The Adventurers Guild: The Adventurers Guild Trilogy, Book 1

What child, standing on the cusp of the frightening yet compelling abyss of adolescence, hasn’t assumed they knew a few things about their world and hoped the coming seasons would slot them into their correct place? How many young people yearn to follow a path of their own choosing, only to find both fate and the adult world have other plans for them? And, of course, how often do those disappointed young adventurers on the path of life find that they are exactly where they are supposed to be, even when they are not sure how they are going to make it through the rest of the day?The Adventurer’s Guild, a first novel by Zack Loran Clark and Nick Eliopulos, published by Disney - Hyperion in 2017, poses those standard coming-of-age questions by reweaving threads from the now-classic genre trope of assigning characters at a seminal age to specific houses/ occupations/ communities/ factions, in this case guilds, thus disrupting the lives, hopes, and self-concepts of the main characters. In the vibrantly crafted city of Freestone, fatherless half-elven Zed--alone of his kind--and his much more privileged friend Brock, are thrust into life-threatening conflicts that reveal as much about who they are capable of becoming as well as some secrets in the history and structure of the world they thought they knew so well.I was left wanting. In a totally good way. Wanting to learn more about this threatened Terren world and the cities that have already fallen. Wanting to understand the depth and source of each Guild’s real powers. Wanting to learn more about the different kinds of magic and where the Dangers came from. Wanting, of course, to watch Zed, Brock, valiant Liza, timid but knowledgeable Jayna, arrogant Micah, and the selfless dwarf warrior Jett grow into their places in the Adventurer’s Guild, Freestone’s last line of defense, if magical wards fail, against the insatiable creatures on the other side of the wall. And wanting more of the breezy, often funny, narrative skill these new authors have shown. Younger readers will recognize themselves in enough real world behaviors to erupt into occasional giggles, and those moments nicely balance the more intense scenes.This is an outstanding first book and the perfect way to introduce a new series. Young readers and not-so-young fans of the fantasy genre will find comfort in the way these authors have used the tropes closest to our hearts and developed a narrative arc that gives satisfactory answers to the big questions but leaves readers hungry for more. The book closes by dangling us expectantly over Book 2, anxiously waiting to be dropped into Twilight of the Elves.

Our Middle Schoolers requested the full series!!!

My eight year old grandson read this book at least 3 times while he was with us during the week after Christmas! He loved it and wants to get other books in the series.

The authors created a unique world with monsters I've not read about. The story of how each character became part of the Guild is different for each one, which enriched the tale. At times it was a little telly, but it didn't prevent me from getting engrossed in the characters adventures and wondering how they'd handle themselves in their situations, and how things would turn out. I will definitely read the sequel.

My 11-year-old son and I read this series together and finished it last night. We finished the final book and then looked at each other and were just so sad that it was over! We're going to miss these wonderful characters and their adventures. All three books were a delight to read and a wonderful mix of strong, believable, flawed, and loveable characters, a rich, beautiful, and unpredictable world, and a fast-paced/action-packed plot! I highly recommend this series.

With loyal and brave characters who deal with issues relating to diversity, learning your 'destined' path isn't your path at all, and adventure, this is a great book for elementary- or middle-school-aged people who are figuring out their places in their own confusing worlds.

This is an all-around good book.

Exactly what my son wantsThanks

My 10-year-old loves adventure stories, and this one is no exception. It's so great that he did not want to stop listing to it after starting it this morning. Yet it scares him a lot to the point that he can't sleep. So, careful with the listed age for this book. It might not be appropriate for all.

Un dés meilleure livré que j'ai lû cette année. Je l'adore. L'histoire est formidable et j'espère que il y aura de la suite pour ce livré.