The Accidental Apprentice
by Amanda FoodyAlso by this author: The Weeping Tide
Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books on March 30, 2021
Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Adventure
Pages: 304
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
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.
Content Tags:
Perfect for readers who want:
- Pokemon-esque bonding with creatures and variety of animals
- A leading trio that’s sure to steal your heart
- Fast-paced adventure that’ll lead you into a dark, magical world and won’t let go
- A world filled with both darkness and magic in equal measure
- Interesting, dynamic fight scenes fueled by magic
- Dangerous secrets galore that lead to fun plot twists
Many thanks to Margaret K. McElderry Books and TBR and Beyond Tours for a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
I’m always a little leery when I see anything comped to Nevermoor, because I love that series so freaking much. I mean, I’m obviously always going to pick up books comped to it, on the off chance that the comp is spot on. I’m so glad I picked up this book, because it captures all the fun and whimsy of Nevermoor with the underpinning of darkness, but it also captures the fun and adventure of shows I grew up with like Pokemon and Digimon, where our protagonist is thrown into an unlikely adventure in an unknown world with their adorable, yet powerful, sidekick.
The Accidental Apprentice is a magical, fast-paced adventure sure to be popular with fans of Pokemon. It’s got a dark world filled with magic and all sorts of creatures, an unwilling hero, and a trio of friends that are sure to win readers’ hearts.
I’ve been really looking forward to this book since I saw it announced, and it did not disappoint! I had so much fun with it that I’ll gladly be recommending it to young patrons who come into the library. The only thing I didn’t like about it is needing to wait until 2022 to read the next book! Booooo for publication schedules and writers actually having lives. I’m not saying Annie Wilkes had the right idea, I’m just saying that it got results, didn’t it? 😉 (Totally just kidding. Please be nice to authors and don’t kidnap/torture them into writing the next book, okay?)
In The Accidental Apprentice, we meet Barclay, an unwilling hero (which is the best kind) who wants nothing more than to find somewhere he belongs.
Orphaned by a wild Beast attack, Barclay just wants to fit into his town of Dullshire and prove he belongs. However, he’s a little too unruly, a little too wild, a little too other. That doesn’t stop him from trying, though. Until he breaks the one rule of Dullshire: don’t go into the Wilds. Which of course launches him into a sweeping adventure, which he does not want, thank you very much.
Barclay is such a wonderful character, because he’s the quintessential “normal” and somewhat dull character thrust into a world that’s way over his head that he finds himself swept up in, despite constantly reminding himself that he for sure doesn’t belong there.
Barclay reacts the way pretty much any of us would if we found ourselves in the same situation, which made it all the more fun to take this journey with him. Plus, he tries to do what’s right and be a good person, which is always nice to see in a world like this where that isn’t just a given, especially not among Lore Masters, the people who bond with Beasts.
Barclay didn’t want to be swallowed up by lava, treasures, or baby Beasts, so he did what any clever apprentice would do when confronted with danger—he grabbed a fallen mushroom beside him and threw it at the girl’s head.
There’s a trio of lead characters, as is popular in middle grade, but they’re likely to steal any reader’s heart. Even some of the side characters end up being a big win.
In this world, the rule is basically expect the unexpected, especially among the Lore Masters. Barclay finds himself in the middle of a big contest, basically, and participants are competing to win the favor of the masters in order to become apprentices. Perfect place to make friends, right? Okay, so maybe there’s a good deal of tension in the plot because of that, and maybe that makes it all the more exciting.
On his journey, Barclay meets plenty of fun characters, like Viola, whose Beast is a dragon, and Abel. He even meets a rival, Tagd, and a few other Lore Masters, both young and old. The only thing they all have in common is that no one is quite what they seem.
This makes perfect sense given that everyone is competing for a spot in an apprenticeship, so obviously there’s bound to be secrets among them. It’s more than just that, though, because of course it is. Even the adults have secrets … sometimes deadly and dangerous ones. It’s clear that Barclay is in over his head, but at least he’s not alone, and he couldn’t ask for a better team to navigate this strange new world with.
“Gross,” Viola said, wrinkling her nose. “You’re so dramatic.”
Abel shrugged. “I don’t know, toxic phlegm sounds kind of neat.”
This is a world that readers are sure to absolutely love. It’s dark but magical, filled with creatures that are sure to delight the imagination.
