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The Owl Apprentice and the Trees of Myth and Magic
A young apprentice. A magical grove. And an ancient spell that will soon be broken.
More than anything in the world, Screech wants to be a wizard. But his dreams of wielding magic are shattered when he’s stripped of his scrolls, wand and robe. With his future uncertain, Screech discovers a hidden power that has been dormant until now. Will Screech's new found talent be able to help the sequoias, or will dark forces overrun the grove before it's too late?
If you like talking animals, enchanted forests, and the magic of nature, then you’ll love The Owl Apprentice. This chapter book deals with many themes including resilience, perseverance, discernment and belief. Perfect for fans of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, Redwall by Brian Jacques and The Green Ember by S.D. Smith, along with other fantasy series including The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander.
More than anything in the world, Screech wants to be a wizard. But his dreams of wielding magic are shattered when he’s stripped of his scrolls, wand and robe. With his future uncertain, Screech discovers a hidden power that has been dormant until now. Will Screech's new found talent be able to help the sequoias, or will dark forces overrun the grove before it's too late?
If you like talking animals, enchanted forests, and the magic of nature, then you’ll love The Owl Apprentice. This chapter book deals with many themes including resilience, perseverance, discernment and belief. Perfect for fans of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, Redwall by Brian Jacques and The Green Ember by S.D. Smith, along with other fantasy series including The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander.
155 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 31, 2020
3 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 23, 2024
This is a Magic Realism Middle Grade. I found this story very cute and fun. In this book we follow a young Owl that can talk to trees, and the other owls kicks him out of the order. He is trying to find his place. I love the message in this book. The characters in this book is very developed, and I love the idea of this book. I think this book would be good for the younger end of Middle Grade. My favorite part of this book is when the young owl enters the library, and I love the idea of owls having magic and a library. This is very well written. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher or author (Erik DeLeo) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
May 20, 2021
A perfect book for fans of Guardians of Gahoole!
I love, love this book! Screech is very adorable (and relatable). I love the forest setting, the magic system, and the whole thing! The writing style is neat and the pacing is good. I can totally see this book as animation movie like Guardians. Personal fav characters are Screech, Silvercrest, and Penelope.
This book was a lot of joy to read!
[ Review copy received from Netgalley (thank you!). Review is 100% honest ].
I love, love this book! Screech is very adorable (and relatable). I love the forest setting, the magic system, and the whole thing! The writing style is neat and the pacing is good. I can totally see this book as animation movie like Guardians. Personal fav characters are Screech, Silvercrest, and Penelope.
This book was a lot of joy to read!
[ Review copy received from Netgalley (thank you!). Review is 100% honest ].
August 29, 2021
I loved the cover of this book. It’s what first attracted me to read it. I love books that are similar to Brian Jacques ‘Redwall’ in that animals are the speaking characters.
This was great read which was surprisingly fast.
There was a lot to keep up with as far as who was bad and who was good and I wonder if average middle schoolers would be able to keep up? Overall a satisfying read and it wrapped up well. I enjoyed it and will read the first two books in the series.
This is an honest review of ARC I received from NetGalley.
This was great read which was surprisingly fast.
There was a lot to keep up with as far as who was bad and who was good and I wonder if average middle schoolers would be able to keep up? Overall a satisfying read and it wrapped up well. I enjoyed it and will read the first two books in the series.
This is an honest review of ARC I received from NetGalley.
July 22, 2025
Erik DeLeo has done it again! Another cute story from the Fantastic Tails Adventure series. I finished this series in the span of three weeks! Unfortunately, this is the last book in the series. I did not like this book as much as the previous ones, but it's still a good story.
Because of a clumsy mistake at the Ceremony of the Moon, Screech—a young owl apprentice—has been removed from the wizard program by the Order of Owls. While moping, he discovers he has a secret power. Then something terrible happens: the sequoias and the surrounding forest are losing their magic.
