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Wily Snare #2
Snared: Lair of the Beast
In this rip-roaring dungeon adventure, genius inventor Wily Snare must journey into a dangerous underground maze to find a mythical beast.
Thanks to a crew of misfit treasure-seekers, Wily Snare has assumed his rightful place as King of Panthasos. Wily knows how to be a great trapsmith―devising and building various contraptions to keep plunderers at bay―but he has no idea how to be a good king.
And he hasn’t escaped his past. Stalag, mage who once kept him locked away, is amassing an army of stone soldiers to seize the kingdom. Wily’s only hope is to tame a lair beast, a giant creature that’s the only chance against the evil wizard’s army. But first, Wily and his friends will need to survive the journey to the strange and deadly “Below” where the lair beast dwells.
Lair of the Beast is the second book in a fantasy adventure series from bestselling author Adam Jay Epstein.
An Imprint Book
"This action-packed, fast-paced read is funny, heartfelt, and filled with adventure ." ― School Library Xpress Reviews
Praise for Escape to the Above
" A fast-paced, refreshingly creative adventure that will thrill readers from the very first page.” ―Shannon Messenger, New York Times bestselling author of the Keeper of the Lost Cities series and the Sky Fall series
“ Fabulous characters and a unique mythology combine to create something really wonderful. Snared will ensnare you .” ―Michael Scott, New York Times bestselling author of The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series.
Thanks to a crew of misfit treasure-seekers, Wily Snare has assumed his rightful place as King of Panthasos. Wily knows how to be a great trapsmith―devising and building various contraptions to keep plunderers at bay―but he has no idea how to be a good king.
And he hasn’t escaped his past. Stalag, mage who once kept him locked away, is amassing an army of stone soldiers to seize the kingdom. Wily’s only hope is to tame a lair beast, a giant creature that’s the only chance against the evil wizard’s army. But first, Wily and his friends will need to survive the journey to the strange and deadly “Below” where the lair beast dwells.
Lair of the Beast is the second book in a fantasy adventure series from bestselling author Adam Jay Epstein.
An Imprint Book
"This action-packed, fast-paced read is funny, heartfelt, and filled with adventure ." ― School Library Xpress Reviews
Praise for Escape to the Above
" A fast-paced, refreshingly creative adventure that will thrill readers from the very first page.” ―Shannon Messenger, New York Times bestselling author of the Keeper of the Lost Cities series and the Sky Fall series
“ Fabulous characters and a unique mythology combine to create something really wonderful. Snared will ensnare you .” ―Michael Scott, New York Times bestselling author of The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published June 4, 2019
8 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
Adam Jay Epstein
23 books345 followersI grew up in Great Neck, NY loving all things fantasy and science fiction - from Dungeons and Dragons and the Legend of Zelda to Star Wars and Dr. Strange. I created and imagined new worlds and stories from an early age but never knew that I had the talent to be a writer until seventh grade, when my English teacher assigned our class to write the first ten pages of a sequel to The Good Earth. After that, I was hooked.
I now live in Los Angeles with my wife, two children and a black and white alley cat with a bite out of his ear. I write with a partner, Andrew Jacobson, who is a much better typist than I will ever be.
I now live in Los Angeles with my wife, two children and a black and white alley cat with a bite out of his ear. I write with a partner, Andrew Jacobson, who is a much better typist than I will ever be.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 25, 2019
After having defeated the Infernal King, and evaded the traps of one hundred dungeons or more, Wily Snare is still on the hunt for Stalag the cavern mage, who meanwhile has been busy amassing an army. Stalag won't stop until he can defeat Wily and the whole Kingdom of Panthasos, and once again bring his rule to The Above. And this time, Stalag has the means to create an indestructible army of neccanite golems. To thwart his plans, Wily enlists the help of a wise locksage, who sends him in search of an enchanted compass which can point Wily toward whomever he wishes to find. This will not be an easy task for hidden around every corner there are new caves to explore, dangers, traps, and monsters to avoid. And their most ambitious task yet awaits, to not only find but tame a Lair Beast. A creature who resides at the bottom of the deepest cave in a place known as The Below.
