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The Forbidden Library #2
The Mad Apprentice
When Alice's mysterious Uncle Geryon sends her to help capture a rogue apprentice--a boy who has the same ability Alice has to Read himself into stories--she knows to expect a wild and unpredictable trip. But even though Alice has visited the magical realms inside libraries before, this adventure is far more dangerous. Because Torment, the magic creature holding this library together, has gone mad.
But he might also have information about Alice's missing father.
But he might also have information about Alice's missing father.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published April 21, 2015
103 people are currently reading
2406 people want to read
About the author
Django Wexler
36 books3,739 followersDjango Wexler graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh with degrees in creative writing and computer science, and worked for the university in artificial intelligence research. Eventually he migrated to Microsoft in Seattle, where he now lives with two cats and a teetering mountain of books. When not planning Shadow Campaigns, he wrangles computers, paints tiny soldiers, and plays games of all sorts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 212 reviews
October 29, 2019
Sometimes it is nice to read a well written children's book. It is relaxing - you know nothing really terrible will happen. And it is quick and easy.
The Mad Apprentice is the second book in an excellent and very well written series aimed at middle grade children. It is still very readable by adults. I enjoyed the first book and this one was just as good. The magic system is full of surprises and great fun. Imagine a dragon in your head advising you what to do next. Imagine friendly (we think) talking cats and evil (of course) talking wolves. Imagine reading yourself into another world - literally.
Highly recommended if you enjoy magic and you are still young at heart:)
The Mad Apprentice is the second book in an excellent and very well written series aimed at middle grade children. It is still very readable by adults. I enjoyed the first book and this one was just as good. The magic system is full of surprises and great fun. Imagine a dragon in your head advising you what to do next. Imagine friendly (we think) talking cats and evil (of course) talking wolves. Imagine reading yourself into another world - literally.
Highly recommended if you enjoy magic and you are still young at heart:)
April 22, 2015
Hey, I forgot to leave my own review! This is mostly so people can leave comments here, but for the record: I liked it. =)
April 14, 2015
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/04/14/b...
Book lovers rejoice, here’s a series written just for us. Do you get a tingly, magical feeling when you walk into libraries and see all those glorious books? As a kid, did you ever wish that the fictional worlds within your books were real?
The Mad Apprentice and its predecessor The Forbidden Library gave me those same giddy feelings as I read them, proving that Middle Grade novels aren’t just for children. Whether you’re thirteen or thirty, I think bibliophiles will find plenty to love in these books, and Django Wexler’s writing style makes it very easy to just dive right in.
And speaking of diving right in, book two sees us catching up with our protagonist Alice, the young Reader with the ability to jump inside books. Through her mentor the enigmatic Uncle Geryon, Alice learns that there are more people like them out there, a whole cabal of ancient Readers who guard their secrets jealously, and that their entire community exists precariously upon a foundation of mistrust and circumspection.
The fragile peace is suddenly shattered with the death of one of the older Readers, and suspicion falls upon his young apprentice. Uncle Geryon sends Alice to help capture the boy and bring him to justice, but what should have been a simple assignment quickly goes downhill as she and her companions are lured into a labyrinth ruled by a sinister creature calling itself Torment. But Alice can’t give up; escaping the labyrinth and defeating Torment may be the only chance she has at finding the truth about her missing father.
This series continues to fascinate me. The Mad Apprentice is once again filled to the brim with strange new worlds and all kinds of fantastical creatures. Alice reunites with Isaac and makes the acquaintance of four other fellow Reader apprentices, each armed with their own special abilities gained from the mastery of a unique creature inside a prison book. Alice herself begins the novel by defeating a rampaging dinosaur, obtaining its power of speed and super strength. This book also introduces the idea of Reader masters “priming” their apprentices for certain roles by choosing the creatures they fight, so that will in turn determine the kinds of abilities their pupils will acquire. This just begs the question, do you think there might be fierce competition between apprentices for certain prison books, if the creature within possesses a particularly desirable power? This is why I love this series, the possibilities are endless!
