Wild Born

Gr 4–7—In the world of Erdas, when children turn 11, they drink Nectar in order to see if they will have a spirit animal. Conor, Abeke, Meilin, and Rollan are chosen, and, with their spirit animals-a wolf, a leopard, a panda, and a falcon-they must summon the Four Fallen, Great Beasts that gave their lives many years earlier to defeat the Devourer. Now the Devourer is back, and the children have to use their animal powers to defeat it. Minions of the Devourer are hot on their trail and will do anything to stop them from succeeding. This story has a well-developed plot and likable, well-rounded characters. Mull masterfully draws readers into Erdas with his fast-paced scenes. His writing is smooth and easily transitions between characters' points of view without causing confusion. Fans of Mull's Fablehaven (S & S, 2007), Peter Lerangis's The Colossus Rises (HarperCollins, 2013), or other page-turning fantasy adventures will have a hard time putting this book down.—Kira Moody, Whitmore Public Library, Salt Lake City, UT