Tales of the Great Beasts

October 1, 2014
Grades 4-7 This collection of six short stories provides a prequel to the popular Spirit Animals series. Readers learn the origins of the Devourer and his Conquerers and of the Greencloak Resistance. Four of the six stories tell of the Great Beasts who later fall during a fight against the Devourer. The epic battle and deaths of the Four Fallen, referenced in the series, is told in detail. The short stories are written by a variety of authors, as is the series. While all are memorable, Gavin Brown's story of Uraza the leopard stands out with its strong voice and humor. The theme of good-versus-evil and the premise that a few chosen humans are able to bond with animals, absorbing their powers in the fight against world domination, makes for an appealing premise, as does the tie-in to an online game. This special edition comes out between books five and six, just in time for holiday shopping. Fans clamoring for additional titles in the New York Times best-selling series will find the back stories highly satisfying.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)