Sounds chilling right? A beast to end all beasts, massive in size a cacophony of other beasts meshed together containing three very distinctive heads, and one creepy but seriously cool Lair Beast named Palojax. Ever since Wily defeated the Infernal King (Wily's father) and assumed his rightful place as the prince of Panthasos, he has been raked with doubt. Wily places a lot of expectations on himself as a new ruler. He wants to do right by his people, but he's also in unfamiliar territory. As a trapsmith, he knew how to get out of a tricky situation, but The Above is more complicated and with Stalag's army constantly invading and destroying villages he has new demands placed on him. When the villager's say they "want a real king," it has him questioning himself that much more.
Then Wily meets Valor Pelage, a Quellmaster from the Roamabout tribe, probably the only person who has a chance of taming the beast. She's a bit rash and jumps into situations, but she's also starting to grow on Wily. In a lot of ways, I think she helps Wily realize that he can't keep putting this much pressure on himself. It's a valuable lesson to realize that everyone fails sometimes, that it is o.k. to make mistakes. Making mistakes provides that chance to learn something. So yeah, there's some really nice messaging and will surely captivate fans of dungeon crawling adventures.
Sounds chilling right? A beast to end all beasts, massive in size a cacophony of other beasts meshed together containing three very distinctive heads, and one creepy but seriously cool Lair Beast named Palojax. Ever since Wily defeated the Infernal King (Wily's father) and assumed his rightful place as the prince of Panthasos, he has been raked with doubt. Wily places a lot of expectations on himself as a new ruler. He wants to do right by his people, but he's also in unfamiliar territory. As a trapsmith, he knew how to get out of a tricky situation, but The Above is more complicated and with Stalag's army constantly invading and destroying villages he has new demands placed on him. When the villager's say they "want a real king," it has him questioning himself that much more.
Then Wily meets Valor Pelage, a Quellmaster from the Roamabout tribe, probably the only person who has a chance of taming the beast. She's a bit rash and jumps into situations, but she's also starting to grow on Wily. In a lot of ways, I think she helps Wily realize that he can't keep putting this much pressure on himself. It's a valuable lesson to realize that everyone fails sometimes, that it is o.k. to make mistakes. Making mistakes provides that chance to learn something. So yeah, there's some really nice messaging and will surely captivate fans of dungeon crawling adventures.
December 29, 2019
Lair of the Beast (Snared #2) by Adam Jay Epstein, 24 4 pages. Imprint (Macmillan), 2019. $17
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (some fighting)
BUYING ADVISORY: EL – ESSENTIAL; MS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Wily is not settling easily into his new role as the King-to be. Any time he tries to rule, the people around him want more than he can give. Then they get mad and say he’s just like his father, the evil king. Stalag the mage, Wily’s former captor also has evil plans and Wily needs to collect a new set of adventurers if he is going to have any chance to thwart Stalag’s plans.
I do have to hope that this doesn’t turn into a long multi volume arch of just Wily vs Stalag. I want it to be more like Mark Forman’s Adventurers Wanted series or Zack Clark’s Adventurer’s Guild. Epstein has the writing chops for it for sure.
Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2019...
July 18, 2021
Wily Snare grew up in a dungeon called Carrion Tomb, believing he was a hobgoblet and that his place in the world was setting traps for adventurers seeking to plunder his master's treasure. He only just escaped to the world above and learned that he is, in fact, the prince of the kngdom of Panthasos, and joined a rebellion that deposed his wicked father from the throne. Now he's expected to learn how to rule, and the responsibility sits heavily on him. Anxious that he will fail his people, Wily takes every opportunity to get out of the palace and prove himself – for example, by setting off on a quest to quell a lairbeast named Palojax in order to stop his former master, the evil mage Stalag, from taking over the kingdom with an army of stone golems.
