Accidentally breaking a sacred community rule about never entering a magically haunted wood, an apprentice mushroom farmer is run out of town by an angry mob when he becomes inadvertently bonded to a not-so-vicious magical beast. 100,000 first printing. Simultaneous eBook. - (Baker & Taylor)

Eleven-year-old Barclay Thorne yearns for the quiet life of a mushroom farmer, but after unwittingly bonding with a beast in the forbidden Woods, he must seek Lore Keepers to break the bond and return home. - (Baker & Taylor)

A boy who accidentally bonds with a magical Beast must set off on an adventure in the mysterious Woods in this whimsical and cheeky middle grade fantasy debut'perfect for fans of Nevermoor and How to Train Your Dragon.

The last thing Barclay Thorne ever wanted was an adventure.

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. No danger required. 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.

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. 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.

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. - (Simon and Schuster)

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 last thing Barclay Thorne ever wanted was an adventure.

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. No danger required. 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.

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. 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.

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. - (Simon and Schuster)

Amanda Foody is the author of Daughter of the Burning City, The Shadow Game series, and the Wilderlore series. Formerly an accountant preparing taxes for multinational corporations, Amanda lives in Massachusetts with Jelly Bean, a feline beastly companion. Visit her at AmandaFoody.com. - (Simon and Schuster)

Amanda Foody is a New York Times and indie bestselling author of YA and children’s fantasy novels, including the Wilderlore series, the All of Us Villains duology, the Shadow Game series, and more. She lives in Massachusetts with her partner and their feline Beastly companion, Jelly Bean. Visit her at AmandaFoody.com or on Instagram @AmandaFoody. - (Simon and Schuster)

Kirkus Reviews

An orphaned boy discovers belonging and friendship. Eleven-year-old Barclay Thorne is an apprentice to the mushroom farmer in the town of Dullshire. He's worked diligently to prove himself since his parents perished in an attack by an otherworldly Beast seven years prior. Dullshire prides itself on rules and prickliness, and its citizens abhor all notions of Lore Keepers, those who bond with Beasts and practice Lore magic. So, when Barclay accidentally stumbles upon—and bonds with—a wolflike Beast in the forbidden Woods, the town banishes him. Left on his own, he teams up with the headstrong Viola, a local Lore Keeper with a dragonlike Beast named Mitzi. Together they seek a way to remove Barclay's magic Beast Mark so he can one day return to Dullshire, a goal contingent upon his finishing first in the Exhibition, a dangerous competition where budding Lore Keepers prove their worth. As Barclay spends more time in the fantastical town of Sycomore, he bonds both with human allies and his own Beast. The worldbuilding calls forth the atmosphere of classic fantasy worlds while invoking fun and whimsy every step of the way. In addition to pale-skinned Barclay and brown-skinned Viola, casual, naturally integrated diversity is found throughout. Barclay's journey reignites the wonder and discovery of childhood, culminating in a warm and sincere message about embracing who you are. Wholesome, delightful, and jam-packed with adventure. (encyclopedia of beasts) (Fantasy. 9-13) Copyright Kirkus 2021 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

PW Annex Reviews

Orphaned at four when the Legendary Beast Gravaldor destroyed his village, pale-skinned Barclay Thorne, 11, hates the Beasts that haunt the Woods beyond Dullshire, as well as the Lore Keepers who bond with them. When Barclay inadvertently bonds with a rare and powerful Beast, he's horrified—and worse, exiled from Dullshire. Determined to remove the bond, Barclay journeys to a Lore Keeper town in the Woods with brown-skinned Viola, a young woman bonded to a dragon-like Beast. There, a Lore Keeper promises to teach Barclay to break his bond, if he places first in a contest of skill and knowledge for aspiring apprentice Lore Keepers. The plot carefully builds in complexity, driven equally by well integrated, inventive worldbuilding and evolving character dynamics. Barclay's growing identification with his Beast is complicated by years of hatred, mirroring his relationship to the larger world of Lore Keepers, and the supporting cast likewise have their own nuanced characterizations and motivations. Interweaving whimsicality with harsh realities, Foody's (Queen of Volts) middle grade debut introduces a richly realized fantasy world, populated by monsters both magnificently unknowable and all too human. A deeply immersive and auspicious series starter. Ages 8–12. Agent: Whitney Ross, Irene Goodman Literary. (Mar.)