Thankfully, as apprentice to the town’s mushroom farmer, he’s got something going for him. An orphan after a Beast attacked Dullshire seven years ago, he’s had to work to secure any hope for a future. He already sticks out like a sore thumb in town. In Dullshire, adventures are against the rules, and Barclay Thorne tries so hard to follow the rules. Foody is a fair writer, but her plot isn't well thought out, and her characterizations weak. Yes, I'm an adult reading books for young people, but good writing is good writing. He must go back there and be an apprentice mushroom farmer - although no one in Dullshire liked him. He lands up with a Mythic beast (one of the highest classes of such creatures), and even after the beast, named Root, saves his life a couple of times, Barclay moans about going home. He was from Dullshire (name says it all), and is exiled into the Woods, where he wants nothing to do with Lore (magic) because his parents were killed by a monster. I won't summarize the plot, which did have some exciting moments, but my main complaint was Barclay Thorne, the whiny, boring main character. It reminded me a rough blend of 'The Golden Compass,' and all of the Harry Potter novels. 'Wilderlore' didn't seem that imaginative or thought out. I love well-crafted children's and YA books. 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.

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. 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.

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. 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. The last thing Barclay Thorne ever wanted was an adventure.

A boy who accidentally bonds with a magical Beast must set off on an adventure in the mysterious Woods in this “wholesome, delightful” ( Kirkus Reviews, starred review), and cheeky middle grade fantasy debut-perfect for fans of Nevermoor and How to Train Your Dragon.

The accidental apprentice amanda foody