Starling and the Cavern of Light

Fireborn #3

by Aisling Fowler, Sophie Medvedeva (Illustrator)

The final action-packed FIREBORN adventure

‘The best kind of children’s fantasy thrilling and imaginative’ B. B. Alston

‘The perfect balance of high adventure, breathless action and eerie wonder’ Jonathan Stroud

THE FINAL BATTLE IGNITES

The Master stepped closer and the pressure around Phoenix grew vicelike. Despair raged through her. How had she thought she could save everyone, when she couldn’t even save herself?

Following the shocking battle at Icegaard, Phoenix and her friends gather with the Hunters, desperate to unite the warring clans before their enemy, the Master, attacks Ember.

The Cavern of Light may offer hope in the form of a legendary weapon, but it lies deep in goblin territory, in the terrifying dark zone of the underground caves. The friends must brave the unknown, facing new and deadly creatures in search of a way to save their world.

As an epic final showdown draws near, Phoenix struggles to protect her friends, determined not to lose anyone else she loves. But the Master is crueller and more powerful than she ever imagined and as Phoenix’s past and present collide, unthinkable sacrifices will have to be made to defeat him.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Magic, Audiobook, Adventure, Witches, Grief

386 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 16, 2024

About the author

Aisling was born in 1985 and wishes that she had grown up in a magical, mountainous kingdom, but was actually raised in Surrey on a diet of books and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Her early ‘adventure’ stories involved surprisingly little action and her first novel (3 pages long) was politely declined by publishers at age 11.

After earning a BSc in Biology and working as a support worker and then a nurse, the idea for her debut novel, Fireborn, came to her as she moved back and forth between London and the US.

Now based in Hackney, when she is not reading or writing, Aisling loves cooking and plotting adventures (for herself as well as her fictional characters). Fireborn will be published by HarperCollins in 2021.

Reviews

[Morgan Greensmith · Rating 5 out of 5]

JUSTICE FOR MY GIRL SEVEN

[Willemijn jufwillemijnopallstars · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spreeuw en de lichtgrot is het derde en laatste deel in de Vuurbloed trilogie. Aisling Fowler heeft een spannende fantasy serie geschreven voor 12 jaar en ouder. Deel 1 werd vergeleken met De Grijze Jager en Hongerspelen. Het zit qua leeftijd inderdaad wel goed in vergelijking met die boeken, maar qua verhaallijn en wezens is het echt heel anders.

Het is het laatste boek, dus er wordt toegewerkt naar de eindstrijd. Elk hoofdstuk bevat actie, je verveelt je geen moment met dit boek. De eindstrijd is heftig en niet alle personages halen het einde. De epiloog laat de lezer overigens met een soort nieuw rood draadje zitten voor een eventuele spin off serie 😏

Deze serie is een aanrader als je houdt van fantasy series met vreemde wezens, zoals bijvoorbeeld de Summoner serie. Als je geïnteresseerd bent in heksen is het ook leuk, sorry geen draken, haha.

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5* An emotional end to a standout middle grade series.

My only qualm with this instalment, is that I wish there had been more effort put in to remind readers of what had happened previously in the series. I got there in the end but this very much when straight into the action, without any threads to the previous two books. This is great if your marathoning the trilogy but not so much when it’s been a year since you last visited the story. (it’s possible my memory is just worse than I thought)

That aside, this series is one I would and do enthusiastically recommend. It’s emotional, action packed, funny and an all round superb adventure.

[Abi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good book in this series and it was a lot darker and more nuanced than previous ones, but with some strangeness tòo. There was a welcome range of perspectives as well, which gave it depth.

Spoiler alert:
However, I still haven't got over the ending, to be honest. Five and Six are my favourite characters and have been the whole way through and I felt they were hard done by.

I didn't quite buy into the fact that Six was abandoned by the others. They took risks and disobeyed orders to do lots of other things but not to try to rescue him, and hence left him to a terrible fate. But really my main beef is with the way they treated Seven. I get their initial reaction but she explained her reasoning well and then did a lot of difficult and brave things to save the day but apparently she was still not worthy of forgiveness. I just felt the behaviour of the other main characters was harsh and didn't chime with their values from the other books. And when did dog become so insufferable?!

Anyway...I was confused and a tad traumatised. My 9 year old son took it all in his stride but did agree that Phoenix and the others were "quite horrible for most of that book".

