The New Apprentice

The Krane Chronicles

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Pub Date 29 Jul 2020 | Archive Date 30 Sep 2020

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Description

For fourteen years, Z has wondered where she came from, why strange things occur around her, and what happened to her family. When she runs into an old bookstore to hide from a horde of school bullies, she starts to find the answers with the cantankerous owner, Barnabus Krane.

Barnabus becomes her guardian, her magical instructor, and the family she's never had. He teaches her how to bring out the magic from within her 'Ka' and about the mystical world she never knew existed. But Barnabus also hides secrets. His connection to her past, his hunt for the warlock Blackwell, and the darkness that threatens to consume them all.

The hardest lesson for Z to learn is to trust in her bond with Barnabus and believe that their relationship goes beyond family. For he's not just another magician. He is the Grand Master Sorcerer, and Z is the New Apprentice.

For fourteen years, Z has wondered where she came from, why strange things occur around her, and what happened to her family. When she runs into an old bookstore to hide from a horde of school...


Available Editions

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ISBN 9781509230976
PRICE $5.99 (USD)

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Average rating from 16 members


Featured Reviews

The New Apprentice is the first book in a new YA fantasy series by father / daughter duo Danielle and Vincent Morrone. Released 29th July 2020, it's 398 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is an engaging and well written crossworlds coming of age fantasy which will have the Pottermore fanbase cheering.The protagonist is a 14 year old girl, Z, with trust issues, a smart mouth, and magical talent who crosses paths with an unconventional wizard who takes her under his wing. The usual magic-lives-among-us tropes are in evidence, but the whole is delightfully readable. Muggles are "sleepers", there's a simpatico female non-magical police detective who also develops a healthy older-sister relationship with Z and adds some stability to her previously unstable upbringing. There's an academy for magic students (because of course there is), antagonistic establishment wizards ranked against the firebrand wizard (Barnabus, call him Barney), and a chase for the ultimate big bad nasty who's bent on interdimensional domination.

The story is told in alternating first person point of view between Z and Barnabus. The authors have made the character voices distinct enough that it's never a problem to keep them straight, but for clarity's sake, each of the subchapters are labeled anyhow.

That being said, it's great fun and will appeal to lovers of the YA crossworlds fantasy genre. It's a known quantity, with a good plot arc and denouement, and the dialogue isn't cringe-worthy. I will add that there's a one-paragraph nod to healthy LGBTQIA+ role models which isn't dwelt upon - or otherwise "promoted". There's no sexual content and the book is PG rated (mostly for descriptions of violence).

Four stars. I'm looking forward to more from this father/daughter duo.

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

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The characters in this book were great. I really like how Z and Barnabus bounced off of each other. The magical world is really well developed too. The only thing that might be a negative to some me was how long it took to get to the main plot. I didn't mind that too much, but other people might.

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Z's life changed the day she accidentally stumbled into a book store and met Barnabus. She would soon learn that there was a reason that such odd and unexplainable things happened around her.

Readers of Harry Potter, Jonothan Stroud, and Shayne Silvers will love this book. This father/daughter duo bring the reader in right from the first sentence. Full of witty banter and great action scenes, I could not put it down and read it all in one sitting. The character building and relationships in this book are very well done. We watch Z grow from an unwanted foster child to a strong woman who is starting to learn her place in the world. I hope that there is a sequel and I can't wait to read it.

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Firstly I’d like to thank NetGalley for providing me an advanced reader copy of this book.

The New Apprentice, which is the first book of the Krane Chronicles, follows the story of young Parthentia Zogopoulos - also known as Z- as she stumbles upon a strange bookshop and meets its strange owner, Barnabus Krane, who turns out he isn’t what he seems. This place is full of magic and as the story goes on, we get to dive into this new world and witness the blossom of a beautiful father-daughter relationship between young Z and Barnabus as well as they prepare to fight the evil that’s threatening every dimension that exists.

