Thank you Netgalley and Disney Hyperion for the digital ARC of this book! When I saw this book on Netgalley, it sounded like something my 9 year old would really enjoy. I rated it 3 (solid) stars for myself, but I'm sure when he reads it, he will rate it higher.
In a walled city surrounded by dangers, children are selected for their future careers by the city's Guilds. This year 4 of them end up in the Adventurers Guild--the most dangerous of all, tasked with going outside the safety of the walls.
This book has everything you might want in a fantasy story- Magic, monsters, elves, and of course Adventure. I felt like the peak of the action came & was resolved really quickly, but there is great potential for this series!

I chose to read this book because it was billed as something that I could move my Harry Potter fans to when they wanted to find something new. Like HP, it had lots of adventure, well-developed relationships between the main characters, and magic. Unlike HP, which I felt started fun and light and became more serious as the series went on, The Adventurer's Guild was pretty heavy from beginning to end, with life-and-death choices throughout. I thought it was a good examination of human nature, and as the main characters made choices and had choices made for them, their reactions were ones that my students could identify with and imagine themselves making.

This middle grade heroic fantasy book was set in a world with very familiar people, creatures, stakes, and roles, and thus the plot was somewhat well-traveled and predictable, but it was very enjoyable nonetheless. The interpersonal relationships were well-drawn, and the adventure story was exciting and fun. While an adult who's cracked the spine of a high fantasy or two won't find anything to surprise them here, it's a great book for the middle grade audience it's intended for.

Give a child a great adventure in a fantasy world and you will give them new worlds to explore, moments of wild imaginings and the love of books! THE ADVENTURERS GUILD by Zack Loran Clark and Nick Eliopulos is the story of two friends with high hopes for their futures, even though their backgrounds couldn’t be more different. Zed wants nothing more than to be chosen to be in the Mage Guild, to raise himself up from the stigma of being the only half-elf in his village. Brock wants to be a merchant, like his wealthy family. Each boy will tell their shared story in their own voices as they find themselves in a guild that spells almost certain doom for those who are chosen. The Adventurers Guild is the last line of defense against danger and as if that isn’t enough, Zed and Brock uncover a dark conspiracy that threatens their land’s very existence.

Follow Zed and Brock as they train for a job that no child should have, learn to form alliances with those around them and to understand that all isn’t what it seems to be. Can these children prove their worth and show their town the truth of what goes on behind the scenes? For those like Zed, this is a time to stand up when others would hold them down!

Meet elves, dwarves, the rich and the entitled and watch as two best friends find their inner strengths, as well as the strength of honor, no matter what. Filled with the magic of a fantasy world, characters that come alive with youthful zeal, and the quirky humor of tweens being tweens.

I was captured by the fantasy myself, and found it refreshing to see that two boys from different backgrounds could place more value in their bond than who they were or where they came from. Top notch reading for middle-grade readers, or those of us who just like well-written tales!

I received an ARC edition from Disney Hyperion in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

Series: The Adventurers Guild - Book 1
Publisher: Disney Hyperion (October 3, 2017)
Publication Date: October 3, 2017
Genre: Children's Fantasy | Magic
Print Length: 320 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

Zed and Brock live in the city of Freestone, one of the last cities still standing after the world has ended. They hope to be picked for Guilds that will give them the best opportunity in life, but on the day of the Guildculling they both find themselves a part of the dreaded Adventurers Guild. Their survival skills are put to the test and they are soon trying to save the city. This is an engaging fantasy, with magic and lots of action told through the alternating perspectives of Zed and Brock. This book will capture imaginations and enchant readers who enjoy stories about other worlds, mythical creatures, and children who must be brave, strong, and quick-thinking in the face of threatening situations.

Zed and Brock are best friends. Zed wants to be a Mage and Brock wants to be part of Merchants. That all changes when they are both recruited into the Adventurers Guild. The task for the Adventures Guild is to keep the Freestone safe from the monster that are outside the stone wall. The two friends find out that it takes more than strength and wisdom to survive, you also have to have trust. Great fantasy for middle readers and above.

In the walled community of Freestone, coming-of-age citizens are chosen to become members of one of the Guilds. The Adventurers Guild is seldom a choice and usually gets new members through drafting from other Guilds' choices. When Zed, who is half elf and is initially chosen as a Sorcerer, gets drafted, his best friend Brock, chosen to be a Merchant, volunteers so Zed will not be alone. Charged with defending the city from the monsters outside the wall, members of The Adventurers Guild tend to die young.

Filled with adventure, really creepy monsters, corruption, elves, dwarves and magic this is a wonderful addition to middle grade fantasy books. I really enjoyed The Adventurers Guild and can't wait to see what comes in the next book. Great collaboration Clark and Eliopulos!!!

During the day of being chosen for a guild-- or really, the day that the direction of the rest of your life is chosen for you, emotions run a muck. There is fear, excitement, happiness, disappointment and expectation. For Zed and Brock, best friends, their hopes for each other are the Mage and Merchant guilds. For Brock, it seems like a sure thing that he will be invited into the Merchant guild simply because it is the guild of his parents. Zed, well, his hopes lie with the dream of working with magic... and his half-elf blood.

When the two boys are chosen for their prospective guilds joy surrounds them--until it is the turn of the Adventurers guild master to choose her recruits. Generally once someone has been recruited into a guild they cannot be recruited for another--except for if a draft is called by the Adventurers guild. They can bend the rules.

Zed is called. And Brock volunteers. And with those few moments their lives are changed. But maybe it is for the better because something isn't right in the city and maybe, just maybe, they are just what the city needs for protection.

For the majority of the book Zed's character annoyed me. He had moments of greatness but it was a stark contrast by how goofy and immature he could act in the next moment. But he really does grow into himself by the end.

