Reviews

The Andalite Chronicles by K.A. Applegate

hanahighway's review

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0

I loved this little trilogy (just one book on StoryGraph) and the ideas and plot elements it brought to the series. 

goatsrsexy's review against another edition

5.0

I remembered this being a favourite as a kid, but nothing could have prepared me for the revelations!!! Omg. I never really read the series in order before now so that also probably has something to do with it. Like Chapman? I was not expecting that. I only even has the vaguest memory about how Tobias came into it all. Just so good, adds so much to the world building but also as it's own story is just phenomenal imo

alternbruno's review

5.0

Definitely unexpected-

spacepandita2022's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted reflective fast-paced

5.0

skyeoak's review

adventurous hopeful lighthearted sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

veggiefest's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

bookshelfmystic's review

5.0

The Andalite Chronicles is such a fun ride. Not only is it longer than a regular Animorphs book and so has more room to create an exciting plot, it also substantially widens our understanding of this universe. You know how sometimes you’re reading a book and you just think “I wonder what goes on with these other aliens across the galaxy we keep hearing about. Huh, I’ll probably never know.” Well, this book delivers. We learn about the Andalite society and their military structure, that there are rebel Taxxons and something called the Living Hive, and that our hero Elfangor has been involved in the Animorphs’ destinies for far longer than they imagined.

Spoiler

But most significantly, we come to understand that the entire galactic war is being played in 10D by powers as yet unknown. This will all finally come to fruition dozens of books later in the Ellimist Chronicles, if I remember right.

It’s such a treat to get to explore more corners of any sci-fi universe, and this book serves a whole course of it.

Plus, this story is just bonkers. It steadily escalates from a space battle to an infiltration mission to

Spoiler

a wild triple-universe created from three different species’ brains, complete with predators on wheels, people without faces, and a time hurricane. Yes please!

A few other thoughts:

I find it striking that Elfangor’s story is focused on when he was an aristh - hardly older than the Animorphs and not very experienced at morphing at all. He goes on to become an accomplished war-prince

Spoiler

(after a long stint on Earth in an alternate timeline)

, but the book skims over all that at the very end.

I admire how much Applegate strives to make the Animorphs universe make sense. It was a nice touch to explain translator chips and interstellar languages when on the Taxxon planet, where most sci-fi universes (at least in my experience) tend to shrug and wave away why all aliens can understand each other. Sure, there are some fantastical parts of the universe she’s built – like Zero-space and magic whales – but it seems dedicated to being internally consistent.

radradradish's review

adventurous hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

bookishintentions's review

4.5

best animorphs book 

fae's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5