Tales of the Great Beasts

Spirit Animals #0.5

by Brandon Mull, Nick Eliopulos, Billy Merrell

Dive, run, and soar through this exhilarating special edition in the New York Times bestselling series, with a story by Wild Born author, Brandon Mull.

In the world of Erdas, there's a story of four noble animals who sacrificed everything to protect their homes from the ambitions of a mad king.

Briggan the Wolf, Uraza the Leopard, Jhi the Panda, and Essix the Falcon. Long before they were spirit animals, the four were still legends--Great Beasts, the most powerful beings to roam the wilds of Erdas.

Aided by a brave resistance of humans and animals, they gave their lives to protect the world from a threat more dangerous than any it had seen before: their own kind. Wise and cunning, gentle and ruthless, these are tales of the true heroes and villains in the war that started it all.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Fiction, Animals, Young Adult, Adventure, Childrens

186 pages, Hardcover

First published October 21, 2014

About the author

BRANDON MULL is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Fablehaven, Dragonwatch, Beyonders, and Five Kingdoms series. A kinetic thinker, Brandon enjoys bouncy balls, squeezable stress toys, and popping bubble wrap. He lives in Utah in a happy little valley near the mouth of a canyon with his wife, Erlyn, their eleven children, and three mischievous cats. Brandon loves meeting his readers and hearing about their experiences with his books.

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story:
Tales of the Great Beasts gives us stories revolving around the Great Beasts that if you've been reading the series are referred to as the Four Fallen: Jhi the Panda, Briggan the Wolf, Essix the Falcon, and Uraza the Leopard. The book spans the first war against the Devourer/the Reptile King and the forces of the Conquerors, from how it started all the way to the end. We see ordinary kids rise up to the challenge of helping their families, friends, and their homes against the darkness and how the Great Beasts got involved in the war. Everyone has their own problems, human and Great Beast alike, but both work to overcome their challenges to save Erdas at great sacrifice.
I like how the series encourages friendship and teamwork, and the layout of this book was clever. Five authors, including the author who started the series, each contribute a story involving one of the Great Beasts and each have found a way to make the stories unique while fitting together perfectly. The views switch from first person to third person depending on which story you're reading, but that helps to build the story by giving opinions and showing how this war affects everyone.
Caution:
Animals and people fight and do get hurt. A snake possesses people. A woman adjusts her teeth to match those of her Spirit Animal, which may be disturbing to some. A leopard threatens to eat people, and injures some. Wolves attack people, though nothing graphic is described. A snake and a gorilla get really violent. A boy is sick and sometimes coughs up blood.
Lessons:
We can overcome our differences and learn to work together. There is no greater act of love than to give your life for another. We must not let personal ambition lead us down the wrong path. Parents might want to use the Bile as a comparison to the dangers of taking drugs when reading with their children.

[Maciej Skulimowski · Rating 2 out of 5]

Skok na kasę. Niepotrzebne te opowiadania tym bardziej, że to prequele do pierwszego cyklu serii, a w Polsce zostały wydane dopiero po zakończeniu drugiego cyklu. Nie wnoszą one prawie nic nowego do fabuły. Dobre było tu tylko to, że to jedyna okazja żeby zobaczyć Czworo Poległych w pełnej okazałości, zanim stracili swoje ogromne rozmiary i zdolność mówienia. Ostatnie opowiadanie było ok, ale tak to nuda.

[Reading Rediscovered · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a special edition add-on to the main series. It told the individual story of the 5 great beasts - Kovo, Jhi, Uraza, Briggan, and Essix. It was interesting to see a different perspective on these characters, and it fleshed out a little more of their story and role in the main series.
Kovo's story helped connect the first use of the Bile to the main story - it showed how King Fel became the Devourer (Shane) and his bond with his giant crocodile.
Jhi's story showed her compassion and healing. I think Jhi is my favorite character. It also told how Jhi's talisman was first stolen, the beginning of the path to the end with Kovo in The Evertree.
Uraza's story tells of her unwavering independence and ferocious fighting. But it also tells of how she became more compassionate and willing to help the humans.
Briggan's story was a bit shorter, but tells the official formation of the Greencloaks! I like that the Great Beasts in these stories are able to talk and are the original beasts alluded to in the main series.
Essix's story is last. It is also the shortest of the tales. It is the telling of the Four Fallen - the choices made by the remaining Great Beasts in the first fight against Kovo & Gerathon.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this series is amazing, but this was my least favorite book in the series. I believe this book was mainly used to set up the story for future books so you could just know a little about Great Beasts. This book also didn't have much action in it either. It only talks about how the Great Beasts were assisted by humans long ago, but many of the Great Beasts hated humans and thought of themselves as superior. The Great Beasts have a meeting near the end of the book, talking about the war the humans’ are having and how they should stay out of the humans’ business and just let humans fight by themselves. Near the end of the meeting, almost all of the Great Beasts decide not to get in the humans’ way, but then four brave Great Beasts decide to charge into battle and help the humans. Even though I enjoyed this part of the story, I would not strongly recommend this book, but I would recommend other books in the Spirit Animals series.

