This book was a bit more than what I was expecting, but it still felt like something was missing. Okay, it's a middle-grader/young adult book, but some things still seem to fall short in the story, at least as far as it was possible to notice. The main characters surprised me and showed a bit more depth than what I was expecting, but the antagonists still seem to follow the same old villain stereotype. Still, I personally liked how the children were portrayed: they are all different, strong characters with different backgrounds, mature in their own way, with their own goals and motivations, but still always remembering the reader that they are still children. I also thought that the female characters were particularly good. Still children, still inexperienced to a certain level, but definitely not damsels, which is sort of refreshing.
Not the best book I ever read, but still something I would recommend for those who enjoy middle-grader fantasy books.

I began this series because Shannon Hale wrote book 4 and I wanted to read Shannon Hale's contribution. And I was slightly annoyed that I needed to read 3 other books first before reading hers.

This plot reminds me of Phillip Pullman's Golden Compass, with the pair bonding of animals and the general kids overthrowing pervasive evil. So, I'm slightly disappointed that the theme is being reused. But I understand. It also reminds me a bit of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' hunting of the horcruxes. But I suppose everything will tie to anything if you are looking for correlation.

I'll be interested to see how the storytelling differs in each volume since they have different authors. In that respect, this series feels like a giant story that friends in a creative writing class are all work shopping together. Like a big game of storytelling where you put you but where your friend left off. That's not done often, so I'm intrigued.

The story was starting to get a bit dull for me after the 4 had awakened their animals until the quest for Arax. At that point, the pace of the book sped up considerably.

I'll start book 2 soon.

In the world of Erdas, on your 11th birthday, there is a ceremony to determine if you will receive a spirit animal. Four children take part in the ceremony in four different countries of the world. Each receives an animal, but not just any animal. They each receive one of the Great Fallen Beasts. Spirit animals that are not supposed to be given to children and whose return signals grave danger for the world. Many years ago there was a great war. A war among the Great Beasts. The evil was vanquished, but four beasts fell. Now the evil is rising again and the fallen are back. It is up to the Fallen and their human companions to save the world. But first they must come together and learn how to bond with their spirit animals. This is the first story of Conor, Abeke, Meilin and Rollan and the world of Erdas.

I actually enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. The story alternates between the four main characters. Each is different, dealing with different issues and with a different spirit animal. They must all make the choice of what path they will follow during this time of trouble. I liked the fact that they weren't cookie cutter characters. There is room for a lot of growth in this story and a lot of exciting adventures. I think this is going to be a series kids will really respond to.

Overall, an interesting premise. And I was really happy to see two strong female characters who are actually the most skilled warriors of the group! Very nice change of pace from the male-centric books of this type.

It started out slow and bit clunky, but seemed to smooth out. I did find it hard to keep track of all the names and places, as there are a LOT thrown at the reader in a very short time span. I pretty much had everything sorted out by the end, but it was a little frustrating at times. Also, I found the characters themselves rather flat initially, and it was only towards the end that they became a little less two dimensional.

I realize that this is the start of a new series, and a lot of world building needs to happen. I just wish there had been a little more character building and a little less rushing through the story.

Thanks to Scholastic for the ARC.

This book is part of a series that's linked to an online adventure game. I gave the game a go but it did nothing for me - that's hardly surprising as I don't play those kind of games because they don't interest me, and because it's the wrong age group for me. Still, I might have enjoyed it - stranger things have happened.

I imagine there'll be a lot of children who do enjoy this series, but the child in me isn't impressed because the characters are stereotypes and the dialogue predictable.

It took me a bit to get drawn into this, but then I had fun with it. Actually, considering how much Mull needed to accomplish--introduce four protagonists, their animals, and a complex world in a way that sets the stage for a series shared by many authors--I was impressed by how engaging the story became, enough that I almost forgot the mechanics of the conceit and just enjoyed it. 3.5 stars and very recommendable.

Robby is in LOVE with this series...it's just okay for me, personally. There are a lot of foreign names/hard to pronounce names, so we are reading it together & he is keeping track of the lengthy character list much better than I am!

Great start to a wonderful series! Brandon Mull (author of Fablehaven and The Candy Shop Wars) wrote this one. He's an incredible storyteller. Wild Born tells the story of four kids who each conjure a different spirit animal. During their adventure to save their world, their paths are intertwined.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would, considering it's a middle school book. But I'm a fan of Brandon Mull, so I decided to give this a try. The characters are interesting and while the plot is not exactly original, he does a good job pulling all the elements together. I'm not sure what the rest of the books in the series will be like since there is a different author for each book, but some of the authors I'm familiar with and I enjoy their books as well, so this should be a fun diversion from other more serious reads. Nicola Barber does a great job with the narration and switching up of voices.

In a land where humans can be aided by spirit animals, there is about to be a great war; one that was foretold.

Four children go through the ceremony to find out whether they have a spirit animal and find that they are bound to animals of legend. The Four Fallen were killed during the last big war, but now have returned to fight again. Now the four children, Conor, Abeke, Meilin, and Rollan, along with their animals, have to decide where they stand and who they fight for.

Good middle grade read. Short, fast. A mix of the old-fashioned, mystical, and adventure stories.