Would have been a solid 4 stars but took one away for the above reasons.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this was a little underwhelming, especially for a final book in a series. It started out great, we were going on another adventure, meeting new characters, building momentum... and then as soon as the cave sequence is done, we get 140 pages of nothing before the end battle finally begins. By that time I was just wishing it was over already. The final confrontation with the Master is also underwhelming, over pretty quick, with a lot of 'walking menacingly closer' rather than actual fighting, which is a choice.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Het probleem met vuur,' fluisterde hij, 'is dat het uiteindelijk dooft.'

Ik maakte me op voorhand al een beetje zorgen over Spreeuw en de Lichtgrot, want ik had zo'n donkerbruin vermoeden dat het een zware dobber ging worden, en dat blijkt ook zo te zijn. Het is geen boek dat je eventjes om te ontspannen oppakt. Er gebeurt heel wat, en er zitten een aantal spannende en emotionele scènes in. De hoofdpersonages krijgen heel wat te verduren, en het verwonderde me eigenlijk niet dat niet iedereen het overleeft. Het zat eraan te komen: de strijd was gewoon te zwaar, dat bleek al wel op voorhand. Het was anders niet realistisch geweest.

Dat Joekelhond nog steeds met zijn transitie bezig is - hoe moet ik het anders noemen? - kon me nog altijd niks schelen, en ik was blij dat het achter de rug was. Misschien heeft Fowler die verhaallijn erin gestoken als een of andere verdoken metafoor met een sociale betekenis, geen idee, maar hoe dan ook interesseerde het me niet.
Ik heb wel een beetje medelijden met Zeven. Dat Feniks en de anderen kwaad op haar zijn, valt heel goed te begrijpen - maar hoe moeilijk moet het voor haar wel niet geweest zijn om al die voortekenen alleen te torsen? Ze hadden, zeker op de langere termijn, iets begripvoller tegenover Zeven mogen staan, vind ik, en het einde van haar verhaal is bitterzoet - met misschien iets te veel nadruk op het bittere deel.
Doorn is niet meer te herkennen tegenover Boek 1 - net als Feniks - en heeft een heel goede verandering ondergaan. En ik bedenk nu pas dat ik nog nooit iets over IJspegel heb gezegd, maar daar amuseer ik me ook mee, hij is wel grappig.
De overige stamhoofden zijn op zich wel interessant, maar ze zijn met te veel en komen te weinig aan bod om ze echt te leren kennen. Stalagmiet is veel aanweziger en was een aangename verrassing, hij is ook grappig.
Van Victorie had ik graag iets meer achtergrond gekregen. Het blijft uiteindelijk een beetje onduidelijk wat nu haar beweegredenen zijn om zich achter de meester te scharen. Of is ze gewoon een psychopaat? Kijkend naar het einde, wanneer ze Feniks te lijf gaat, zou het me niks verbazen.
Zenith was geweldig, natuurlijk. Ik ben blij dat ze zo'n belangrijke rol krijgt in Boek 3, want zij verdient dat zeker. Ze doet een frisse wind waaien door het verhaal en biedt een goed evenwicht tussen ernst en humor. Over haar zou ik gerust nog een vervolg willen lezen, feitelijk.
Feniks zelf was ook weer de moeite, dat spreekt vanzelf. Haar personage wordt erg goed opgebouwd en uitgediept, en over het algemeen zijn haar acties en reacties goed te begrijpen. Een heel goed hoofdpersonage om te volgen.

De vertaling is opnieuw van Maren Mostert. Je merkt een paar keer dat deze vertaling snel klaar moest zijn, samen met het Engels: hier en daar schemert de originele taal er een beetje in door. Bij de redactie hebben ze ook een paar ontbrekende woorden en letters gemist. Haast en spoed is dus inderdaad zelden goed, al valt het zeker nog mee. Vooral in het begin vielen er me enkele missers op, daarna betert het. En verder is het gewoon van heel goede kwaliteit en leest het Nederlands bijzonder aangenaam.

