Fire and Ice: Spirit Animals, Book 4
By Carrie R. Wheadon,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Characters face loss, frostbite in exciting installment.
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What's the Story?
After fighting for the Slate Elephant's talisman in the steaming jungle, narrowly escaping the Devourer and his evil followers in Book 3, the four chosen and their special spirit animals can't wait to escape the oppressive heat. Heading to Artica in the very far north of Erdas may have been taking that wish a little too far. But that's where the Great Beast with the next talisman is hidden, so off they go. Their last stop before braving the endless ice fields filled with dangerous hidden crevasses is a remote village sacred to the Great Beast. Here they're hoping for directions, but something smells a little fishy. The villagers don't like visitors or the idea of someone after their sacred animal. And why does everyone in the village look so young? Just when they're about to gain their trust, some of the Devourer's followers barge in.
Is It Any Good?
The Spirit Animals series is definitely built on a solid foundation. The four 11-year-old characters are great, and there's a big adventurous journey in each installment, with bad guys always on their tails for that jolt of excitement. In FIRE AND ICE, Rollan faces some painful decisions when he reunites with the mother who abandoned him. This is handled poignantly by author Shannon Hale and adds a nice depth to the story.
Once again, the baddest bad guy of the series -- the Devourer -- barely makes a cameo, and very little is revealed about the bigger story here. Another disappointment: There's a fantastic moment where characters think all is lost -- they've been tricked and may die on the ice. The tension stops there, though, and the problem is resolved in two pages. Luckily, Fire and Ice makes up for that in the final, nail-biter battle scenes.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what they like about this series. Do you most like the friendship part, the adventure-laden travels, or the action?
Do you only read the Spirit Animals books, or do you visit the website, too? Is it more fun to read a series when it comes with a website?
What would your spirit animal be, and why? What special powers would it give you?
Book Details
- Author: Shannon Hale
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Friendship, Wild Animals
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
- Publication date: June 24, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 192
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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