Now, let’s dive into my thoughts, shall we?
<b> I would definitely stop reading here if you haven’t read the book in case you might get any spoilers, I’ll try to give as few as possible!</b>

To start with, I had to admit I found this book hard to get hooked on, mainly because it took me ages to start reading it and therefore, to keep reading the beginning. But, as I kept reading and reached more interesting parts, it wasn’t difficult to continue. In fact, I took my time to slowly absorb every word and every event that occurs throughout the entire storyline. And, in the end, turns out I loved it more than I expected.

My favourite character would be Z. She’s a rather shy and closed young teenager who’s also an orphan and whom I really had the chance to emotionally attach myself to. She’s an orphan and has spent half her life believing no one ever wanted her, thinking so low of herself and believing that was the cause of her being abandoned by those who were supposed to care and love her as if she was their own child. Z is a strong girl full of wonders and I truly loved her wits and how much she ends up caring for Barnabus and everyone she meets and befriends. On the other hand, I also loved Barnabus, mainly because he took Z in and cared for her when no one else did. Plus, he’s a grumpy old man and the way he’s so soft when it comes to her… melts my heart.

I cannot say the same for the other characters as I believe I didn’t get to read about them as much as I would have wanted to in order to build an opinion. Sebastian, however, I quite liked the way he was written. I feel as though he, in some ways, is incredibly similar to Z regarding the subject of his parents death. And despite the fact that he’s idolising his master’s figure, well let’s say it didn’t sit well with me. However, he’s a baby and I love him a whole lot. Plus, the pain he felt when he discovered IT.

The book clearly kept me guessing throughout the whole story and the writing style is really easy to follow and understand. I loved the writing style and how every single event was described because it made me feel as if I could clearly witness what happened with my very own eyes. It is like I’m right there, next to the characters as they face any situation.

As for my favourite part of the book, I’d say the blossom of Z and Barnabus’ familiar relationship. How Z let her guard down and let Barnabus enter. Reading their scenes was my favourite thing to do and I just… that’s it, they’re my favourite relationship (as in father-daughter relationship) even though he’s not her real father but as they say “blood doesn’t mean family”. I want to see more of them being witty and showing off how powerful they are to all those that underestimate them and their knowledge.

Now, did I dislike something about The New Apprentice? If I may say, I guess I didn’t actually find any disliking thing in the entire book. It’s true I found some things kinda boring but overall, the book was definitely a hit. PLUS, I nearly jumped out in surprise when I read king Oberon and Puck’s name. I know them from other books and also from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It was definitely a surprise, but a delightful surprise that I clearly didn’t expect. Maybe I should admit that sometimes I felt as if this book was more focused on younger readers, from the ages of 12 to 16, but I enjoyed it all the same.

All in all, the story is enjoyable and quite fast to read, even though it took me about almost 2 weeks to finish it due to personal problems and school things. I give this a solid 4 star rating and I cannot wait to read the next book in the Krane Chronicles, get to know more of Sebastian, Raisa and Christopher and get my Z and Barnabus as father and daughter moments!

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The New Apprentice is a story about a young orphaned girl named Z who finds she can do magic. If you like Harry Potter, you will love this. It is very, very similar. Both have a young orphaned wizard/witch, both involve magic schools, in both the bad guy who does dark magic is the one responsible for killing the parents, both have a wise wizard mentor, both have two sidekicks. I am a huge Harry Potter fan so I really enjoyed the book and look forward to reading the next one.

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I really enjoyed this book. There have been a number of books and movies around magical apprentices, but I feel this book did enough to set itself apart while delivering an engaging and enjoyable read.

Z is an orphan who has no knowledge of her family or her magical abilities. She is bullied at school and at home as she is shifted from foster house to foster house. While trying to avoid some bullies from school, Z stumbles into a book store where something is definitely off. This is where she meets Barnabus and learns of her magical abilities and even some insight into her past.

The combination of Z and Barnabus makes for some interesting and funny dynamic. Both are stubborn and set in their ways, which often leads to a clashing of minds, whits, and wills. However, Z craves the attention of Barnabus just as much as Barnabus wants to look after and protect his new apprentice.

