The Accidental Apprentice is an all around action packed adventure. Barclay Thorne is living a quiet life as a mushroom farmer’s apprentice in the little town of Dullshire. Trying his best to follow all the rules especially the most important rule of staying out of the woods. The woods are full of beasts and they were known to cause harm even death, as Barclay knew personally. Besides the woods Barclay also has an adverse on to Lore Keepers, people who bond with the beasts and share their magic. Knowledge of beasts was also forbidden in Dullshire. Barclay is accidentally bonded with a beast one faithful day when he accidentally ends up in the woods. Upon bonding with the beast Barclay becomes an outcast and begins a quest to try to find someone who could rid him of the nasty mark now marring his body and the beast who is bonded to him against his will. This quest leads Barclay to make new friends like Viola and her beast Mitzi. Barclay discovers who he truly is meant to be and the people who find him valuable. This book is so inventive. Loved the world that the author creates, from the beginning to end the reader is drawn into the story by the twists and surprises with each turn of the page. Amanda Foody does an amazing job of bringing her characters to life in the imagination of the reader. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

This is such a fun middle grade book! An adventure with magical creatures is always fun, and this one is no exception. I was completely drawn in by the quirkiness of Barclay's village and its many, many rules, and the loveable magical creatures like Mitzi and Root completely hooked me. There's a lot of great worldbuilding here, from the workings of the Lore Keepers to the hierarchy of magical beasts. I think young readers will really enjoy this, and fans of How to Train Your Dragon will definitely want to pick this one up.

Uhh Pokémon meets Harry Potter? Yes please! My only complaint with this was I felt the ending was slightly rushed, but overall so much enjoyment out of this!!

The Accidental Apprentice is a book I started quite some time ago, but finally sat down and finished. I loved the world building and the characters. I’m already reading the sequel as I’m typing this.

The book started off a little slow but picked up fairly quickly. Topics addressed included friendship, things not always being what they seem, and belonging.

This book is a love letter to the wild adventure cartoons of the 90s. Think Pokemon mixed with Power Rangers with a bit of Digimon in the mix, It's fun and silly and has a ton of heart and I can't wait to see where this goes!

Thanks to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Margaret K. McElderry Books, and NetGalley for a review copy of this book.

The Accidental Apprentice is the first book of the new Wildlore series by Amanda Foody. I heard about this book on my favorite podcast, Currently Reading, and was thrilled to find it on NetGalley. This is the story of 11-year-old Barclay who became an orphan after his parents were killed during a beast attack on their town. Barclay is perfectly content as an apprentice to a mushroom farmer. On his quest to find a variety of mushroom that has always evaded him, he wanders into the woods - aka beast territory. While in the woods, Barclay accidentally bonds with a beast which gives him magical powers. This leads his magic-fearing community to run him out of town. All Barclay wants to do is have the bond between him and his beast severed. As he sets off on a quest to get his old life back, he discovers a whole new world full of friendship, adventure, and self-discovery. I found this book to be delightful and highly recommend it for middle-grade readers, classroom libraries, as well as school and public libraries.

What an amazing read for children on the path to figuring out who they are! Barclay's journey to figuring out where he belongs was instantly relatable. Although his character could be annoying with his Elsie ideals, I felt like that was completely intentional by the author. Barclay had to figure himself out and the author did an excellent job of allowing him to grow throughout the entirety of the story. I absolutely can not wait to purchase this book for our school library.

I've previously enjoyed Amanda Foody's YA, which tends to have a darker tone, so I was surprised by how classically adventurous and bright her MG debut felt. This is Pokemon meets alchemy in a medieval-ish world, and has a really fun take on the classic magic contest storyline. It took me a little while to get into the opening (partly because of that surprise at the tone) but once I was invested, I had a really great time with this one.

Barclay's journey of self discovery and owning his own identity is inspiring and beautifully told by Amanda Foody, who has created an original world and characters worth remembering. The magical setting and villains and friends are nuanced and sharply drawn, as are the lessons strongly but deftly drawn through this story. I loved this one so much I passed it along to my son (who is far more hard to please) to get his opinion, and it landed on his list of favorite books of all time. He's even asked me several times since to find out if the sequel has been written yet! Major props to Foody and the team that brought this book to the shelf!

The Accidental Apprentice is a middle-grade fantasy novel written by Amanda Foody, and is book one in the Wilderlore series.

Summary: Barclay Thorne is doing his best to survive his bleak and lonely life.

Seven years ago, his parents were killed by a beast from the woods that almost destroyed his entire town. So, he does his best to follow the town’s stringent rules-even if there are SO many rules about everything from cleanliness to running. But the most important ones are sacred to the townsfolk-stay away from the woods, and stay away from beasts.

But one day while foraging for mushrooms, Barclay is forced into the woods to try to save another child. Before he knows it, he has somehow been bonded to a dangerous beast and has been endowed with magical powers.

Rejected by the townsfolk, he teams up with a strange girl and sets out on a quest to rid himself of the beast. Maybe then he will be able to return home to the life he has always known.

Forced to face his fears along the journey, will Barclay discover there is more to life than he ever dreamed? And is he brave enough to reach out and find a new future?

