The Protectors. Royal Institute of Magic

This thrilling third novel in Victor Kloss’ Royal Institute of Magic series sees Ben’s apprenticeship at the Royal Institute of Magic, and his wider quest, step up several notches. On the instruction of the Institute, Ben and his friends Charlie and Natalie report to the prestigious Barrington School right at the start of The Protectors before being thrown into learning how to joust on winged dragon-like darzels, the oldest form of transport in the Unseen Kingdom, which are “masters at detecting the location of the Dragonway”. Alongside having to hone such skills while working to complete his second-grade apprenticeship, the bigger picture of this multi-faceted series sees Ben on a quest to find his parents, who were captured by the dark elf king. Into this, the dark elves are showing signs that they’re planning to attack the Unseen Kingdoms, which makes Ben’s mission to find the next piece of Elizabeth’s Armour, the helm, all the more pressing. Laced with the intrigue of solving puzzles, and propelled by urgency in a fabulously-imagined, dangerous world of dark elves and goblins, The Protectors is ideal for 9+-year-olds who love magical school stories and fantastical adventures, with snappy dialogue making the story more accessible to a broader range of readers.