Once I got into the meat of the story, it reminded me (rather fondly) of Pokemon and how much I loved it in my youth. Okay, I won’t pretend: I still love Pokemon. Which made this book all the more charming. Nostalgia plus current interest is a powerful combination! Beasts are sort of like Pokemon, in that they need to be caught by a Lore Master, and they reside in a Mark until needed. They’re powerful partners that can bestow many advantages on their owners. They’re different than Pokemon, too, in that the Lore Master also gets part of their Beast’s power. Also, Beasts can sometimes turn on their owners and essentially go dark, and it is not a pretty sight. Makes for some interesting reading, though.
This world is so much bigger than it seems, even though Barclay only really explores the Wild. Readers get to meet a variety of creatures that exist in the Wild, each with different abilities and properties and of varying levels of danger.
This world is hecka charming. I adored every new creature discovered and all the differences between them. Plus, they’ve got personalities of their own, which is always extra fun. I’m super excited for the next book and to be able to discover even more of this world!
Mandeep gave him a faint smile. “I’m afraid we are anyone. Runa Rasgar is not.”
“She’s frightening,” Floriane said.
“She’s respected,” Mandeep countered.
“Then what are we?”
“Tolerated,” Athna muttered into her empty stein.
About Amanda Foody
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.
Click here to see the full tour schedule.
March 30th
Kait Plus Books – Author Guest Post
TLC Book Nook – Review, Favourite Quotes & Mood Board
Balancing Books and Beauties – Review & Top 5 Reasons to Read the Accidental Apprentice
March 31st
Nine Bookish Lives – Review
The Review Booth – Review
The Bookwyrm’s Den – Review & Favourite Quotes
April 1st
The Book Dutchesses – Review
Velarisreads – Review
Allisa White’s Book Blog – Review & Mood Board
Storme Reads a Lot – Review
April 2nd
Stuck in the Stacks – Interview
The Book View – Review
The Writer’s Alley – Review & Playlist
Adventurous Bookworm – Review & Favourite Quotes
April 3rd
The Wandering Wordsmith – Review
Confessions of a YA Reader – Review & Favourite Quotes
Gwendalyn’s Books – Review
teatimelit – Review
April 4th
TBR and Beyond – Review
Levicorpvs Blog – Review
Lauren’s Boookshelf – Review & Favourite Quotes
April 5th
Stuck in Fiction – Author Guest Post
I’m All About Books – Promo Post
Justice For Readers – Review, Playlist & Mood Board
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I preordered that book, downloaded it yesterday and finished it this morning. (Only because I was so tired yesterday evening, I could hardly keep my eyes open.)
I absolutely loved this book and actually wanted to throw it at your head but it’s good to know that you’ve already read it. Isn’t it marvellous? Isn’t it great? Do I feel somehow superior because there are a lot of German words in there and Amanda makes them sound hella cool?
So, erm, any idea when the next one is coming out?
Yeah, I pretty much sat down and read it in two sittings (only because one was at lunch, and I was NOT happy about having to go back to work!). I’m glad my head has been spared, although had I not heard of it, then YES, by all means, throw away.
I love German words. Don’t let anyone tell you they’re not the coolest of cool. If anything, I’m jealous that I’m stuck with lame English, which can’t even pretend to be cool.
No ideeeea. *sobs* 2022 according to Goodreads, which might as well say foreverrrrrr. Ugh, waiting for good books is hard. xD
I adored this fun adventure – glad to see you enjoyed it just as much!
I did! Not that I ever do, but I would never question your taste in books, so of course I knew I’d enjoy it. 😉
This sounds cute! I love the quotes you picked. 😀
Nicole @ BookWyrm Knits recently posted…WIP Wrap-up for March 2021
This sounds so good! Glad to see you enjoyed it so much. I’ve added it to my tbr 🙂
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[…] @thebookwyrmsdead reviews The Accidental Apprentice […]
[…] ★★★★★ || GoodreadsSame thing I said above goes for this, except that I actually managed to already write a review! Huzzah! You can go read that if you’d like. Or better yet, just go read this book. It’s absolutely charming in all the best ways. It reminded me a lot of Pokemon, which hit a really nice nostalgia feel for me. Except the goal here really isn’t to collect all the Beasts. There is, however, that sense of catching something and bonding with it to become partners, fighting with other Lore Masters and their Beasts, and everything have different power levels and elements and powers. It’s just a really neat idea, all wrapped into an interesting setting, with main characters that are easy to root for and journey with. I’m really looking forward to the library getting this one, because I plan on throwing it at many a kid. I think it’s going to be a big hit! […]
[…] City Spies: Golden Gate (read my review here) and also The Accidental Apprentice (read my review here). Both were fabulous examples of middle grade kidlit (though one adventure and one […]