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laura_cs's review against another edition
5.0
Everyone's favorite monster-loving, monster-taming, monster-hunting princess with her wide array of companions--of the human and fuzzy/feathery/scaly variety!
Princess Rowan is learning all she can as the Royal Monster Hunter. She is particularly eager to continue the study of the gryphon she brought home to the castle--and especially the baby the gryphon is pregnant with! But when things go horribly wrong, the baby is orphaned and imprints on Rowan. But as the baby grows fast and causes havoc, Rowan knows that it is her duty to bring the baby to the home of the gryphons, so that she can be among her kind. But what is a journey with a baby gryphon without a few bumps in the road? Especially of the monster variety?
The conclusion to the "Royal Guide to Monster Hunting" duology, Armstrong brings closure to these characters, while still leaving plenty of room for the imagination of the future adventures of Rowan, Dain, Jacko, and all of their friends. Fantastic in every sense of the word, "The Gryphon's Lair" is a stunning tale about friendships, growing up, responsibility, and, of course, monsters!
Princess Rowan is learning all she can as the Royal Monster Hunter. She is particularly eager to continue the study of the gryphon she brought home to the castle--and especially the baby the gryphon is pregnant with! But when things go horribly wrong, the baby is orphaned and imprints on Rowan. But as the baby grows fast and causes havoc, Rowan knows that it is her duty to bring the baby to the home of the gryphons, so that she can be among her kind. But what is a journey with a baby gryphon without a few bumps in the road? Especially of the monster variety?
The conclusion to the "Royal Guide to Monster Hunting" duology, Armstrong brings closure to these characters, while still leaving plenty of room for the imagination of the future adventures of Rowan, Dain, Jacko, and all of their friends. Fantastic in every sense of the word, "The Gryphon's Lair" is a stunning tale about friendships, growing up, responsibility, and, of course, monsters!
amandathebookworm's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this sequel, which really put emphasis on Rowan's journey into her next steps and how her experiences with monsters is quite unique. This is such a wonderful middle grade series that has a powerful female lead with a unique take. She's strong-spirited, breaks the rules, and actually demonstrates leadership and communication skills. The different monsters are really interesting as well.
koalateagirl's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
heathersbike's review against another edition
5.0
It's Kelley Armstrong. 'Nuf said.
But this series is just so sweet. I really enjoy it.
But this series is just so sweet. I really enjoy it.
lolasreviews's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed book 1 in this series and excitedly jumped into book 2. This was another great read. I really like this world filled with monsters and seeing Rowen navigate it with her friends, both human and monsters. I like how she tries to understand the monsters, but also can make tough decisions. She has her flaws, but she's also determined and works hard to fix things.
This was another action packed adventure read. Rowen and her companions again meet countless monsters and dangerous situations. There are battles, but also more strategic solutions and I especially liked the whole gryphon situation and how they handled that and how she read their body language. There also is one sad scene, but at the same time it was the right decision and I am impressed with how Rowan handled it.
I liked Rowan, she makes for a great main character. She's quite mature for her age, but that makes sense with her role of being the kingdom's monster hunter. I really like how she approaches the different situations and I like seeing her interact with the monsters. She's capable, but also has fear and gets hurt at times. She's not afraid to admit her mistakes and takes responsibility.
The side characters are great as well and I like how we get a good feel for them. From her friends Allianor and Dain to her brother Rhydd, her mother and Wilmot. They all have a role to play in the story and I like seeing how they interact. I also like how Allianor and Dain both interact with Rowan and how a difficult situation between them got resolved by talking things through, I liked that. And then there's a whole group of monster characters as well. I like seeing how Malric shows a bit more affection. And ofcourse Jacko and Sunniva. And she makes some new monster friends as well in this book. Tiera was awesome too.
It's so fun to read about all the different monsters in this world and I like how the author really makes them come alive. Each monster has their own habits and behavior and I liked learning more about them. It's also great how Rowan treat it, despite the series title they rarely slay monsters and instead try to find the best solution for both human and monsters.
I liked how we got to see a bit more of the world as well in this book, from the different clans to the different places they visit and how we see how some people are affected by the monsters or how they treat them as well.
To summarize: This was a great sequel. I really liked following Rowan and her friends as they set off on another adventure. Rowan is a great character, I like how capable and responsibly she is, but she still has fear and can be hurt as well. My favorite part is seeing her interact with the monsters. There is a great group of side character, both human and monsters. I liked seeing more of the world and more monsters in this book, I like how each monster has their own behavior and habits. I had a lot of fun reading this book and I can only hope there will be more books in this series as I would love more stories in this world.
This was another action packed adventure read. Rowen and her companions again meet countless monsters and dangerous situations. There are battles, but also more strategic solutions and I especially liked the whole gryphon situation and how they handled that and how she read their body language. There also is one sad scene, but at the same time it was the right decision and I am impressed with how Rowan handled it.
I liked Rowan, she makes for a great main character. She's quite mature for her age, but that makes sense with her role of being the kingdom's monster hunter. I really like how she approaches the different situations and I like seeing her interact with the monsters. She's capable, but also has fear and gets hurt at times. She's not afraid to admit her mistakes and takes responsibility.
The side characters are great as well and I like how we get a good feel for them. From her friends Allianor and Dain to her brother Rhydd, her mother and Wilmot. They all have a role to play in the story and I like seeing how they interact. I also like how Allianor and Dain both interact with Rowan and how a difficult situation between them got resolved by talking things through, I liked that. And then there's a whole group of monster characters as well. I like seeing how Malric shows a bit more affection. And ofcourse Jacko and Sunniva. And she makes some new monster friends as well in this book. Tiera was awesome too.