The theme continues to be a lovely combination of light and dark, the bizarre and the wonderful. The story may be targeted for a middle grade audience, but readers of all ages should be able to appreciate the underlying messages and cheer for a strong young heroine who will not back down in the face of adversity. Alice is a born leader, taking charge of the group even though she neither the oldest nor the most experienced. She knows what she wants and will do anything to get it, but she also won’t sacrifice her beliefs in what is right to get ahead. It’s a dog eat dog world when it comes to Readers, which makes Alice’s kindness a quirk of sorts. Friendships are important to her, as are the creatures that are bound to her. If she can get a creature in a prison book to submit to her without killing it, or minimize the pain her creatures feel while borrowing their powers, she will do her best to make it so. Knowing this makes the ending of this novel so much more poignant, because once you get to know Alice’s character, it’s clear that she doesn’t make her final decision at the end lightly.
I still think the first book, The Forbidden Library, has a slight edge over this sequel mainly because there was more in terms of story. The Mad Apprentice is a fun and action-filled adventure, but doesn’t do a lot when it comes to forwarding the plot of the overall series, at least not until the very end. Hardly a deal-breaker though, and I’m sure children reading this will hardly mind as they’ll be too busy being thrilled by the sights and sounds of the labyrinth and getting to know the fascinating new characters. There will be beautiful illustrations gracing the pages of the book too, which my ARC did not have, so I’m excited to see the final images when the finished version comes out.
I loved this book and thought it was an impressive sequel to The Forbidden Library. Can’t wait for the third installment!
Book lovers rejoice, here’s a series written just for us. Do you get a tingly, magical feeling when you walk into libraries and see all those glorious books? As a kid, did you ever wish that the fictional worlds within your books were real?
The Mad Apprentice and its predecessor The Forbidden Library gave me those same giddy feelings as I read them, proving that Middle Grade novels aren’t just for children. Whether you’re thirteen or thirty, I think bibliophiles will find plenty to love in these books, and Django Wexler’s writing style makes it very easy to just dive right in.
And speaking of diving right in, book two sees us catching up with our protagonist Alice, the young Reader with the ability to jump inside books. Through her mentor the enigmatic Uncle Geryon, Alice learns that there are more people like them out there, a whole cabal of ancient Readers who guard their secrets jealously, and that their entire community exists precariously upon a foundation of mistrust and circumspection.
The fragile peace is suddenly shattered with the death of one of the older Readers, and suspicion falls upon his young apprentice. Uncle Geryon sends Alice to help capture the boy and bring him to justice, but what should have been a simple assignment quickly goes downhill as she and her companions are lured into a labyrinth ruled by a sinister creature calling itself Torment. But Alice can’t give up; escaping the labyrinth and defeating Torment may be the only chance she has at finding the truth about her missing father.
This series continues to fascinate me. The Mad Apprentice is once again filled to the brim with strange new worlds and all kinds of fantastical creatures. Alice reunites with Isaac and makes the acquaintance of four other fellow Reader apprentices, each armed with their own special abilities gained from the mastery of a unique creature inside a prison book. Alice herself begins the novel by defeating a rampaging dinosaur, obtaining its power of speed and super strength. This book also introduces the idea of Reader masters “priming” their apprentices for certain roles by choosing the creatures they fight, so that will in turn determine the kinds of abilities their pupils will acquire. This just begs the question, do you think there might be fierce competition between apprentices for certain prison books, if the creature within possesses a particularly desirable power? This is why I love this series, the possibilities are endless!
The theme continues to be a lovely combination of light and dark, the bizarre and the wonderful. The story may be targeted for a middle grade audience, but readers of all ages should be able to appreciate the underlying messages and cheer for a strong young heroine who will not back down in the face of adversity. Alice is a born leader, taking charge of the group even though she neither the oldest nor the most experienced. She knows what she wants and will do anything to get it, but she also won’t sacrifice her beliefs in what is right to get ahead. It’s a dog eat dog world when it comes to Readers, which makes Alice’s kindness a quirk of sorts. Friendships are important to her, as are the creatures that are bound to her. If she can get a creature in a prison book to submit to her without killing it, or minimize the pain her creatures feel while borrowing their powers, she will do her best to make it so. Knowing this makes the ending of this novel so much more poignant, because once you get to know Alice’s character, it’s clear that she doesn’t make her final decision at the end lightly.
I still think the first book, The Forbidden Library, has a slight edge over this sequel mainly because there was more in terms of story. The Mad Apprentice is a fun and action-filled adventure, but doesn’t do a lot when it comes to forwarding the plot of the overall series, at least not until the very end. Hardly a deal-breaker though, and I’m sure children reading this will hardly mind as they’ll be too busy being thrilled by the sights and sounds of the labyrinth and getting to know the fascinating new characters. There will be beautiful illustrations gracing the pages of the book too, which my ARC did not have, so I’m excited to see the final images when the finished version comes out.