[K. · Rating 1 out of 5]

"SPIRIT ANIMALS" IS NOT A CONCEPT FOR NON-NATIVE PEOPLE TO TAKE.

The title and blurb alone are incredibly racist and appropriate Native cultures. It's never ok for spirit animals to be used in this way. They're sacred to many Native peoples. Something a lot of Native people won't even talk about among themselves/ourselves because it's so sacred and private. For this series to even mention spirit animals is offensive, let alone ENCOURAGE KIDS TO ROLE PLAY HAVING A SPIRIT ANIMAL. Don't pick up this trash. The entire concept is rooted in the oppression of Native people.

Settlers just take and take and take, with no regard or respect for the cultures they're stealing and profiting from. Stop it. Please, just stop. This book and this entire series is sickening. Make up your own concepts and use your own words. Stop appropriating Indigenous peoples. You're causing real harm.

[Valerie]

Good prequel to the series!

[TheRavenpuffWhovian]

Yin and Yu were my favorite

[itchy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the first three stories back in September 2021 (I think). I'm not so sure that getting different authors to write the individual books of the series--a la The 39 Clues--is such a great idea. I'm in the middle of The 39 Clues, too, so I guess I'll find out soon enough. I get to meet new authors at the very least.

[Tommy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good back story on the great beasts and how they got involved with the first war

[Sarah Couture · Rating 3 out of 5]

La disparition des 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘴 est mentionnée à de nombreuses reprises dans la série sans que le pourquoi du comment soit expliqué en détail. Ce 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘭 vient répondre à question!

[Harrison Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far, in Spirit Animals: Tales of the Great Beasts, a lot has happened. Feliandor (boy king on Stetriol) has to survive on his own, in a haunted castle. Everyone else has left him to survive in there, because they all knew what is going to happen to Feliandor. I think, that Feliandor is going to wake up in an abandoned room and is going to be tied up by the spirits. I really want to know if he is going to make it out alive and if he will find Stetriol again, to live happily ever after.

[Cienna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look on the Great Beasts before the great war(s). I really enjoyed being able to see the personalities of the 4 Fallen while they could still speak. Uraza is just the best and we all know it. I highly suggest this for those interested in the books in the main series.

[ABTIN · Rating 5 out of 5]

perfect just perfect

[Lara Vehar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this one and I liked the added stories we get. It's about the four fallen and the Reptile king becoming who he was.

The first story was kind of meh because it felt like a repeat of the vision Conor got in the main series- we see the king choosing the bile and why he chose it - but it was pretty boring compared to the rest.

The second one is about Jhi and how two kids went and searched for her when one of them was ill and dying and the other one was brave enough to search for the panda when the adults weren't.

The third one is about Urazza and how she met a kid who helped rescue her from The conquerors and helped her get her talisman back and how The greenclocks were formed.

The fourth one is about Briggan and how he was convinced to join the war by a young girl who was sent to find him by the greencloaks.

The last one is about Essix joining the war and them trying to convince the other Great Beasts to join but they refuse so the four fall and then we get to see Essix wake up and be bonded with Rollan.

The other four were interesting and I liked seeing the new characters that were introduced in this book, I just wish that we saw them again but I don't think that we do. I also loved learning more about the four fallen.

[Edyta D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ebook na Empik Go.
Światu grozi niebezpieczeństwo, przeciwko ludziom wystąpiło jedno z królestw pod wodzą żadnego sławy Feliandora, młodego władcy Stetriolu. Pomagają mu dwie Wielkie Bestie Kovo i Gerathon. Czy ludzie będą potrafili się zjednoczyć, czy pomogą im zwierzoduchy i inne Wielkie Bestie?
Książka podzielona jest na 5 części, każda pisana jest przez innego autora. Historia skupia się wokół czterech Wielkich Bestii – lamparcicy Urazy, pandy Jhi, wilka Briggana, sokolicy Essix – które w imię obrony świata Erdas poświęciły wszystko, co mogły. W tych opowieściach ukazane jest również i zło, po jednej i drugiej stronie, najbardziej jednak przeraża obojętność i czekanie na rozwój wypadków – według słów „jakoś to będzie”.
Autorzy zawarli w tej opowieści cały kanon bezcennych dla młodych ludzi, życiowych drogowskazów. Już na samym początku wyraźnie widać, że ciekawość nie jest dobrym doradcą. Ponadto, cel nigdy nie może uświęcać środków, współpraca może okazać się jedynym wyjściem z kryzysowej sytuacji, a bezinteresowna pomoc, prędzej czy później, doczeka się rekompensaty i to z nawiązką.

