MONSTER AND APPRENTICE

A smart-mouthed street thief and a gruff exterminator find common ground while confronting family issues and slaying monsters.

In the kingdom of Anoranth, dark secrets manifest as savage, many-legged monsters called Cryptics, which can only be safely killed by trained, magical Arcanists. Facing a long prison sentence for vandalizing one of the lamps whose light keeps the monsters at bay, brown-haired 13-year-old Rolan Strider is relieved to be claimed as an apprentice by the taciturn, black-haired, blue-eyed, heavily tattooed Arcanist Luc, whose face is covered in scars. Not only does learning how to find the magic he needs to slay monsters prove to be exciting (if fantastically dangerous) work, but over time, Rolan bonds with his mentor more than he ever has with his own abusive father. The tale, marked by guilty secrets and betrayals as much as it is livened by banter and teasing, culminates in a wild battle with an immense Cryptic; a lack of resolution in the ending will disappoint some but leaves things open for a possible sequel. Although Luc and Rolan behave heroically while developing a strong chemistry, apothecary Evaine (who has olive skin, green eyes, and dark hair) and her “fluffy-haired” apprentice, a girl named Anaya (who has brown, freckled skin), rarely shine. Both are clever, but they seem to do little beyond providing nursing and food for the menfolk while needing more than once to be rescued from peril.

An action-packed, if not seamless, tale with a marvelously inventive premise.