By Tessa Pulyer Posted on

Fireborn by Aisling Fowler #BlogTour #BookReview #Fantasy #MiddleGrades

Thank you to The Write Reads for my spot on this blog tour.
US (top) and UK (bottom) covers
Publisher: Harper Collins
Length: 384 Pages
Publishing: 30th September 2021

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.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Fireborn-1-Aisling-Fowler/dp/0062996711/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56554614-fireborn

What I Loved

Fireborn is an epic fantasy tale that just amazed me with its scope and depth. Children with no place else to go can come to the Hunting Lodge, let go of the past, and train to be part of a new family that protects all their world’s seven clans. By its very nature, the Hunting Lodge trains heroes. The great world-building brought to life a land very different from our own that is full of dangerous and magical creatures but also has familiar and cute animals like Widget, the main character’s pet squirrel.

The theme of friendship brings about an epic journey to find the kidnapped Seven, a young girl who is not very good with weapons but has something that the evil goblins want. Five, Six, and Twelve, the main character, set off with the stone guardian Dog and learn about teamwork, sacrifice, and the importance of the vows that govern their lives in the Lodge. Their path’s many life and death dangers keep the pace very quick and the pages turning faster and faster. There is barely time to catch your breath before the rescue team faces a new creature or obstacle.

An omniscient narrator works very well in this story. It allows the world to be described in intricate detail that is necessary to understand and visualize it. The characters are so well-detailed that you feel their pain as they each grapple with the past tragedies that brought them to the Lodge. And the creatures are described in enough detail so that I did not have any trouble imagining them and the danger they presented.

Reminds Me Of

I am at a loss for what this story reminds me of. It is a story that basks in originality.

Characters

Twelve is the main character. A thirteen-year-old girl who is physically strong, has a large chip on her shoulder, and pushes everybody away swiftly and surely. Despite that, I couldn’t help feeling compelled by her pain to root for her successes. I love how she consciously learns from her mistakes, determined not to repeat them, and how her determination continues until she is to the point of recklessness. Her relationship with Widge, her pet squirrel, humanizes her until, at times, she is even likable. I also enjoyed her numbered teammates – Five, Six, and Seven and loved watching them all learn to work together, protect each other, and show love and compassion even when faced with peril. And Dog deserves mention too. The steadfast guardian easily won my heart as he went against his instincts and helped the huntlings on their journey.

What I Wish

I don’t have any technical wishes, as this book is spot on in all categories. My only wish, then, is that Twelve continues to let her heart grow and build to nurture those connections she made in this story.

Rating:

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️ (five out of five suns)

To Read or Not to Read

This is a fantasy tale intended for the middle grades reader, but the scope and depth are so epic that they should easily appeal to older readers. I am blown away by this story and believe you should join me and the characters on this epic journey.

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.

(from https://www.rcwlitagency.com/authors/fowler-aisling/)

22 Replies to “Fireborn by Aisling Fowler #BlogTour #BookReview #Fantasy #MiddleGrades”

  1. dinipandareads says:

    Great review! I absolutely love that word cloud that you made in the shape of Widge! 😍 I thought this was such a wonderful start to a new MG fantasy series and I can’t wait to read more. I hope Twelve continues to grow and let herself open up to the new friends she has made, too 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      Thank you! A word cloud just had to be shaped like Widge ❤️. It is definitely an incredible story.

      Like

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      They let go of their name when they let go of their past and get to name themselves once they pass their big test. It’s very interesting! It’s a wonderful story ❤️

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Louise says:

    Love your review! I totally agree that this story can easily appeal to older readers. It has such good world building and character development which is not usually found in MG books. I loved it!

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Carla says:

    Wonderful review Tessa. I love this review and I really want to read this book. I am not sure about the numbers as names, but I hope I can wrap my head around this one. It definitely sounds like it will cross all age groups.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      They are given numbers as names to reflect that they have left their old life behind. Once they become full-fledged hunters, they get to choose their own name. The names sound kind of weird in a review, but they didn’t bother me in the book at all. You even learn Twelves’ birth name as the story unfolds ❤️

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Pingback: This week’s round-up of middle grade fantasy and science fiction from around the blogs etc (8/22/21) – Book Library
  8. D. Wallace Peach says:

    The book sounds wonderful, Tessa. Do you think it would work for a precocious reader who’s only 8 years old? How violent is it? I would love to get this for my grandson. He’s a fantasy reader.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      As a former precocious child, I think yes. Lol. The violence is totally non-graphic and I think solely against creatures/monsters and 8 year old boys love that. I didn’t have any red flags going up. I would say it’s online with early Harry Potter to give you a point of reference.

      Liked by 1 person

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