The mad apprentice

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 ReviewSo 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 [b:The Forbidden Library 17987501 The Forbidden Library (The Forbidden Library, #1) Django Wexler https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1372045701s/17987501.jpg 25223481], 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.