Recommended Age (by the Book Pup): 12+ years
by The Book Pup on September 25, 2025
Blurb for the book (on Goodreads):
Magic is real -- and it runs in the family -- in this charming fantasy adventure about a boy who must balance his magical education with the demands of big-brotherhood, perfect for fans of Jenny Nimmo and Angie Sage.
Henry Leach the Eighth doesn't know it yet, but he's descended from a long line of wandmakers. That means he has inherited mysterious powers, a trunk full of strange artifacts... and a whole host of problems.
His biggest problem at the moment, however, is his little sister, Brianna. She's always had a special talent for getting in his way. And she takes troublemaking to new heights when she's caught in the crossfire of Henry's first major spell!
Heartfelt, funny, and imaginative, Wandmaker is sure to leave young readers spellbound.
My Summary:
Henry Leach the Eighth embarks on a dangerous adventure when his father gives him a magical book called 'The Wandmaker's Guidebook'.
As Henry struggles to master his abilities, he tries to reach out and contact the author and great Wand master Coralis.
After accidentally hitting his little sister Briana with a magic spell, Henry accompanies Coralis with Briana to face the dark forces that threaten not only Wandmakers, but also the whole world.
Disclaimer: This is a negative review of 'Wandmaker'. If you loved this book or prefer to avoid critical takes on books in general, feel free to skip this review! 💕
My Review (Non-Spoiler)
Wandmaker's been in my TBR for a while, and I opened it expecting a fun, magical adventure story. Unfortunately, this one really missed the mark for me.
The biggest issue I had with this book was how dark it felt for its intended age group. While I don't mind some serious themes in middle-grade fiction, this book deals with some genuinely disturbing content and underlying sinister vibes (such as a villain who takes joy in torturing a group of monks), and that felt too dark for younger children, which is why I recommended this for ages 12 and above.
Beyond the darkness, I found the plot extremely confusing. The magic system wasn't well explained, and I often felt lost trying to follow what was happening. Even as someone who usually enjoys complex fantasy, I struggled to understand the logic behind many plot points.
The pacing was also problematic - it would drag through lengthy explanations that didn't actually clarify anything, then rush through important action scenes that needed more development.
I can see what Masessa was trying to do with the concept, but the execution felt muddled and inappropriate for the intended audience. Middle-grade readers deserve stories that challenge them without being needlessly dark or confusing.
1/5 pawprint 🐾
You can find the book on Goodreads here.
Spoiler Review (⚠️ Warning: this includes spoilers to those who haven't read Wandmaker ⚠️)
The more I think about this book, the more concerned I am about its content for middle-grade readers.
Let's start with the biggest flaw. The heroes and the villains of the story didn't meet once. The story had two points of views, both the heroes and villains; however, there was not a single scene where the protagonist and antagonists met.
Next up: the inappropriate scenes. Some of the magical accidents and training sequences involved genuinely frightening scenarios that felt more like horror than adventure, such as when Henry's wand got contaminated, he got blisters on his face, and the worst part was that he didn't know what was going on. The descriptions of what happens were quite graphic and disturbing for young readers.
During the first chapters, it was implied that Henry's dad was trying to brainwash him, and that felt incredibly inappropriate for kids to read. Not long after that, we discover that Henry's father is secretly evil, which felt out of place in a book for younger kids, because it might cause distrust with their own fathers.
The book seemed to mistake "dark and complex" for "mature and sophisticated," but there's a difference between age-appropriate complexity and content that's simply too heavy for the intended audience. Learning about the violent conflicts in the story and the brutal consequences of magical power struggles felt heavy for the target age group.
I keep coming back to the question: what 8-12 year old would benefit from reading this? The confusion factor combined with the dark themes makes me question who this book is really for.
1/5 pawprint 🐾
You can find the book on Goodreads here.
My Goodreads review:
Wandmaker by Ed MasessaMy rating: 1 of 5 stars
When middle-grade fantasy goes way too dark 😬
1/5 🐾 - Recommended age: 12+ minimum (if at all)
Perfect for: No one, honestly. Too dark for middle-grade, too confusing for anyone else.
View all my reviews
Best,
The Book Pup