This exciting middle grade audiobook, the first in a planned trilogy, is sure to please fans of Amie Kaufman’s young adult fantasy oeuvre and to create a new generation of younger fans. In a commendable performance, narrator Johnathan McClain creates distinct voices that make Kaufman’s diverse characters come alive. Twins Anders and Rayna have spent their lives, whether in the orphanage or on the streets, stealing and sneaking around to survive. But everything changes when they discover that they can both shape-shift—Anders into an ice wolf and Rayna into the ice wolves’ sworn enemy, a scorch dragon. The framework of the story is nothing new—warring sects, leaders with questionable intentions—but Kaufman’s twist on it is a breath of fresh air. S.P. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Elementals: Ice Wolves
Narrated by Johnathan McClain
Amie KaufmanUnabridged — 7 hours, 47 minutes
Elementals: Ice Wolves
Narrated by Johnathan McClain
Amie KaufmanUnabridged — 7 hours, 47 minutes
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Overview
From New York Times bestselling author Amie Kaufman comes the first book in an electrifying series about a brother and sister who must harness their powers and find their place in a sharply divided world.
Everyone in Vallen knows that ice wolves and scorch dragons are sworn enemies who live deeply separate lives.
So when twelve-year-old orphan Anders takes one elemental form and his twin sister, Rayna, takes another, he wonders whether they are even related. Family or not, Rayna is Anders's only true friend. She's nothing like the brutal, cruel dragons who claimed her as one of their own and stole her away.
To rescue her, Anders must enlist at the foreboding Ulfar Academy, a school for young wolves that values loyalty to the pack above all else. But for Anders, loyalty is more complicated than obedience, and friendship is the most powerful shapeshifting force of all.
“If you've ever wanted to go on an adventure, read this book.” - Marie Lu, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Young Elites
Anders's and Rayna's adventures continue in Elementals: Scorch Dragons, and the dramatic conclusion to the trilogy, Elementals: Battle Born!
Editorial Reviews
01/22/2018
In this lively first book in the Elementals trilogy, orphaned twins who have grown up as street thieves are separated for the first time when their shapeshifting abilities manifest. Twelve-year-old Anders becomes an ice wolf, and his sister, Rayna, transforms into a scorch dragon—a traditional enemy of the wolves. After Rayna is stolen away by other dragons for their own purposes, Anders is invited to attend the Ulfar Academy, a school dedicated to training ice wolves to guard their land against dragon attacks. Anders just wants to learn enough to locate and rescue his sister, but the more he bonds with his new friends and delves into his special abilities, the more he wonders if there’s something else to the conflict between ice and fire. In her first solo novel, Kaufman (Unearthed) conjures an intriguing world with memorable, diverse characters. Although the backstory isn’t entirely fleshed out, and some of the twists are predictable, the premise is solid, backed up by an enticing blend of magic, action, and excitement. Ages 8–12. Agent: Tracey Adams, Adams Literary. (Mar.)
A thrilling, nonstop adventure with vibrant characters and the kind of richly imagined world you never want to leave.
Amie Kaufman charges onto the scene with Ice Wolves, a story full of epic beasts and endearing heroes that will keep you reading late into the night. If you’ve ever wanted to go on an adventure, read this book.
Dragons! Wolves! Epic battles! Divided loyalties! Amie Kaufman’s Ice Wolves is full of fast-paced adventure, but at its heart it’s also the tale of one boy facing two classic questions: Where do I belong? and Who am I? The answers he finds will enthrall any reader.
Nestled between fast-paced action and vivid imagery, Kaufman deftly shares with us the heartache of lives diverging, of losing the one person who has always been with you in the fight against the world. I feel this story so deeply and I want more!
Unique and utterly spellbinding; a fast-paced, fantastical thrill ride from beginning to end.
With propulsive prose and impeccable pacing, Amie Kaufman has created a wholly absorbing fantasy world that feels both ancient and dangerous. Readers will devour this tale of fire and ice, magic and mystery, family and friendship—and immediately beg for the next book. Engrossing and vibrant.
12/01/2017
Gr 4–6—Anders and his twin sister Rayna could not be any different. Rayna is quick and confident. Anders always seems to make mistakes and needs Rayna far more than she needs him. But when the twins must participate in a magical selection ceremony to keep from being discovered as pickpockets, things take a dramatic turn. Ice Wolves and Scorch Dragons are enemies and no family in remembrance has produced one of each, until now. When Rayna turns into a dragon and Anders turns into a wolf, they separate for the first time. Growing in confidence at the Ulfar Academy, Anders and his friend set out to reunite with his sister and discover why the magical artifacts that protect the people of Vallen and help control the powers of ice and fire are failing. This story of magic and mystery is hindered by a slow pace and an unsatisfying resolution. The first of a planned trilogy, the tale begins with a bang and ends with a bit of a whimper. Characters are interesting but not explored to their full potential. VERDICT A slow start for a long journey. Consider as a secondary purchase where fantasy with animal elements circulates well.—Elizabeth Speer, Weatherford College, TX
★ 2017-11-22
Twelve-year-old twins discover that they have opposing elemental powers that could change the fate of the entire realm.Homeless, orphan twins Rayna and Anders have spent most of their lives stealing and picking the pockets of rich tourists to survive. Pickings are good at the Trial of the Staff, when the entire village of Holbard gathers to see which of its 12-year-old members have the elemental power to shape-shift into an ice wolf and qualify for the Ulfar Academy. At this event, both twins discover elemental powers: Anders has ice wolf blood and Rayna, dragon blood—but dragon and wolf are enemies. They are separated when Rayna, in dragon form, flees the Wolf Guard, later to be captured by other dragons. Now Anders has no choice but to join Ulfar Academy in order to learn what the Wolf Guard teaches about dragons, as it is imperative that he locate and save his twin sister. As Anders grows close to the members of the Wolf Guard, he discovers secrets about the true relationship between dragons and wolves. Both twins have brown skin and black, curly hair, and Holbard is a genuinely diverse community. What a treat to have a magical world full of diverse characters in which any young person can imagine themselves as powerful shape-shifters. This engaging page-turner honestly earns its forthcoming sequel.An engaging world and cliffhanger ending leave readers wanting more. (Fantasy. 10-14)
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940173572837 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | HarperCollins |
| Publication date: | 03/27/2018 |
| Series: | The Elementals Trilogy , #1 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
| Age Range: | 8 - 11 Years |
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