Spirit Animals – Tales of the Great Beasts

Tales of the Great Beasts is a Spirit Animals book for 9 year olds that goes back to the legends behind the series, starting with a young king who wants far too much.

What happens

In Erdas, a lucky few children call up a spirit animal and share its powers. The book opens with a story by Nick Eliopulos about Feliandor, the thirteen-year-old king of Stetriol.

Fel is trying SO hard. His father was loved and his mother was practically worshipped. He's inherited a kingdom that's running out of room. The coast is crowded, the middle of the country is desert, and his big tree-planting project has failed.

Even the cartoons pinned up in the taverns laugh at him.

Then a stranger slips him a small glass vial. It's called the Bile, and one sip forces a bond with any animal you choose. No waiting to find out whether you're one of the chosen ones.

You can probably guess this isn't going to end well. That's the pull of it. You're right beside Fel as he gets angrier and more stubborn, shuts out the old adviser who warns him and trusts the wrong people. It's a villain's story told from the inside, and it's surprisingly easy to feel sorry for him.

Worth knowing before you hand it over

There are some properly dark moments here. A cassowary bonded by the Bile tears open the old adviser's stomach, and there's blood on its claws (he does survive). A gorilla the size of a castle turret crushes a nest of baby birds in his fist to make a point. A sack of snakes gets tipped out in a crowded throne room too, and Fel's parents were killed before the story begins.

If your reader gets upset when animals or people are hurt, this might be one to read together or save for later. If they already love fantasy battles and a villain with a sad side, they'll be gripped.

Fans of the series will spot plenty they recognise, because the Bile and the Great Beasts turn up again in the main adventures.

What to read next

If this sparks an interest in the world, the main story starts with Wild Born, where a shepherd's son working as a servant drinks the Nectar at his own ceremony and waits to see whether any animal will come.