I loved this book and thought it was an impressive sequel to The Forbidden Library. Can’t wait for the third installment!
February 6, 2022
Yay, fun! This was an excellent outing in an excellent children's fantasy series. It was extremely action-packed, full of new bound creatures, new enemies and allies (but which are which?), and takes place in a new high fantasy setting. You absolutely must NOT read this without reading the first book in the series. It will not spoil anything to do so, but you have little idea of what is going on with the unique magic system of Readers, apprentices, Prison Books, Bound creatures, or the main character's history. Alice has definitely powered up since we last saw her, with one additional bound creature in her repertoire in the intervening time, and the book opens on her efforts to capture one more. We still see plenty of the versatile and awesome The Swarm, no worries that they might fall by the wayside.
This is quite suitable for fans of Harry Potter or other children's fantasy, of any gender. It is much shorter than Potter's saga, thankfully, more thrilling page-by-page, and the characters are much less mopey despite facing similarly dark subject matter. It is definitely children's fantasy (middle grade-ish) and not YA. There are some teenagers in this volume, but they get out of the way before their hormonal ways can spoil the story, leaving the adventure to Alice, Isaac, and some new friends.
I appreciate that it is not dumbed-down in any way for young readers and remains a suitably complex book. There is character growth, fear, death and dealing with loss. The book makes progress towards answering many questions lingering from the first volume, and sets up the remaining two volumes with a delightfully chilling closing line, which I will not spoil here other than to say that it ranks with "And then the murders began".
This is quite suitable for fans of Harry Potter or other children's fantasy, of any gender. It is much shorter than Potter's saga, thankfully, more thrilling page-by-page, and the characters are much less mopey despite facing similarly dark subject matter. It is definitely children's fantasy (middle grade-ish) and not YA. There are some teenagers in this volume, but they get out of the way before their hormonal ways can spoil the story, leaving the adventure to Alice, Isaac, and some new friends.
I appreciate that it is not dumbed-down in any way for young readers and remains a suitably complex book. There is character growth, fear, death and dealing with loss. The book makes progress towards answering many questions lingering from the first volume, and sets up the remaining two volumes with a delightfully chilling closing line, which I will not spoil here other than to say that it ranks with "And then the murders began".
August 9, 2016
Executive Summary: A fun quick read, but then it's a Middle Grade book, so that's pretty much to be expected. Overall I enjoyed it a bit more than the first one, and I will definitely pick up the next one.
Full Review
So obviously I'm not the target demo here. I don't really read much Young Adult stuff, let alone Middle Grade. I picked up the first one because Mr. Wexler's Shadow Campaigns series is so good.
Every now and again it's nice to read a book where you know things won't get too dark and gruesome. That isn't to say things don't get tough for Alice, but there are certain lines you know won't be crossed.
I think this is a better book than The Forbidden Library, largely because Mr. Wexler is able to jump into the story right away without needing to do as much world building.
I also like that he doesn't spend much time rehashing details from the first book and instead continues to grow out the world he built in the first book. I particularly enjoyed meeting additional Reader apprentices beyond Isaac.
Alice is given a chance to shine despite being one of the younger and inexperienced of the group. More than her ingenuity though, Alice has heart. The Reader's don't seem to care about anyone but themselves, not even their own apprentices. This is apparent from the apprentices, and their general disregard for one another.
There are some interesting developments to the overall series plot here that I'll be curious to see explored further. Will Alice build strong bonds with the other apprentices to overcome the animosity between their masters?
For a book aimed as kids, I think Mr. Wexler includes some pretty big ideas, including what it means to be a good person, especially when it is often easier to just care about yourself.
This certainly isn't a book for most people who likely read my reviews, but this series continues to seem like a good one for fantasy fans to share with their kids.
Full Review
So obviously I'm not the target demo here. I don't really read much Young Adult stuff, let alone Middle Grade. I picked up the first one because Mr. Wexler's Shadow Campaigns series is so good.
Every now and again it's nice to read a book where you know things won't get too dark and gruesome. That isn't to say things don't get tough for Alice, but there are certain lines you know won't be crossed.
I think this is a better book than The Forbidden Library, largely because Mr. Wexler is able to jump into the story right away without needing to do as much world building.
I also like that he doesn't spend much time rehashing details from the first book and instead continues to grow out the world he built in the first book. I particularly enjoyed meeting additional Reader apprentices beyond Isaac.
