Booklist
"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."
Midwest Book Review
"Thoroughly engaging and a prize for personal and public library YA fantasy collections."
Foreword Reviews
"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."
Booklist
"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."
Kirkus Reviews
2019-01-15
Fifteen-year-old Ozzy Toffy is still settling into his new life beyond the solitary house in the woods when a series of events puts everything and everyone he loves in jeopardy in this sequel to Wizard for Hire (2018).
Life is never dull for Ozzy, his friend Sigi, and his mechanical bird, Clark. Wizard Rin phones, saying simply that "things are happening." Indeed: Ozzy sleepwalks into the ocean, guided by his buzzing finger, and a mysterious man delivers a zip drive containing a plane ticket for travel to New York City. Believing Rin is behind the subterfuge, Sigi, Ozzy, and Clark board a plane only to find themselves confronted by Ray Dench, an evil and powerful man, who is determined to use and then dispose of Ozzy. Even though they manage to escape Ray's henchmen, Ozzy is still troubled by his buzzing finger, and Sigi continues to struggle to trust Rin, who is also her estranged father. It's the characters that (mostly) 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. The book adheres to the white default, brown-skinned Sigi a notable exception. Ozzy's fascination with her skin and her devotion to Ozzy make her characterization troubling.
A sequel that (mostly) continues to deliver mystery, humor, and real-life magic. (Fantasy. 12-14)