Once again, Wily travels with a warrior elf whose mood swings from sunny to gloomy with the time of day, a knight whose right arm has magically become a separate entity, his adopted hobgoblet sister, and a mud golem who speaks in sign language and has plants and fungi growing all over him. This time, his journey takes him to a tribe that lives under the sky and practices the secret art of calming wild beasts, hoping that one of them will join their cause. But their new companion, named Valor, only grudgingly joins them when she recognizes that Stalag's golems threaten all wild things, as well as the hated people who dwell within walls. Nevertheless, they have a perilous journey to undertake, sneaking past the golems to an upside-down, underground world where the sun shines up, ruled by a gigantic creature with three heads, a bat's wings and an octopus's tentacles. Not to mention an insane elf who entraps people with illusions, a whirlpool of lava, a race of wolf-sized ants and a prophecy that leaves Wily doubting himself all over again.
Wily's crisis of confidence is at the center of this book, but in the crunch he shows admirable leadership qualities and a firm, good heart. His friends are an odd lot, but lots of fun – including one who turns out to be her own kind of royalty and another whose attitude makes a 180-degree turnaround. Stalag and his minions are, of course, too foolish ever to succeed, yet the danger seems real for a moment or two. (I especially get a kick out of the mage's oglodyte minions, Agorop and Sceely, who are easy to recognize by their inability to count properly.) And the widespread assumption that Wily will grow up to be like his psychotic father is also, rightly or wrongly, something that weighs on him – to his credit. If this book is good for nothing else, it's awesome for how it depicts the choice of whether to be a hero or a villain as a real choice that even a very young person can make.
This is the second book of the "Snared" trilogy, between Escape to the Above and Voyage on the Eversteel Sea. Epstein is also the author of four "Familiars" books and two "Starbounders" books, all co-authored with Andrew Jacobson.
Once again, Wily travels with a warrior elf whose mood swings from sunny to gloomy with the time of day, a knight whose right arm has magically become a separate entity, his adopted hobgoblet sister, and a mud golem who speaks in sign language and has plants and fungi growing all over him. This time, his journey takes him to a tribe that lives under the sky and practices the secret art of calming wild beasts, hoping that one of them will join their cause. But their new companion, named Valor, only grudgingly joins them when she recognizes that Stalag's golems threaten all wild things, as well as the hated people who dwell within walls. Nevertheless, they have a perilous journey to undertake, sneaking past the golems to an upside-down, underground world where the sun shines up, ruled by a gigantic creature with three heads, a bat's wings and an octopus's tentacles. Not to mention an insane elf who entraps people with illusions, a whirlpool of lava, a race of wolf-sized ants and a prophecy that leaves Wily doubting himself all over again.
Wily's crisis of confidence is at the center of this book, but in the crunch he shows admirable leadership qualities and a firm, good heart. His friends are an odd lot, but lots of fun – including one who turns out to be her own kind of royalty and another whose attitude makes a 180-degree turnaround. Stalag and his minions are, of course, too foolish ever to succeed, yet the danger seems real for a moment or two. (I especially get a kick out of the mage's oglodyte minions, Agorop and Sceely, who are easy to recognize by their inability to count properly.) And the widespread assumption that Wily will grow up to be like his psychotic father is also, rightly or wrongly, something that weighs on him – to his credit. If this book is good for nothing else, it's awesome for how it depicts the choice of whether to be a hero or a villain as a real choice that even a very young person can make.
This is the second book of the "Snared" trilogy, between Escape to the Above and Voyage on the Eversteel Sea. Epstein is also the author of four "Familiars" books and two "Starbounders" books, all co-authored with Andrew Jacobson.
July 31, 2019
My name is Wily Snare, and I don't think I'll ever be able to perform the role of king. As the prince, everyone looks to me to make decisions, but there's too much pressure knowing that my choices will impact others. What if I make a mistake? There's also the fact my father was a wicked man, and many people fear I'll become just like him. To top things off, it seems Stalag is amassing an army of stone golems that will be indestructible, and he'll use them to annihilate the entire kingdom. Our only hope is to find the three-headed lair beast and somehow get it to battle the golems with us. Of course, it will probably devour us as we approach, and no one knows how to control it. Except... there is one person who might be able to help, but will she? Abandonment and hurt feelings may leave us on our own.
