An energetic youth finds himself in a new home. His old family, it seems, does not want him. No matter—there are new and exciting animals to play with here! Uh-oh, why does my dad keep leaving me? Looks like I’ll have to gather up my furry crew to go and find out. Who knows what perils await over the mountains!

Now, that synopsis describes both Homeward Bound and The Assassin’s Apprentice, our book for this week. The latter has only slightly fewer dog scenes.

In this week’s Genre Stop!, Bri and Scott trawl through 500 pages of canine-based magic systems. Along the way, they discuss Bri’s thinly veiled desire for an abusive mentor, the lyrics of “No Scrubs,” and the interminability of fantasy Bildungsromane.