Alice is given a chance to shine despite being one of the younger and inexperienced of the group. More than her ingenuity though, Alice has heart. The Reader's don't seem to care about anyone but themselves, not even their own apprentices. This is apparent from the apprentices, and their general disregard for one another.
There are some interesting developments to the overall series plot here that I'll be curious to see explored further. Will Alice build strong bonds with the other apprentices to overcome the animosity between their masters?
For a book aimed as kids, I think Mr. Wexler includes some pretty big ideas, including what it means to be a good person, especially when it is often easier to just care about yourself.
This certainly isn't a book for most people who likely read my reviews, but this series continues to seem like a good one for fantasy fans to share with their kids.
January 12, 2016
Najzad da čitam serijal u kome je druga knjiga bolja od prve. Sam ton je dosta sličan, mračan i gotski, ali je zato tempo daleko veći. Dok je prva knjiga bila uvod u ovaj svet pa samim tim morala da objašnjava dosta toga, ovde nema potrebe za tim tako da od početka ulećemo u akciju i visoki tempo se održava do samog kraja. bez pauze skoro, sem par momenata gde i likovi i čitalac imaju vremena da malo odahnu.
U ovoj knjizi dobijamo i dosta novih likova koji su više nego fino razvijeni, unikatni i zabavni. I čak su uspeli da se malo razviju sobzirom kolko se sve brzo dešava.
I sama Alisa nastavlja da raste i prosto se oseća kolko je psihički ostarila u odnosu na prvu knjigu zahvaljujući svim događajima koji su joj se desili.
Bilo je pravo uživanje čitati ovu knjigu i nadam se da će treći deo brzo doći.
Cheers.
P.S. Jedno mi smeta što je Ashes tako malo u knjizi pošto je izuzetno zabavan karatkter :)
U ovoj knjizi dobijamo i dosta novih likova koji su više nego fino razvijeni, unikatni i zabavni. I čak su uspeli da se malo razviju sobzirom kolko se sve brzo dešava.
I sama Alisa nastavlja da raste i prosto se oseća kolko je psihički ostarila u odnosu na prvu knjigu zahvaljujući svim događajima koji su joj se desili.
Bilo je pravo uživanje čitati ovu knjigu i nadam se da će treći deo brzo doći.
Cheers.
P.S. Jedno mi smeta što je Ashes tako malo u knjizi pošto je izuzetno zabavan karatkter :)
October 30, 2019
Actual rating: 3.50
August 13, 2014
I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from the sequel to Django Wexler’s The Forbidden Library, even though I’d been eagerly anticipating it, but The Mad Apprentice is a book that hits the ground running and never slows down. Wexler is clearly a writer who has a broad range – while The Forbidden Library had a very classic and leisurely style of pacing, The Mad Apprentice has little to no downtime, making it incredibly hard to put the book down!
Wexler continues to populate his series with fascinating and nuanced characters (Dex was a particular favorite of mine) and vivid imagery. What could possibly be better than a world that seems drawn from M. C. Escher’s nightmares and where Alice’s greatest allies are The Swarm, a dinosaur named Spike, and the return of the Dragon?
This book also stretches the boundaries of the world we came to know in the first book. Now, Alice is sent on a mission with five other apprentices who all serve different Master Readers, and the reader discovers how varied this world is. The apprentices are in peril and struggling to survive, and once again Wexler reinforces how dangerous this world is – this is not a world where everything will just turn out okay. It’s also a complicated world of moral grays and problematic decisions, where there is no clear path for Alice to follow. At the same time that answers from the first book’s mysteries are parsed out, more questions appear, and Alice’s path gets more and more treacherous. I finished this book and immediately wanted the next.
Wexler continues to populate his series with fascinating and nuanced characters (Dex was a particular favorite of mine) and vivid imagery. What could possibly be better than a world that seems drawn from M. C. Escher’s nightmares and where Alice’s greatest allies are The Swarm, a dinosaur named Spike, and the return of the Dragon?
This book also stretches the boundaries of the world we came to know in the first book. Now, Alice is sent on a mission with five other apprentices who all serve different Master Readers, and the reader discovers how varied this world is. The apprentices are in peril and struggling to survive, and once again Wexler reinforces how dangerous this world is – this is not a world where everything will just turn out okay. It’s also a complicated world of moral grays and problematic decisions, where there is no clear path for Alice to follow. At the same time that answers from the first book’s mysteries are parsed out, more questions appear, and Alice’s path gets more and more treacherous. I finished this book and immediately wanted the next.
