Wild Born (Spirit Animals, #1)

by Brandon Mull

 


The first book in a series from #1 New York Times bestselling
author Brandon Mull comes Spirit Animals, an epic book series
that leaps from the page into a riveting online game.

Your book is the key to claim your spirit animal!

In the world of Erdas, four children are about to discover if
they have a spirit animal bond, a rare link between human and beast
that gives great powers to both.


Separated by vast distances, Conor, Abeke, Meilin, and Rollan
each see a flash of light . . . and then the animals emerge.


Wolf, leopard, panda, falcon.


Each of the children has summoned a beast from legend. Now their
fate is set.


The four heroes and their animals must band together on a dangerous
quest. A dark force from the past is rising, and only they
have the power to stop it.


The fate of Erdas has fallen on the shoulders of these brave strangers
. . . and on you..





Part engrossing book series, part action role-playing
game - discover your spirit animal and join the adventure.


Six immersive novels and a breathtaking game make this a world
children will want to live in for ever

Hardback format makes this a lovely gift

Each book in the series will unlock expanded gameplay on the
Spirit Animals online game site www.spiritanimals.com

The stunning game puts players in the world of the books, drawing
reluctant readers into the story

• ISBN13: 9780545522434
• Publish Date: 10 September 2013 (first published 5 September 2013)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 23 March 2022
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Scholastic US
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 224
• Language: English

Reviews

[Liz (Bent Bookworm)]

~*Follow all my reviews over on The Bent Bookworm!*~

Wild Born is the first in the Spirit Animals middle-grade series (complete with the online game), written by a line-up of amazing writers who have already made their stamp in the world of either MG or YA. I just happened to walk by the series on the shelf at my local library and stopped, attracted by the pretty spines (yes, I'm shallow sometimes). Then I realized that Brandon Mull (Fablehaven series), Maggie Stiefvater (The Raven Cycle), and a string of other amazing writers had contributed books...and I was TOTALLY invested before even knowing what they were about!

The story is set in the fantasy world of Erdas - which is clearly based on our world with similar geographical and cultural divides, and in a time where sword fighting and martial arts are common place, and the calvary is supreme on the battlefield. Four kids undergo the coming-of-age ritual of their people, and call forth a spirit animal! That's exciting enough in itself, but these are not just normal spirit animals, but beasts out of legend and almost out of time.

There is a lot of world set-up in this one, but it's presented as the story goes along and I found it fascinating. Also there weren't many scenes where some kind of action wasn't happening as the characters progressed from one bump in the road to the next. I loved it! Especially near the beginning, there was a little more tell vs. show than I like, but it smoothed itself out for the most part.

I love how different all the kids are, and how their bonds with their animals proceed on individual paths. My favorite has to be the nonconformist, Rollan, who wants to do good in the world but refuses to completely believe in the mainstream. Also his spirit animal is a falcon, what's not to love?

The plot is obviously only getting started, but I felt the reunion between the four was somewhat rushed at the end of the book. It's going to be super interesting to see how all these different authors write in the same world and with some (if not all) of the same characters.

4/5 stars. Highly recommend, and these will be going on my shelf at home!

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