[Brittney Perry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm rating it three stars not because it was a mediocre story, but because it was kind of pointless.

It was more short lore behind the four fallen than anything. It was interesting, but not needed to understand what happened in the main series, nor did it add anything to it. I wouldn't go as far to say it was a waste of time or anything like that but I could have not read it and not missed or been confused about any part of the main books.

I'm disappointed we got to see all their reasons for joining the war except Essix. We get scenes of the first greencloaks convincing Uraza, Briggan, and Jhi to join the war, but with her the opening is just her being in the fight. Who talked her in to it? Guess we'll never know.

[Leander · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read Goosebumps as a child I was always and am always on the lookout for ever new books and series that revolve around Teen Fiction, possibly the only teen genre I like.
And so, when I first read Spirit Animals, I was kinda intrigued, I immediately logged on to it's website and started playing its game.
And now, years later, I am reading the origin story of the Fallen, and to be honest, I'm not disappointed.
A pretty decent read.
Could even recommend. Has a certain Rick Riordan flair.

[Shreela Sen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book holds up the case of the animals, forests, basically the rest of the earth, against humans. & I like any book, movie, series, documentary which attempts to present to huumans what a parasite they are.
So, I read a "zero point five" book in a series, a "prequel". In itself, the book is unresolved, anticlimactic & unsatisfying. That is the reason for 1 star less.
I will try read the main books. Hope that the (various) authors have not undermined the great beasts in the main series & made them secondary to "human needs" ( eye roll).

[Victoria G · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was kind of boring 🙈 It went slow, and I missed my sassy but adorable kiddos that gave character to the story.

Also a long hard look into our fallen four from their time as Great beasts is revealing that they used to be low-key horrible. Uraza in particular was unbearable, but even Jhi was way too high and mighty.

The only story I liked was the Fel one but it just ruined the villain in the previous books because how am I supposed to hate the Devourer when he was actually a 13 years old boy manipulated by two cunning ancient beings? He never stood a chance and it made me sad.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were five different stories about the great beasts in this book. I was a little bored with a couple of the stories, but found the others to be interesting. My favorite was the last story, which featured all of the great beasts and their distinct personalities. I also found the first story especially interesting, which told about King Feliandor and his first meeting with Kovo, the great Ape.

[Natalia Chojnacka · Rating 5 out of 5]

To ostatnia książka która została wydana po polsku a ja jej nie przeczytałam. Dziwnie pożegnać ten świat. Wychował mnie od 7roku zycia do 12. Nie płakałam z powodu historii. Płakałam bo zdałam sobie sprawę że już nigdy nie przeżyje kolejnej historii z tego świata. Moje serce posiada specjalną wnękę dla tej serii bo gdyby nie ona nie czytałabym książek. Pożegnania zawsze bolały ale to... W niewyobrażalnej sile...

[Ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

This went a lot faster than I imagined.
It tells the tale of how Briggan, Jhi, Essix and Uraza became the four fallen. If you read this book before the main series you will have a certain knowledge of what happened in the first war but you will also know of certain other beasts betrayal.
I enjoyed it nonetheless. And would recommend to read it after the main series.

[Onsyam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice overall story
i read this before i read the first book of the series, and this book does throws a lot of names that arent familiar.
I advice u guys read the first book of the series first, eventhough this book says 0.5

[Twyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite of the four stories was probably the one about Katalin/Briggan. My least favorite was the first story. I really like knowing what had happened to Jhi, Essix, Briggan, and Uraza, although what happened to them was not a good thing.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has 5 chapters, one chapter for each of the 4 Fallen and one chapter for the original Devourer. Good reading for someone who wants some background on the Spirit Animals series without spoiling anything.

[Tuffnut · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insight into the beginning of the war with the Devourer and the Four Fallen. I loved being able to read about Jhi, Briggan, Uraza, and Essix in their Great Beast forms. Uraza is just a gem and I absolutely love her! This was a wonderful look into the humble beginnings of the Greencloaks.

[Gable Roth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good series. I just listened to this book again, even though I had read it long ago, because it was available on audio before a long road trip. I realize that more books have been added since I read them. I may have to finish the series someday.

[Amber · Rating 1 out of 5]

A book that was written from an author that I like but this time I wasn’t transported to a beautiful place, I was waiting for the plot the whole time and got bored in the first pages. The other books of this serie are better !

[Arrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

honestly i loved the way this book explained and expanded on the backstory and world-building of erdas, the great beasts, annd the first war. i also really liked getting to see the four fallen in their former glory because they're so iconic.

[Hyunjune · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only read this bc in 5th grade I found it in my mailbox and then I read it when I went home...
._.