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vinsmokerosie's review against another edition
5.0
oh my freaking goodness!
5 stars but i would rate this even higher if possible!!
i knew absolutely nothing about this book. i saw it randomly in my local waterstones and i got it because the edition that was there was simply too stunning to pass up. the gorgeous sprayed edges? i have a lot of pretty books but this one was truly love at first sight. since it’s a middle grade fantasy (for ages 9-12 i believe) i knew it would be a easy read and a good break from the usual stuff but i didn’t expect it to be just as good as it is.
favourite read of the year as a matter of fact.
first of all the banter and dynamics between all the characters are so entertaining. since the characters are young they have that kind of immature kids humour that’s super entertaining. i say this because if i see teenagers or adults act this way i would roll my eyes. i laugh so much at these little interactions when it happens but also on top of that the characters are really complex with their own pasts and even their names that they are forbidden to share. they lose all their identities to train to be hunters. some of the characters are not who they seem and they are a lot more than meets the eye. when i re-read this book i’ll definitely be annotating it and underlining so much of the meaningful messages.
the plot was so good, a complete page turner. the environments, the world building are very easy to get lost in and to understand. the drawn illustrations throughout the story are ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS and such a beautiful touch.
the main character twelve is just so human, they all are. they are written in such a way that readers can understand and empathise with. i cried a few times while reading because of how emotional it is, i did not expect this from a children’s book and i didn’t prepare for any of the twists either! usually i’m almost too good at guessing things like this but not this time. it’s so well done and i love the underlying message behind it. it’s such a beautiful book for anyone of any age. there’s no cliffhangers to worry about and the ending is satisfying, please read it!
euphemiajo's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Grief, Child death, Death of parent, Confinement, Death, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Outing
rosie_morley's review against another edition
5.0
This book was amazing it was emotional and intense and I love that there was immense themes such as abandonment and finding the true you
ms_lumieres's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
booksandlemonsquash's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This definitely sparked my interest with the blurb and I was so lucky to get onto the blog tour so I could read it early. I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to this universe and can’t wait to go back.
It’s a quest book, so in retrospect im not surprised I loved it lol, I always enjoy a good journey. In this case we get down to it fairly quickly. Twelve is a bit of an outcast, but when a fellow student is taken, she runs to rescue her. I feel this is all you need to know about twelve in some ways - she may be guarded and abrasive but you can see that she is trying very hard not to care.
I especially loved Dog, he is amazing. And I really liked the friendships we see in the book - between five and six particularly. Even as lots of secrets come out, we see the relationships broaden into something more solid and that’s really well written.
I also liked that it’s actually quite a dark book. There’s a little hope, but it’s so action packed that you don’t get too much time to see it! It’s most present at the end, and I think will be a big factor in the next book. But for this one, you are straight into finding out what’s going on and going on the quest.
I’d love to know more of the history behind the lodge and why it came to be. We see a lot of glimpses, from the previous dark war to the motto, but not a lot of world building background. That said, we still get a great idea of what the world is like, with all the different clans, the forest and the monsters.
I can’t wait for the follow up to this and see our huntlings progress into hunters - including using their well earned names!
This definitely sparked my interest with the blurb and I was so lucky to get onto the blog tour so I could read it early. I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to this universe and can’t wait to go back.
It’s a quest book, so in retrospect im not surprised I loved it lol, I always enjoy a good journey. In this case we get down to it fairly quickly. Twelve is a bit of an outcast, but when a fellow student is taken, she runs to rescue her. I feel this is all you need to know about twelve in some ways - she may be guarded and abrasive but you can see that she is trying very hard not to care.
I especially loved Dog, he is amazing. And I really liked the friendships we see in the book - between five and six particularly. Even as lots of secrets come out, we see the relationships broaden into something more solid and that’s really well written.
I also liked that it’s actually quite a dark book. There’s a little hope, but it’s so action packed that you don’t get too much time to see it! It’s most present at the end, and I think will be a big factor in the next book. But for this one, you are straight into finding out what’s going on and going on the quest.
I’d love to know more of the history behind the lodge and why it came to be. We see a lot of glimpses, from the previous dark war to the motto, but not a lot of world building background. That said, we still get a great idea of what the world is like, with all the different clans, the forest and the monsters.
I can’t wait for the follow up to this and see our huntlings progress into hunters - including using their well earned names!
summer_mailee98's review against another edition
5.0
This was surprisingly so good.
In the first 50%, I was expecting this to be 4 stars. It was good, but I wasn’t wanting to pick it up as often. After the halfway point though, it got SO good!!
The book, in my opinion, is almost like a mix of The Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter. There’s magic but it doesn’t get talked about very much until closer to the end. There’s ogres, goblins, and many more magical creatures/monsters.
Twelve is a Huntling who has given up her name and her past in order to become a Hunter and the Hunting Lodge. When one of the other Huntlings is taken, Twelve decides to try and save her. We follow Twelve on her adventure as she comes across dangerous beasts, friendly creatures, and finds family within her friends along the way.