Jammer dat ze bij HarperCollins op de schutbladen de covertekening niet uitvergroot hebben geplaatst, trouwens, zoals ze bij Boek 2 wel hebben gedaan. Aan de andere kant: de tekstopmaak - lettertype, lettergrootte - waren aangenamer in dit deel. Dus die twee heffen elkaar op. Bovendien zitten er opnieuw een aantal knappe tekeningen van Sophie Medvedeva in, die ook weer de cover heeft gemaakt. Online ziet dat groen er wat saai uit, maar in het echt is het een mooie tint geworden!

Het enige echt grotere nadeel dat ik kan verzinnen, is dat het deel van het verhaal dat zich ondergronds afspeelt iets te lang duurt naar mijn goesting. Het had wat korter gemogen, en het had ook korter gekúnd. Op den duur begon het wat te vervelen. Maar gelukkig gebeurt er daarna nog heel veel en kom je terug op het puntje van je stoel te zitten.

8,3/10
Gemiddelde score voor de reeks: 8,1/10

[Random Van · Rating 1 out of 5]

It went all downhill from Chapter 52 onwards. Would it be harsh to say that Twelve/Phoenix/Starling (or T/P/S for short, as I'll be referring to her for the rest of the review, just because I think it's funny) doesn't live up to any name that she's ever gone by? Not even Twelve is fitting, because at least its initial meaning has value. I didn't feel like T/P/S had done anything valuable in mind when I finally turned the last page of this book.
Against my better judgment, there are a ton of spoilers in this review. Why wouldn't I just hide the entire review instead of having to add spoiler tags everywhere? Because then Goodreads would cut off the review, and the only way to read the whole thing would be to click the date I made this, and I don't want that to happen, as I spent at least two hours on this, and the format, in my opinion, looks icky if it's viewed like that. Be cautious of reading this review and the lengthy spoilers if you haven't read this book yet. I included quotes inside those spoilers, and I don't know if they spoil properly, so if you really DON'T want spoilers, avert your eyes when you scroll past said quotes if you can.
Before I really head into a rant that would rival previous rants I've written, albeit not published on this site, there's a point I'd like to make, where at the end of Chapter 38, Elder Hoarfrost tells T/P/S that she's acting like a child, and she counters by saying she is one because she's 13. When I initially read this, I believed it was an excellent point that I had rarely seen mentioned in other middle-grade fiction (I assume this is middle-grade, as when the first book was released, I was in that age range). This part, I believed initially, really put into perspective that a 13-year-old was in the middle of all this conflict and had gone through so much just to get to that point. Most middle-grade fiction should really do this more, should they not?
However, opinions change, and rightfully so, when someone reads a book from the start to the end. So, forgive me for the rest of my review if I'm too harsh on this 13-year-old child. Alas, I've seen better-written protagonists the same age as her in other middle-grade fiction I've read.
Firstly, one small thing that I didn't like about this book (this already feels like I'm writing this for school) is that the entire first half of it slightly felt like a drag. This is a personal opinion, as these days, reading eludes me, but as soon as Dog was split up from the rest of the group and the mimic took his place, I was bored with the book. Again, this is mostly a personal preference, but adding to this, I felt that the majority of T/P/S's trip to the Cavern of Light was dull and anticlimactic. It was like the excitement in the text that detailed their trip had a gradual buildup, and its climax tumbled down in the blink of an eye. This is how I felt when Karst notified the group that Dog-Mimic was in fact not Dog, when T/P/S dropped the axe and afterwards, when they were discussing how to find Dog, as that made me realise that Dog literally missed basically the entire trip to the Cavern of Light.
Aside from that, the characters of this book were also a bit dull and hollow. I am not afraid to admit that I've never liked Zenith since the second book, and I found her rather annoying. Again, another personal preference. I can see why others would like her (actually, I can't. If you like her, good for you, but usually, when I don't like a character, I can see why others like said character. I can't for Zenith), but she's not a favourite of mine. I also didn't like how Dog antagonised Seven so quickly in Chapter 52. For example:

'Seven. What have you done?'

and

'Leave. ... You must leave before something terrible and entirely avoidable happens. Be gone from here. Do not let us see you again.'

