Safi has strong magic, but she needs a mentor to learn how to use it. Her father and older sister know they can’t afford to pay someone to teach her, so they hope to find her an apprenticeship with an experienced practitioner. When traveling magicians arrive in their city to perform, they see Safi’s potential and sign a contract that takes her on as a trainee. All is not as it seems though, and Ada will need to call on all her resources to keep Safi safe from hidden dark forces.

The Firelight Apprentice by Bree Paulsen is a graphic novel set during the bleak days after a war in a fantasy kingdom. Ada and Safi’s mother died during the war, and their father is ill. It’s hard for them to know who to trust.  The burden of keeping their modest store open falls particularly on Ada, who wants to protect her younger sister even if it means separating her from the family.

The story has an interesting twist in that Ada, who does not seem to have magic, is the main character who has to solve the problems that arise. This means that her solutions have some element of the fantastical, but they are anything but easy and they require collaboration from others. I found it a refreshing approach for a novel that includes magic.

The novel also has an unexpected resolution that I won’t spoil in the review other than to say it speaks to the strength of people banding together to forge bonds during tough times. The Firelight Apprentice brings up issues around trust, overcoming tragedy, fighting back against evil, and more. I recommend it for ages 9 to 12.

The publisher provided a copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.