Apprentice Needed - (Wizard for Hire) by Obert Skye (Hardcover)

About the Book

When a mysterious package arrives in the mail containing a plane ticket and a thumb drive, Ozzy is certain it's from Rin. But when Ozzy, Sigi, and Clark arrive in New York, Rin isn't there. Instead they are met by the man who was the money behind the mind-controlling "discipline serum" created by Ozzy's parents.

Book Synopsis

Ozzy Toffy's adventure, which began in Wizard for Hire, continues when one dark and windy night, he gets out of bed, jumps out his window, and walks straight into the ocean.

More than ever, Ozzy could really use the services of Rin, the wizard he hired to help find his parents--but Rin is missing, despite Ozzy's continual attempts to contact him. And Clark, the mechanical bird his father left him, is as peculiar and vain as ever.

When a mysterious package arrives, Ozzy and his good friend Sigi are sure that the plane ticket and thumb drive they find inside are from Rin. Trying to get Clark through security at the airport proves complicated--as most things are with Clark. But when they arrive in New York, they discover there's even more adventure in store for them.

Will Rin return and save the day? Will Ozzy figure out why he keeps walking into the ocean? Can Sigi find a way to trust her delinquent father? Will someone please appreciate Clark the way he'd like to be appreciated? For once?

Wizard for Hire: Apprentice Needed is a story filled with humor and excitement that shows us the magic in everyday things.

Review Quotes

"It's the characters that...make the book work. Clark is an amusing diversion with his dry humor and obsession with mechanical objects. While Rin's suspicious lack of magical ability throws his wizardry into question, Ozzy's continuing wonder with the world is the real magic. A sequel that...continues to deliver mystery, humor, and real-life magic."-- "Kirkus"

"Rin, the madcap titular wizard for hire, is back again, and just in time! Skye does not disappoint with this silly sequel. It's as fun and fantastical as the first and filled to the brim with good
laughs. An adventure for any collection."-- "Booklist" (3/1/2019 12:00:00 AM)

"There are two kinds of people in the moody, magical world of Apprentice Needed: those who are opposed to imagination, and those who understand what a powerful force it can be. The second novel in the Wizard for Hire series revisits the adventures of Ozzy, the wizard Rin, and a mechanical bird named Clark as they try to uncover the origins of a mysterious mind-control serum. Obert Skye has created a believable, lively world of magic and make-believe.

Whatever Rin's shortcomings, he has one great strength: he believes in Ozzy and magic, and is willing to power through whatever wild goose chase lies ahead. Sigi, Rin's daughter, is especially well-drawn, and her droll adolescent attitude is a nice foil for her dad's aggressive optimism.

This main plot would be sufficient to support the entire novel, but a second story is Turduckened inside it: Rin wants Ozzy to become his apprentice so that he can move on to the next level of wizardry. Both of these plots are well-developed...Apprentice For Hire is an ambitious second book that is full of wonderful, transporting exposition and realistic characters who pursue better-than-realistic adventures."-- "Foreword Reviews"

"Thoroughly engaging and a prize for personal and public library YA fantasy collections."-- "Midwest Book Review" (3/23/2019 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

Obert Skye has traveled to all fifty states, visiting with children and librarians in hundreds of schools and inspiring people to read. Besides traveling and writing, he enjoys solving mysteries and collecting old maps. He is the bestselling author of the Leven Thumps series. Skye believes imagination is one of the most powerful things in the world because it's the vehicle that opens your mind to the impossible.