Starred review from May 24, 2021
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.
Starred review from January 15, 2021
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)
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