Book Review: Gargoyles: Guardians of the Source

I am very excited to announce that next week I will be featuring an interview with the multi-talented and wonderful author Victoria Williamson – be sure to check back Sunday 6th May to read what she has to say about writing, books, and, yes, dogs!

This week I am reviewing Guardians of the Source, book 1 in a new middle grade fantasy trilogy, Gargoyles, by Tamsin Mori.

From the publisher:

A crumbling mansion

A magical source

A living gargoyle

Callen’s Dad has always been secretive of his past but when the family have to move into his childhood home, the last thing Callen expects is a boarded-up mansion covered in gargoyles. It’s enormous, the doors are nailed shut, the gardens are overgrown… and long-forgotten magic is returning. When a disgruntled gargoyle wakes up in his presence, Callen must befriend Zariel and earn her trust before it’s too late. A dark threat is growing in the shadows and only a Gargoyle Guardian can stop it.

“Magic is neither good, nor bad – it simply multiplies the dreams you feed it. Be careful what you wish for…”

My Review::

Gargoyles. Coming to life. Did I really need another reason to pick up this middle grade fantasy? I requested it without realising it was written by Tamsin Mori (I really enjoyed her Weather Weaver books, see my review of Winter’s Keep). Had I noticed who the author was, I would have expected an original and imaginative fantasy with a strong story and great characters.

Which is exactly what I got.

Callen is not happy when his parents sell their house to move into the ramshackle old home of the grandmother he never met (which happens to be a mansion in need of restoration in the middle of 10 acres of land, including a maze, a lake with a boathouse, and a secret tunnel). The house also has battlements adorned by gargoyles. Finding an old diary in one of the bedrooms, Callen learns of protector gargoyles and how human guardians can summon all the gargoyles to their aid. When the gargoyle outside his room wakes up that night, Callen is determined to become a guardian and gain control of all the gargoyles. But Zariel, the gargoyle he awakens, is not impressed by Callen and openly doubts his ability to become a guardian, something which takes years of training. But when the source of magic is contaminated, a terrible evil is unleashed. It looks like a Guardian of the Gargoyles is needed, and somehow Callen has to find a way to earn Zariel’s trust before all the good magic is lost.

Things I particularly loved (in no particular order):

Callen’s character arc: Callen’s immediate reaction on learning of guardians is a desire to control the gargoyles. As he forms new friendships with the local kids, he lies to impress. Callen has to learn that honesty is key to trust. He also has to learn to be himself, instead of worrying about what others think. We get some insight into his former life, and I really enjoyed how Callen grew over the course of the story and through his friendship with the three children he meets.

The Source: The source of magic in this story in neither good nor bad in itself, but can be used for good or evil. I really liked how that element of the story, and I LOVED the magical creatures that came from ‘dreamers’ good dreams – particularly the kelpies!

The setting: I loved that house and gardens,. Lucky Callen, I thought! I also liked how Callen’s parents get involved in the battle.

Overall there is lots to love in the story and if you like middle grade fantasy, I highly recommend you find yourself a copy of Guardians of the Source.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers UCLan Publishing for a copy of the eARC. Guardians of the Source was published on 4th April this year.