May 6, 2015
Lots of fun and solid narration. We meet new apprentices and lots of new powers. I'm really excited about what we find out about the world of Readers and there looks like there's going to be a really cool series plot line!
March 16, 2020
This was a fun book to read with lots of fantastical creatures and situations. It was nice to be back in the world of the readers and follow Alice's adventures. The only thing I didn't love was that the book mostly took place in one location and felt more like an escape room story, than building more on the world and characters introduced in book one.
May 31, 2015
The Mad Apprentice is a much darker book than the previous title. There, Alice had only begun to learn what being a Reader meant. Now, she has had to accept, however unwillingly, that her only source of real power comes from enslaving the creatures she finds in books—and, as an apprentice, she has no choice in the matter; it is kill or be killed. She is also finding that it can be tempting to play with that power. Further information about her ally, Ending, does nothing to reassure her about her future. She is also faced with a number of tough choices while traveling through the library. She is tough, resilient, and smart but so is everyone she is facing, and her basic desire to be and do good is taking a beating.
The rest of the review is up on FangirlNation, home of reviews, interviews, arts and entertainment news, and columns about geek life.
The rest of the review is up on FangirlNation, home of reviews, interviews, arts and entertainment news, and columns about geek life.
November 24, 2014
This book series absolutely fascinates me.
Alice is sent to capture a "mad" apprentice and she meets up with several other apprentices, who all have special skills from the books they have "tamed".
She learns that the magic creature who holds this library together is crazy and most of the book revolves around trying to outwit him.
Alice is also hoping to find out more information about her father's disappearance.
Non stop action and more fascinating creatures. Alice makes new friends, finds out who not to trust, and learns more about what happened to her father.
The vivid descriptions made me feel as if I were part of the story. I can't wait for the next book.
This review is based on an ARC I received. The ARC didn't have the final illustrations, so I'm looking forward to seeing the pictures when the finished book is released.
Alice is sent to capture a "mad" apprentice and she meets up with several other apprentices, who all have special skills from the books they have "tamed".
She learns that the magic creature who holds this library together is crazy and most of the book revolves around trying to outwit him.
Alice is also hoping to find out more information about her father's disappearance.
Non stop action and more fascinating creatures. Alice makes new friends, finds out who not to trust, and learns more about what happened to her father.
The vivid descriptions made me feel as if I were part of the story. I can't wait for the next book.
This review is based on an ARC I received. The ARC didn't have the final illustrations, so I'm looking forward to seeing the pictures when the finished book is released.
November 16, 2017
Very enjoyable book2, expands the world building in a huge way.
February 7, 2021
A fun follow-up to The Forbidden Library. So far Django Wexler has done me no wrong.
Now if only I had appropriately-aged human-children to gift this series to! 😞
Now if only I had appropriately-aged human-children to gift this series to! 😞
June 7, 2015
First of all, as a librarian and a person who grew up spending more time with books than actual human beings this series had me at someone possessing the ability to fall into a book merely by reading the first few lines. I can't tell you how much I wished to end up in books with characters who were more real to me than my classmates. And NOT end up in books with some others (Gollum, Randall Flagg, the White Witch, the Queen of Hearts).
But anyhow, I am so intrigued by this book. I feel like it is building to a huge confrontation between the masters and the guardians and the apprentices. I feel that this book allowed more of a glimpse of the corrupt masters and their machinations. Is Alice's father dead? I'm not convinced. I couldn't put it down and I enjoyed every minute. There was no lagging or boredom just more to find out about the characters.
The only thing I was a bit confused about was that after Spike died, Alice was still able to call on his strength to enhance her own. I can only conclude that Spike didn't really die but was just momentarily sent back into Alice and could be called upon when needed again.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes adventures, libraries and reading. I have not felt this way about a series since I first read David Eddings or CS Lewis, Tolkien or Alice in Wonderland. This book gives the same feelings of adventure and excitement that those books held for me long ago.
Thanks!
But anyhow, I am so intrigued by this book. I feel like it is building to a huge confrontation between the masters and the guardians and the apprentices. I feel that this book allowed more of a glimpse of the corrupt masters and their machinations. Is Alice's father dead? I'm not convinced. I couldn't put it down and I enjoyed every minute. There was no lagging or boredom just more to find out about the characters.