I enjoyed this series, but not this book as much. Unlike the previous one, this one deals with magic. I liked the wizardly aspect of it. Owls with wands and as wizards, when usually in these magic stories they're the wizard's apprentice; it is a fun change of pace. Screech is a cute protagonist. I liked him more than Miko, though not more than Puff.
Note: Using new rating system starting 2025.
May 20, 2021
High tension and never-ending adventure make this into a quick read in a world where owls, trees and ravens battle to control the magic.
Screech is an owl apprentice, and not a very good one. He's a bit clumsy, doesn't seem to barely have an ounce of magic in his wings, and makes more mistakes than he has feathers. When he accidentally ruins the owl's ceremony, they decide enough is enough and remove him from his duties. Forever. Having no friends, he wanders into the forest to discover a sympathetic a tree, and more importantly, that he discovers that he seems to be able to talk to trees. While the talent is unheard of to those he knows, it sparks the interest of the wrong magic wielders and sets off a chain of events which will destroy the world as Screech knows it if he doesn't figure out who to trust and how to stop the evil.
This book starts out with a bang and throws the reader right into a first, plot important scene. But then, these pages leave little time for boredom from start to finish and keep the reader hooked the entire way through. There's just enough time to gain sympathy with him as he's questionably removed from his position and left to sulk alone without a single friend. But after that, the plot propels forward and Screech faces increasing danger...as do those around him. There's intrigue, very dangerous battles, tons of magic, a bit of bullying, friendship, and lies. And for a short adventure at only around 150 pages, it weaves quite the tale.
This is a short read and will be great for those with little patience for scene descriptions and thought. While keeping the tale racing forward, it does leaves some things lost on the sidelines. The first pages are a bit too sudden and introduce the catapulting event for the rest of the tale without any background. While Screech is easy to like, the rest of the characters carry quirky personalities but don't really have time to connect with the reader. Some moments go by too fast and small things are skipped over. Still, the tale is well-woven enough to be forgiving, and the writing does pull in.
Young fantasy friends, who want a quick, imaginative read, which is packed with action and magic will enjoy this one quite a bit. I received a complimentary copy.
Screech is an owl apprentice, and not a very good one. He's a bit clumsy, doesn't seem to barely have an ounce of magic in his wings, and makes more mistakes than he has feathers. When he accidentally ruins the owl's ceremony, they decide enough is enough and remove him from his duties. Forever. Having no friends, he wanders into the forest to discover a sympathetic a tree, and more importantly, that he discovers that he seems to be able to talk to trees. While the talent is unheard of to those he knows, it sparks the interest of the wrong magic wielders and sets off a chain of events which will destroy the world as Screech knows it if he doesn't figure out who to trust and how to stop the evil.
This book starts out with a bang and throws the reader right into a first, plot important scene. But then, these pages leave little time for boredom from start to finish and keep the reader hooked the entire way through. There's just enough time to gain sympathy with him as he's questionably removed from his position and left to sulk alone without a single friend. But after that, the plot propels forward and Screech faces increasing danger...as do those around him. There's intrigue, very dangerous battles, tons of magic, a bit of bullying, friendship, and lies. And for a short adventure at only around 150 pages, it weaves quite the tale.
This is a short read and will be great for those with little patience for scene descriptions and thought. While keeping the tale racing forward, it does leaves some things lost on the sidelines. The first pages are a bit too sudden and introduce the catapulting event for the rest of the tale without any background. While Screech is easy to like, the rest of the characters carry quirky personalities but don't really have time to connect with the reader. Some moments go by too fast and small things are skipped over. Still, the tale is well-woven enough to be forgiving, and the writing does pull in.
Young fantasy friends, who want a quick, imaginative read, which is packed with action and magic will enjoy this one quite a bit. I received a complimentary copy.
September 19, 2021
I fell in love with the cover and then I fell in love with this sweet and well written story.
Great world building and characters, a well crafted plot that kept me turning pages.
I think it will be loved by people of all ageds.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Great world building and characters, a well crafted plot that kept me turning pages.
I think it will be loved by people of all ageds.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews