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Summary
Summary
Rin, Razo's little sister, is haunted by the Forest she has always loved. When Razo invites her back to the city to be one of Queen Ani's waiting women, she happily accepts...only to end up on the adventure of her lifetime, following the queen, Enna, and Dasha into the countryside in search of a fire-starting enemy that no one can see. As she learns more about the three women's magical talents, she finds her own strength comes from places both expected--trees--and unexpected--the soundof her own voice. A brilliant addition to the Books of Bayern, this book is a treat for fans of this series, and stands alone for readers who might be discovering the joys of Shannon Hale's writing for the first time.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 7-11-In her fourth fantasy about the land of Bayern, Hale has created a strong stand-alone companion to The Goose Girl (2003), Enna Burning (2004), and River Secrets (2006, all Bloomsbury). Forest Born centers on Razo's sister, Rin, and her special abilities. The struggle that she goes through as she begins to recognize her talent of persuasion and her elemental connection to the forest brings the typical fantasy themes of good vs. evil to a place that makes them very personal. Rin discovered as a child that her words could be powerful. But that power left her feeling confused and wrong. Since that time, the wrongness has curled up like a snake inside her, making her doubt whether she can ever find peace. Rin encounters Isi, Enna, and Dasha from the previous Bayern stories and through them she finds hope; perhaps what makes her different could be a blessing, if she is able to find balance in her gifts. Lurking throughout the story is the tumultuous backdrop of diplomatic negotiations and threats of war. Everything finally comes to a head when Isi's nemesis from Goose Girl returns and kidnaps her son. All four women need to work together to defeat Selia, who has been completely corrupted and consumed by her people-speaking power of persuasion. Fans of the earlier titles as well as admirers of the genre will find Rin's journey a compelling read.-Genevieve Gallagher, Buford Middle School, Charlottesville, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
(Middle School) In this fourth entry in the Books of Bayern series, Forest-born Rin feels peace among the trees, but when they shut her out after she kisses a boy, she can't bear it and leaves home. Traveling to the City with her brother Razo (River Secrets, rev. 9/06), she gets a position as a lady-in-waiting to Isi the queen, and when the queen and her entourage (including Enna, fire-speaker, and Dasha, water-speaker) embark on a secret quest to investigate an attack on Isi's husband, Rin goes along. Through their travels, Rin begins to learn about her tree-speaking ability and to develop her own confidence by copying the queen; her new strengths are put to the test when Isi's infant son is kidnapped by the queen's old enemy and Rin is the only one at liberty to save him. Hale goes beyond adolescent angst to serious emotional turmoil as Rin confronts the suppressed circumstances around the kiss, the reason for the trees' disgust, and an unforeseen talent that tips the balance in the struggle for the queen's son. All is told in Hale's assured voice, drawing the details of her invented countries with precision and depth. Strong characters define the series: commanding Isi, passionate Enna, wily Razo, and now shadowed Rin. Newcomers will find this book an easy entry point, and fans will need no excuse to dive back into Hale's fantasy world. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Hale, like her readers, has clearly been enchanted with the characters she brought forth in her Books of Bayern (The Goose Girl, 2003, etc.). This fourth volume centers on Razo's little sister Rinna, who adores her Ma and her siblings' babies and finds peace among the trees but cannot get her words and feelings right. When Rin is 15, Razo brings her to the castle where he is guard. Rin finds a place caring for the two-year-old princeling and learns from Isi, the queen who can control the wind. Isi, Enna, who wields fire, and Razo's own Dasha, who hears water, are immediately called upon to save a fragile peace. Rin's inner demonsconnected to powers she does not yet graspare fascinatingly explored. An evil nemesis rises again from an earlier tale, and while she is not as fully drawn as the other characters she will be recognized. One doesn't need to have read the earlier books to become enraptured by this one, but doing so adds to the richness of these very satisfying tales. (Fantasy. 12 up) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Hale adds a fourth entry to her Books of Bayern series with this exciting, stand-alone title focused on teenaged Rin, who follows her brother, Razo, from their forest home to the city's royal court. Characters from the series' previous titles all hold major roles in the ensuing adventures in which Rin joins a battle to protect Bayern from evil forces. As usual, Hale's vivid, poetic language; romantic and action-filled plot twists; and friendship themes create a rich, satisfying read. But it's Rin's sensitively drawn struggle to recognize and accept her own power that will stay with readers most.--Engberg, Gillian Copyright 2010 Booklist