Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Mythic coming-of-age adventure pits hope against fear.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
THE FIREBIRD SONG once resounded in the kingdom of Lyrica, a happy, hopeful place whose people loved beauty and music. But the Firebird is long gone, and the kingdom is in the clutches of his mortal enemy, the Demon, who fosters and feeds on fear. In this dark world, Prewitt, whose father once helmed the Queen's Barge, is about to turn 12 -- the "age of hope." But then a beloved old woman's urgent prophecy, desperate song, and violent death set him on a path to find the long-lost princess, also 12, who's the key to bringing back the Firebird. And, as such, she's a target, which is why The Spectress, who serves the Demon and massacred the royal family, hunted and killed all the girls her age in the kingdom. Prewitt's never seen a girl his age until his unexpected meeting with Princess Calliope -- who, it turns out, has been hidden away along with the barge all these years. They're determined to bring light and music back to their world, but The Spectress has people too terrorized to even think about the Firebird, so there are many challenges and dangers ahead.
Is It Any Good?
First-time author Arnée Flores concocts a complex tale of 12-year-olds finding themselves caught up in a cosmic conflict and world-saving prophecy they didn't know existed just a few days ago. There's a lot of death, darkness, and despair in their world -- but they may be able to change that by bringing back The Firebird Song. Navigating their complex world and its challenges, protagonists Prewitt and Calliope are engaging and relatable, whether battling demonic beings or, in Calliope's case, scorning the supposed limitation of being "just a girl." The tale takes on quite a lot, what with the characters' personal and family struggles, the cosmic complexities and mythic back story, the heroic quest and adventures along the way--it all gets a bit muddled sometimes, but it's definitely pro-hope.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the cosmic struggle in The Firebird Song -- between good and evil, light and dark, hope and fear. What other stories do you know that deal with this theme and the issues that confront their characters?
Would you find it hard to live in a world with no music? What about books? Why do you feel that way?
In The Firebird Song, people drive a child away from home and family to fend for herself because she looks different. Do you see any examples of people treating others badly because of the way they look? What do you think of this?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Bloomsbury Children's Books
- Publication date : June 8, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 11
- Number of pages : 304
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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