - a stranger who looks like a humanoid rhinoceros, who whisks Jack away to another world where magic works, but science - and in particular medicine - is needed to save the world.

This book was a great read for a lot of reasons. Jack is a unique character for his intellect, but represents a great many children who are neglected and/or abused in foster care. As is typical for 14 year-olds, he has great dreams, but isn't sure of his ability to make them happen, given his situation. This is only intensified when he is transported to Keymark, and told that only he can save the world... but oops, we meant to get an older "you", one with more skills; the magic gate opened to the wrong time. Then there are Jack's relationships with the other characters - some human, some humanoid, and some, well, best described as geckos able to use sign language.

I received an advance copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Legend of Black Jack is terrifically entertaining and fun!! A story full of heart, friendship, loyalty, battles and every creepy, nightmarish creature you have probably ever imagined! Jack Swift is an incredibly bright boy living with his father Alex, an archeologist on a dig in the Dakota Badlands. Tragedy strikes and Jack's life unravels with the only constant being his love of medicine and science. And then one night, a rhinoceros comes for him.......yes, you read that right, a rhino. Jack is carried away to Keymark, a fantastical world of magic, knights, elves, animal companions, demons and an evil, immortal prince bent on domination.
Right from page one, the story puts its hooks in you and doesn't let go. Full of imagination, humor, heartfelt characters, battles that keep you on the edge of your seat and twists that will have you cursing Andy.....repeatedly. It's just plain fun and at the same time will completely tug at your emotions. If you need a fantasy escape that will make you laugh, gasp and shed a tear or two, this is the story you need!! Here's hoping for more stories from Keymark in the future!!!

Thanks to A.R. Witham and Netgalley for the ARC.

This is one of the most enjoyable story i've read in this year. The action and adventures in this book made me enjoy this book more than i thought i would. I think some parts dragged a bit too much. It could have been considerably shorter. Otherwise, i really liked it and will wait for the next books by this author.

The Legend of Black Jack was an entertaining adventure. The title alone intrigued brought me to pick up the book and gave me old-school swashbuckling vibes.

One of the great things about this story is that the adventure takes off almost immediately and keeps going all the way through the book. It was pleasant to be so entertained. It was also a sweet surprise to see the little drawings in the book which helped me to envision pieces in the story.

Very good read. I enjoyed the book a lot. Beautiful story about growing up, fighting your fears, making friends. I like author's writing style and how he 'build' the story and characters.

I enjoyed Black Jack's story and how it comes full circle with the father at the end. However, I think some parts dragged a bit too much. It could have been considerably shorter. That being said, Black Jack's journey was enjoyable, and the writing was captivating. Fantasy is not the genre I usually choose to read for fun, but I wanted to expand my horizons since I teach Middle School, and they often gravitate towards fantasy novels. Overall it kept my attention and I wanted to keep reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy of this book.
This book was a very interesting read and was written in a way that is very different from what I traditionally read. The story telling was vibrant and immersive. This was a wonderful coming of age story.