The only thing I was a bit confused about was that after Spike died, Alice was still able to call on his strength to enhance her own. I can only conclude that Spike didn't really die but was just momentarily sent back into Alice and could be called upon when needed again.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes adventures, libraries and reading. I have not felt this way about a series since I first read David Eddings or CS Lewis, Tolkien or Alice in Wonderland. This book gives the same feelings of adventure and excitement that those books held for me long ago.
Thanks!
July 14, 2015
I was looking forward to reading this and had it on my TBR shelf for quite awhile when I was lucky enough to win a copy here on Goodreads (yay!).
This is a fun adventure, perfect for middle grade readers. There's surprises at every turn, a world full of fantasy, and characters which are realistic enough, they could be real friends. I really enjoy the mixture of dark and light, humor and tension and especially Alice's great attitude to do what she has to do. . .but without loosing compassion and readiness to be there for others.
There's never a dull moment in this story, keeping me glued to the pages until the very end. And here was where my only critique comes in--I would have like to see this last just a little bit longer. There were a few things which didn't feel completely wrapped up to me, but that's why this is a series, I suppose. And I'll definitely be looking forward to book 3 to see what happens next.
This is a fun adventure, perfect for middle grade readers. There's surprises at every turn, a world full of fantasy, and characters which are realistic enough, they could be real friends. I really enjoy the mixture of dark and light, humor and tension and especially Alice's great attitude to do what she has to do. . .but without loosing compassion and readiness to be there for others.
There's never a dull moment in this story, keeping me glued to the pages until the very end. And here was where my only critique comes in--I would have like to see this last just a little bit longer. There were a few things which didn't feel completely wrapped up to me, but that's why this is a series, I suppose. And I'll definitely be looking forward to book 3 to see what happens next.
December 1, 2015
What I really love about this book is that the sense of danger isn't downgraded so that the book is 'safe' for children. Five apprentices (plus the one they went into the maze to find), children/young teens go into a very dangerous situation and they don't all make it out. People die because the dangers of the labyrinth are real and scary. It takes so much for our heroine to even get the few out that she is able. One of the teens leaves early because it's so dangerous. Very much enjoying this series and looking forward to the next.
June 4, 2015
This is the second book in this series that I have read and I am looking forward to the next one. Great YA fantasy book with supernatural creatures, danger and intrigue all controlled by the Readers, but it's not really the Readers at risk, it's their apprentices. The question is, will they survive the adventure? Definitely fun to read and hard to put down!
I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway.
I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway.
March 31, 2022
Edit: the typo in my original post is too hilarious and apt to correct. It should read Dragon Pearl, but come on, this is strong evidence the literary gods have a great sense of humor 😋
***
3.5 - 3.75 Stars
Now that was satisfying!!! Compared to the chore that was the Dragging Pearl *grumble grumble*
Review to come, at some point ;)
***
GR Personal Rating System:
5 ~ LOVED
4 ~ ENJOYED
3 ~ LIKED
2 ~ MEH
1 ~ NOPE
***
3.5 - 3.75 Stars
Now that was satisfying!!! Compared to the chore that was the Dragging Pearl *grumble grumble*
Review to come, at some point ;)
***
GR Personal Rating System:
5 ~ LOVED
4 ~ ENJOYED
3 ~ LIKED
2 ~ MEH
1 ~ NOPE
May 11, 2015
Alice meets some other fellow apprentices in this strong sequel, and finds out something about her father's fate (maybe!). My only reservation is that Alice and Co. continually fight SO MANY monsters that desperate struggles become not so much plot peaks as the general milieu. But the monsters are nicely ooky, and the sense of real danger is always sharp. More, more!
July 19, 2015
Another wonderful story that I believe was better than the first book. It was fun and engaging from start to finish - filled with dark mystery and magic. I love that it has a tough and smart female lead. I highly recommend the book and series.
June 21, 2015
The pace of this book is fast and it's a great read from beginning to end. I would recommend this series to any reader who enjoys a good and creatively written story.
June 25, 2018
I am absolutely head over heels for this series! 🖤
June 10, 2020
"The Mad Apprentice", by Django Wexler is the exciting sequel to "The Forbidden Library". This book contains the events of Alice’s first mission from Geryon where she meets other apprentices and realizes just how lucky she is to learn under Geryon. As the apprentices are sent to capture an apprentice who supposedly murdered his master, Alice can’t help but search for answers about her father’s mysterious death. What Alice doesn’t think about is whether or not she will be ready to face the truth when the time comes. I enjoyed this book because of Wexler's consistent use of repetition and foreshadowing, along with his use of a third person limited point of view.
