Ewan Pendle and the White Wraith by Shawn Hume

Ewan Pendle and The White Wraith by Shawn Hume

*I was contacted by the author and offered a review copy for an honest review – did not change how I felt about this at all – thanks so much Mr. Hume for sending me a copy!*

Okay, here’s the truth: Harry Potter is not my jam. I never made it through an entire book. I enjoyed the movies, but I can only vaguely remember. I think there would have been a time when I really enjoyed them, but I totally think I missed the train. It’s just not me as a reader. One day, I’m sure I’ll read and come back here and go, MANDY, what is this madness? But today, it is not. And I think that fact kind of effected how I read this book.

“If you’re suffering from HARRY POTTER withdrawals, then look no further! This detailed, intriguing and touching story is the answer!” – Independent Reviewer

“Hume has a beautiful writing style that creates a whole new world which leaps off the pages.” – artisticbent.org

Ewan Pendle was weird. Really weird. At least, that’s what everyone told him. Then again, being able to see monsters that no one else could wasn’t exactly normal …

Thinking he has been moved off to live with his eleventh foster family, Ewan is instead told he is a Lenitnes, one of an ancient race of peoples who can alone see the real ‘Creatures’ which inhabit the earth. He is taken in by Enola, the mysterious sword carrying Grand Master of Firedrake Lyceum, a labyrinth of halls and rooms in the middle of London where other children, just like Ewan, go to learn the ways of the Creatures.

The reviews really aren’t joking. If you enjoyed Harry Potter, I really think you would like this novel. It has the same kind of feeling to it. A Cinderella type figure, complex magic system, the school type atmosphere. It has the things that people loved and cherished about Harry Potter, but it’s not copying anything. It’s unique in its own way. And I really think if enjoyed HP, you will enjoy Ewan’s story.

The issue I had in this regard is I felt like I kept missing out. I wasn’t a HP fan and was never super enthralled by the concept. To not be into the whole concept and themes of HP, meant that I wasn’t as enthralled with the concepts of this story as I should have been.

The truth is there is so much good to this story. Hume’s writing is a breeze. It’s so easy to read, and I loved his voice. It definitely helps the story come alive, and even with being super picky about my writing styles, he easily made me interested in the story.

The characters were interesting as well. The story starts off with a mysterious, fierce girl, and I was in love. And then interesting, quirky little Ewan shows up, and I enjoyed all of the characterization. Enola was so very fascinating as well. I mean, she travels around with a sword and no one really blinks, so you have to know she’s going to be a good, complicated character.

There is a character with this color hair in the book, and I may or may not have pictured her like this the entire time.

So, good writing, good characterization, interesting twists and turns…what went wrong? Nothing! It was an interesting enough story that I could read through and be entertained without the HP factor, but I did think I was missing out on the full greatness of the story because I didn’t have the HP love. As I said, it still is an interesting story, but I really do recommend it more for those that truly love and get excited about stories that are like Harry Potter. Yes, I’m totally a muggle in the wizarding world that just isn’t super geeked about the premise.

This was still a really good read with strong writing, characterization, and plot twists. If you’re a fan of Harry Potter, you’re definitely going to enjoy this. If you’re not, you might be feeling like you might be missing out on a tiny bit. I was a little bit confused on the rating since for me, it was more of a 3, 3.5 crown read because of my struggles with disconnect, but truthfully, if I had been the HP lover, it would have been a four crown so I’m going with that. And we’ll have a visit from Elsa since Ewan was so unique indeed. 😉

Check it out:

• Goodreads
• Amazon
• Barnes and Noble

What do you think? Do you get thrown off if a book is supposed to be for fans of a certain thing or if the concept isn’t something you’re super into? Are you or are you not a Harry Potter fan? Let’s discuss in the comments below!