In this book we follow the story of four of these huntlings. Twelve, Five, Six and Seven as well as the lodge guardian Dog and Twelve’s adorable squirrel companion Widge. There were so many things I enjoyed writing! I loved creating the monsters and I really enjoyed writing the dialogue and action scenes. I knew I wanted the world beyond the Hunting Lodge to feel vivid, but I didn't want too much world-building to slow down the story. Finding that balance was a bit of a challenge. The setting was magical, and so richly described. The forest, the mountains, the damp were all so vividly imagined, and drew us in. The world building was amazing.

In a word: phenomenal. FIREBORN is vivid, daring, and epic in every sense. It’s impossible to read this book and not hold your breath.’ —Carlie Sarosiak, author of I, Cosmo Twelve has been through a lot. Her entire family was killed by the Cave Clan and she gave up her name to become a Huntling, training in the art of hunting monsters at the Hunting Lodge. But Twelve is more interested in revenge than protecting the various Clans. And so when the walls are breached and a little girl is taken, she departs the Lodge on a rescue mission. Teaming up with Dog, the Stone Guardian of the Lodge, Twelve ends up on an epic adventure that will change her life, her name – and her entire world.It’s another Bookwagon day in our house. The kids were so excited to get their latest books in the post. Reading is my favourite pastime, but I also love cooking and catching up with friends. Recently I took some pottery classes and really enjoyed that too. Teaming up with Dog, the Stone Guardian of the Lodge, Twelve ends up on an epic adventure that will change her life, her name – and her entire world. The digitally native, all year round, online literature and books festival, with new content released every week is a free-for-all-users festival.

So, I am writing this just as I have finished reading the book. Phew! Talk about cutting it fine there! Set in the snowy northern forests of a prehistoric world, Fireborn is the middle-grade debut of the decade. By turns exciting, funny and heart wrenchingly sad, it marks the introduction of an unstoppable new voice in children's storytelling.The side characters are great too, and Twelve’s travel companions add so much to the plot. They are an unusual group, which makes for some interesting situations. Dog is one of my favorites, though I also love Twelve’s squirrel friend Widge. Widge is such a cute and intuitive little friend, and both characters show that allies and friends are everywhere. Five and Six, Twelve’s other travel companions, aren’t exactly Twelve’s friends. However, they all have the same goal – to rescue Seven before it’s too late. They have to put their differences aside and work together, which is not always easy. There are some great messages here about teamwork, forgiveness, the ability to change, and helping others. I loved the character of Twelve so much, she was strong and resilient but also flawed which is something that I absolutely loved becasue we got to see her change and learn from her mistakes and her flaws throughout the course of the book. Five, Six, and Dog made up a great team with Twelve, and seeing them all interact was so fun and interesting, especially as certain things got revealed and their growing friendship was tested. I also loved the monsters and the goblins becasue they were written very well and were suitably evil, which means that they posed a great challenge to Twelve and the hunters. And Victory, I have so many spoilery thoughts so I won't share them here! I really liked the way the author slowly explored her past through dreams and memories throughout the book. It helped a lot to understand what had happened to her and why she acts the way that she does. Life is lived so differently in each of the clans, but some have it much harder than others, (the cave clan and the bog clan particularly, so I'd want to stay well away from them!). I'd probably choose the river or forest clan. There are still dangerous dark creatures to contend with, but plenty of beauty and wonder too.

I have to say that I really enjoyed Fireborn immensely and am so glad that I got the opportunity to read this charming and delightful book by Aisling Fowler. The LoveReading LitFestinvited Aishling to the festival to talk about her debut novel and the start of a thrilling fantasy series. Fireborn is a middle-grade book set in a fictional prehistorical world where different clans are protected by the Hunting Lodge a place where hunters live and train.

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The first words of Fireborn were written in November 2017 at the Skywalker Ranch in California (in case there are any Star Wars fans out there!). My husband had just got his first US-based job and I'd taken a sabbatical from nursing to go with him. We moved around quite a lot over the next couple of years and Fireborn travelled with me. Parts of it were written in LA, London and NYC. It was while I was in New York that I decided it was ready to send to agents. I thought that would be the end of Twelve's story, but it didn't quite work out like that . . . Twelve doesn't want to make any friends, even when timid Seven tries so very hard to be kind to her. She doesn't want to connect with anyone. Hope is something she wants nothing of. She's not there to be a hunter, she wants the skills to get revenge on the cave clan who murdered her family. When we’re first introduced to Twelve, she appears to be quite the misfit with a self-centred personality. But under the surface, she’s broken. As the story unfolds, through dreams and memories we get to witness Twelve’s character evolution – from the past that shaped her to the person she’s grown to be. Twelve is strong and resilient, while also raw and realistic ­– qualities that any reader can be inspired by. Mehr möchte ich gar nicht erzählen, außer dass mir sowohl die winterlich-grausame Atmosphäre als auch Zwölf als Charakter sehr gut gefallen haben.

Quite dark and dangerous for a middle-grade book, l Firebornwas fast paced and full of adventure! I loved the messages about working together as a team, perserverence, forgiveness and pushing through your differences!

Aisling Fowler Press Reviews

Find the hottest teen books, connect with your favorite YA authors and meet new friends who share your reading interests! The plot revolves around a quest/mystery premise which works well, and I have to say. I didn’t guess what was coming at all. I am not going to go into the plot too much as I don’t wasnt to spoil the joy of discovering it for yourself. Epic, sweeping and full of heart - Fireborn is truly something special. I can't wait for the next book in the series!' Hannah Gold, author of The Last Bear Since the Dark War, Ember has been mostly at peace but one night after a fight breaks out between Twelve and Five which results in the two of them spending the night in the dungeons, all hell breaks loose and one of the huntlings is kidnapped by Goblins. Twelve, Five, Six and Dog team up to rescue her and from then on the book is all adventure, scary monsters, fighting and danger! Aisling 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.