Young protagonists in the Fantasy genre are nothing new. Without even thinking too hard, I can remember reading about many of them in some of my favourite Fantasy books of all time. This includes several of the Pern series by Anne McCaffrey, Godstalk by PC Hodgell and some of the books in Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Darkover series. There are many, many more.

In reading modern Young Adult books, I often find it difficult to identify with young characters. Having given it considerable thought, I’ve worked out that there is more to this than just the fact that the concerns of teenagers are several decades behind me.

What makes the young characters in my old favourite Fantasy books work is that they have something more interesting happening in their lives than concerns about dealing with parents and high school. Menolly, in the Harper Hall seriesof the Pern books, is driven…