Esme Symes-Smith
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esmesymessmith.bsky.social
Esme Symes-Smith
@esmesymessmith.bsky.social
560 followers 470 following 160 posts
USA Today Bestselling Author of SIR CALLIE, Random House Kids
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/2263444/esme-symes-smith/
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esmesymessmith.bsky.social
Esme Symes-Smith @esmesymessmith.bsky.social · Sep 19
When I wrote the final SIR CALLIE book, I had to imagine the very worst Peran's world could be--a world where no one is immune to his whims and tempers; where his most dedicated are treated with as little humanity as his enemies. Where the world and the war are just a game for his own entertainment.
Reposted by Esme Symes-Smith
celestemoonbunny.bsky.social
@esmesymessmith.bsky.social hitting us with the best news this morning ahhhh can't wait to hear more about this new trilogy!! 📚🎉💖

Also just put on hold the book they suggested~

(This is your sign to subscribe to their newsletter <3 )
January 11, 2026 at 6:40 PM
Reposted by Esme Symes-Smith
cartooncreaturelvr.bsky.social
Like this? :)

#FanArt #SirCallie
A grayscale digital sketch of Callie hugging Edwyn while he’s holding a cup of hot cocoa from the Sir Callie series by Esme Symes-Smith. Callie is smiling as their face is squished against his arm, & Edwyn looks surprised by the sudden hug, though has a slight smile on his face.
January 11, 2026 at 5:54 PM
Reposted by Esme Symes-Smith
cartooncreaturelvr.bsky.social
And here’s an extra messy-haired version of Edwyn for the moments in the story his hair probably wouldn’t look so put together anymore!

(This is probably my favorite version of his hair out of the three, I think the messiness suits him!)
A digital, fullbody, illustration of my interpretation of Edwyn from the Sir Callie book series by Esme Symes-Smith, more heavily based on the series’ descriptions the character. Edwyn is a 12 year old boy with short, wavy, messy brown hair that’s sort of still slicked back; a several locks have come undone & fallen in his face. He has snowy pale skin, blue eyes, & a fresh scar across his farthest cheek. He’s wearing a deep scarlet red tunic with a gold trim, a golden pin on his chest, a dull & off-white undershirt, & dull brown belt, gloves, boots, & pants. He stands defensively, looking at the viewer with tensed brows, whilst wielding a dark & dull, but very pointy, sword. Edwyn stands against a sea glass green background, framed by a darker sea glass green rectangle, which is decorated with four-pointed stars, taken from the Sir Callie logo, at each corner, & triangular pointed shapes; the frame coincidentally resembles a fantasy spellbook. A cropped, close up image of Edwyn's face; the fresh scar on his farthest cheek, his roughed up brow, his messy hair, & his blue eyes are easier to see in this image.
December 27, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Reposted by Esme Symes-Smith
cartooncreaturelvr.bsky.social
Almost forgot! I did actually design the page pin Edwyn wears (it's a little hard to see, but he *is* wearing it in the art above!)

I drew this before drawing the goofy-looking tiny version on him so I'd have an idea of what to do! Might adjust the detailed design later, but I think it looks nice!
A digital drawing of my interpretation of the page pin from Sir Callie, which looks like "two snarling dogs rearing up on either side of a tower topped with a crown."
December 27, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Reposted by Esme Symes-Smith
cartooncreaturelvr.bsky.social
Here's my interpretation of Edwyn from Book 1 of the Sir Callie series!

He turned out pretty different than I thought he would, going in a unique direction with his hair, but I really like what I came up with!