Throughout this book and the previous one, Django Wexler has consistently used repetition to transition from Alice’s world to the world’s inside the books. This repetition also foreshadows what will happen when Alice first enters the book. For example, on page 69, Alice reads the line, “The air smelled musty and damp, like cold, wet stone.” This line is then repeated at the start of the next paragraph. The line foreshadows Alice’s new surroundings after she travels through the book. This same pattern is used again on pages 84 and 85, and on pages 321 and 322. This repetition allows the reader to recognize what is happening without the author stating it directly.
Django Wexler also uses a third person limited point of view to keep the reader engaged. This point of view makes the narration more reliable and unbiased, while still allowing the reader to know the thoughts of the main character. On page 121, the narrator describes Alice’s emotions as “ a gnawing, jittery feeling in the pit of her stomach that she couldn’t banish no matter how hard she tried.” This style of narration gives the reader enough information to be able to understand Alice’s thoughts and actions, but leaves the other characters' thoughts a mystery, just as they are to Alice. This point of view keeps the reader wondering, but prevents them from becoming confused, which keeps the reader interested.
This book is so enjoyable because it utilizes repetition, foreshadowing, and point of view to keep the reader excited to read the next page. I would recommend this book to fans of fantasy or just anyone who has experienced the way good books transport the reader to a different world. The narration and consistencies between books make this series a great read.
Throughout this book and the previous one, Django Wexler has consistently used repetition to transition from Alice’s world to the world’s inside the books. This repetition also foreshadows what will happen when Alice first enters the book. For example, on page 69, Alice reads the line, “The air smelled musty and damp, like cold, wet stone.” This line is then repeated at the start of the next paragraph. The line foreshadows Alice’s new surroundings after she travels through the book. This same pattern is used again on pages 84 and 85, and on pages 321 and 322. This repetition allows the reader to recognize what is happening without the author stating it directly.
Django Wexler also uses a third person limited point of view to keep the reader engaged. This point of view makes the narration more reliable and unbiased, while still allowing the reader to know the thoughts of the main character. On page 121, the narrator describes Alice’s emotions as “ a gnawing, jittery feeling in the pit of her stomach that she couldn’t banish no matter how hard she tried.” This style of narration gives the reader enough information to be able to understand Alice’s thoughts and actions, but leaves the other characters' thoughts a mystery, just as they are to Alice. This point of view keeps the reader wondering, but prevents them from becoming confused, which keeps the reader interested.
This book is so enjoyable because it utilizes repetition, foreshadowing, and point of view to keep the reader excited to read the next page. I would recommend this book to fans of fantasy or just anyone who has experienced the way good books transport the reader to a different world. The narration and consistencies between books make this series a great read.
May 29, 2023
Alice continues her adventure. She meets more apprentices and learns how other readers train them. I like how alice is motivated to create magical plants so she can use her tree sprite anywhere. She even uses it to grow fruit at one point when she's hungry.
There's a few cool fight scenes.
A few things that irked me, mostly the YA side:
1) ashes didn't come on the adventure
2) romance angst with Isaac. why won't he talk to me??
3) torment actually offered a really good deal. she declined the offer, but she absolutely should have taken it.
4) readers are supposed to be exceedingly rare, and they train for years/decades. so how can a group of 5 random apprentices all be teenagers? I was expecting a mix of ages, people in their 20s/40s/plus since readers do not die of old age.
5) the dragon warns her not to enter the labyrinth. instead of heeding advice, she just argues with him all the time.
April 19, 2021
This is a fun series. The world building in these books is creative and interesting. I love the magical concepts in here. I would have eaten these up as a kid and wished like crazy to be a Reader too. Who am I kidding, I wish I could be one now!
October 2, 2019
Better than the first book. On to the 3rd book.
November 3, 2019
I loved the descripted description.
April 25, 2019
4.5 stars
I listened to the audio book.
What a fun story. I loved how Alice's bravery and personal sacrifices pushed her fellow apprentices to change and care about others too. I thought the dragon was great, and I LOVED the ending.
I listened to the audio book.
What a fun story. I loved how Alice's bravery and personal sacrifices pushed her fellow apprentices to change and care about others too. I thought the dragon was great, and I LOVED the ending.
