Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts

Written by Erika Lewis

Narrated by Justis Bolding

The Otherworld is at war.

The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts trains warriors. And Kelcie Murphy—a foster child raised in the human world—is dying to attend.

A place at AUA means meeting Scáthach, the legendary trainer of Celtic heroes. It means learning to fight with a sword. It means harnessing her hidden powers and—most important—finding out who her parents are, and why they abandoned her in Boston Harbor eight years ago.

When Kelcie tests into the school, she learns that she’s a Saiga, one of the most ancient beings in the Otherworld. Secretive, shunned, and possessed of imposing elemental powers, the Saiga are also kin to the Otherworld’s most infamous traitor.

But Kelcie is a survivor, and she’ll do whatever it takes to find her parents and her place in their world. Even if that means making a few enemies.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: May 31, 2022
• ISBN: 9781705069066

Erika Lewis

Erika Lewis grew up in Alexandria, Virginia, where she spent most of her childhood riding her dirt bike through Fort Ward, the Union Army Civil War stomping grounds. She graduated from Vanderbilt University and went on to earn a master’s degree from Georgia State University and an advanced certificate in creative writing from Stony Brook University. Game of Shadows is her debut novel, and The Color of Dragons is her young adult debut. You can visit her online at erikalewis.com.

Reviews for Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts

[sennebec · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Kelcie has had quite the rough life. Her earliest memory is of being dropped into Boston Harbor, but things went even further south after that. She bounced from foster home to foster home, some so bad readers will cringe while imagining them. When her case worker and a strange woman pull her from her school class during a museum tour, it's really the start of her destiny. Once she escapes them, she's plunged into a magical transport system that lands her at an academy for kids with magical ability. It's the last place Kelcie ever expected to find herself. There are bullies, kids so gifted they intimidate the heck out of her, her own ebb and flow of self-doubt and a growing friendship/romance with another student. Read this book and it will pull you in and take you on a great journey, one that will curl your toes at times, but land you at the end with a smile on your face.

[foggidawn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Kelcie's been an orphan for as long as she can remember, shunted from one terrible foster home to another. Then, one day, on museum field trip, her caseworker shows up in the company of a strange woman. They take Kelcie away from her school group, and then the really strange stuff starts happening...I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but I'll just say that Kelcie ends up (as one might surmise from the title) at The Academy of Unbreakable Arts, a warrior training school that turns out elite magical fighters to protect the Lands of Summer from the Lands of Winter. The mythology is based on Celtic lore, and if you're getting a strong Percy Jackson vibe, you're not wrong. This book treads familiar ground, but it does so very well. I found the setting a little vague, but the characters and plot are solid, and it kept me engaged in the story all the way through. For readers who can't get enough of adventure fantasy, this is a strong series starter. I'll be recommending it, and I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the series, myself.

[muddyboy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book starts with a whole lot of promise. Kelcie is an orphan in Boston and is magically transported to be a first year student at the school mentioned in the title. She learns a lot about powers she never knew she had as well as about her parents she new nothing of. She had no friends in Boston but gathers a group of close friends and associates over the course of the novel, There are sides Summer (good) and Winter (evil) that are pitted agaisnt each other. My main issue is that toward the end ther is are just too many characters and things become cluttered and confusing.

[sylliu_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book has all the elements that I love in a fantasy: a girl who is drawn into a magical world, meets new friends, attends an academy for magic, discovers new power, and finds herself in the center of an epic struggle against evil beings. Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for Unbreakable Arts weaves fascinating Celtic lore into this fast-paced, action-packed, imaginative adventure, as well as deeper themes of family and friendship ties. A winner all around!

[whitewavedarling · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a fun, fast middle-grade romp, and I did enjoy it. The characters, descriptions, and magic were fantastic, and although there were some moments where I wished for a bit more depth, I think the depth/detail was probably pretty perfect for the genre. My only real complaint is that the characters who I found most interesting early on mostly disappeared by about halfway through the book, and really didn't come back into play. The characters who remained the focus felt far more 'stock' for the genre, one of them being more voice than fully developed, and I think that's where I was simply somewhat let down.I'm honestly not sure if I'll go on to the next book in the series or not. I could see recommending the book/series to young readers and others, but as much as I found it entertaining, some pacing choices and character choices left me really wishing for more. If the next book looks like it might re-focus on some of those characters I wished hadn't disappeared, I'll probably pick it up. If not, I'll probably move on at least for now.

[amybooksy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts is the first book I have read by Erika Lewis. I thought it this first book from her The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts series was pretty good. I found the story and writing style to be unique. I am not a huge fan of this genre but I really enjoyed this one. It is easy to read and held my attention from start to finish. Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts is getting four stars from me. I recommend it for readers who enjoy reading fantasy fiction and between the ages of eight and twelve. I look forward to reading more by Erika Lewis in the future and will be eagerly awaiting the next installment from The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts series.I received a digital copy of Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.

[ladycato · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley.Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts follows the same magical school tradition as Harry Potter, but manages to deliver some new twists and worldbuilding in a world that draws on Celtic mythology. Kelcie has been passed around in foster care around Boston for years. Her current case agent isn't the best, but she's a bit surprised when he turns out to be a fairy and forces her to touch an artifact in a museum--and from there, things get even weirder, as her necklace ends up being a key to a teleportation-tree. She's dropped at a magical school on the first day of a new term, and by the obliviousness of adults and her own wits, gets herself enrolled. There, not only are her magical powers revealed, but the truth about her family and her past.At the start, the plot felt too contrived. Kelcie had a great, fierce attitude, but not much agency. Gradually, though, her take-charge spirit began to actually take charge. This is very much a cozy read. I don't mind terribly that some of the major twists were a bit obvious. They were still fun! I enjoyed Kelcie as a character, and the friendships she develops with other kids are wonderful. At heart, this is a fun, immersive frolic, and a great set-up for more books.