#FanArt #CharacterDesign #SirCallie #Asexual #Fantasy #FantasyCharacter #QueerBooks
A digital, fullbody, illustration of my interpretation of Edwyn from the Sir Callie book series by Esme Symes-Smith, more heavily based on the series’ descriptions the character. Edwyn is a 12 year old boy with short, wavy, neat brown hair that’s been slicked back. He has snowy pale skin, blue eyes, & a fresh scar across his farthest cheek. He’s wearing a deep scarlet red tunic with a gold trim, a golden pin on his chest, a dull & off-white undershirt, & dull brown belt, gloves, boots, & pants. He stands defensively, looking away with tensed brows, whilst wielding a dark & dull, but very pointy, sword. Edwyn stands against a brown background, framed by a darker brown rectangle, which is decorated with four-pointed stars, taken from the Sir Callie logo, at each corner, & triangular pointed shapes; the frame coincidentally resembles a fantasy spellbook. A cropped, close up image of Edwyn's face; the fresh scar on his farthest cheek, his roughed up brow, & his blue eyes are easier to see in this image. A digital, fullbody, illustration of my interpretation of Edwyn from the Sir Callie book series by Esme Symes-Smith, more heavily based on the series’ descriptions the character. Edwyn is a 12 year old boy with short, wavy, neat brown hair that’s mostly slicked back; a few locks have come undone & fallen in his face. He has snowy pale skin, blue eyes, & a fresh scar across his farthest cheek. He’s wearing a deep scarlet red tunic with a gold trim, a golden pin on his chest, a dull & off-white undershirt, & dull brown belt, gloves, boots, & pants. He stands defensively, looking away with tensed brows, whilst wielding a dark & dull, but very pointy, sword. Edwyn stands against a sea glass green background, framed by a darker sea glass green rectangle, which is decorated with four-pointed stars, taken from the Sir Callie logo, at each corner, & triangular pointed shapes; the frame coincidentally resembles a fantasy spellbook. A cropped, close up image of Edwyn's face; the fresh scar on his farthest cheek, his roughed up brow, the hair in his face, his blue eyes are easier to see in this image.
December 27, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Reposted by Esme Symes-Smith
cartooncreaturelvr.bsky.social
I’ve been wanting to try making comics for YEARS now, & FINALLY got around to cleaning up one of my MANY notecard thumbnails; this one adapting a piece of what’s probably my favorite chapter in Book 1 of Sir Callie!

(Part 1 of, maybe, 6? We’ll see!)

#FanArt #SirCallie #Comic #FanComic #QueerBooks
A digital comic page depicting a scene between Callie & Elowen from Sir Callie and The Champions of Helston by Esme Symes-Smith. The text at the top reads, “Sir Callie and The Champions of Helston. Chapter 15, Page 171. Dialogue & characters by Esme Symes-Smith. Art by Rachel Martin, @CartoonCreatureLover. The comic begins with Elowen looking down at Callie, who is looking up at her while covering up an open blank-paged sketchbook, as she sets a plate of biscuits on the desk. Elowen says, “Take a break. You look exhausted. You must’ve been studying since dawn.” Callie says, “Haha.” & thinks, “But I feel it too. Must be something in the weather.” They yawn & put a biscuit in their mouth, getting lost in their thoughts as they chew, thinking, “Lemon. Score. Or maybe it’s all those late nights finally catching up with me. Either way—” Elowen interrupts their thought, startling them with her cold hand pressed against their forehead; she says, “Well, you’re not feverish. But you do look pale.” Callie scoots away from her, their cheeks reddened & less pale than before, saying, “Rude.” but thinks, “Usually I hate being fussed over, but apparently I mind it a whole lot less when it’s Elowen.” Elowen looks down at them annoyed, her hand pulled back from their forehead.
December 8, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Reposted by Esme Symes-Smith
celestemoonbunny.bsky.social
Just finished Sir Callie and the Final Stand by @esmesymessmith.bsky.social with my partner last night and wow...what the perfect conclusion to the series 💕 One of the last scenes, gosh did it remind me of myself and my partner 🥺
I'm so proud of you, Esme! 4 books of pure amazingness. 💖
December 8, 2025 at 3:01 PM
esmesymessmith.bsky.social
Um excuse me I need EVERYONE to read and appreciate this thread! The level of detail in this comic is astronomical (and way more historically accurate than my writing!!) I'm in awe!!
cartooncreaturelvr.bsky.social ✨ Cartoon Creature Lover | Rachel ✨ @cartooncreaturelvr.bsky.social · Dec 9
You know what? I don’t talk much on here since I usually never know what to talk about, but I think I’d like to yap about the work & choices that went into that first Sir Callie comic I made (because I put a lot of little details & things into it)!

