Penumbras by Braden Bell - A Blog Tour Review

One thing that I look forward to doing with this blog is reviewing books and plays for young people. There hasn’t been as much time as I would like to spend reading this year, but I did have the pleasure of reading The Kindling and Penumbras, the first two books in the Middle School Magic series by my friend, Braden Bell. Penumbras was released in July and I am happy to join the final leg of the Penumbras book tour with my first book review.

The Middle School Magic series focuses on Connor, Lexi, and Melanie, average middle school students who are quickly thrust into the epic struggle between the forces of Light and Dark when it is discovered that they are Magi-in-training in service to the Light. All of this while they struggle to find a balance in their rapidly-changing, pre-teenage lives. The Kindling introduces readers to the characters and the world of the Magi. Penumbras picks up where the first book left off and defines those factions in more detail and explores the grey areas where Light and Dark can intersect: often within the human soul. Much of the book tells of Connor, Lexi, and Melanie’s training under the guidance of Dr. Timberi, a master Magi who also happens to be the music and drama teacher at their school.  Penumbras has plenty of action and intrigue to keep an audience (young and adult) engaged throughout. Bell has a knack for infusing even the most intense action scenes with a great deal of humor. I particularly enjoyed the battle in a department store at the mall. Also, there are some interesting and controversial character developments (link here) and a surprise ending that will leave you wanting to get your hands on the next book as soon as it is published. But what particularly excites me about Penumbras is how the story is as much about the emotional development of its young characters as it is about the epic struggle between Light vs. Dark.

While Lexi, Connor, and Melanie work to understand their abilities and responsibilities as Magi, they must also navigate the treacherous emotional landscape of early adolescence. Bell shows the experiences of being a young person in the language of a young person with great skill and honesty, undoubtedly a result of his years as a middle school teacher. Within the narrative, the Light and the Dark become parallels for the “good” and “bad” that may exist within the human soul and continually impact the characters’ thoughts and actions. The narrative as a whole demonstrates the much larger implications that personal decisions and actions can have and, perhaps more importantly, shows that it is possible for a person to be more than just “good” or “bad” and that redemption and forgiveness are always possible. I can imagine such a message resonating with young readers as they struggle, often silently, to understand the numerous new and often accentuated thoughts and emotions that accompany the journey through puberty and into adulthood. Bell seems to say to our children, and to us, that sometimes you need to go through the Darkness to get to the Light. And that in the end, there is still the possibility that everything will be ok. That is a strong and encouraging message that all of us, young and old, need to hear.

I strongly recommend Penumbras (and The Kindling) to you and to the young people in your lives just as I have recommended the books to my students and my family. I hope that you find Penumbras and the rest of the Middle School Magic series as enjoyable as I have. And please let the author know how much you enjoyed it. As he says on his website, he loves interacting with his readers!

Please see the links below for further information about this series and its author, Braden Bell. There is a discounted rate on the book when you order through the author’s website.

Happy reading!

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Where to purchase Penumbras:

You can buy both Penumbras and The Kindling through the author's website at a discounted price - $9.99 (plus s/h).

The author also encourages readers to support independent bookstores and to order online through Parnassus, an independent bookstore in Nashville.

You can also find Braden's books on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
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