Twelve and the Frozen Forest was such an exciting and riveting read! At turns exciting, funny and heart-wrenchingly sad, it marks the introduction of an incredible new voice in children’s fiction. From talking trees to goblins, there are a host of magical creatures in this world. Each corner, crevice, creature and character has a purpose in this world, and Fowler’s ability to immerse readers is fresh and inviting. The world-building is truly amazing. It’s so perfectly created that it was easy to visualise. The banter between the characters had me smirking, even if they talk like people from the modern era, it is a fantasy world after all!

I really liked the way the author slowly explored her past through dreams and memories throughout the book. It helped a lot to understand what had happened to her and why she acts the way that she does. I loved the character of Twelve so much, she was strong and resilient but also flawed which is something that I absolutely loved becasue we got to see her change and learn from her mistakes and her flaws throughout the course of the book. Five, Six, and Dog made up a great team with Twelve, and seeing them all interact was so fun and interesting, especially as certain things got revealed and their growing friendship was tested. I also loved the monsters and the goblins becasue they were written very well and were suitably evil, which means that they posed a great challenge to Twelve and the hunters. And Victory, I have so many spoilery thoughts so I won't share them here! The perfect balance of high adventure, breathless action and eerie wonder.” —Jonathan Stroud, New York Times bestselling author of the Bartimaeus Sequence Twelve should not be anywhere near the Forbidden Forest. After all, she’s a Huntling, not Blooded, still in training. However when a break-in at the Hunting Lodge left its walls penetrated and fellow student, Seven, stolen, Twelve was spurred into action. It’s not as though Seven is her friend. After all, Seven’s pathetic, a useless hunter, reviled and friendless. Not that Twelve bothers about friends. Yet there’s something in Seven’s kindness, in her gentle face, that reminds Twelve of Poppy. However Twelve does not want to remember Poppy, and all thoughts of home and before, are forbidden…Aisling Fowler mixes in some of my favorite fantasy tropes that I can’t help be drawn to. We have animal companions, in the form of ‘Dog’ the stone guardian of the Hunting Lodge who is let loose as events happen in the book. He is the parent in the story, always being the light of reason and keeping the party in line. And then there is Widge the Squirrel, who is cute as anything, despite my aversion to squirrels.

New recruit Twelve (not her real name) has been at the lodge since her clan, including her family, were murdered. After an argument with another student, Five, the pair are disciplined and taken to the dungeons to spend the night. Whilst there the Hunting Lodge walls are breached for the first time and one of the students is taken. I absolutely loved Fireborn. Such a cinematic journey in both the literal and emotional sense! I cannot wait to read what happens next' L. D. Lapinski, author of The Strangeworlds Travel AgencyThemes of friendship, found families, prejudice, bullying, overcoming obstacles, dealing with grief, and more are woven into the story and also add to the character and plot development. I think many of the themes will resonate well with middle-grade readers. Even though Fowler created a fantastical world that is so unlike our own, the themes prove universal. This book should come with a CANNOT BE PUT DOWN warning. Children are going to fall in love with this heart-stopping adventure, and I was with Twelve and Dog every thrilling step of the way.” —Jenny McLachlan, author of The Land of Roar Twelve is at the Hunters Lodge, her family, her village have been all murdered and destroyed. So having no where else to go she ends up there. At the Hunters Lodge you are trained form young huntlings to full on hunters, who help all the clans in fighting monsters and other creatures. The catch with the this group is that you are to leave your past behind, who you were, your family, your feuds, your name. And after you finally have your blooding you become a full hunter and chose your own name. Teaming up with Dog, the Stone Guardian of the Lodge, Twelve ends up on an epic adventure that will change her life, her name – and her entire world. This remarkable debut pulsates with energy and drama' Daily Mail, Best Children's Books of the Year

The digitally native, all year round, online literature and books festival, with new content released every week is a free-for-all-users festival. A monster-filled adventure set in a wildly imaginative frozen world, with axe-wielding action scenes that’ll make your heart race! I couldn’t put it down.” —Annabel Steadman, New York Times bestselling author of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief hours ago Gig Review : SAMANTHA FISH & JESSE DAYTON “DEATH WISH BLUES” TOUR O2 INSTITUTE, BIRMINGHAM Twelve is a fierce warrior even if she is often brave on the outside when her inner self is in complete turmoil. She has seen so much in her young life and suffers from nightmares because of it. She is quite the loner and yet Seven is so kind and nice to her. When Seven is taken by Goblins Twelve feels it is her responsibility to save her. The plot was so brilliant becasue it was fast-paced and well written becasue I was engaged throughout the entire book and wanted to keep reading to find out what was going to happen! The different stages of the book were split up brilliantly and it flowed so well for the reader. And the ending was so incredible and tension-filled, which meant that all the reveals and everything that went down had me on the edge of my seat. It was just so much fun to read and I hope that there is a sequel coming soon because I desperately want to know what is going to happen to the Hunters and Twelve after the events of this book.

Für mich war dieses Buch absolut lesenswert und ich freue mich jetzt schon auf die Fortsetzung. Aufgrund des Schreibstils, Spannung, interessanten Charaktere und Geschichte finde ich es für Jugendliche und aufwärts empfehlenswert. On top of that. The side characters of Five, Six, and Seven are amazing too. Especially Five! I have to say that I liked him loads. He is annoying, he is a loud mouth and is insensitive to most things around him, but I did enjoy his arc.

Fireborn is a fantastic debut, deftly told with skill and originality. A richly-imagined story, bursting with thrilling magic, terrifying monsters and an epic adventure that leaves you wanting more' Catherine Doyle, author of The Storm Keeper's IslandThe last thing I’ll cover off in my review is that HUGE twist/revelation toward the end. I will not go into the details of what it was obviously but I will say that I think it was very, very well done. It honestly left my jaw on the floor and my heart a little bit broken by the way the truth was forced to come out. Life is lived so differently in each of the clans, but some have it much harder than others, (the cave clan and the bog clan particularly, so I'd want to stay well away from them!). I'd probably choose the river or forest clan. There are still dangerous dark creatures to contend with, but plenty of beauty and wonder too. Hello Yellow - 80 Books to Help Children Nurture Good Mental Health and Support With Anxiety and Wellbeing - The first spark of Fireborn's story came to me while I was watching my husband play a computer game called Horizon Zero Dawn. The main character, Aloy, is such a brilliant heroine and I wondered why I wasn't writing character like that; girls who were strong and brave and fierce. Joining Twelve is the stone guardian of the lodge. A resolute and surly dog who often despairs are being lumbered with children who hinder his progress, he's also the voice of reason and calm. There's also Five and Six, Twelve's fellow huntlings and her rivals. Five on the face of it is a bully, taunting Twelve and making her feel worse for every mistake she makes. However, looking deeper he's a deeply vulnerable boy who's just looking for love and affection. It just so happens that he tends to speak before he thinks. Six is more an enigma, the quiet and kind one. The brave one. But his past is just as murky as Twelve's. They're all richly developed and interesting characters, and I thought they all worked together well. The same could be said for all the smaller secondary characters we meet too. I found all of them interesting and multi faceted and integra to the plot.