A review by thepolybrary
Fire and Ice by Shannon Hale

4.0

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I'm very happy to report that this book was an improvement on the last one in this series (#3)! There was more banter, more feeling, and less confusion overall.

The four kids are STILL having issues trusting each other, and the adults continue to be conveniently swept out of commission by some event or other - which of course forces the four into making BIG DECISIONS. I really like that the series allows the kids to not only make decisions, but forces them to be responsible for them and doesn't really sugar-coat the consequences of foolish ones. In this episode, they are off to the land of frozen tundra in search of the polar bear Great Beast. Again, the cultures they meet bear strong resemblance to ones in actual places in the world, but have different names.

Fire and Ice takes a bit of a darker turn than the previous installments of Spirit Animals. The threat to the kids' families and homes is getting closer, and there are some rather bloody battles and heart-rending scenes, particularly where Rollan is concerned (my poor little street kid just can't catch a freaking break). Still, I think this book will rekindle interest in the rest of the series. I really wasn't sure after Book 3 but I'm going to continue reading!

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