Review: St Jude’s Cathedral School and The Oxford League of Witches by L.M.Guy

Suzan Awad

This second book from young author L. M.Guy has a title which clearly suggests two things –  a normal school and an association of witches. What you could not deduce is that the normal school is not so normal.

There is some dark magic present there which can only be dealt with by an uncanny vampire working alongside his human friends.

The novel follows the story of Rupert, a vampire boy attending a human school. He encounters a ghost at the start of the term, then starts to investigate this spectral apparition in the company of his friends, discovering both secrets and lies about how the ghost died.

Furthermore he discovers a greater evil lurking in the school that could destroy peace in both the human world and in the world of the supernatural; that of the witches and vampires alike.

“Sometimes I really don’t quite know who I am: I seem to be one person at school and another at home, and at times I can’t decide which is the real me and which is merely for the benefit of other people. Do you ever feel like that?”

Have you ever felt like what our protagonist felt? Rupert lives very two different lives, one of a nerdy boy at school having a crush on a smart girl, and the other of a vampire who is encouraged to be adventurous and slightly wacky.

He is also expected to dress and act smart when an old vampire comes along with her daughter, seeking marriage between them in the future.

Here comes a great unexpected change that would finally free Rupert of the identity dilemma he feels all the time.

Horrid anticipation

Our story starts with so much excitement and chaos while a new term starts at school.

It’s after the long vacation, without seeing friends, when you dive directly into gossip about the new pretty teacher, or the horrid anticipation of the play this weird teacher seems to write every year, and all make funny assumptions about teachers and students.

Before too long the writer takes us into an adventure while preparing the ground for more.

When Rupert encounters that spectre in school he finds to his astonishment that someone else can also see the ghost, none other than the human student he has a crush on, but of course he keeps denying the crush, even to the reader!

Great evil

Throughout this adventure, or because of it, Rupert has to come to terms with being himself and coming out to his friends. This soon becomes a necessity in order to solve the mystery and literally preventing great evil from occurring, which can also free him.

It reflects the reality of putting so much stress on the judgment of others, especially friends or colleagues.

We also encounter two completely different families, their upbringing and relationships, which shape the destines of the characters, and the decisions they take even from a very young age.  Indeed receiving love or the lack of it are the main factors behind every terrible or redeeming action the main characters perform.

As Rupert’s father says at the end of the book “but adventures have a habit of continuing once they begin.”

L.M.Guy stuck to this belief throughout the book, for not a chapter or even a page is without an adventure which leads into another, affecting the reader with all the symptoms of anticipation, fear, excitement, and is so much fun as well.

Anyone between the ages of 11 to 20 will enjoy this, especially if you are a fan of Beautiful Creatures or Hex Hall, or any school based drama or book involving the supernatural.

St.Jude’s Cathedral School and the Oxford League of Witches by L.M.Guy is available here.