What do you think?
Rate this book
Foxcraft #3
The Mage
Full of heart, fantasy, and adventure, the I AM FOX trilogy follows Isla, a young fox whose world is shattered when her family suddenly vanishes. Foxfire, the final book in the trilogy, follows Isla on her continued adventures. Isla has arrived at the frigid Snowlands to find her lost brother, Pirie. The tundra is a harsh place - and the wolves who live within its icy kingdoms are harsher still - but Isla's flair for the mysterious arts of foxcraft has grown tremendously. The young fox is on a mission of grave importance. A cruel and powerful fox known as the Mage is using his own mastery of foxcraft to summon an ancient threat. If he succeeds, then more than just Pirie's life will be at stake. But Isla discovers the once-proud wolves are broken and wary. Their king is weak, struck by a peculiar madness, and a rival kingdom threatens their borders. If Isla can't find help amongst the wolves, then the whole world will burn
254 pages, Paperback
First published September 26, 2017
90 people are currently reading
1180 people want to read
About the author
Inbali Iserles
22 books368 followersInbali Iserles is a bestselling author and irrepressible animal lover. For many years she lived in central London, where a fascination with urban foxes inspired her popular Foxcraft trilogy. She is one of the team of authors behind the New York Times bestselling Survivors series, writing under the pen name Erin Hunter.
Her first book, The Tygrine Cat, won the 2008 Calderdale Children’s Book of the Year Award. Together with its sequel, The Tygrine Cat: On the Run, it was listed among The Independent’s “50 books every child should read.” Inbali attended Sussex and Cambridge Universities. She now lives in Cambridge with her family, including her principal writing mascot, Michi, who looks like an Arctic fox, acts like a cat, but is in fact a dog.
Her first book, The Tygrine Cat, won the 2008 Calderdale Children’s Book of the Year Award. Together with its sequel, The Tygrine Cat: On the Run, it was listed among The Independent’s “50 books every child should read.” Inbali attended Sussex and Cambridge Universities. She now lives in Cambridge with her family, including her principal writing mascot, Michi, who looks like an Arctic fox, acts like a cat, but is in fact a dog.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
September 18, 2017
My 11 year old son wrote the review below. I can't think of a book that has captivated him as much as the books in this series. I am entirely grateful towards Inbali Iserles for creating such a well written adventure to feed my son's love for reading. I recommend this series to kick start any child's "reading career"!
_____________________________________________________
THANK YOU FOR THIS ADVENTURE!
I was so excited when I received this book in the mail. I remembered the previous book #2 and it was a thrilling read! I couldn't wait to start this 3rd book. I couldn't put this book down. I took it with me in the car when I had to go somewhere and to my brother's volleyball games too! This book is a fast paced ending to Foxcraft- It ended the series perfectly. This book teaches you about bravery. There were some plot twists. I really like Farrelclaw's character and his character is much bigger in this book. So if you liked him, you will really like this book!
Once I finished I was sad the series was over, but happy I got to read such a phenomenal book. You'll be amazed at the ending, I really hope you like this book as much as I did!!!!!
_____________________________________________________
THANK YOU FOR THIS ADVENTURE!
I was so excited when I received this book in the mail. I remembered the previous book #2 and it was a thrilling read! I couldn't wait to start this 3rd book. I couldn't put this book down. I took it with me in the car when I had to go somewhere and to my brother's volleyball games too! This book is a fast paced ending to Foxcraft- It ended the series perfectly. This book teaches you about bravery. There were some plot twists. I really like Farrelclaw's character and his character is much bigger in this book. So if you liked him, you will really like this book!
Once I finished I was sad the series was over, but happy I got to read such a phenomenal book. You'll be amazed at the ending, I really hope you like this book as much as I did!!!!!
