The Accidental Apprentice (Wilderlore #1)
by Amanda Foody (Author)
A boy who accidentally bonds with a magical Beast must set off on an adventure in the mysterious Woods in this whimsical and cheeky middle grade fantasy debut--perfect for fans of Nevermoor and How to Train Your Dragon.
The last thing Barclay Thorne ever wanted was an adventure. Thankfully, as an apprentice to the town's mushroom farmer, Barclay need only work hard and follow the rules to one day become the head mushroom farmer himself. No danger required. But then Barclay accidentally breaks his town's most sacred rule: never ever EVER stray into the Woods, for within the Woods lurk vicious magical Beasts. To Barclay's horror, he faces a fate far worse than being eaten: he unwittingly bonds with a Beast and is run out of town by an angry mob. Determined to break this bond and return home, Barclay journeys to find the mysterious town of Lore Keepers, people who have also bonded with Beasts and share their powers.
But after making new friends, entering a dangerous apprenticeship exam, and even facing the legendary Beast of the Woods, Barclay must make a difficult choice: return to the home and rules he's always known, or embrace the adventure awaiting him.
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Kirkus
Barclay’s journey reignites the wonder and discovery of childhood, culminating in a warm and sincere message about embracing who you are. Wholesome, delightful, and jam-packed with adventure.
Publishers Weekly
Orphaned at four when the Legendary Beast Gravaldor destroyed his village, pale-skinned Barclay Thorne, 11, hates the Beasts that haunt the Woods beyond Dullshire, as well as the Lore Keepers who bond with them. When Barclay inadvertently bonds with a rare and powerful Beast, he’s horrified-and worse, exiled from Dullshire. Determined to remove the bond, Barclay journeys to a Lore Keeper town in the Woods with brown-skinned Viola, a young woman bonded to a dragon-like Beast. There, a Lore Keeper promises to teach Barclay to break his bond, if he places first in a contest of skill and knowledge for aspiring apprentice Lore Keepers. The plot carefully builds in complexity, driven equally by well integrated, inventive worldbuilding and evolving character dynamics. Barclay’s growing identification with his Beast is complicated by years of hatred, mirroring his relationship to the larger world of Lore Keepers, and the supporting cast likewise have their own nuanced characterizations and motivations. Interweaving whimsicality with harsh realities, Foody’s (Queen of Volts) middle grade debut introduces a richly realized fantasy world, populated by monsters both magnificently unknowable and all too human. A deeply immersive and auspicious series starter. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 2021 Publisher’s Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
Review quotes
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV002270 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Dragons, Unicorns & Mythical
Orphans
Fantasy
Fantasy fiction
Apprentices
Monsters
