Fireborn: Starling and the Cavern of Light

Fireborn #3

by Aisling Fowler

Phoenix and her friends vow to save Ember from all but certain doom in this final unmissable chapter in the sweeping series that  New York Times  bestselling author B. B. Alston called “the best kind of children’s fantasy story.” 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.

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

448 pages, Hardcover

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

[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.

[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!

[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. 

[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.

[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.

[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!

[Leya Fryer]

good good