The Accidental Apprentice: Volume 1 (Wilderlore, #1)

by Amanda Foody

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.

• ISBN10: 153447756X
• ISBN13: 9781534477568
• Publish Date: 30 March 2021
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Margaret K. McElderry Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 304
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Accidental Apprentice is the first book in a new series for middle grade readers by Amanda Foody. Due out 30th March 2021 from Simon & Schuster on their Margaret K. McElderry imprint, it's 304 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

This is an action packed, well paced, rollicking adventure. It's aimed at middle grade readers (approximately grades 3-7) but definitely enjoyable as an all ages read. The author is gifted at storytelling in clear accessible language which is accessible for younger readers but fun and engaging for adults as well.

The author has the same wry touch with placenames and characters (Dullshire, Humdrum, and Diddlystat) as other perennial favorites such as Dickens and a deft talent with characterization as well. The narrative arc rolls along at a breathless pace and everyman protagonist Barclay is soon thrust into an adventure against his will. All Barclay can ever remember wanting was to belong, to be responsible, to have a family (he's an orphan) and to be successful in his apprenticeship as a mushroom farmer. Soon he's an unwilling Lore Keeper using magic he can't control and only wishing to get back to his life in Dullshire.

This is an exceptionally good start to a fantasy series for all ages. I would recommend it for school or public library acquisition, reading groups, family reading time, and gifting. It reminds me in some ways of other all-ages media such as Spiderwick Chronicles with a little Pokemon vibe. Clean language and not-very-much on-page graphic violence.

Five stars. I'm looking forward to finding out what comes next.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.