Blog Tour- The Accidental Apprentice by Amanda Foody

Hello everyone and welcome to my stop on the tour for Isoldesse by Kimberly Grymes hosted through through TBR and Beyond Tours.

You can find the full tour schedule here.

On my stop today I am sharing an exclusive Q&A with the author and I am stoked about it!

About the Book

Purchase Links: Amazon || Barnes and Noble || Book Depository || Indigo || IndieBound

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.

About the Author

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

Links: Website || Twitter || Instagram || Goodreads

The Intervieww

1- For those who haven’t read it, what is The Accidental Apprentice about and what was the inspiration behind the story? 

The Accidental Apprentice is set in a world full of magical creatures called Beasts, as well as Lore Keepers, the people who bond with Beasts and share their magic. The main character, Barclay, did not grow up around Beasts, but when he accidentally bonds with one himself, he sets out on a reluctant adventure into the wild and dangerous Woods so he can find a way to break his bond and return home.

TAA was, in part, inspired by Pokemon. I was a complete Pokefanatic as a kid, and there’s still an entire section of my brain devoted to random facts about gym badges, evolutions, and each generation. I also loved how accessible the story behind the show and games was, that anyone could be a Pokemon Master. I wanted the fantastical world of this series to have a similar feel, that magic is waiting out there, for any reader brave enough to find it. 

2- The Accidental Apprentice features a variety of magical beasts. If you could have your own magical companion what would you choose? 

I happen to have an extremely mischievious cat, named Jelly Bean, who makes a wonderful companion, but whom I would not trust with any magical powers. But I’ve definitely always been fond of cats, so I would happily opt for a feline Beast. A flying Beast also sounds practical, but I’m admittedly terrified of heights. 

3- What was the process like writing an MG novel vs a YA novel? 

I went into the process of writing The Accidental Apprentice, my very first attempt at a MG book, expecting it to be wildly different than all of the YA I’ve written before, but truthfully, I found my approach to be much the same. Like YA, MG often features a strong lead character, one who readers immediately want to root for, so once I acquainted myself with Barclay and his voice, the story fell into place. 

4- Can you share anything about book 2 or any other projects you are working on? 

Absolutely! Book 2 will take Barclay and his friends on a Beastly adventure to a different part of the world, where a powerful Legendary Beast is causing havoc. It features one of my favorite things to write about—a famous rivalry! No epic story is complete without an arch-nemesis or two.

5- Lastly, what do you hope readers take away from The Accidental Apprentice?

As a child, my favorite fantasy stories were the ones that I could imagine myself into, settings so detailed and vast that I could daydream my own adventure there, even if the path I chose for myself differed from the protagonist. And so my ultimate aspiration is that readers of The Accidental Apprentice can do just that. The world is so sprawling, with its celebrities, its newspapers, its magical boutiques, the Guild, etc. And when that’s all paired with seemingly endless options for Beasts and types of Lore Keepers, it’s the kind of story that’s begging you to carry on the adventure yourself long after passing that final page.  

What About You?

Have you read The Accidental Apprentice? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!