Don't even get me started on Six. His character was more hollow than a balloon. What I mean by that is, I wish we had more chapters of his POV, but we get about three max iirc.
Three. It honestly made it feel like his character was just a waste of space considering HE DIES. THE LAST CHAPTER WE GET FROM HIS POV IS LITERALLY JUST AS/BEFORE HE DIES.
I agree with Gabz's two-star review of this book, especially about Seven's treatment from T/P/S and her former friends from Chapter 52 onwards. What do you mean you won't forgive the Seer who quite literally said that she can't completely CHANGE EVERYTHING BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY FATED TO HAPPEN, BUT YOU QUITE IMMEDIATELY FORGIVE SOMEONE WHO QUITE LITERALLY WILLINGLY LOCKED YOU UP IN AN ABANDONED COTTAGE (I can't be bothered to double check if it's a cottage or not, my apologies for my laziness) FOR YOUR "SAFETY"? Yes, Seven could have told T/P/S about the Master's attack on her village and told Zenith about her being the last witch (but I doubt Zenith would have appreciated it), but Seven quite literally says nothing could have been done to prevent it (more on this down below. It gets a bit ranty). The difference between Seven and T/P/S's choices, though, is that one quite literally cannot be changed, or else the rest of the book wouldn't have ended the way it did, and the other is just a 13-year-old child who's indecisive about controlling her friend's choice to head into battle against the Master. T/P/S's choice reminds me of the book Tonight, I Burn, where FMC Penny ties her lifeline with Malin without his consent, much like how T/P/S locked up Dog, Thorn and Zenith in that cottage thingy without their knowledge. Furthermore, Seven quite literally says the following between pages 279-280 on the ISBN of 979-0-00-839426-4:

'You c-couldn't have! You don't understand. It was unchangeable. ... I learned a l-long time ago that there are things that can be changed and things that never can be, no matter what I do; all P-Paths lead to them. They're inevitable. Fated. Those are the things that are the most d-dangerous to share. People will try to change them anyway and it makes things worse: more d-death, more pain, more chaos.'

What part of that is HARD TO UNDERSTAND? To give the 13-year-old child that is named T/P/S some credit, her anger towards Seven is, to an extent, justified (and in that case, so is Zenith's and Dog and Thorn's. Well, it's more definite for the former, the latter two, not so much). To find out that your best friend knew of horrible events that personally affected you before they happened, but did nothing to stop them or even inform you of that, is definitely a betrayal. Especially because of T/P/S's trauma of the Master's attack on her village, which I believe was shown well, and how it influenced her actions later in the book, even if those actions were questionable. However, I believe some deeper, critical thinking could have happened within the group. No, they don't have to forgive Seven (I really have to start putting myself in other people's shoes), and it didn't have to be at that current moment when Seven revealed it. HOWEVER, AT THE END OF THE BOOK, THEY COULD HAVE BETTER REFLECTED ON SEVEN'S WORDS. HOW DID THEY SERIOUSLY FORGET THAT SHE STATED THAT FATE CAN'T BE CHANGED IN THIS CONTEXT GBISJOPGILSDGUOSIHJGSHUOFIHJGSHUISDOHGIUSIADGHSAIOJGSAIFOISADBIFHUOSAHFSJAGBJFIUSOFKGJSFIGUSAGSBKHDOIUSHGUISHOAGHSIU8SOIAHDGUSDAHGIOSADGUSDAHUGBIUSA8IGHOSAGUSADHOF9SA8OHUYGBUHRSOIGSAIUHOGIJSABUIGHSIJAOGBUISAHIGJSABJHGIOJSANGBSAIJGNBSGAIJGNSUIJNLABGSABHKSUOAIGSBJGIJNAGHIJSANLGBSAIJGNLSBAHGIJSNLAGJKSAGLSAGSSO.
The fact that they're all still angry at her by the final battle of the book is absurd. One part that literally made me put the book down was on page 379 on the ISBN of 979-0-00-839426-4:

'Together, no matter what,' Seven whispered behind them, though no one heard her.