My Thoughts: This book is a lot of fun. For me, it is a cross between some Harry Potter-like elements, and How to Train Your Dragon. Mythical beasts, magical spells, danger, adventure, facing your fears, finding your own family-this book is really well-done.

There are unique and quirky characters, a fun and interesting plot line, and a nice twist at the end.

I enjoyed it very much, and look forward to reading the next one.

I would like to thank Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Thank you!

So much fun! Kinda like a Pokémon game in a book. I love Foody’s YA novels and am now hooked on her middle school ones too. Nice world building and interesting characters make this fantasy a fast paced adventure. Some unexpected twists along the way kept the pages turning at a fast clip. I can see this series appealing to fans of Hunter and Sutherland along with Pokémon fans.

A whirlwind middle grade adventure that will have readers clambering for the next title in the series.

Clear and beautiful language with sentences packed full of story, the reader is drawn in at once and understands the imaginary world created by the author. Barclay accidentally becomes an apprentice by going too far into the woods, which he never meant to do. We soon have sympathy for him which only increases as he endures participating in magic competitions. The difficult choice of whether to join the magic people or return to Dullshire tugs at his thoughts until the end of the book. He learns the hard way over and over, while feeling unworthy and unsuccessful. The end of the book is not so satisfying as to prevent children from wanting to read book two in the series. The story and many clever characters will charm and delight readers in grades three through seven.

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Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review

Barclay grew up in a small town on the edge of the Woods known for its abundance of rules. Barclay was orphaned as a young boy when Gravaldor, a mythical beast, almost destroyed his entire town. Being an orphan that has no place in the world, Barclay works hard to constantly obey all the rules and make himself useful. Eventually, the mushroom farmer finally agrees to take him on as an apprentice. But, when Barclay breaks the cardinal rule of the town - enters the Woods - and accidentally bonds with a mythical beast, he's kicked out of town and goes in search of the Lore Keepers (magic users who bond with the beasts on purpose). He hopes one of them can help him "unbond" with his beast so he can return to his hometown. Adventure ensues and Barclay meets some great characters and learns about himself and the world around him.

This new middle grade fantasy adventure story is just fun from beginning to end. There's twists and turns and friendship and bravery and excitement and danger. It was just a pleasure to read. The world building was excellent and I look forward to reading more in this series. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys middle grade lit, fantasy, or a good adventure.

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The book was engaging and different enough from other magical books to feel fresh. Although some characters were not fully realized and the diversity seemed light (told in general terms of physical descriptions rather than in cultural differences), the main characters were likable and the surprise twist in loyalties was well crafted.

This was one of the most magically fun stories I have read in a long time.

These are my top 5 reasons to read:

1. Friendships in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Amanda does a wonderful job of intertwining different races, ages, and even different species to make a wonderful truly unique story.

2. An enchanting fantasy story that kept me reading until well into the night. I started reading with the thought I’ll read a few chapters and be done for the night.... ended up finishing the whole thing in one sitting!

3. A great story that shows a child who basically has nothing to call his own and no one who seems to care make something of himself. My heart broke for Barclay as he went through all of the struggles in the beginning. Bullied by his peers and basically just made to feel like he was of little importance. I loved watching him push through these obstacles.

4. Beast Bonds - what kid (ok fine ... adults as well) hasn’t wanted to bond with a dragon or a wolf or something equally as cool.... no? Just me hmmm... now you are lying to yourself!

5. One of my all time favorite things about Middle Grade Fantasy - Good usually conquers evil. It’s always a good feeling going in knowing this will probably have a good ending. (I’ve been wrong a time or two) I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

I've been recommend this book by so many people, and I can see why people love it! I had never read Amanda Foody's books before, but I'm definitely interested in trying her previous books now!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

This is a great book about friendship and doing what's right. I love the fantasy element and the way the characters were fleshed out. They were all so interesting and I can't wait for the next book! This book is perfect for readers ages 7-10.

From the moment I started this, I knew I was going to love it.

It was such a fun adventure story that had humour sprinkled throughout. I loved the magic system, and learning it along side Barclay. It also had a magical competition, which I wish we had spent a little more time focusing on.

The characters were all interesting and had me interested in all their backstories. I want to know more about Viola and Tadg, and even Runa, which I have a feeling we'll learn more about in the upcoming books.

Looking at the magic, I don't think I've read anything quite like this one. I love that people can bond with magical animals and that the animal becomes a sort of living tattoo! Like can you imagine 😍 the problem would be limiting myself - but I could have cats, dogs, foxes! all as pets and kept with me as a tattoo. I'd like to think I'd leave them out, like other Lore (magic) wielders

The world was imaginative, but felt familiar. I love that there are six different areas and I have a feeling we will get to see them all at some point (so excited).

This story is about the feeling of belonging, self-acceptance, and the importance of right and wrong. I think Foody handled all these well and without being pandering towards the reader.

Like her other series, I found The Accidental Apprentice to be captivating. I managed to binge it all in one night and can't wait to continue in the series. I think you'll like this one if you enjoyed series like How to Train Your Dragon, The Elementals (Ami Kaufman), and Nevermoor.