It was a great book and I’m excited to read the second one soon!
In the first 50%, I was expecting this to be 4 stars. It was good, but I wasn’t wanting to pick it up as often. After the halfway point though, it got SO good!!
The book, in my opinion, is almost like a mix of The Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter. There’s magic but it doesn’t get talked about very much until closer to the end. There’s ogres, goblins, and many more magical creatures/monsters.
Twelve is a Huntling who has given up her name and her past in order to become a Hunter and the Hunting Lodge. When one of the other Huntlings is taken, Twelve decides to try and save her. We follow Twelve on her adventure as she comes across dangerous beasts, friendly creatures, and finds family within her friends along the way.
It was a great book and I’m excited to read the second one soon!
chelseas_reads's review against another edition
4.0
prior to starting fireborn, i was heading into a slump. i read several books that just weren’t great. that being said, middle grade books seem to always pull me out of a slump.
fireborn is action packed, from start to finish. there were no “boring bits”. the plot was well developed. there was only one scene that i wasn’t a fan of (dealings with a spider). a personal dislike that others might not mind.
the characters were fun and nice to watch grow. some characters i disliked at the start quickly became favourites. (and anyone who knows me, knows once I’ve made my mind up it’s hard to change!). each character brought something interesting to the story. my personal favourites are twelve and dog.
admittedly, the naming was a little confusing at first (i kept thinking five was six and six was five – don’t ask me why).
overall, this was an easy book to read, that kept me hooked from the start to the end. i’m so excited for the next book (i can’t believe I have to wait so long for it!!), and to see what happens next.
fireborn is action packed, from start to finish. there were no “boring bits”. the plot was well developed. there was only one scene that i wasn’t a fan of (dealings with a spider). a personal dislike that others might not mind.
the characters were fun and nice to watch grow. some characters i disliked at the start quickly became favourites. (and anyone who knows me, knows once I’ve made my mind up it’s hard to change!). each character brought something interesting to the story. my personal favourites are twelve and dog.
admittedly, the naming was a little confusing at first (i kept thinking five was six and six was five – don’t ask me why).
overall, this was an easy book to read, that kept me hooked from the start to the end. i’m so excited for the next book (i can’t believe I have to wait so long for it!!), and to see what happens next.
nora4's review against another edition
5.0
Das Buch hatte ich zuvor noch nicht gekannt, aber der Klappentext hat mich mehr als nur neugierig gemacht und die Idee dahinter klang nach etwas Interessantem und Neuem, was sich auch so herausgestellt hatte.
Das Buch hat einen simplen Aufbau und eine eigentlich auch simple Storyline, aber dieser wurde wirklich gut ausgebaut und hat auch eine gewisse Komplexität, auch was die Charaktere anbelangt. Diese haben eine besondere Dynamik.
Zwölfs Perspektive ist in dieser Hinsicht gut gewählt. Sie trägt einen Haufen Last mit sich und ich mag die Rückblicke, die dazu beitragen. Es macht sie zu einer interessanten Figur.
Ich mochte aber auch den Weltenaufbau sehr. Die Idee mit den Jägern und all den Clans wurde wirklich schon sehr gut aufgebaut, auch wenn ja (zumindest im Original) noch mehr Bände folgen. Dennoch war es solide und ich dank des guten Endes kann man das Buch auch als Einzelband sehen und dafür war der Weltenaufbau wirklich auch sehr gut gemacht.
Im Gesamten also eine tolle Geschichte, die auch, falls weitere Übersetzungen nicht geplant sind, auch wunderbar als Einzelband hinhält, da es in sich eine solide und gute Geschichte mit einer guten Basis erzählt. Ich war positiv überrascht, als ich es gelesen habe und gebe dem Buch deshalb fünf Sterne.
Das Buch hat einen simplen Aufbau und eine eigentlich auch simple Storyline, aber dieser wurde wirklich gut ausgebaut und hat auch eine gewisse Komplexität, auch was die Charaktere anbelangt. Diese haben eine besondere Dynamik.
Zwölfs Perspektive ist in dieser Hinsicht gut gewählt. Sie trägt einen Haufen Last mit sich und ich mag die Rückblicke, die dazu beitragen. Es macht sie zu einer interessanten Figur.
Ich mochte aber auch den Weltenaufbau sehr. Die Idee mit den Jägern und all den Clans wurde wirklich schon sehr gut aufgebaut, auch wenn ja (zumindest im Original) noch mehr Bände folgen. Dennoch war es solide und ich dank des guten Endes kann man das Buch auch als Einzelband sehen und dafür war der Weltenaufbau wirklich auch sehr gut gemacht.
Im Gesamten also eine tolle Geschichte, die auch, falls weitere Übersetzungen nicht geplant sind, auch wunderbar als Einzelband hinhält, da es in sich eine solide und gute Geschichte mit einer guten Basis erzählt. Ich war positiv überrascht, als ich es gelesen habe und gebe dem Buch deshalb fünf Sterne.