Spirit Animals Book 4: Fire and Ice

Spirit Animals Book 4: Fire and Ice by Shannon Hale (Scholastic Inc)

PB RRP $12.99

ISBN 978-1-74362-001-4

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

The Devourer and his conquerors are getting closer. Conor, Abeke, Meilin and Rollan and their Great Beasts must continue to seek the talismans as they are the Chosen Ones - the children and their spirit animals who must protect Erdas. And time is running out.

In Fire and Ice they journey to Artica, the far north, to search for a legendary city of ice, and the talisman of Suka the Giant polar bear. On this journey they have the help of Tarik, a Greencloak leader and Maya, who has the ability to create fire from nothing, but their enemies are also closer. And this time the betrayal is more personal than it ever has been before.

Spirit Animals is an engrossing and enjoyable series. Each title is written by a different author and they manage to keep the worlds of Erdas solid and consistent.  The characters are also held well and are solid and realistic children who continue to grow throughout the series. The action is fast and exciting but there are breaks in the frenetic pace to allow the reader to take a breath.

Shannon Hale is a well established and best-selling author who writes, among other things, wonderful retellings of fairy tales for a teen readership. Her skill with writing fantasy characters, imagined places and her storytelling ability all shine through in this tale which is mostly set in a flat white landscape of ice and snow.

This is a series which will suit middle grade readers, especially lovers of fantasy, action and animals. The books are supported by an action role-playing game online where players can create a spirit animal of their own at www.spiritanimals.scholastic.com