June 26, 2016
When Alice's mysterious uncle Geryon sends her to help capture a rogue apprentice--a boy who has the same ability as Alice has to Read himself into stories--she knows to expect a wild and dangerous afternoon. But even though Alice has visited the magical realms inside libraries before, this adventure is shaping up to be more than even she could have expected. Because Torment, the magic creature holding this library together, has gone mad. But he might also have information about Alice's missing father.
This is a fun continuation of The Forbidden Library series. Django Wexler does a great job of writing vivid descriptions and drawing you into the story.
This time around, Alice gets to meet some new apprentices as well as a familiar face.
I really like Alice's character. She's a strong minded individual and seems to be very set in doing things her way, whether it's the "right" way or not. Something tells me that Alice and Isaac are the beginnings of a new generation of Readers that are going to turn everything on its head. If anyone has a chance at changing the way these things stand (apprentices not fraternizing with other apprentices; looting another Readers labyrinth once they die, etc), Alice definitely has the moxie to do it.
Isaac and Alice...hmm. Like I said, something tells me these two have the makings of turning everything upside down. Despite all the "rules" that say they shouldn't be talking with each other, these two have developed a friendship that feels like it's extending into something more. They both have shared experiences and that ties them together, but so does the fact that neither of them seems especially willing to believe the whole "keep your friends close and your enemies closer" mentality that the Readers have at the moment.
Although, Alice has to be careful. I can understand and sympathize with her need to know what happened to her father and then get revenge, but revenge is a finely sharpened two-edged sword.
I felt bad for Isaac not being able to help his brother. He was right, he was right there and still not able to help. Although, I don't think he could have helped at all. Unfortunately, Evander was gone the moment he was given over to Esau. Torment only kept him around as a scape-goat/lure. Isaac clearly has some good bound creatures, and I'm seriously hoping that he ends up just joining up with Alice wholly and completely. Those two could be such a great team.
The one...issue(?) I had with this book is that I received an advanced copy so I wasn't able to see all of the pictures. I got a lot of "Art Not Final" pages.
I can't wait to see what adventures await Alice next!
*Thanks to Django Wexler for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my review
This is a fun continuation of The Forbidden Library series. Django Wexler does a great job of writing vivid descriptions and drawing you into the story.
This time around, Alice gets to meet some new apprentices as well as a familiar face.
I really like Alice's character. She's a strong minded individual and seems to be very set in doing things her way, whether it's the "right" way or not. Something tells me that Alice and Isaac are the beginnings of a new generation of Readers that are going to turn everything on its head. If anyone has a chance at changing the way these things stand (apprentices not fraternizing with other apprentices; looting another Readers labyrinth once they die, etc), Alice definitely has the moxie to do it.
Isaac and Alice...hmm. Like I said, something tells me these two have the makings of turning everything upside down. Despite all the "rules" that say they shouldn't be talking with each other, these two have developed a friendship that feels like it's extending into something more. They both have shared experiences and that ties them together, but so does the fact that neither of them seems especially willing to believe the whole "keep your friends close and your enemies closer" mentality that the Readers have at the moment.
Although, Alice has to be careful. I can understand and sympathize with her need to know what happened to her father and then get revenge, but revenge is a finely sharpened two-edged sword.
And now that she knew, she couldn't do nothing. She couldn't.The anger would build inside her, on and on, forever until it poisoned her. Every time she saw Geryon, she would return to those images, to the wash of electric fire sweeping down on the Gideon.If she's not careful, even if she confronts Geryon, her anger could still pose a danger. Her talk of the poison of her anger leads back to what the Dragon told her
"But you...I felt that you would not be used. Would not allow yourself to be used. You deserve the opportunity to make your own choices, to walk your own path. Indeed, I believe you will do so, regardless of what Ending, Geryon, or anyone else intends. You must do what you believe to be right.She's definitely the kind of person to do what she wants, but she also has to be careful when doing so. She needs to make sure that it's right as well.
I felt bad for Isaac not being able to help his brother. He was right, he was right there and still not able to help. Although, I don't think he could have helped at all. Unfortunately, Evander was gone the moment he was given over to Esau. Torment only kept him around as a scape-goat/lure. Isaac clearly has some good bound creatures, and I'm seriously hoping that he ends up just joining up with Alice wholly and completely. Those two could be such a great team.
The one...issue(?) I had with this book is that I received an advanced copy so I wasn't able to see all of the pictures. I got a lot of "Art Not Final" pages.
I can't wait to see what adventures await Alice next!
*Thanks to Django Wexler for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my review
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