Snared: Escape to the Above

A band of thieves take a sheltered boy on a wild journey in this dark yet humorous middle-grade fantasy adventure series debut.

Chopping blades, scorpion nests, giant spider webs—no one makes traps better than Wily Snare.

Wily Snare has never seen the sun, or the blue sky, or even his parents. He lives underground, creating traps to keep treasure seekers away from the gold in an ancient wizard’s dungeon. He mops up giant slug slime, avoids poison darts, and herds undead skeletons. It’s all he knows.

Until an unusual band of adventurers—an acrobatic elf, a warrior with a magic arm, and a giant made of moss—successfully defeat Wily’s traps. And they want the ultimate treasure: Wily himself. His skills can help them invade every other dungeon in the kingdom. He might even aid their fight against the Infernal King, whose gearfolk and prisonauts terrorize the land.

But for a boy who has never been outside, dungeons aren’t nearly as scary as the world above. Or an evil king who builds the trickiest traps of all . . .

Praise for Snared

A Junior Library Guild Selection

“Snared will ensnare you!” —Michael Scott, New York Times–bestselling author of The Secrets of the Immortal NicholasFlamel series

“Pure dungeon-crawling fun. I can’t recommend it enough.” —Zack Loran Clark, coauthor of The Adventurers Guild

“A heartfelt tale filled with whimsy, wonder, and magic . . . truly satisfying.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Epstein has created a world that is funny, compassionate, and entertaining. . . . Readers will be immersed into this dark yet humorous world filled with unique characters.” —School Library Journal

© 2024 Imprint (Ebook): 9781250146892

Release date

Ebook: May 1, 2024