The Owl-Headed Wand, written by Daniel Peyton, takes readers to another world. A young boy named James is a homeless orphan that is tricked into stealing from a Master Wand-Maker. James is caught by the master wand maker, but he makes a deal to work off his punishment. The Master wand maker, Othano, is kind to James and teaches him many things. James finally feels at peace until one day, the Fire elves threaten all of Yohan and James’ new home. This leads James to make new friends and discover that he is braver than he ever thought. He also learned about the Owl-Headed wand and what it means to him.

Daniel Peyton does a splendid job in worldbuilding, Yohan. I loved that he mixes elves, witches, and wizards together along with other species. The map at the beginning of the book is an excellent addition because it really helped me imagine the direction everyone was going. I looked back at the map several times to see where the characters were.

James is a well-developed character that captivates readers with his backstory and continued strength and determination. His story will touch the heart of readers and bring about strong emotions as they follow along as he shares his tale with Othano and Giles.

Othano is probably my favorite character in the story! While the book is about James, Othano’s character is kind and caring. His gestures to James were so heartwarming. Giles was another fantastic character. She was strong and fierce as the Commander of the Wind elves, but she was also kind and gentle with James. She was exceedingly protective of him. Daniel Peyton has mastered the art of creating an emotional response with his readers. Each character stirs up strong feelings in readers, from rage to tears of joy.

The Owl-Headed Wand is an extraordinary young adult fantasy novel with which to start the new year. The adventure James takes readers on as he seeks to clear his and Othano’s name is exhilarating. The bond between characters is heartwarming and gives readers hope for those less fortunate. I hope this is not the end of James, Othano, and Giles’s story and that there will be more in the future!

Pages: 316 | ASIN : B0BPHWW6P5