08/23/2021
A Tolkienesque fantasy realm populated with characters of varying skin tones mixes uneasily with modern realpolitik and trauma in this debut. Olive-skinned, wilderness-born shape-shifter—and royal spy—Rora can become a goshawk, a mouse, or a lynx, or wear another person’s face. But she is shunned by her neighbors for her powers—and her part in an ominous Prediction. When a carefree prince, her blond, queer best friend, contracts a mysterious and virulent plague, the king assigns Rora and the standoffish elder prince to fetch a powerful miracle cure in the perilous magic-laced land of her birth—and investigate an authoritarian neighbor kingdom’s threats of war. Dogged by plague and her own difficult memories, Rora, and her selfless brother Helos, must escort Prince Weslyn across the land that they once desperately fled. But when they uncover a disturbing secret, Rora’s shame may stymie her ability to save all she holds dear. Becker’s series opener gives its ambitious subject matter an archetypal handling that centers graphic depictions of torture as a mounting pile of threats swings Rora through video game–style landscapes described in a breathless first-person narration. Ages 13–up. (Aug.)
From the first page, readers will be caught up in this story of shape-shifters, forest magic, political conflict and the bonds between friends. The world building is breathtaking and the characters are complex and engaging. Highly recommended for readers who like an epic fantasy with heart and spirit.”—Juliet Marillier, author of the Sevenwaters and Warrior Bards seriesNew York Times bestselling author of The House in the Cerulean Sea Forestborn is a tale that settles deep into the soul, a haunting love song to the dangerous splendor of the wild—and a testament to the power of friendship on the journey of grief and healing.”—Joanna Hathaway, author of Dark of the West Forestborn as Rora, the shape-shifting protagonist, sails over the treetops, powered by Becker's propulsively readable style.”—Sarah Kozloff, author of The Nine Realms seriesForestborn is a fresh take on the best of classic fantasy.”—Katy Rose Pool, author of There Will Come a Darkness School Library Journal Booklist A Tolkienesque fantasy . . . [with] video game–style landscapes described in a breathless first-person narration”—Publishers Weekly “ Fantasy fans looking for high stakes adventure with a budding romance are sure to devour this one, and the ending will have readers anxious for a sequel.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
06/01/2021
Gr 9 Up— Rora is a shifter, a magical person who can change into whoever she wants, as well as three animal forms. Because of the Prediction that warned of two shifters bringing about death, and a general distrust of those with magic, Rora finds herself scorned by many of the people she encounters. Nevertheless, she dutifully serves the kingdom of Telyan as a spy and gathers information on a new magical disease called the Fallow Throes that is killing humans, but not their magical counterparts. When Finley, Rora's closest friend and one of the crown princes, falls ill with the disease, Rora is tasked with finding a cure…which can only be found in the Vale, the dangerous forest that Rora once called home. As she makes her way through the Vale, she discovers what might be the beginning of a sinister plot to eradicate all of the forestborn and magical beings. This book is both a journey of self-discovery and a survival story. As many of the characters are fighting both the dangers of the Vale and the insurgence of an enemy, readers should be aware that some graphic scenes may be upsetting. The worldbuilding does an excellent job of transporting readers to new lands and introducing them to the diverse cast of characters, who have a variety of skin tones and sexual orientations. Though the writing is strong, the description-heavy passages sometimes hinder the pacing, making for an atmospheric, but at times slow, read. VERDICT An epic high fantasy adventure with highly descriptive worldbuilding that is sure to please fans of the genre but may deter those looking for a fast-paced read.—Myiesha Speight, Towson Univ., Baltimore
This debut novel is full of politics and magic. Narrator Sofia Zervudachi strikes just the right tone—introspective but self-assured—as Rora tells her story. Zervudachi creates a mature persona that is consistent with the heroine’s age and struggle to survive after she and her brother flee their village during a massacre. Now Rora must save her best friend, the king’s youngest son, who has caught the deadly illness that is decimating the kingdom. On her quest to save her friend, Rora is accompanied by her brother and the king’s oldest son, the heir to the throne. Zervudachi shows Rora’s determination as the three characters try to work together. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
DECEMBER 2021 - AudioFile
This debut novel is full of politics and magic. Narrator Sofia Zervudachi strikes just the right tone—introspective but self-assured—as Rora tells her story. Zervudachi creates a mature persona that is consistent with the heroine’s age and struggle to survive after she and her brother flee their village during a massacre. Now Rora must save her best friend, the king’s youngest son, who has caught the deadly illness that is decimating the kingdom. On her quest to save her friend, Rora is accompanied by her brother and the king’s oldest son, the heir to the throne. Zervudachi shows Rora’s determination as the three characters try to work together. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
DECEMBER 2021 - AudioFile
2021-06-11
As shifters, Rora and her brother, Helos, can take three animal forms and countless human guises. Although Rora serves the crown of Telyan, the queen’s tragic death, a dire prophecy, and growing resentment toward magical people—shifters, whisperers, and forest walkers—leave the siblings feeling unwelcome. Having fled the massacre in Caela Ridge and scrabbled for survival in the magical Vale, both crave a real home. But the continent’s magic is restless, and even as humans persecute the forestborn, a magical sickness known as the Fallow Throes infects humans alone. When Finley, a beloved friend, falls ill, Rora, Helos, and Finley’s uptight brother, Prince Weslyn, embark on a quest into the wild lands seeking a cure. Increasing the stakes, the trio must also evade the attention of Eradain’s genocidal King Jol and stop the world from experiencing another Rupturing. Passing through perilous, enchanted lands with predatory plants and monstrous and magical beasts, Rora also grapples with her traumatic past. The trio’s emotional journeys are equally fraught, replete with self-recrimination, romantic woes, and complicated family dynamics. Debut author Becker offers an inventive panoply of beasts and botanicals, painting a phantasmagorical landscape. As shape-shifters, Rora and Helos can change into any human they've met before, but their default forms have olive skin; other characters have a range of skin tones.
Commentary on discrimination wrapped in an imaginative high-fantasy quest and political intrigue. (map) (Fantasy. 12-18)