I am excited to see how this series shapes out!

I truly enjoyed this book. Sometimes I have to force myself to read middle grade fiction for the sake of my students, but this one had characters and a story line that sucked me in. Full review on Goodreads.com.

This story begins as a simple tale of social angst among disparate classes in a far away land and time, but then deftly becomes one of mystery, suspense and intrigue. We follow the heroes, Zed and Brock, as they are drafted into the infamous Adverturers Guild, which is charged with protecting the city from the evil beings called Dangers. The narrative flows as if spoken by a master storyteller around a warm campfire late at night. Young readers who enjoy fantasy and action will be swept away by the adventures Zed and Brock encounter until the satisfying resolution of one mystery, but will be left clamoring for more as the last sentence is read.

Easy recommendation for ages 9-13, or grades 4-7.

In the city of Freestone, one of the last surviving cities, youngsters are chosen to become apprentices for the various guilds. Zed hopes to be chosen by the mages and his friend Brock seems destined to be a merchant. But all their plans are upended when they wind up in the Adventurers Guild. It's not as prestigious as the other guilds in terms of power or money, but it is vitally necessary. They are the ones who travel to places outside the city walls and bring back useful items, or help to keep contact with the allied city of Llethanyl. But there are Dangers outside the walls - monsters and creatures that have skills or even magical powers of their own to capture anyone foolish enough to venture out of the city's protective wards. The boys, along with their dwarf friend Jett and a girl named Liza, become apprentices and learn about what it takes to keep the city safe.

Their story reveals bits of the history of Freestone and the land of Terryn, and also quite a bit about the politics and shady dealing that can go on when those with money and influence feel that the rules don't apply. We also learn a lot about the various young adventurers - how Zed could be a half-elf when the elves all live in Llethanyl, why Brock used to sneak out of his quiet house in the merchant district and play in the streets with Zed and Jett, and why Liza wanted to be an adventurer. We watch as they learn to work as a team, complete their first mission, and face dangers together. And just as we think everything may end on a happy note, more bad news arrives to keep us guessing until the next book is released.

Recommended for fans of fantasy (swords and sorcery), adventure stories with a group of friends at the center, and plenty of action, intrigue, and humor.

I need the next one!! The story might not be the most original, but the writing and characters are. Please give this book a chance. I think you will agree it stands out against others in its genre.

An exciting and engaging fantasy adventure series that, despite drawing on familiar themes of the genre, stands out as one to add to your “Must Keep Buying This Series” list (which isn’t an easy feat these days, given how crowded the multi-novel YA series market has become). The Disney Book Group continues to demonstrate they have an eye for engaging and accessible middle grade fiction that is bound to excite adventure-loving readers, they certainly selected a winner in this case.

This was a very cool and fun read! The world building was well paced, and once the action started, it just kept going. This is a book that I will definitely be telling the kids about.

The story is told in dual perspective. Zed is a half-elf who just wants to be a mage, and the other perspective is Brock, the son of well to do merchants, who wants to be a merchant. Brock and Zed are best friends who end up not getting into the guilds they want, but at least they are facing their adventures together, along with a couple of new friends.

I requested this as the description gave me a Harry Potter-ish type feel. I'm glad I did. 'I had my 6-year-old son read this with me, and he was able to get through it fairly well - which is great.
Within the first few pages, I found myself needing, and wanting at least 100 books in this series! (well, maybe not thaaaaaaat many, but you get my drift). I hope to see a few more of these floating around.
It's a really easy read, but it's done SO well.
It's suspenseful and fun and exciting, interesting...the list goes on. Right off the bat, I absolutely love the friendship that the group of "children" have. I haven't seen anything like that in awhile. They respect each other and communicate feelings which is fantastic to see - and a great lesson for those that read it. I can think of quite a few other stories where one friend is withdrawn and rude etc.
The guild system was a little hard for me to follow, but I can't deal with any complexity whatsoever, so that's totally on me.
A fantastically well-written book. I can see this being another big series - and I hope a movie will come out of it someday. It gets my approval and I can't wait to read the next book!

Clark, Zack Loran and Nick Eliopulos The Adventurers Guild, 320 pages. Disney, OCTOBER 2017. $17. Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (similar to Brandon Mull or Rick Riordan books).

Zed thinks he has a chance to join the Silverglows, the Mages Guild in his hometown of Freestone. When the Archmagus claims him for that group, he feels like his dreams have come true. A few moments later, his hopes are crushed when the Sea of Stars, the Adventurers Guild, invokes their right of draft and takes him instead. Right behind him, his best friend, Brock volunteers for the Adventurers – supposedly to help keep Zed safe. What Zed doesn’t know is that Brock has an ulterior motive for joining him – he has been secretly asked by the Merchant’s Guild to infiltrate the Sea of Stars and find a way to bring down its leader, Alabasel Frond. From their first night, the boys are in constant danger, as the Adventurers are the only beings allowed outside the tall, strong, city walls because of the inhuman Dangers that have taken down all life in the entire country except for the few cities that survived.

Wow! I loved this so much! I think we may have another hit fantasy series on our hands! The authors combine engaging plot, with action, introspection, and world-building to make a novel that is sure to attract attention quickly.

EL, MS – ESSENTIAL. Cindy, Library Teacher

Unique, fun and quirky! There have been so many lacklustre middle-grade offerings lately that it's great to see one enter the marked with a bang. Fun and friendly characters, witty dialogue and fast-paced action. There wasn't a lot not to enjoy.

This book was fantastic! Great cover too. Fun, exciting and fast-paced, this will be a hit with any Harry Potter fan. It reminds me a bit of Lord of the Rings for a younger audience. I'm assuming there will be a book 2 eventually. Definitely looking forward to that. Great, fun book! Will definitely purchase this for my elementary library.