Like, ARE WE THIS ANGRY AT HER OH MY GOODNESS.
I guess when T/P/S wishes she 'finds peace' by the end of the book is nice, and the epilogue too, but to me, it still feels like an incomplete puzzle because T/P/S and Seven never really talk it out and never properly resolve the end of their friendship. They do NOT have to forgive Seven if they don't want to (yes, I already said this, and well, they didn't, but that's besides the point), but to me, it felt like they were acting like she was working with the Master. She was not. It also almost feels like Zenith replaces Seven by the end. Definitely a personal opinion, but with the tension between them in the previous book, how Zenith doesn't like Seven because she's a Seer and Zenith literally being the one who forces Seven to reveal what she did in Chapter 51-52, it really feels like it.
The END of (emphasis on the end because for the most part, the final battle of this book wasn't bad but I'm like the last person you should ask for an opinion of final battles in middle-grade fiction because I have yet to find a memorable example) final battle of this was also highly anticlimactic for me. I believe and fear that it's a common thing in most middle-grade fiction I read, where the protagonist/main character of the book will appear at the start of the final battle, only to be completely MIA/unable to do anything except be a witness for the rest of it. From the top of my head, examples include Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Skandar and the Chaos Trials. I get it, it's for middle grade, but let me get some excitement in there. Really, the way this book handled the END of the final battle, in my opinion, is worse than the two examples I mentioned. At least Harry Potter and Skanadar were PRESENT for the very LAST PART of their final battles. T/P/S passes out and doesn't know what happens until after she wakes up about a day after it ended.
The ending was probably supposed to make me feel happy for the characters that they found their paths in life. It did not, but at the same time, I had stopped caring for them at that point anyway, so I don't think it matters what I feel about them in the final chapter. The illustrations in this book are (mostly; the very first one looks a bit odd to me) amazing, but the very last illustration, where Zenith, T/P/S, Five/Oryx/Thorn/Mica (or F/O/T/M for short) and Dog are sitting and gazing out into the horizon (or I assume they are, I really don't care enough to check) does not invoke emotions in me. Not positive ones, at least. Like, come on. How are they (as in Zenith, Dog and F/O/T/M) gonna blame Hoarfrost for wanting to revoke T/P/S's status as a hunter when she literally locked them up for the first half of the final battle? Am I getting too old for middle-grade fiction, or am I being delusional for not coming to the defence of a 13-year-old child?
As for the epilogue, it's bittersweet. I have mixed feelings about Seven/Owl's (S/O) choice to give up looking at the Paths, because to me, it feels like T/P/S and her group's words in Chapter 52 influenced her to give it up, because (I'm a Health student and the way Health is taught where I live is basically analysing factors in a scenario that influence a person's well-being and the decisions they make in said scenario. This next part is more or less about decisions) it could have influenced S/O to believe that having the power to see into the future is a bad thing. After all, she literally lost her friends or whatever and honestly, in the previous two books, I feel like it's implied that her friends are afraid of her gift (because I am a Health student, it's how I interpret it, if you interpret her reasons for giving up being a Seer differently, that's fine), but honestly, prophecy is a messy thing anyway in books. Look what happened in Fall of the School for Good and Evil for crying out loud. But whatever floats her boat (pun unintended).
Is there a point in writing a conclusion?
In conclusion (really sounding like this is for school)/TL;DR: I felt that the trip to the Cavern of Light was dull; that the characters were hollow and uninteresting (and in the case of Zenith and Dog, annoying); there was hypocrisy between S/O's choices and T/P/S's and how the characters reacted and forgave them, and the final battle and the ending were mid.
Again, my apologies if I am being too harsh on 13-year-old Twelve/Phoenix/Starling, but I believe she does not live up to all three names she has gone by in this series. I also apologise for my horrible grammar with all the text inside the brackets. I do not, however, apologise for the quote at the bottom of this review.

Six Seven

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fireborn series will always hold a special place in my heart, Fireborn was the first book I read for a blog tour when I started blogging 3 years ago. I remember reading up on the book and an interview with Aisling Fowler, I remember thinking a 3 book series was going to be great. But now it’s suddenly book 3 and I’m seriously worried about this ending.
The thing with an Aisling Fowler book is that you are guaranteed a book with over 400 pages, and to be honest these are my favourite types of books.
Also this is a series of books that you need to read from the start.
So I settled down one sunny weekend and paid a visit to some favourite characters. And hoping that everything would end well for them…
Following the shocking events at Icegaard, Phoenix and her friends gather with the Hunters, desperate to unite the warring clans before their enemy, the Master, launches his attack on Ember. The Cavern of Light offers hope in the form of a legendary weapon, but the friends must brave the unknown, facing down new and deadly creatures in search of the artifact that could save their world. As an epic final showdown draws near, Phoenix is determined not to lose anyone else that she loves. But the Master is more brutal and powerful than she ever imagined, and as Phoenix’s past and present collide, unthinkable sacrifices will have to be made to defeat him
It was so nice to be back with Phoenix and her friends..
This is an epic showdown and it’s one of the best I’ve ever read. Phoenix is struggling to protect her friend and she will do anything not to lose more people in her life. But The Master is one of the evilest baddies ever in MG.
I felt gripped by this book the whole way through and often didn't hear people speaking to me whilst I was reading because I was so absorbed by it.
The battle scenes are spectacular and I liked that the author doesn't shy away from scenes of peril.
But it’s those last couple of chapters that will really get to you.Aisling Fowler has proven herself to be one of this county's best writers, and remember Fireborn 1 was her debut book. I really don’t think myself and others are really ready to say goodbye to any of these characters and I seriously hope there will be more to come. And if this is definitely the end for these characters I will definitely be reading her again.

[Gabz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm so incredibly disappointed with how this turned out as a series. From an incredibly good first book, to a mediocre and too long second installment, to a conclusion that is also entirely too long and a poor resolution to the series. 

I'll come out and say it, Starling / Phoenix / Twelve is a Mary Sue. She can do no harm. Nobody can stay mad at her. Her sins are less sinful than anyone else's. There were some signs of it in the previous installment, but in this one it really shone through and it was immensely frustrating. 

Equally, the treatment of Seven is outright hypocritical when Starling, or whatever she wants to be called now, actively takes the choice away from people because she's afraid their free will might get them killed. That the supposed friends have such a blow out about the whole thing is absurd when Starling is instantly forgiven for her misdeeds as soon as the final battle is resolved. 

The battle itself is disappointing, and I think primarily because the author spent too long trying to build things up into a dramatic conclusion. It carried on for too long, over too many pages, and the build-up just didn't work. 

Also, bearing in mind this is a children's book, I was hoping for far more children's themes in here. Friendship, sticking together, some plot armour to show those friends at the end having succeeded in beating the big evil. It almost feels like the author didn't care to keep writing a children's story, and none of those themes of friendship actually came through. What we got was the "Twelve/Phoenix/Starling show" which we could maybe have guessed based on the title, but it didn't fall in line with the general formula of children's books. 

I've no clue. I'm not particularly tempted to pick anything up from this author again, considering the big let down, and the editors who failed to trim either the middle book or this one by at least 100 pages each have much to answer for. 

Do not recommend. 

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had so much potential for being an ending, but it was all too sudden and feels unfinished. So much happened in one book, it was as if Aisling Fowler had just put everything she could think of. Honestly, did Six have to die? Did Seven have to be hated? Did Dog have to be so weak?
It was also really confusing how everyone kept changing their names in the series, in book one it was "Twelve" then book two it was "Phoenix" now its "Starling"?
The series started out great but was really rushed, a bit of a waste of time.

[Michaela Mckernan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whizzed through this. I am very sad the story has ended but so much happens and you really feel for the characters!

[Dara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to reading this book, but as soon as I found out Six died, I lost all interest.

[Sifa Poulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

STARLING AND THE CAVERN OF LIGHT is an epic final battle full of all sorts of horrible monsters to fight and lots of magic.

Phoenix faces her past in this book and the prospect of losing her friends. I loved how it tackled the big issues around saving friends by taking away their choices, both through Phoenix and Seven. When is it selfish to save the ones you love? What happens when you take the weight of saving others - and is it selfish to resist that weight?

Dog narrates once more, but Seven and Six also get chapters. Seven is the largest of the secondary narrators and I really enjoyed getting an insight into the world of a seer. Seeing the future sounds awful, all that pressure, and this book really explored that. Also the boat was a great new character.

Dog's chapters explore the difficulties of becoming vulnerable and the defensive way we and our friends react. He is techy when they try to protect him, struggling to come to terms with it, but should they be coddling him that much? Six has the least amount of page time, a little glimpse at what the baddies are up to. Getting a chance to spend time with him also made the ending hit harder.

There was a real cost to this battle, in a way that MG often doesn't do. (Tragedy lover me did wish for a bit more of a cost, but this is MG and not a tragedy!) I liked that not everyone survived, that winning was not easy.

[Lia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is hands down the best in the entire series! From start to finish, it felt like I was watching a movie unfold in my mind. The writing is so immersive and vivid that every chapter pulled me in deeper, making it impossible to put down. The detailed descriptions, rich settings, and carefully crafted world were astounding.

The ending was incredibly satisfying, but the most unforgettable moment for me was when Phoenix was reunited with her family inside the Oculus. It caught me completely by surprise and filled the story with even more heart and beauty. That scene was so emotional it brought tears to my eyes.

Aisling Fowler has truly outdone herself, bringing us into the magical and gripping world of Ember. I can’t thank her enough for this unforgettable journey!

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done wrap up to this trilogy with hints of other adventures to come. Phoenix, Thorn, Zenith, Dog and Widge are preparing for the final showdown while grieving for Six and Seven. Their journey is woven through with Seven's separate one as they seek answers and help to defeat the Master. Readers also see a few glimpses into Six's situation as well. The final battle is as challenging as expected and some are lost as it unfolds. Phoenix must learn to work with her friends rather than try to protect and shield them as her efforts almost caused a disaster. I appreciate the final chapter to wrap up this saga and the Epilogue that hints of more adventures for Seven.

[Lire-une-passion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh non, c'est déjà fini... qu'est-ce que j'ai aimé cette trilogie ! Et ce tome 3 est aussi addictif que rempli d'action et de retournements de situation. La bataille finale m'a prise aux tripes, impossible à lâcher le roman. L'évolution des personnages est aussi impressionnante ! En bref, j'ai passé un excellent moment et je suis triste que cette histoire soit déjà finie...

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

love a good last stand! i was a little disappointed since the series is over and the ends aren’t tied up that there isn’t another book. You have to make a lot of assumptions which is okay but i would have liked to know the answers!!!! it’s was such a cute series, my kids will love it. perfect for 11-15 year olds.

[Stacey Bookerworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fireborn: Starling and the Cavern of Light was an incredible book and I am so sad the series is over, I am not ready to say goodbye to any of the characters yet.

Read more of our review here: https://www.bookerworm.com/reviews/90...

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed it but the end pushed my disbelief a little too far. I don't want to spoil anything so can't be too specific but if you were actually fighting evil, wouldn't you use every power you had???

[Chipotle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This actually made me cry at the end when I thought Dog, Widge and Six well dead. Turns out Widge and Dog survives. I thought Phoenix would die too. Actually my favorite book ever I'm so sad it ended. 😭🙏

[Mieke Lenaerts-Ma · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 I tend to like more slow paced books and this book felt both fast paced and drawn out. Like some scenes (especially the ones with Karst on the way to the caves) felt like they were drawn out and really slow but the book as a whole felt fast paced and quick. I did like how it ended though.

[Courtney Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is point blank one of the best books and book series I have ever read. This made my whole year.

[Therearenobadbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing epic conclusion to this beautifully illustrated fantasy adventure middle-grade trilogy

Although it's about 500 pages, it reads fast and smoothly.

I loved the first part where they decided to plunge into the caverns in search of a legendary weapon,  gave me Moria vibes. It sets well the mood for the training and epic battle ahead. 

Although this is a series, the author writes it in a way that anyone who grabs this volume alone would understand where the heroes are and what they are about to face soon and in the end would pick up the other books to know how they are there. 

Dog is dealing with new challenges and vulnerabilities, we learn more about the characters' past and clans, and the moonstone is lost... Phoenix is not sure she can defeat the Master anymore.

High stakes, you won't be able to put it down, action, tension, we're always rooting and fearing for our favorite characters. They work well as a team.

P.S. Seven has awesome POV chapters. Her journey with the character Boat, I loved this duo a lot. Epic read.

[Luck · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Moonlover · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars🥰

[Leonor Barros · Rating 5 out of 5]

A história esteve sempre muito emocionante, e tenho pena que a saga Renascer do Fogo tenha terminado.

[Spike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of the best books I’ve read, I cried like a toddler reading the finale and this book has left me traumatized in a good way!

[Adina Olaru · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series was amazing. I'm still shaken up about the last book. The ending was everything and i don't think I'm quite ready to write about it. What a book. What a series.

[Sadie Forsyth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed the series.

[Cassandra Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

A satisfying and emotional conclusion to this amazing trilogy. Fantastic storyline and worldbuilding, with a wonderful array of relatable characters.
Simply brilliant!