So, here’s a thread! (0/20)
A close up image of the first panel from the comic. Elowen is looking down at Callie, who is looking up at her while covering up an open blank-paged sketchbook, as she sets a plate of biscuits on the desk. Elowen says, “Take a break. You look exhausted. You must’ve been studying since dawn.”
December 10, 2025 at 4:25 AM
esmesymessmith.bsky.social
(It's been a REALLY good day)
esmesymessmith.bsky.social Esme Symes-Smith @esmesymessmith.bsky.social · Dec 2
Pitching something exciting to my agent on Thursday with @mddoodles.bsky.social
Good vibes please!
#sircallie
A graphic reading SIR CALLIE AND THE GRAPHIC NOVEL YOU NEVER KNEW YOU NEEDED on a rainbow backdrop with Callie, an orange haired tween wielding a sword
December 4, 2025 at 10:27 PM
esmesymessmith.bsky.social
Pitching something exciting to my agent on Thursday with @mddoodles.bsky.social
Good vibes please!
#sircallie
A graphic reading SIR CALLIE AND THE GRAPHIC NOVEL YOU NEVER KNEW YOU NEEDED on a rainbow backdrop with Callie, an orange haired tween wielding a sword
December 2, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Reposted by Esme Symes-Smith
blazewarriorwolf.bsky.social
Ive now read the last 2 books of @esmesymessmith.bsky.social’s Sir Callie series! Got em both read today! Whew, what a journey it all was to read. So good. When it comes to some of the books I read, Im left yearning desperately for more. With the series concluded, that is not the case. Everything
November 19, 2025 at 2:51 AM
Reposted by Esme Symes-Smith
torintalks.bsky.social
I really loved the audiobook of Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston by Esme Symes- Smith. It’s a middle school age series, but super poignant and fun to listen to. It focuses a lot on identity and fighting against a world not built for marginalized people.
November 30, 2025 at 7:37 AM
Reposted by Esme Symes-Smith
alliecat06.bsky.social
I’ve been WAITING for this moment!! Sir Callie and the Final Stand has arrived! ⚔️ 🐉
And it’s signed! :D

#SirCallie #EsmeSymesSmith #SirCallieAndTheChampionsOfHelston
November 30, 2025 at 6:38 AM
esmesymessmith.bsky.social
Thank you for having me @ncte.org !
November 23, 2025 at 3:54 AM
Reposted by Esme Symes-Smith
mombian.bsky.social
Want new LGBTQ-inclusive middle grade books? We’ve got them! These titles include the latest from the award-winning Alex Gino, plus two drag-themed novels, sequels in two magical adventure series, and an inclusive non-fiction title about body literacy. Reviews: mombian.com/2025/11/06/6... #BookSky
6 New LGBTQ-Inclusive Middle Grade Books - Mombian
Want new LGBTQ-inclusive middle grade books? We've got them! These titles include the latest from the award-winning Alex Gino, plus two drag-themed novels, sequels in two magical adventure series, and...
mombian.com
November 6, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Reposted by Esme Symes-Smith
cartooncreaturelvr.bsky.social
Here's my interpretation of Elowen from Book 1 of the Sir Callie series!

She turned out so pretty! (And was faster to finish than the others so far, probably because I didn't have to draw her legs, lol!)

#FanArt #CharacterDesign #SirCallie #Lesbian #Fantasy #FantasyCharacter #QueerBooks
A digital, fullbody, illustration of my interpretation of Elowen from the Sir Callie book series by Esme Symes-Smith, more heavily based on the series’ descriptions the character. Elowen is a 12 year old girl with long, wavy, neat brown hair; a lighter blue bow ties it together into a contained low ponytail. She has snowy pale skin, icy blue eyes, & very faint freckles on her nose. She’s wearing a navy blue ribbon around her neck like a choker necklace, a matching implified, navy blue, sleeveless, cotehardie-inspired overdress with a long sleeved, cerulean blue, coteharder-inspired underdress, an off-white apron over her dress skirts, lighter blue tights or socks that peek out beneath her long skirts, & 14th century inspired, black, leather, flat shoes. She stands confidently, smiling, one hand on her hip & the other holds up a magic flame. Elowen stands against a sky blue background, framed by a darker sky blue rectangle, which is decorated with four-pointed stars, taken from the Sir Callie logo, at each corner, & triangular pointed shapes; the frame coincidentally resembles a fantasy spellbook. A cropped, close up image of Elowen's face; her faint nose freckles & icy blue eyes are easier to see in this image.
October 24, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Reposted by Esme Symes-Smith
blazewarriorwolf.bsky.social
I cannot express enough how truly masterful the Sir Callie series by @esmesymessmith.bsky.social is. I need an animated cartoon adaptation! Like it hits all of the points needed to tell a fantastic story, I cant wait to read books 3 & 4! Read books 1 and 2 today online via the local public library!
October 30, 2025 at 3:02 AM
esmesymessmith.bsky.social
I'M THE LUCKIEST AUTHOR IN THE WORLD! 😭😭😭
cartooncreaturelvr.bsky.social ✨ Cartoon Creature Lover | Rachel ✨ @cartooncreaturelvr.bsky.social · Oct 31
Sir Callie 2.0 (but with their cloak this time!)

