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Member Reviews

A solid graphic novel with beautiful art and an interesting story. I wish more of the world was explored, especially since war was such a big deal in the country, but what we did see was gorgeous. I didn't really understand Ada's desire to keep the shop open when she could have traveled with Safi to see the world and it would have allowed Safi to continue learning from a variety of magic users -- and that is by no means a reason to dislike the book, it's just my personal opinion.

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The art is cute and the story is fun. It's a great story about sibling relationships and also saving your sibling from manipulation. I enjoyed it and I think anyone looking for a warm middle grade fantasy would enjoy it as well.

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This gorgeous graphic novel swept me up and away. The magic was stunning, the story engaging, and the heavy elements were handled well. I want to read this over and over again, and maybe sit down for breakfast with the characters.

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I love Bree Paulsen's stories. They are always a very good balance and blend of themes that are good for kids to learn about and face while also making them very palatable. further, the characters are enjoyable and push the story along great. I was intrigue more by the lightbulbs than the magic in this family's life, but that is not unusual with me, to gravitate towards the more quirky and away from the more standard elements of stories. charming and emotional, this is a great story about family.

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Another unsurprisingly wonderful read. I loved Garlic and the Witch so I knew I wanted to read Bree Paulsens next book. This does have some cozy magical elements but it's a bit darker than Garlic. It follows these two sisters as they navigate a magical apprentice and a creature who sucks the magic out of people.

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Paulsen has become an insta-read for her graphic novels and The Firelight Apprentice has earned its way to sit very close next to the Garlic and the titles!

This book felt a little more heavy and intense than the Garlic titles, but everything was handled with grace and sensitivity I have come to feel familiar with Paulsen's story telling style. The grief and heavy moments took me and tore me up. The art, as always, is gorgeous and Paulsen's style is so lovely! I really liked the magic system found here and I wonder if we will get anymore from this world building and eagerly await another title from this talented author!

5 stars!

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I wasn’t expecting to cry but this graphic novel was well worth the tears. Bree Paulson has done an excellent job of showcasing the subtle aftereffects of war in a child-friendly format. The fantasy element adds a much needed lightness to the narrative. This would be perfect for reluctant readers.

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The Firelight Apprentice was a unique take in that it combines both magic realism and historical fiction. Our main characters are two sisters, the younger is a magician who seeks to be an apprentice and the elder is the caretaker of their sick father who wants nothing but for her sister to succeed. The Firelight Apprentice is set in a magical version of the industrial revolution and reads very much like a Miyazaki film. I'm excited to read more of Paulsen's work!

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This was such a wonderful read! I am a huge fan of Bree’s and I was hopeful with this graphic novel that it would deliver like her others do, and it certainly did!
It is packed with loveable characters, unique settings and the ever present strand of magic, but I loved her take on it. This is a book I will read over and over again and one I will think about for years to come.

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This book was a great read! The story had a great pace and the characters were well developed. It was very easy to get sucked into the story and in just a few sittings, I was done reading the book!

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Such a cute story! I loved the character development and the art so much!! The story was paced perfectly and would be a great books to read to kids. Highly recommend!

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After reading the Garlic graphic novels, I immediately requested this one! Paulsen makes such magical graphic novels! Her characters are so sweet and loveable and the story lines are so unique! The Firelight Apprentice was a 4.75/5 ⭐️ for me! The only reason I didn’t give it a 5 stars was because I thought the graphic novel ended pretty abruptly. I wanted more!!

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✨ R E V I E W ✨

The Firelight Apprentice by Bree Paulsen
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Thank you so much to @harperkids & @theshelfstuff for my gifted copy of Bree Paulsen’s latest graphic novel!

I fell in love with Paulsen’s work earlier this year, when I read Garlic and the Vampire and Garlic and the Witch, both incredibly cute and cozy stories.

The Firelight Apprentice continues in that same vein of being cozy, fantastical, and sweet!

✨ It does have a heavy theme of death of loved ones, so please practice self-care when reading.

Paulsen’s art style is honestly one of my favorites, and I would love to keep coming back to these beautiful and magical worlds. The story is always so precious and wholesome, and we honestly need way more of that in the world.

Highly recommend checking out all of Paulsen’s graphic novels if you haven’t already done so! The Firelight Apprentice is available now!

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This was a cute story; not a fan of the illustrations; some of the story felt rushed, especially at the end. Some kids may enjoy it.

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This was such an adorable book! Bree Paulsen always does such a great job, and this book was no different. Following the story of two sisters was a sweet and tender choice. Watching the way they interacted and engaged with each other was both realistic and sweet. The world and worldbuilding was excellently done. Bree Paulsen does a great job with building the world without bombarding you with a history lesson. It was so fleshed out and easy to understand the larger stakes, as well as the personal ones. While this is a middle grade graphic novel, between the art, the world building, and the relationships, it can be enjoyed by teens and adults as well. I loved this book and cannot wait to recommend it to all the graphic novel fans in my life.

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This middle grade magical fantasy graphic novel is heartwarming. We follow two sisters who lost their mother to the war and have an ill father. The youngest sister has magic and needs to train with an apprentice to learn how to use her powers, but the family is poor and can't afford it. The older sister finds a way to show off her sister's powers at a magic show in hopes they would notice and take her on as an apprentice, which they do. The older sister is happy but also sad because her sister will have to leave them to go live with her apprentice to train. The story follows the sisters as they each navigate their new lives with the older sister caring for their sick father while running his business, and the younger sister living her dream of becoming a great magician. There is also something sinister in the works which leads to a twist at the end. This story depicts hardship, war, grief, sisterhood and magic. It was a wonderful story with beautiful graphics. I will definitely read more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley & author for an ARC of this book. #netgalley #thefirelightapprentice

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Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the e-ARC of The Firelight Apprentice!
4 / 5 ⭐
From the book: “This story contains themes regarding the traumas of war and parental death.”

A short, bittersweet graphic novel set in a magical kingdom. The Firelight Apprentice is an adorable read with heavy but delicately handled themes such as: propaganda, growing up, grief, and finding yourself. I saw a comment (on a different site) where someone had a very antisemtic take on the story but that was NOT present in the book itself.

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This is an engaging and thrilling story about magic and the relationship between two sisters. I devoured this story in one sitting! This is a must have for all middle grade graphic novel collections. The illustrations are beautiful and match the story perfectly!

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An absolutely beautiful story about two sisters and them coming into their own. The use of color in the illustrations perfectly matches the feelings of the action going on in the story. This story has heart and fun.

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Ada and Safi are sisters trying to survive in the city after their mother's death. Their father is sick, and the girls have to look to the future. Safi has been blessed with magic, like her mother before her, and needs to find a mentor. With no money, that has not been possible, but when some traveling magicians come to do a show, the family hopes if they can meet with the magicians, they may agree to take on Safi. But not everyone is who they say they are, and the sisters must work together to survive.

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