INTRODUCTION

I am most pleased to be back with a review of this wonderful middle-grade book I was sent recently — — Felicity Fire and the Forever Key by Leon Mitchell!!

And oh my goodness, I loved this book so much!! It is fun and whimsical, and Act One is absolutely hilarious!!! (The description of the bullies and the school and the headmaster… For some odd reason, I absolutely loved all of them.)

BOOK BLURB

An enchanted adventure awaits. One key. One mysterious door. A world beyond imagination.

When hiding from school bullies in an odd antique shop, Felicity Fire finds a mysterious key and is swept away through an unusual door into an enchanted world shimmering with impossible magic and breathtaking wonder.

Stranded and with danger lurking around every corner, she is soon joined by mischievous and brave new friends, who join her on an unforgettable quest to find a way back home and save the land of forever from the evil dragons of darkness.

ISABELLE’S REVIEW

And first off, may I just rave about the cover for just a quick second? It is absolutely gorgeous, and whoever illustrated it did a fantastic job!! I especially love the look and color of the title font!!! Very much like fire. Which is quite fitting, seeing as the MC’s last name is Fire.

At any rate, this was such a delightful middle-grade book to read! Felicity’s character and her determination and her bravery was very admirable, and I loved the world of this book!! The writing style of the author was amazing, and that was what drew me into the book at first. The way Creek Manor School is described was hilarious (though rather concerning if it had been a real school!!), and just… it is very much like one of those Absurdly Awful Yet Mildly Amusing to Read About Schools. A bit like Miss Trunchbull’s school from Matilda.

The characters in this book were wonderful!!! Again, Felicity is one of those brave middle-grade protagonists who shall dive bravely right into adventure to save the world. Not to mention her impossibly cool name. The Shroomlings were absolutely adorable!!! They are talking mushrooms who follow Felicity on her quest and have such cute namest!

I liked Fagan’s character as well, though I must admit I was very suspicious of him throughout the novel, just because he had very willingly (too willingly, in my conspiracy theorist brain) agreed to join Felicity on her quest….

The book’s plot is fantastic! It flows smoothly and is quite fast-paced (which I think will definitely hook a lot of younger middle-grade readers) while still managing to weave in all of the magic and wonder and whimsy of this world!!! I loved the backstory of King Analo as well. There was a chapter in the book, basically recounting what’d happened, which I don’t typically enjoy reading (info-dumping and such), but I found it quite intriguing and fun to read.

I also loved the world-building of this book. It really has so much lore and backstory and history, and it is just so whimsical and fun, despite the great evil in the story!!! It has Shroomlings, talking trees, evil dragons, and a magical key. What isn’t there to like for a middle-grade reader? ^^

And the twist at the end…

I was actually informed that there would be a plot twist at the end of the book and so probably spent half the book trying to guess what the plot twist would be (perhaps Fagan would betray them!! Perhaps someone would die!).

But oh my goodness.

Never in a million years would I have possibly guessed what it actually was.

I may have also gasped out loud (on an airplane!) when it was revealed.

Just… *shakes head* Wow. Of course, I cannot reveal the plot twist because of Spoilers That No One Really Wants, so you shall merely have to read this book for yourself to find out. The book ends most wonderfully on a cliffhanger, with Felicity about to take on her next adventure!!

Overall, a fantastic middle-grade book that I think is magical, whimsical, and full of wonder and laughter and life!!! I definitely recommend it to any middle-grade reader who loves fun fantasy worlds! 4.5 out of five stars from me!!

GIVEAWAY!

Leave a comment by February 3 and I’ll enter your name to win this book. U.S. address only.

This review as first published on Isabelle’s blog Spring Chronicles on January 19, 2026.

Isabelle Knight is a homeschooled eighth grader and the middle-grade author of the Enchantria series. She lives in China with an eclectic collection of notebooks and loves to read and write middle-grade fantasy. Her favorite book is Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. Check out her blog! She last joined me on this blog when her fellow young writer, Journey Bloomfield, reviewed her latest book.