The Accidental Apprentice (Wilderlore #1) by: Amanda Foody
Release Date: March 30th, 2021
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Pages: 283
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indigo Books | IndieBound
Cover Illustrator: Petur Antonsson
Cover Designer: Karyn Lee
Logo Illustrator: David Coulson
Synopsis
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.
Review
Thank you so much to TBR and Beyond Tours, author Amanda Foody, and Margaret K. McElderry Books for allowing me to be on this wonderful book tour. To check out the rest of the TBR and Beyond Book Tour Schedule please click here!
2021 has been the best year for reading for me. I have found so many novels in my favorite genres that I fell completely in love with and that are replacing books that I have had on my favorites list for years. The Accidental Apprentice is the first Middle Grade novel I have read this year and it is easily one of the best MG series openers I have ever read. Foody wastes no time at all getting you acclimated to the world that she has created. The magic system involving the beasts was so fun and exciting to read about. This aspect of the story was also paired with a competition that Barclay has to go through in order to go back to the life he originally had.
Speaking of Barclay, I LOVED him. He is honestly the perfect character for youngers readers to get to know. At the beginning of the novel he has such a sense of responsibility about himself, but this slowly morphs into something else as he continues on his adventures and trial after trial gets thrown at him. The addition of Viola in to the story just made it perfect. I loved how snazzy she was and her personality was so cute. These are the types of characters I wanted to read about when I was in middle school.
I literally don’t know how I am going to be able to wait until the next book is published. Barclay and Viola are causing me to have a major book hangover. If you’re looking for a fun and quick read with memorable characters, a daring competition, and a unique magic system you definitely need to pick this up!
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Meet the Author
Amanda Foody has always considered imagination to be our best attempt at magic. After a double life as an accountant preparing taxes for multinational corporations, she now spends her free time brewing and fermenting foods much more easily obtained at her local grocery store. She lives in Boston, MA with a hoard of books guarded by the most vicious of feline companions, Jelly Bean.
Her books include The Shadow Game series and more. Her middle grade debut, Wilderlore: The Accidental Apprentice, hits shelves March 30, 2021, and her next YA novel, All of Us Villains, co-authored with Christine Lynn Herman, releases on November 9, 2021.
Meet the Cover Illustrator
Full name Pétur Atli Antonsson Crivello (PAAC). Born and raised in Iceland by his Icelandic mother and French father. Graduated from The Academy of Art University, San Francisco in 2011 with a BFA in Illustration. Worked in the gaming industry in San Francisco for a year before moving back to Iceland. Currently doing freelance illustration work for various clients and companies around the world. Past clients include Disney Interactive, Disney Playdom, HarperCollins Publishers, Greenwillow Books, Penguin-RandomHouse Publishers, Forlagið Publishers, Plain Vanilla, Booyah, Baozou, CloudKid Studios, Lazy Town, Freyja Chocolates, and The Icelandic Center for Educational Materials.
Website | ArtStation | Twitter | Instagram
Meet the Cover Designer
Karyn Lee is an NYC-based illustrator and designer with a passion for making wobbly, swirly lines. She is a proud graduate of Pratt Institute where she obtained a BFA in Communications Design.
She is currently a Junior Designer at Simon & Schuster.
Clients: The New York Times, The Washington Post, Curriculum Associates, Four Seas Players, Private Commissioners.
Email: karaliees@gmail.com
Check out my other blog posts here!
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