Wildbound

by Elayne Audrey Becker Narrated by Christopher Bonwell, Sofia Zervudachi

Overview

Wildbound is the thrilling follow-up to Elayne Audrey Becker's debut YA epic fantasy, Forestborn, full of forest magic and a kingdom on the brink of war.

With the assassination of Telyan's king, the time for peace has passed.

Determined to make up for his failure to procure the stardust, Helos finds work as a healer at Fendolyn's Keep, the military garrison to which Telyan's exiled royals-and half its civilians-have fled. Racing against the Fallow Throes' ticking clock, he endeavors to repair his relationship with Prince Finley and fight off the gathering shadows in his head, as the base around him prepares for war.

Half a continent away, his sister Rora is doing everything she can to reawaken the land and end Eradain's slaughter of magical beings. Still reeling from the revelation that Eradain's violent monarch is her half-brother, she journeys to the kingdom determined to infiltrate his court in disguise-and finds the seeds of rebellion are already stirring.

With a magical illness running rampant and the continent arming for battle, the three realms' long-feared destruction seems inevitable. But the two shifters they believed would bring about Alemara's ruin may in fact hold the key to its survival.

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Teen.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Praise for Forestborn:

“Forestborn took me by surprise. It's exciting, heartbreaking, and it would seem as if Elayne Audrey Becker's imagination knows no limits. I will be first in line for her next book.”—TJ Klune, New York Times bestselling author of The House in the Cerulean Sea

“From the first page, readers will be caught up in this story of shape-shifters, forest magic, political conflict and the bonds between friends. The world building is breathtaking and the characters are complex and engaging. Highly recommended for readers who like an epic fantasy with heart and spirit.”—Juliet Marillier, author of the Sevenwaters and Warrior Bards series

“Like the ancient magic in its mountains, Forestborn is a tale that settles deep into the soul, a haunting love song to the dangerous splendor of the wild—and a testament to the power of friendship on the journey of grief and healing.”—Joanna Hathaway, author of Dark of the West

“The reader flies through Forestborn as Rora, the shape-shifting protagonist, sails over the treetops, powered by Becker's propulsively readable style.”—Sarah Kozloff, author of The Nine Realms series

“A captivating tale of magic, the bonds of family, and finding one’s place in the world, Forestborn is a fresh take on the best of classic fantasy.”—Katy Rose Pool, author of There Will Come a Darkness

“Both a journey of self-discovery and a survival story . . . an epic high fantasy adventure with highly descriptive worldbuilding that is sure to please fans of the genre.”—School Library Journal

“Hand this one to your Robin McKinley fans.”—Booklist

Kirkus Reviews

2022-05-10
Romance encounters war’s grim realities in this follow-up to 2021’s Forestborn.

They survived the magical Vale, but Prince Weslyn of Telyan and shape-shifting siblings Helos and Rora failed in their quest for a cure for the fatal Fallow Throes. Now the three and the ailing Prince Finley, Weslyn’s brother, plunge into a war started by King Jol of Eradain, a genocidal but popular leader determined to eradicate magic—from people, plants, animals, and the land itself—to avert the ominous Prediction and prevent another land-rending Rupturing. He’s also Helos and Rora’s half brother. War soon separates the romantic pairs—Helos and Fin, Rora and Wes—as previously happy-go-lucky Helos serves as a battle medic, academic Wes serves as a soldier for newly crowned Queen Violet, and Rora infiltrates Eradain to restore magic, raze the prison, and confront Jol. In this somewhat preindustrial, vaguely Northern Hemisphere setting, magic users are shunned or imprisoned, purged or forced underground (literally). Despite their service to the crown and royal connections, Helos and Rora fear persecution and prejudice if they reveal their ability to shift into three kinds of animal and other people; their powers offer endless escapes and undercover opportunities but also earn distrust. Becker includes a lot of issues—abandonment, discrimination, PTSD—that would have benefited from deeper development but shines at scenic descriptions. The Telyan royals read as White, while Helos and Rora have olive skin; secondary characters are diverse in skin tone.

Fans of the first volume may appreciate this duology closer. (Fantasy. 14-18)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940176379785
Publisher:	Macmillan Audio
Publication date:	08/30/2022
Series:	Forestborn , #2
Edition description:	Unabridged

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