The Hexton Chronicles: The Trouble with Magic

LoveReading4Kids Says

Deftly-paced and dancing with emotional depth through its first-person narrative, The Trouble With Magic, first book in Amy Wilson’s The Hexton Chronicles, opens with Fray fleetingly living a “nice safe life in Brigstone” when the pull of his Hexton birthplace and tangible magic of his grandfather’s Croxometer sees him cross the bridge to Hexton, armed with a letter of instructions (and warnings) from Old Skeg.   

On arrival, the sense of mystery heightens. Hexton is, after all, where they know how to grow magic “to great, thundering resonance”. It’s also the place Fray’s family was banished from. Then comes escalating urgency when Fray realises that some folks regard his name and heritage as a curse, and when it becomes clear that the mysterious Croxometer, with its golden cogs and whirring dials, is a much-desired object.

While themes of family, friendship, and finding out who you and where you belong are threaded through the story, The Trouble With Magic is, above all, a beautifully-told magical adventure that will be adored by 9+-year-old fans of a certain fictional wizard, Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s lyrical adventures, and character-driven quests sparked by family secrets, and past mistakes.

Reviewed by Joanne Owen
Joanne Owen is a writer, reviewer and workshop presenter whose lifelong love of books began when she was growing up in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
More reviews by Joanne Owen

About The Hexton Chronicles: The Trouble with Magic

The first in a rich and evocative magical fantasy series. Combining beautiful writing with a dark, sparkling adventure story, this book will stay with you long after you finish the last page! Perfect for fans of Anna James and Kiran Millwood Hargrave.

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