You can probably still enjoy this book without reading the first book in the series, Escape to the Above. While the book is full of fantastic, magical creatures, I enjoyed Wily most of all. He didn't have any special powers and was able to escape dangerous situations with his mind. He was also vulnerable due to his insecurities about being a prince. His mother told him it was okay to make mistakes and that he'd never become like his father. However, Wily's self-doubt was a major factor throughout most of the plot. His best friend was Roveeka, his adopted hobgoblet sister, and she was adept at hurling her two knives named Mum and Pops. He was also accompanied by a brave knight and his severed arm. The arm was called Righteous, and it was ready to fight all threats "single-handedly". An elf named Odette and a moss golem named Moshul rounded out the team and created an interesting dynamic. There was great caring between the group members that was key in facing impending perils. Overall, this is an entertaining series, and I recommend you give it a shot.
You can probably still enjoy this book without reading the first book in the series, Escape to the Above. While the book is full of fantastic, magical creatures, I enjoyed Wily most of all. He didn't have any special powers and was able to escape dangerous situations with his mind. He was also vulnerable due to his insecurities about being a prince. His mother told him it was okay to make mistakes and that he'd never become like his father. However, Wily's self-doubt was a major factor throughout most of the plot. His best friend was Roveeka, his adopted hobgoblet sister, and she was adept at hurling her two knives named Mum and Pops. He was also accompanied by a brave knight and his severed arm. The arm was called Righteous, and it was ready to fight all threats "single-handedly". An elf named Odette and a moss golem named Moshul rounded out the team and created an interesting dynamic. There was great caring between the group members that was key in facing impending perils. Overall, this is an entertaining series, and I recommend you give it a shot.
December 14, 2020
Wily is struggling to figure out how to do this leadership thing. It feels like the weight of the world is on his shoulders. When Stalag starts working on making an army of golems out of the most indestructible material in the world, he and his friends have to set out on a quest to recruit the Lair Beast to their side. This mythical creature is the only one strong enough to defeat Stalag's new golems. They have to find the mythical land of Below, convince the tempermental beast to work with them, and get back before the golems destroy more villages.
Another fun fantasy adventure with Wily and gang. Epstein knows how to build just enough suspense but not put the readers through unnecessary torture. The pace is kept up well, and there's a good balance of fun new creatures and places along with character development. I really liked the twist about Wily's sister in this one. Hand this to fantasy adventure fans.
Notes on content: One minor swear. No sexual content. Some battles, but mostly just injuries easily recovered from and stone damaged.
Another fun fantasy adventure with Wily and gang. Epstein knows how to build just enough suspense but not put the readers through unnecessary torture. The pace is kept up well, and there's a good balance of fun new creatures and places along with character development. I really liked the twist about Wily's sister in this one. Hand this to fantasy adventure fans.
Notes on content: One minor swear. No sexual content. Some battles, but mostly just injuries easily recovered from and stone damaged.
August 16, 2019
Wily is now the prince of Panthasos. He feels apprehensive about becoming the King and would rather not, but he cares about his kingdom. Stalag, the villainous mage from book 1, is seeking revenge on Wily and plans to take over Panthasos. Wily's mom tells him about the lair beast, a powerful creature that could help defeat Stalag. This book is pretty exciting fantasy book with lots of adventure with some humor and suspense. I look forward to book #3.
November 27, 2021
My 12-year old loved it and wanted to move on to the 3rd book. I enjoyed the first book well w ouch but started losing interest in the middle of this one.
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March 1, 2019So much fun, this series, which began with Snared: Escape to the Above. Wily Snare, a "trapsmith," was responsible for trap-maintenance in a wizard's lair. But he learned that, in fact, he is a prince who is slated to someday rule. This latest adventure sees Wily and his friends once again on a quest: and, perhaps more importantly, it sees Wily through the travails of self-doubt. I appreciate the book's positive message of coming to believe in yourself.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews