The Guardian Herd: Landfall

The Guardian Herd #3

by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez

The gripping third book in the Guardian Herd series—now in paperback—will have readers eagerly turning the pages. Perfect for fans of the Warriors, Survivors, and Guardians of Ga’hoole series. Includes a never-before-seen short story! It has been many moons since Star received his starfire power, and now he will face his toughest challenge yet. Star is gravely injured, and Nightwing the Destroyer vows to make a pact with whoever brings him the black yearling—dead or alive. As Nightwing amasses an army to destroy him and all of Anok, Star must act fast. But as the threat of war looms, Star wonders if the current peace among the united pegasi is strong enough to survive.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Horses, Animals, Adventure, Childrens, Magic

400 pages, Paperback

First published February 2, 2016

About the author

I am the author of two thrillers, FRIENDS LIKE THESE and LIES LIKE WILDFIRE from Delacorte Press. I also write middle-grade fantasy stories, THE GUARDIAN HERD and RIDERS OF THE REALM from HarperCollins Children's Books. THE PET WASHER is my indie novel.

Praise for LIES LIKE WILDFIRE

"Consider this a must-have thriller." School Library Journal

"Five Fiery Stars for this bingeable, edge-of-your-seat, twisty thriller." NATASHA PRESTON, New York Times bestselling author of The Lake

"Twisty and fast-paced and visceral. I couldn't put this one down." KATIE COTUGNO, New York Timesbestselling author of 99 Days

"A twisty, fast-paced thriller about accountability, guilt, jealousy, and survival." Kirkus

Praise for The Guardian Herd Series
“Chock-full of adventure and twists, making it difficult to put down.” School Library Journal

“Filled with fantastical action, and rich with description. A well-paced and engrossing story. Alvarez has created a series that will be beloved by readers.” Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

"Alvarez's world is lush with description and atmosphere, and her premise has much to offer." Publishers Weekly

"The clever resolution will get kids psyched for more tales from the Guardian Herd." Booklist

"This epic adventure is richly developed. Compelling." Kirkus Reviews

“From page one, Jennifer Lynn Alvarez weaves an epic tale of a doomed black Pegasus foal named Star, whose race against time will lift the reader on the wings of destiny and danger, magic and hope. It’s a world I did not want to leave, and neither will you.” (Peter Lerangis, New York Times bestselling author in the 39 Clues series and of the Seven Wonders series)

Reviews

[Kelsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worst. Ending. Ever. Jennifer why do you do this to me?! You ended, your book, with a, CLIFFHANGER! Again! You're killing me!



I mean, Jennifer, do you know how your readers feel here?

Review:

Picking up after Stormbound, Landfall leaped right into the action. Nightwing has returned to Anok, and Star is the only one who can defeat him. Will he defeat Nightwing, or will he fail not just himself, but all the pegasi of Anok? Read this book to find out!

Ever since I read Starfire, I've been hooked on this series. It's everything I've always wanted a book to be: flying horses, spectacular world building, lots of action, friendship, a MC with a destiny, it's a pretty awesome series, kind of like Warriors but way awesomer with more world building. I'm telling you, you read these books fast. You won't want to put them down.

Have you ever read a book that gave you more than an adventure? A book that seemed to change your perspective on things? Well, for me, Landfall was that book.

Reading Chapter Thirty-One "Starwing" (p. 235), it made me realize just how much I love this series. An overwhelming feeling came over me, it showed me how much this series means to me, the characters, their world, it's all very close to my heart. And not just these books, but all books. It made me feel good to be able to read, it made me quite thankful for books. Maybe it was just the friendship Star has with his friends, but I was feeling grateful for the ability to read while on that chapter. Because, if I couldn't read, I wouldn't be able to read amazing books like these.

I cannot stress this enough, this is the series people have been waiting for. Instead of books like Twilight, girls should be reading more books like these. It teaches you to never give up, to trust yourself and others, to forgive, to defend, how important friendship is. This series carries countless lessons within their pages; this author has a gift of words. Not only does it have the important lessons, it also has heart-pounding action, suspense, and adventure.

You will explore places that will awe you; Jennifer Lynn Alvarez will make you feel like you're there. She's weaved battles that put you on the front lines, desperate chases that make your heart pound to the beat of the pegasi's wings, and heartbreaking and heartwarming moments that will touch your heart and your soul. She enchants you with words, and you will be under her spell until the last page is read, and yet you'll still want more.

Above all else, you will never forget this series. It feels so real that the scenes from the book are like memories for you.

This, my friends, is the series you've been waiting for.

That I've been waiting for.

Thank you, Jennifer Lynn Alvarez, for writing these books. We need more authors like you.

[Heather Anastasiu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um. This book made me cry. I’m a grown lady. This is a book for middle graders (I like to read along with my son). And…I CRIED. So yeah. This book is EPIC and will sneak up on ya, so watch out!

It starts off with a serious bang and keeps up the intensity. The herds are lining up on the two sides in a long-coming war. Former enemies are now aligned, and it’s not always smooth sailing. The in-fighting on the same team reminded me of Avengers. They’re forced to work together, though, when faced with enslavement at the hands (or hooves, rather) of the enemy, and that was a really cool dynamic to watch at work. It was also fun to see the different cultures and ways of the various herds. There’s lots of training to do, spywork, skirmishes, and danger at every turn. Relationships will be tested, and Starfire, the main hero, is constantly questioned, both from without and from within, about whether he truly is the hero and leader he’s supposed to be. I think that’s the coolest part of this book—watching his journey. The descendants believe in him, but can he believe in himself? And that ending…! Can’t wait for the next book!

[Sarah B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmmm... I did enjoy the majority of this book but I admit I sure have mixed feelings about the end. I just don't like those big battle scenes, you know, war. And there sure is plenty of that in here. I guess you could say it's a pegasus version of Lord of the Rings the Battle of Helm's Deep. And while I absolutely love LOTR I really dislike those huge battles. Weird but true. Well the same goes for this.. And the actual ending in here - the final scene - was a total shock! And I felt so bad for poor Star!

This is most definitely an adventure story. And a fast moving one too. In fact when I was meditating earlier today in yoga class and the teacher told us to think of water what popped into my head but thoughts of a pegasus in a river! A scene right out of this book!

I do think the characters are growing up a bit in here. They are getting a bit wiser and getting more self confidence but Star is still suffering those awful lows. I sure can relate to Star with how he feels. He feels he just doesn't fit in and he wishes he could but he just can't. Because he is different. And each time something seems to be going well and he feels happy then some incident occurs or someone says something to remind him how he really isn't one of them: that he won't ever be normal. Having autism I sure can relate to how he feels, his struggles. And that is why the first book in this series had bothered me a lot.

At this point I have no idea how this is going to end. These stories are full of darkness. I would even say they are more dark than light. And not all of the darkness is caused by Nightwing either. It's actually the other pegasus. They love to fight over all sorts of things. They can be very cruel. Especially to Star. So many of them hate him. Because he is different. Many of them are probably all too glad to use Nightwing as an excuse to fight! They are broken inside.

Once again the pegasus in here do some very unnatural things in my opinion. Like they pick things up with their wings. I have never heard of birds picking things up with their wings. They use their beaks. Or their claws. So if birds don't then why should the pegasus? I just find it strange...

And these nests they have... The Jungle Herd can weave nests. I wonder how do they do that? Do they use their lips as a horse can untie a knot in a rope with their lips? Hmm...

I guess I just wish these books were more cheerful? Elements of this one certainly reminded me of Harry Potter too. That thought jumped into my head while reading this. There was a lot of darkness in the later books of that series too. So many similarities. Chosen ones always live horrid lives wether they are pegasus or wizards it seems.

The cover is pretty but not as pretty as the previous book.

[Jennifer Lynn Alvarez]

Just a note to readers--LANDFALL is not the final book in the series. This is book 3 of 4 about Star. Book four, WINDBORN, comes out 09/20/2016. After book four, a new set of adventures will begin with existing characters who travel to a new continent where they encounter Landwalkers (humans) and other dangerous creatures.

[Sarah Guo · Rating 5 out of 5]

It ended in a cliffhanger...

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had such high hopes for this series, but so far none of the books have lived up to my expectations.

At the beginning of this third in a four-book series, Star battles Nightwing the Destroyer and loses. Star is gravely injured, and his friends and herd fly him back to their land so that he might recover. Meanwhile, Nightwing has made pacts with other pegasi who are searching for Star. In an attempt to throw the hunters off of Star's trail, his friend Morningeaf travels with Brackentail and Starpebble to other areas so they are purposely spotted and the enemy pegasi believe Star is with them. Once Star is healed of his injures, he begins training to become a warrior, learning how to use his hooves and teeth instead of his magical, deadly silver starfire. Star's herd prepares for the arrival of two enemy armies coming for him.

I continue to be disturbed by the amount of death and dying in this series aimed at children. What's even worse is how casually the deaths are treated. Star narrates an enemy pegasus being dragged off to be killed and expresses no remorse or sadness. This happens over and over in the battle at the end of the book -- a throwaway statement about a pegasus dying, and no reaction whatsoever from Star. Children's books sometimes depict death, but I think the subject is treated far too callously here.

I still don't understand why the pegasi feud with each other so much. They have been fighting and killing each other for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Real life animals (especially plant-eating ones like horses) do not slaughter each other on such a massive scale. Considering the fact that pegasi are as intelligent as humans, this conflict makes even less sense. I would think at least some of the pegasi would try to work toward peace before Star came along. To be honest, they all have kind of a miserable existence.

I had a tough time finishing this book, which is silly because it is a children's book with short chapters. I read most of it very quickly, but then, less than 75 pages until the end, I came to a dead stop. I was in the middle of the climatic battle, and I set the book down. I didn't return to it until weeks later, and I had read two and a half longer books in the meantime.

Stopping a book like that so suddenly, and during the climax no less, is a very bad sign. It meant I didn't care about the characters or the outcome of the battle. In fact, I'm not sure I'm interested enough in how this story concludes to read the final book. It seems stupid to give up when I've come this far, but I seriously doubt the writing and plot will improve enough in the fourth book to create a rousing finish.

I wish this series was better than it has turned out to be.

[Librarian Grandma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy for an honest opinion. I have read the first two books of this series and have been totally caught up in the story. I have been a school librarian and know this is just the right read for both boys (a lot of action and intensity) and for girls (love of horses and loving support of friends).

The best action of the series so far, just when you thought it couldn't get better. Nightwing the Destroyer has awakened from his four hundred year sleep and is back to challenge Star for control of the Pegasus herds of Anok. Star has to learn to fight like a Warrior to meet Nightwing's challenge. The fate of the herds depends on it. Very exciting. I can't wait for book four in the Fall of 2016 to see how Star finds his herds and what happens next.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Readers of Lasky's Wolves of Beyond series and any of Erin Hunter's works will be thrilled with Jennifer Alvarez and her Guardian Herd series! Strong characters, action, good vs. evil, and a new look at the pegasus type all come together for books that will thrill many in the 4th-7th grade bracket. This librarian needs to buy extra copies as it flies off the shelves as soon as it is returned!

[S Reeb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it

[Raven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was pretty excited to pick up Landfall and review it after having read the first two books in the series.

This review does include spoilers, because without them there's really not that much to review. You already know that, though, as it's been tagged for such.

Landfall has a lot of positive points. It builds up a prospective romance between Morningleaf and Brackentail. This comes off as incredibly adorable, and honestly I've shipped them since book two. It makes a lot more sense than Morningleaf and Star getting together after being raised as siblings and fed off the same mother. I understand the book says they 'never saw each other that way' but that's really not how the whole 'ewwww she's my relative!' response works, psychologically. That state is built up by exposure early on in a family setting.

It also establishes a lot of the fears of the elders, which was nice. Building up relationships between characters, just in general, can make any book for me.

There are a few criticisms that keep this book from becoming four stars:

The opening fight was incredibly ridiculous, and something I'd expect out of Dragon Ball Z. Compared to the fights of the first two novels, or at the end of this one, it was ridiculous. Then army of the dead shows and scares off Nightwing.

The rest of the novel is all about how Nightwing has to gather armies to him because he can't go after Star on his own without meeting those ancestors again - yet the end of the book has just that - Nightwing flying off to ruin the day.

While Brackentail goes off with Morningleaf to grow confused together, nothing really of significance happens with Star. We learn some history of the other herds, but it feels like it's padding out the book, taking up space, when its presence is incidental. If it must be there, then the book should be 'longer' because of it. The only truly significant thing that happens are the poison berries, and those happen 'after' Morningleaf already returned.

Frostfire and Petalcloud - these two were incredibly built up in the second novel. Frosfire was, repeatedly, a point of view character. So you would think with he and his mother forming opposing armies to find Star first, there'd be some more development between these two characters. This never happens, Frostfire is not revisited as a point of view character. He never interacts with his mother in this novel in any way. His army is also defeated and joins Star army, preventing any real interaction between the two in the next novel.

It's really disappointing, and I want to see some mother son reconciling, either here or in the golden meadow. It seemed pretty clear in the second novel that motherhood was the one thing that almost redeemed petalcloud, it'd be nice if she had something other than herself to care about. She's already a strong mare, that extra detail would be enough to push her into a really great character.

Thunderwing/sky was killed very unceremoniously, and doesn't even reach out to Star through his dreams or the like. It was a very abrupt and unsatisfying conclusion to his character arc, and the same result could have been achieved with less developed characters. Like Star's grandfather, if he'd been left alive in the second book.

And finally, like the second book, this novel ends at a cliffhanger. There is no closure, zero, zilch, at the end of this novel. They 'sorta' defeat Petalcloud's army by making it clear she can't kill Star, and then they run off.

Then Nightwing shows up, nukes a huge chunk of Star's army, and then herds his people away off screen in a matter of a few minutes, ending the novel with Star being alone.

I really really want to believe that this isn't signaling a trend from a novel structure, with closure at the end of each book, to episodic. I'd really like this to not become a tv show where each novel is an hour long episode. My hopes aren't high considering it's 'a children's series', as plenty of them do just that once they prove they can sell.

I'll be waiting until September to be shown whether or not that will be the case.

Still waiting for that Prequel, too. Some of the strongest writing in this series happens when Star isn't involved and is out of commission for reasons.

[Gerri Leen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was exciting, especially since Star wasn't always the major player in this. Again, so dark, but you do really care about the characters. I probably could do without the love triangle thing and it would be sort of nice to see a little more dimension in Nightwing, but none of these things kept me from reading it voraciously and I'm happily going on to the next volume Love this series!

[Jessica (jpbooklife) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gah! Talk about a cliffhanger. This book sees Star Finally trying to really own his powers. Being who he is meant to be. But you are left in a place at the end where you will absolutely need to jump into the next book.
Such fun story telling such good writing and enjoyable for all ages.

[Starfire · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a good book! You will have to read the books in order, but it's sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good!

[xSentientStardustx · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Good
The books in this series only get better. I wasn't sure about it at first but this one is definitely a standout among the three I've read so far.
The characters are further developing and becoming more three dimensional as they age and grow.
It was really nice having chapters from different perspectives, it kept the story fresh and fast moving.
I love seeing more of the other herds and their lore and lifestyles.
Enough unanswered questions to keep things interesting and keep me invested.

The Bad
Some minor annoyances as far as the main character using his powers. Really weak excuses not to but redemption in that he finally makes up his mind for himself.

The Bottom Line
4/5
Like I said, my favorite so far! Excellent ending, can't wait to see how it all wraps up

[Wynee Igel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book #3 in the Guardian Herd series. The author continues to surprise me with additional twists to the storyline. In this book, the dreaded nemesis to Star arrives to their lands. You think you know what's going to happen, but that's not exactly what happens. The twists continue to the very end of the book. The author also has short bonus stories at the end of parts that are mentioned, but not in as much detail because it's from different characters' points of view. It kept my interest and I wanted to read the next one.

[Miley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book is awesome!

I chose a five star rating because the story engages the reader and makes the reader sympathetic toward the characters. If you want to read something that involves animal a than you should read this. Star becomes a lot more mature in this novel and gains knowledge about death and destruction and its horrible nature. This book is good for readers of all ages whether you like reading or not. My only complain is that the book could be a little longer and have a little less of a cliffhanger.

[Chaos · Rating 5 out of 5]

The arrogance of Petalcloud and thinking Nightwing will actually give her anything she wants. The rest of the dumb pegasi who follow her deserve what's coming to them. That cliffhanger is a doozy!!! I feel for Star and the Herd. All he's done is try and help the rest of them. He's constantly belittled even by those he tries to help. It makes me so incredibly angry! I adore morning leaf and his friends, who are loyal to him and him alone. Star has grown so much and I look forward to what he's going to do next.

[Mythical Mishmash · Rating 1 out of 5]

My first DNF of the year and unfortunately one I didn’t want to make. I’d given the series too many chances to redeem itself, but I couldn’t feel the immersion at all. I had been waiting for around four/five years to finally read this series (due to how inaccessible it is in the UK), and now I’ve finally read it I’m thoroughly disappointed.
Bland characters, a ‘Gary Stu’ protagonist, low stakes and countless editing mistakes made these books a drag to get through.

[Lily Rasmussen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this series and would definitely read it again. In book three of the series, we get to see Star figure out how to become who he is and how he feels. We get to see everything that goes through his head while he is dealing with how to lead a herd and I love how the author shows that. This book does have some violence in it so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under 7th grade but it is a really great read and love to see more people interested in it.

[Twyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favourite part was when Star was alive, and woke up. My least favourite part was when Star had to use his starfire, which led Nightwing to him, and he attacked the Trap pegasi, and Star was tricked and all of the pegasi were stolen or killed by Nightwing.

[Daniel Cantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book and series!!

Ahh the tension!!! I’m sucked into this amazing storyline and what happens? CLIFFHANGER. I really REALLY hope there’s another one. Amazing series. Recommend to all adults and kids over 10. IT’S SO AMAZING

[Sydney Scrogham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book - big cliff hanger ending though!

[maysri??? · Rating 4 out of 5]

i think Star is becoming a little too soft

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE THIS SERIES!

[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was really good all the things that have happened have really kept you on your toes. It was so interesting all the action that has taken place.

[Izzy Obert · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25

[Natasha Chilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Third book in the series and just as good as the first two!! I was on th edge of my seat through the whole book! I absolutely loved it!

[Kyleen Wertel]

How do I get to the book and is it audio

[Lunapine__watercat]

YAY!

[Krys · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars