The Accidental Apprentice by Amanda Foody

The Accidental Apprentice kicks off this middle-grade fantasy series with a rush of wind and a menagerie of fantastic Beasts.

The Accidental Apprentice (Wilderlore vol. 1) by Amanda Foody. Simon & Schuster, 2021, 283 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12

Recommended for: Ages 10-15

Barclay Thorne only wants to be a good mushroom-hunter in his hometown of Dullshire—not that he loves mushrooms, necessarily, but growing into a respectable trade is the only way an orphaned boy like him might gain respectability at last. Since his parents were killed in the last attack by the legendary Beast Gravaldor, years before, Barclay has been out of place. Now he’s desperate to fit in—but the forest beyond Dullshire seems to have other plans. While hunting the rare Morningside Mushroom, deeper in the forest than he is wont to travel, Barclay is attacked by a . . .

Well, he can’t tell exactly what it is. Only later, after he’s exiled from the town, does he learn that he was not just attacked, but Marked by a Lufthund, a wolflike creature that can run like the wind and has passed on to Barclay the Lore (magic), of wind-creation. Barclay is, in fact, a Lore Keeper. This is the last thing he wants to be, but the only way to undo it is to get the Mark removed, and the only way to achieve that is to travel to the nearest Lore town, Sycomore, where he might find a Master Keeper up to the job. The one who explains all this to him is Violet Dumond, who has her own reasons for traveling to Sycomore. But once they reach the town, Barclay finds his problems have only begun.

He’s a reluctant hero on the model of Bilbo Baggins, for whom the call of adventure only impedes his desire for comfort and security. Since is the first volume of a series, the reader can guess which call wins out, but plot twists and imaginative Beasts make for an absorbing journey. Barclay comes to realize that Beasts are forces of nature that may not necessarily be enemies, but other revelations doubtless lay before him.

Consideration:

There’s one passing reference to the wife of Mrs. Havener, the town librarian. It’s easily overlooked but, as with any first book in a series, the story may go on to include more significant gay or transgender characters.

Overall Rating: 3.75 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 3.5
• Artistic/literary value: 4

Read more about our ratings here.

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Review: Speaking of apprentices, John Flanigan’s The Ranger’s Apprentice series will keep middle-grade and teen readers busy for a good chunk of the summer! See also our review of Flanigan’s Brotherband Chronicles.
• Review: And speaking of accidental, The Accidental Highwayman is a fun historical fantasy for teens.
• Resource: See Betsy’s roundup of Popular Middle-Grade Fantasy Series (be sure to check the comments for cautions about Wings of Fire).

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