Information
Goodreads: The Girl Who Kept the Castle
Series: Implied to be the first in a series
Age Category: Middle Grade
Source: Library
Published: 2024
Summary
Wizard West was dead for nearly an entire day before he noticed. Really, he only noticed because Faye, the daughter of the groundskeeper, had to tell him. Determined not to let the press know he died unspectacularly in his sleep, West decides to distract them instead with a spectacle. He will host a competition to choose his apprentice and heir. But when dark spirits take advantage of West's distraction, Faye will have to figure out how to keep the castle standing and the competition running.
Review
The Girl Who Kept the Castle is one of the most delightful middle grade fantasies I have read in a long time. It feels like Studio Ghibli created its own version of the Triwizard Tournament, with a classic competition for an apprentice/heir somehow becoming more charming than life-changingly serious. Even though the stakes are high--not only for the competitors but also for their entire kingdom--the action remains localized around young Faye and her efforts to keep her home standing as her narcissistic employer threatens to ruin all. Heart and humor shine through the story, making me hope that more of Faye's adventures are yet to come.
Something about this books feels like the middle grade fantasies of my childhood--in the best possible way. All the ingredients are there. The determined and capable--yet overlooked--protagonist. The spunky princess who wants to be more than a pretty face. The nerdy prince who wishes he could invent machines instead of inheriting the throne. The vain and obnoxious bully. The totally incompetent adults (the really competent ones being conveniently missing). And, yes, of course. The challenge! The search for an heir! The fate of the kingdom in the balance! All of it depending on the efforts of a low-level, trying-to-fly-below-the-radar witch (because girls can't be witches in this world). And let's not forget the talking cat. Every book is automatically improved by the inclusion of a talking cat. I loved every minute of it.
The Girl Who Kept the Castle falls on the cozier end of the fantasy spectrum, with Faye doing things like performing a bit of magic to paint the sunset, wrangling the animated shrubbery to give them a trim, and taste testing the cook's enchanted pastries. This gives the book a whimsical feel--strengthened by the inclusion of the vain and selfish Wizard West, who blithely goes about his day thinking himself the mightiest in the realm while totally ignoring the fact that his castle is only still standing because of his servants. Even when the characters are facing deadly monsters or fearing the return of their history's most feared villain, the story somehow still feels charming. There is no doubt that this twelve-year-old girl is going to be able to save the day through a bit of quick thinking and some elementary magic.
Readers who enjoy middle grade fantasies will not want to miss this one. Ryan Graudin has created a compelling and richly detailed world--one that promises yet more wonder to come in any sequels. The Girl Who Kept the Castle is surely going to be one of my favorite books read this year!
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