Review Detail

The Not So Chosen One, the first book in the Spellbinders series, is a dream made real for any kid who grew up with a set of dice and a page of character sheets in front of them. Andrew Auseon sends his lonely protagonist, Ben, on the adventure of a lifetime, 100 times more unexpected and complex than any TTRPG he ever dreamt up for his friends (or former friends.) From flying Narwhals to Playstation-filled panic rooms in the castle, there is something original and familiar about the world Auseon creates. The book is a love letter to the power of creativity and the idea that we find the people we are meant to see in the strangest and most beautiful places. This book was like a breath of fresh air that reminded me how much I love books for kids. I instantly related to Ben and his friend's problems, and the plot was fun and kept me turning the pages. There's a good amount of humor, too, which is not easy to pull off. I loved how the book introduces gaming and lays out the rules of how things happen with excellent illustrations, just like you were looking up information in a gaming book. It is the perfect blend of gaming and fantasy for readers to get lost in. Highly recommend!