In the second book in the Spirit Animals series, Stiefvater flawlessly continues the story that Brandon Mull started, and shifts the characters into a darker world. The four main characters have bonded with the Great Beasts, but they now have to learn to bond with one another so that they can fight together against the villain, The Devourer. Stiefvater blends Mull's brilliant world building with her talent of writing memorable villains. From the beginning, you know it has gone to the next level with the characters facing exciting challenges.

Four children and their legendary spirit animals continue their training, honing their skills to better defend their land from the Conquerors. Trust issues abound as one child doesn't feel welcome (Blood Ties) and another can't wait for the team to coalesce (Hunted). The budding heroes must learn to work together in this formulaic, action-packed adventure series (with an online component).

Gr 3-7 Conor, Abeke, Meilin, and Rollan continue their quest to get the four talismen needed to defeat the devourer's minions. In this second installment, they discover that a new and sinister way to create the bond between spirit animals and children has been developed, placing a grave threat in their path. They barely have time to train before they're on a new journey, facing ambushes and an unexpected imprisonment in the town where Conor grew up. The story ends with a cliff-hanger when he is blackmailed into giving up something in order to save his family. This second book in the series will not make much sense to readers unless they have read or listened to the first book, Brandon Mull's Wild Born (Scholastic, 2013). The story line and flavor don't suffer a bit for having been written by different authors. Nicola Barber is an excellent choice, as she narrated the first book and continues to make each voice unique. Readers may find the characters' ambivalence in spots annoying, but overall, kids who love adventure, fantasy, and animals will enjoy this audiobook immensely. John R. Clark, Hartland Public Library, ME