Blog Tour: Fireborn by Aisling Fowler

Happy Saturday! I am starting my weekend with a blog tour review of a brilliant Middle-Grade Fantasy novel (that got me out of a reading slump nonetheless) and it is…

Fireborn: Twelve and the Frozen Forest by Aisling Fowler! Check out my review below along with all the info and links to buy!

This tour is hosted by The Write Reads with Harper Collins and I’d like to thank both for my ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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Fireborn

Author: Aisling Fowler

Genre: Children’s | Fantasy

Length: 432 Pages

Age Rating: 8+

Rating:

Release Date: 30th September 2021

Purchase:

Amazon | Waterstones 

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.

About the Author

Aisling Fowler 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. After earning a BSc in Biology and working as a support worker and then a nurse, the idea for 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).

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Fireborn was such a treat to read, one of those children’s novels that fills you with such emotion and an absolute longing for more of this Fantasy world.

The story starts within the Hunter’s Lodge our main character, Twelve, now resides training to become a Huntling along other children who have forsaken their past lives and learning to protect the various clans from threats outside of it.

Twelve isn’t the easiest kid to get along with others because unlike the others who believe in their duty, to ‘never lower their weapon in the face of darkness, nor allow tyranny to rise.’ she doesn’t believe in that. They believe in protecting the seven clans, that when they join the Hunters are their family and this concept is so fascinating, it is very similar to the Mandalorians. Training to become one, to be part of a unit, the face of a team, and it brings out such unique subtleties between those who conform to that style and those who don’t like Twelve.

She doesn’t want to be a Hunter, she wants to train and take revenge on the clan that killed her family and she is snarky, she is full of retorts and not kind to others, and she is quite ostracised amongst her peers which she doesn’t care about, she’s not here to make friends, but does take pity however reluctantly to Seven, a small girl who isn’t as great at fighting as the others but the only one willing to partner with her.

Then soon enough, the Hunter’s Lodge is under attacked by goblins and ogres (YES THERE IS MAGICAL CREATURES!), and Seven is taken towards the Frozen Forest and for some strange reason, Twelve goes after her.

She is soon joined by the Lodge’s guardian, a stone dog, named Dog (Love the simplicity of this), and a few other kids to find Seven and bring her back where she belongs. This is partly a travelling novel, but done in such a brilliant way because so much happens and it is all shocking like soap opera levels of drama!

The group itself is a very ragtag band of characters, with Twelve gunning down everybody, Dog being the grumpy old person who is looking after the others, another not standing for her nonsense, and the other kid being kind and curious. There is fighting and bickering amongst them and they’re working together, but at what cost? They’re so easy to love because they feel so real!

But the thing I enjoyed most about this, is that it’s a fantasy novel full of danger and adventure, but the characters are what shines, especially in Twelve because she’s only a child, a child who has seen and done too much for her years. Trying to hide the trauma and not get close to others, she is such a visceral and painful character that has such a brilliant character arc.

The way she interacts with her self and her past, connecting it with current events, but also in how she interacts with others on this dangerous mission really give a sense of hope for her character. That there is softness and forgiveness, that life is not as black and white as it seems, and maybe she could build something better for her and the Hunters future.