Forest Born by Shannon Hale
Fantasy. 389 Pages. 5 Stars
To keep up with the multi-cover theme here for this series, I’ve included the new cover (left) and what I presume is the original cover (right) for Forest Born. I’ve never actually seen the right cover before. The first time I saw the book (I purchased it immediately XD), it was published with the above cover. And, truthfully, I must say the purple one is my favorite. As much as I’ve loved the new covers of the first three books, this one just proves exactly why I dislike new covers. Not feeling that color scheme, personally.
Synopsis:
Rin has always been a quiet, helpful daughter and sister, but a secret is eating at her. Recently, the solace she once found among the trees surrounding her forest home has vanished. Determined to find a new sense of self, Rin accompanies her brother Razo into the city, where she discovers that a mysterious threat haunts Bayern. She joins with three magical girls–Isi, Enna, and Dasha–as they venture toward the kingdom of Kel . . . where someone wants them dead.
Shannon Hale’s Books of Bayern have become beloved, perennial favorites, finding more and more readers every year since they were published over a decade ago. Now with fresh new covers, the fantastical, romantic, and gorgeously written series that first introduced Hale as a master storyteller is prime to be discovered by the a whole new generation.
My Review:
This is the fourth and, currently, final book in Shannon Hale’s Books of Bayern. Personally, I wouldn’t at all be offended if she chose to return to the world! But, alas, that does not seem likely.
In this stunning conclusion to the Books of Bayern, Hale reminds us just exactly what she’s made of. She carries on the vivid imagery that she’s woven throughout these beautiful tales and draws the reader in like a siren to her song. Her writing style feels ancient in these books, and yet, like a little piece of home. Though the third book was good, it didn’t quite stand up next to the first two. Well, this fourth one proudly does. It’s just as excellent as the beginning of the series.
Forest Born boasts of new and old characters alike. I loved getting closer to Isi and Enna again. In part, that made the book feel like the first two, since the girls get a larger center-stage role than in book three, and even book two for Isi. We still have Finn and Geric and Tusken, and even a little of Conrad to fill the stage. We see more of Dasha as an up-front character, and good ole Razo has threaded his way into more of this story that might be expected. Personally, I think I liked Razo best in this novel, but I am such a sucker for the brother/sister relationship. Our staring MC, of course, is Razo’s baby sister, Rin. Rin is such an intricate character. She struggles with a fierce inner battle throughout the book and still somehow finds the courage to learn from the amazing people around her and stand strong when she’d much rather sink into the shadows. The relationships and the characters of the Books of Bayern are by far the best parts of the book. I love watching these people grow, biting my nails and tearing out my hair watching them face challenges, and I love feeling like I’m with family when I read about them.
My close second, as I’ve said before, is Hale’s worldbuilding. She dives even further, a feat I had not imagined possible, into her incredible world of colorful languages. She’s mimicked parts of the world around us and captured their very nature. I wouldn’t know the first place to go to manipulate the very essence of water, fire, and wind, but Hale has done it so perfectly that I can almost taste the words myself. I can close my eyes and imagine that my world is full of a green, pulsing living world that I could slip into and out of. Furthermore, she’s managed to balance what we already know as readers from previous books with the completely oblivious MC through which we learn it all again with the new elements Rin brings to the table. The world is crafted with care and mastery, a world I could spend an eternity marveling at.
We follow a whole new plot, though we discover the plot is quite old and has been culminating since the very beginning of the Bayern journey. There are plot twists galore in this one, twists that tie everything together like a perfect package bow and twists that are genuinely jaw-dropping. The story has a mysterious element as we follow Isi, Enna, Dasha, and Rin to discover exactly what new threat lies at the border of Bayern and Kel. There is no shortage of suspense, action, adventure, intrigue, and constant questioning. The plot will draw you in and claim you until the very end.
To be Forest Born means something, and the way Hale gets her point across in this book melts my heart and speaks to my soul. I love the term and the root it takes in Rin. My favorite part is the chapter between Rin and Razo. A lot is resolved and seeds are planted that will grow strong and true in both their lives. The book discusses strong themes of love and value. Hale explores what it means to be good, true, and honest. She asks big questions about love and loyalty and courage and sacrifice. I love this book for the questions she poses and for the deep-rooted themes of resounding love. Rin yearns to discover who she is, but she battles the desire to hide from the knowledge. Forest Born is a book that will challenge young readers to fight beside Rin and discover their worth. I cannot recommend the book more highly.
There is mild violence, almost no romance–though a few kisses here and there for some side characters–, and no foul language. A clean, emotional, and stirring read.
More:
The first Book of Bayern is The Goose Girl (5 Stars)More:
The second is Enna Burning (5 Stars)
The third is River Secrets (4 Stars)
I have reviewed each of the above on Goodreads. Follow the links to find more info on the books. This series should be read in order.
On GraceBought
See my review of the previous books in the series!