He didn’t see what was so hard about writing and walking. His dark eyes looked like ink smudges on his papery white skin, and his shoulder-length black hair was combed harshly to both sides, slick with oil to make it lie flat.
Though three years older, he was so short and skinny that Selby would likely outgrow him before next Spring. In nearly all ways, Barclay was the opposite. He had a pink nose and pink cheeks, like a plucked chicken, a resemblance made all the worse by his buzzed blond hair and stocky frame. “I c-can’t write and walk at the same time,” Selby blubbered, clutching his quill with his whole fist. Both boys were apprentices to their town’s highly esteemed mushroom farmer, but because Barclay was older and smarter, he was the one in charge.
“You’re supposed to be taking notes,” Barclay hissed at Selby. He knew which ones made you drowsy or loopy, or could even knock you right dead, if you weren’t careful. He knew the red ones with white spots made warts bubble up between toes, but the white ones with red spots cured warts, welts, and pustules of all kinds. He knew the poisonous ones never grew on trees. Excerptīarclay Thorne knew almost all there was to know about mushrooms, and there was a lot to know.
This paperback edition includes a brand new, highly-illustrated map of the Woods. 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.īut 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. 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.
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