An Apprentice Escapes

Papa always said to fight for what’s right, no matter the price. But he wasn’t locked up in a room far from home and far from Mama. Wouldn’t it be better to give up?

No! My fingers closed around the vial with resolve. Mama believed I was strong. Sow the worthy seeds. I couldn’t let our patients suffer. I couldn’t let Mama down. I couldn’t give up.

An Apprentice Escapes by Lillian Keith is a fun, short middle-grade fantasy and Keith’s debut publication. While simple, its enjoyable plot, likable characters, and prominent truth drew me in.

Plot

Thirteen year old Lyla is on the run, simply because she and her mother had an underground apothecary’s practice—the last in the whole province. Now, with Mama in jail, Lyla must escape the Daviron city officials who are bent on catching her. Befriending a runaway street boy, Lyla sets out for the only refuge she knows: the forest. Yet danger lurks in every dark shadow, and seemingly friendly people could be enemies in disguise.

Will her mama’s final words be enough to guide her forward and lead her to the safety of the forest? Or will Lyla be caught and sent away to an unknown fate?

Welcome to Lillian Keith’s debut middle-grade story, set in a fantasy 19th century-style universe.

I have little to add about the plot. Thirty minutes of reading time leaves little in the way of extra comments. However, it’s certainly well-crafted, and the tight pacing and constant suspense kept me engaged the entire time.

My only critique is, I wish it would have been longer. This concept had the potential for further development, and I would have loved to spend more time exploring the world the author crafted. As it is, the “fantasy 19th-century-style universe” gets little attention. We see apothecaries for the fantasy part, and trains for the 19th-century part. And that’s just about it.

Characters

For such a condensed story, Keith makes her characters come alive. The protagonist, Lyla, grapples with responding to people who manipulate her kindness. Her struggle came across the page clearly. When she doubts the worthwhileness of her deeds, wondering if she should hide in the woods and avoid danger, I wondered with her.

Her friend, Finn, is also a fun character. Again, I wish the author could have explained more about him, but what attention he gets makes him realistic and endearing.

Theme & Content Warnings

An Apprentice Escapes asks, “Should you help people even when they turn against you?” Betrayal after betrayal rocks Lyla’s confidence in her determination to help others. But another recurring theme still guides her thoughts:

“No matter what you do, Lyla, make sure it has value. If you sow ‘useless’ acts, you will reap useless things. Sow only the worthy seeds. And those seeds will reap something excellent in itself.”

These words from her mother come up often. Simple and short as the story is, this profound truth makes it pack a punch.

No content warnings here. The book is perfectly clean.

Overall

An Apprentice Escapes is a good book and a promising debut. My only real issue with it is, I wish it were longer. I’d recommend this to any young readers looking for a clean story.

Thanks for reading!