The story takes us on a quick ride to learning magic and exploring the worlds outside of the normal realm. There is still so much to discover and learn that will surely be expanded in future books in this series. Initially, I did not realize that this was the first book in a series as there was no mention of this either in the book description or on Goodreads. The ending as a result left a bit to be desired until I found that this was only the start. I am excited to read the next book to see how the antics of Z and Barnabus play out as they grow and learn from one another. I highly recommend this book.

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The New Apprentice is about the stubborn fourteen year old Z who discoveries a new home and world when she stumbles into Grand Master Barnabus’s book shop. It was wonderful to read and watch these two characters grow together. Both go through so much emotional healing and I didn’t want the book to end so I could develop along side these characters. Z is an amazing character. I loved her spirit and comebacks. The magical world that is created is also great. Can’t wait to read more.

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So loved this book it had a real sense of adventure to it. I got really carried away reading it. Brilliant storytelling. 5 stars will read it again would recommend it to anyone.

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This book is perfect for people who want a bit of magic in their lives. It tells the story of Barnabus, and his new apprentice Z, who knows nothing about the magical world., but is soon involved in saving it! It seems to be heavily inspired by Harry Potter, and although it took me a little while to get emotionally invested in the characters, by the end of the book I really felt the characters had been developed well, and the worlds were clearly visible in my mind. I'd have loved to explore the different worlds more - especially Fey!

I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes magic and Harry Potter, and I'm looking forward to reading the next book when it's released.

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Sadly my phone which I was using to read this book screen had broken and so sadly I couldn't finish the book because it was past the archive date and I couldn't download it onto a different device. I only got a chapter or so read but the storyline was hooking, I really wished I could of finished this book.

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I really enjoyed this book. Although at times it felt a lot like Harry Potter, I was ok with that. I loved Harry Potter.

The story follows the orphan Z and her teacher Barney as Barney introduces Z to the magical world There are twists and turns, a magical school, fairies and dragons, and a dark magic bad guy. The pacing in the book was excellent, and the ending left with me a desire to read book 2 (but not a cliff-hanging emergency).

In addition to being a great story, I especially like that the story was written by a father/daughter team.

Thank you Netgalley for the free e-ARC. I can't wait to read book 2!

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Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book!

This was actually pretty good, in an almost innocent way? It felt similar to Harry Potter but not so much that I felt like I was reading a re-write. The story line and world building were strong, and you really grow to like the main characters. I would definitely enjoy reading more in this world!

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I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely in love with the characters from this book. They were so well written that they actually felt real.

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

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Z isn't a name most parents would give their kid, but Z was lucky enough to have her name chosen by some city official's naming system. Orphaned of her parents right after she was born, Z lived a tough life in the foster system until she ran into a bookshop owned by a sorcerer.

This was a nice Harry potter type book with a girl main character. Z, an orphaned girl, finds herself in a bookstore owned by a sorcerer, who takes her on as an apprentice. As she learns magic from him, Z also helps the sorcerer, who keeps searching for signs pointing to the return of an evil magician who was also responsible for the death of Z's parents.

There were lots of Harry Potter similarities. Z was an orphan, didn't know about the existence of magic and knew nothing about her parents. The villain was an evil power hungry guy with lots of dark demonic minions. The magic government was corrupt & lazy. Z and her friends headed of to save the world... They're good tropes, but it is basically a gender swapped Harry Potter. That doesn't mean it wasn't a good book. It was fun, if cliched, but in an enjoyable way.

I had a like/dislike relationship with the main character at different times. Z seemed to think that she should always be informed about everything the sorcerer did, and would complain anytime info was withheld from her. Sometimes, I understood her complaints, but I also felt that she tried to butt into other's businesses too much. She was also way too overpowered, more powerful than most of the adults even, and able to work advanced magic after only a few months of practice. At other times though, Z was just a lonely orphan delighting in her opportunity to study magic and make new friends.

For a middle grade book, the simplified plot and not too complex characters in this book were perfectly fine, considering the reading level. The book was enjoyable to read. I imagine younger readers will appreciate it more than I did The magic was fun. It's nice to have a Harry Potter type book that girls can relate to.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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