Bran Hambric #1: The Farfield Curse by Kaleb Nation

My name is Bran, and I was "born" in a bank vault. Actually, that's where Sewey found me, and city laws forced him to make me part of his family. Strange things have been happening that I'm slowly starting to understand. There was the monster on the roof (that knew my name!), the speeding truck I stopped from crushing me, and the mysterious girl, Astara, I met in the back of the bookstore. I must now accept that I'm a mage. I've also learned that my mother was also a mage and may not have been the kind mother I've imagined. She worked with dark magic and had something to do with the Farfield Curse. Now, evil mages are after me, and I may be the key to completing the scourge. 

I read The Specter Key first, so this book included information I wish I'd known before reading book one. As with many middle-grade novels, Bran discovered he had magical powers but needed to learn how to use them. Much of the magic arose without his thought, and I think he only conjured one intentional spell. Consequently, he was able to wield more power than he should have been able. It bugs me when characters go from "normal" to all-powerful without much of a learning curve. Ala Harry Potter, Bran had the potential for good or evil, and his mother had chosen evil. This internal conflict continued for much of the plot. Sewey was the most interesting character, as he was very narrow-minded and set in his ways. He was able to take any bad situation and blame it on gnomes, magic, or mages. He had no problem spending money, but paying the ensuing bills was a waste of his time. Those were strange thoughts for a banker. He resented needing to take care of Bran, but he was quick to recruit Bran when anything needed done. Overall, I enjoyed the book more than some other reviewers, but I think you should give it a shot.