A huge thanks to Dave and crew over at #TheWriteReads for organising one mammoth book tour and to Aisling Fowler, Harper Collins and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis
Lyra. Lucy. Percy. Once in a generation, a hero emerges whose story enthralls readers worldwide.
Fireborn is an epic quest, perfect for fans of the His Dark Materials and The School for Good and Evil series, that will spin readers into a magical world like no other–and introduce them to an unforgettable new heroine named Twelve.
Ember is full of monsters.
Twelve gave up her name and identity to train in the art of hunting them–so she says. The truth is much more deadly: she trains to take revenge on those who took her family from her.
But when Twelve’s new home is attacked, she’ll find herself on an unexpected journey, where her hidden past is inescapably intertwined with her destiny–and the very fate of her world.
Publisher: Harper Collins
Length: 384 Pages
Publishing: 30th September 2021
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Fireborn-1-Aisling-Fowler/dp/0062996711/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56554614-fireborn
My Thoughts
This is such a riveting fantasy adventure for middle grade reading (and adults who are young at heart) and is a must for any bookshelf.
The writing style is so easy to follow but is also rich and dense in world and character building, so I’d say it’s a great introduction to fantasy for children. The reader becomes immediately immersed in Twelve’s world and it is built up around them with vivid description but in a way that is accessible to younger readers.
The setting resembles a middle-aged vibe with clans and lots of mythical creatures. Hunters train and come together to protect all clans against evil but when the hunting lodge is compromised and attacked, and a huntling (trainee) is taken. Twelve and some of her huntling classmates and The Guardian (Dog) set out to find her. I loved the idea of the hunting lodge and it reminded me a little of Hogwarts with a different theme. The mountains and the areas they journeyed through were just so well written and described. The whole story played like a film in my head.
Twelve has given up all her previous life to train and become a hunter. As the narrative moves forward, the reader gains little insights into her former life and the more you learn, the more real she becomes. At first she seems prickly and sullen however she is a fierce and fearless warrior and a superb female character to read about. I loved Dog, Five and Six too how their relationships and personalities changed throughout the book.
This is such an engaging and addictive book and it will delight all readers.
Author Bio – Aisling Fowler
Aisling was born in 1985 and wishes that she had grown up in a magical, mountainous kingdom, but was actually raised in Surrey on a diet of books and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Her early ‘adventure’ stories involved surprisingly little action and her first novel (3 pages long) was politely declined by publishers at age 11. After earning a BSc in Biology and working as a support worker and then a nurse, the idea for her debut novel, Fireborn, came to her as she moved back and forth between London and the US. Now based in Hackney, when she is not reading or writing, Aisling loves cooking and plotting adventures (for herself as well as her fictional characters). Fireborn will be published by HarperCollins in 2021.
Herding Cats 