Suvudu Universe

Spirit Animals: Wild Born by Brandon Mull

Synopsis:
Four children separated by vast distances all undergo the same ritual, watched by cloaked strangers. Four flashes of light erupt, and from them emerge the unmistakable shapes of incredible beasts – a wolf, a leopard, a panda, and a falcon. Suddenly the paths of these children – and the world – have been changed forever.

Enter the world of Erdas, where every child who comes of age must discover if they have a spirit animal, a rare bond between human and beast that bestows great powers to both. A dark force has risen from distant and long-forgotten lands, and has begun an onslaught that will ravage the world. Now the fate of Erdas has fallen on the shoulders of four young strangers . . . and on you.

Review:
Four children from very different backgrounds and situations each find themselves with an amazing spirit animal and a heavy responsibility. While three are recruited right away, one (unknowingly) is taken by someone who works for the dark power seeking to destroy. And the children’s first quest is to recover a talisman from a dangerous protector.

Wild Born is the first in a new fantasy series by various authors. I never miss books written by Brandon Mull. And my only complaint is that the story seemed so short. It’s an easy, fast read for children. With an added bonus that children can login online and play a parallel game after reading the books. I haven’t tried out the game yet, because at the time of reading it hadn’t come out yet. However, this is a fun and exciting start to an interesting new series.