It's so fun to read about all the different monsters in this world and I like how the author really makes them come alive. Each monster has their own habits and behavior and I liked learning more about them. It's also great how Rowan treat it, despite the series title they rarely slay monsters and instead try to find the best solution for both human and monsters.
I liked how we got to see a bit more of the world as well in this book, from the different clans to the different places they visit and how we see how some people are affected by the monsters or how they treat them as well.
To summarize: This was a great sequel. I really liked following Rowan and her friends as they set off on another adventure. Rowan is a great character, I like how capable and responsibly she is, but she still has fear and can be hurt as well. My favorite part is seeing her interact with the monsters. There is a great group of side character, both human and monsters. I liked seeing more of the world and more monsters in this book, I like how each monster has their own behavior and habits. I had a lot of fun reading this book and I can only hope there will be more books in this series as I would love more stories in this world.
dgrachel's review against another edition
I totally understand that I'm not the target audience. That being said, I don't think I would have enjoyed this even when I was the "right" age. Rowan gets on my nerves. The life lessons are more heavy handed in this one than the first in the series, and it feels very preachy. I think they are good lessons to be teaching, I just think there has to be a more subtle way to work them into fiction.
raeofbooks's review
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
lazygal's review against another edition
4.0
SO cute! The jackalope, the gryphon and other monsters are actually pretty cute (at least the ones Rowan befriends/imprints on).
I know that several reviewers say to read Book 1 first, but I think it's fairly easy to catch up to the plot and plotting going on. Rowan is a wonderfully strong character, happier now in her role as Royal Monster Hunter than in her former role as Heir Apparent; the other characters are also fleshed out relatively well (with one exception), something that doesn't always happen in other books. The most disappointing part is that this is a duology and I'd love more of this world and these creatures.
eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
I know that several reviewers say to read Book 1 first, but I think it's fairly easy to catch up to the plot and plotting going on. Rowan is a wonderfully strong character, happier now in her role as Royal Monster Hunter than in her former role as Heir Apparent; the other characters are also fleshed out relatively well (with one exception), something that doesn't always happen in other books. The most disappointing part is that this is a duology and I'd love more of this world and these creatures.
eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
thechaoshour's review
5.0
Loving this series. I love how Rowan constantly wants to save all the animals instead of hunting them like she knows she's supposed to. Perfect for younger readers and older ones alike!
the_fabric_of_words's review against another edition
5.0
I can't gush about this series enough. I absolutely love Kelley Armstrong's writing on this. My son and I read this one, and we loved it. He reviewed them both for our public library!
It is kinda obvious the main characters are waaaay older than the 12 tender years they're supposed to be. More like 15 or 16, just with no obvious romance, which my 16-year-old son really appreciated. But even he said, "Mom, there's no way this is a 12-year-old." And I agree. It's definitely an upper middle grade / lower YA book.
This time, Rowan's facing challenges to her right to be the Royal Monster Hunter. It starts with the pregnant gryphon's pending birth. When she interrupts a planned euthanasia of the gryphon mother and baby, and is only able to save the baby, an older girl, next-in-line to the throne after Rhydd, Rowan's brother, challenges Rowan, saying she's not fit to be the Monster Hunter because she's not slaying these creatures, which will surely threaten their subjects later on.
But now Rowan's got a baby gryphon that imprinted on her as its mother, and Tiera is growing fast. Tiera defends Rowan, breaking the challenger's arm in her beak, and .... that's it. Tiera has to go. Rowan will see her off in a quest across the mountains for a gryphon aerie that hopefully will take Tiera in and not kill her right away for reeking of human scent.
Against this backdrop is a complicated relationship with Dain, who also wants to become a Monster Hunter, although not the Royal Monster Hunter obviously, and a young girl who wants to become a Monster Healer, kind a like a veterinarian, but for monsters, not for farm or wild animals.
And Rowan's the obvious person for them both to accompany Rowan's quest. But she can only choose one.
This is a great read, perfect for post-holiday reading, sure to captivate any upper middle grade fantasy reader, and a few YA readers, as well.
Enjoy!
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
It is kinda obvious the main characters are waaaay older than the 12 tender years they're supposed to be. More like 15 or 16, just with no obvious romance, which my 16-year-old son really appreciated. But even he said, "Mom, there's no way this is a 12-year-old." And I agree. It's definitely an upper middle grade / lower YA book.
This time, Rowan's facing challenges to her right to be the Royal Monster Hunter. It starts with the pregnant gryphon's pending birth. When she interrupts a planned euthanasia of the gryphon mother and baby, and is only able to save the baby, an older girl, next-in-line to the throne after Rhydd, Rowan's brother, challenges Rowan, saying she's not fit to be the Monster Hunter because she's not slaying these creatures, which will surely threaten their subjects later on.
But now Rowan's got a baby gryphon that imprinted on her as its mother, and Tiera is growing fast. Tiera defends Rowan, breaking the challenger's arm in her beak, and .... that's it. Tiera has to go. Rowan will see her off in a quest across the mountains for a gryphon aerie that hopefully will take Tiera in and not kill her right away for reeking of human scent.
Against this backdrop is a complicated relationship with Dain, who also wants to become a Monster Hunter, although not the Royal Monster Hunter obviously, and a young girl who wants to become a Monster Healer, kind a like a veterinarian, but for monsters, not for farm or wild animals.
And Rowan's the obvious person for them both to accompany Rowan's quest. But she can only choose one.
This is a great read, perfect for post-holiday reading, sure to captivate any upper middle grade fantasy reader, and a few YA readers, as well.
Enjoy!
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/