I also made an alt version of this piece with the cloak Callie gets at the end of Book 1 to complete their whole outfit!

I absolutely love how it turned out!

#FanArt #SirCallie #CharacterDesign #Non-binary #Non-binaryCharacter #QueerBooks
A digital, fullbody, illustration of a stockier interpretation of Callie from the Sir Callie book series by Esme Symes-Smith, more heavily based on the series’ descriptions the character. Callie is a 12 year old kid with messy orange-ginger hair that’s styled with bangs & pulled back into a low ponytail. They have warm, beige, freckled skin, hazel eyes, & is wearing a dark cool-green cloak, an emerald green medieval tunic with a copper trim, a creme-colored undershirt, reddish-brown pants with roughed up knees, & dark, red-brown, leather gloves, boots, & knot belt. They stand determinedly, a tooth missing from their smile, wielding Satin, their sword. Satin has been interpreted as a leaf-bladed sword with a green, gem-like, diamond-shaped, dragon pommel & the sword’s name visibly engraved into the blade; otherwise, Satin resembles the book cover’s design. Callie stands against a soft orange background, framed by a darker orange rectangle, which is decorated with four-pointed stars, taken from the Sir Callie logo, at each corner, & triangular pointed shapes; the frame coincidentally resembles a fantasy spellbook. A cropped, close up image of Callie's face; their freckles, Hazel eyes, missing tooth, & floral cloak clasps are easier to see in this image.
October 31, 2025 at 6:22 PM
esmesymessmith.bsky.social
Edwyn
adwills.bsky.social A.D. Wills @adwills.bsky.social · Oct 31
CAUTION: There's a chance that small side character you just created becomes way more important to the story than you had originally planned because you keep daydreaming cool things about them, and you end up liking them too much
October 31, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Reposted by Esme Symes-Smith
celestemoonbunny.bsky.social
Got my swag from @novelneighbor.bsky.social that comes with the newest book of one of my favorite beings and authors @esmesymessmith.bsky.social ! 🎉

It's all so special and I can't wait to dive into the finale with my partner. Once again, so proud of you, Esme! And get some rest! 💖
October 22, 2025 at 1:54 AM
Reposted by Esme Symes-Smith
esmesymessmith.bsky.social
My big launch day treat is releasing the very comprehensive soundtracks to all 4 books! I love soundtracks that tell a complete story, and I had so much fun creating this playlist!

esymessmith.com/2025/10/14/s...
Sir Callie and the Unofficial Soundtracks
A complete and chronological soundtrack of all four books, including character tags and scene specifics. Available on Spotify!
esymessmith.com
October 14, 2025 at 5:44 PM
esmesymessmith.bsky.social
I've had so many amazing moments this past week, but gold has to go to the kiddo who handed me an envelope STUFFED with their favorite scenes 💚 I'm so honored that these books mean something to people!

#sircallie
October 20, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Reposted by Esme Symes-Smith
ps9714.bsky.social
'No Kings' isn’t just a slogan. It’s a call to save #democracy before it’s too late.

No single march will bring down a dictator. But a mobilization of this scale can shift the narrative.
'No Kings' isn’t just a slogan. It’s a call to save democracy before it’s too late.
In June, millions of Americans rose up in the largest single-day mobilization in modern history. Today, we’re doing it again, but bigger.
www.msnbc.com
October 19, 2025 at 6:33 AM
Reposted by Esme Symes-Smith
alliecat06.bsky.social
Sir Callie really said NO KINGS before it all happened ⚔️

#EsmeSymesSmith #SirCallie #NoKings #SirCallieAndTheChampionsOfHelston
October 18, 2025 at 10:42 PM
esmesymessmith.bsky.social
I really miss the way B&N used to be, when I could go visit my friends' books on the New and Noteworthy. I haven't found any of them in any store I've been in this week, including Callie 4. It's so sad.
October 16, 2025 at 4:52 PM