April 6, 2023
Review 1 : ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ This book series is AWSOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DEFINITLY one of my very favorite series now. I WISH THERE WERE MORE BOOKS! Seriously, three is just not enough for this awesome series. If you like adventure, you HAVE to read these! You don't even have to love foxes to enjoy this, but I love foxes so that just makes it even MORE amazing than it already is, which, trust me, is a LOT. THIS SERIES IS AWSOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🦊😍
Review 2 : This is my second time reading this book, and everything above still applies. I really wish there were more books (maybe about Isla and Siffrin's kids? Hmmmm....) But even if there are no more, this book was definitly a good end to Isla's story. This book has the best end of any book I've ever read. As soon as I finish reading the last chapter I always sigh with contentedness. Seriously, I couldn't imagine a better end to the story than what happened 😉. This book is definitely the best book in the series, which is surprising because I almost ALWAYS think the first book is the best in any series. :) ❤❤❤❤❤🦊
Review 2 : This is my second time reading this book, and everything above still applies. I really wish there were more books (maybe about Isla and Siffrin's kids? Hmmmm....) But even if there are no more, this book was definitly a good end to Isla's story. This book has the best end of any book I've ever read. As soon as I finish reading the last chapter I always sigh with contentedness. Seriously, I couldn't imagine a better end to the story than what happened 😉. This book is definitely the best book in the series, which is surprising because I almost ALWAYS think the first book is the best in any series. :) ❤❤❤❤❤🦊
May 27, 2021
Die Reihe bleibt sich bis zur letzten Seite treu. Durch die Augen der Tiere erfährt man, wie sie leben und fühlen. Im dritten Band lernt man die Wölfe kennen, deren Rudel natürlich ganz andere Gesetze kennt als die Familien der Füchse. Doch Ayla lernt, nach den Gemeinsamkeiten, statt nach den Unterschieden zu suchen. Denn nur gemeinsam mit allen ihren Freunden, kann sie den Magier besiegen.
September 5, 2018
Hörbuch//
Als Abschlussband einer Trilogie ist es natürlich die Aufgabe des Buches, alle Fragen zu beantworten und alle losen Fäden zusammenzuführen. Und das schafft dieser Band sehr sehr gut!
Es war faszinierend, mehr von den Hierarchien und der Kultur der Wöfe in diesem Buch zu lernen, da sie in vielerlei Hinsich so viel anders sind als die Lebensgewohnheiten der Füchse. Und doch gibt es Dinge, die beide Arten verbindet. Und auch wenn ich es liebe, von solchen Dingen möglichst viel zu lesen (oder zu hören, wie in diesem Fall), wirkte es zum Schluss doch so, als müsse das Ende schnell und etwas zu hektisch ablaufen, weil am Anfang zu viel Zeit für die ganzen Ereignisse in den Schneelanden gebraucht wurde. Der Endkampf war dann nämlich teilweise doch etwas unspektakulär dafür, dass der Magier als so mächtiger Gegner aufgebaut wurde. Und die Geschehnisse nach dem Finale wirkten ein wenig lieblos hingeklatscht (Isla und Siffrin, what?!), schade eigentlich.
Trotzdem hat mir die Buchreihe wirklich gut gefallen, und ich muss auch nochmal Cathlen Gawlich als Sprecherin loben, die allein mit den unterschiedlichen Stimmen so viel aus der Geschichte gemacht hat! <3
Als Abschlussband einer Trilogie ist es natürlich die Aufgabe des Buches, alle Fragen zu beantworten und alle losen Fäden zusammenzuführen. Und das schafft dieser Band sehr sehr gut!
Es war faszinierend, mehr von den Hierarchien und der Kultur der Wöfe in diesem Buch zu lernen, da sie in vielerlei Hinsich so viel anders sind als die Lebensgewohnheiten der Füchse. Und doch gibt es Dinge, die beide Arten verbindet. Und auch wenn ich es liebe, von solchen Dingen möglichst viel zu lesen (oder zu hören, wie in diesem Fall), wirkte es zum Schluss doch so, als müsse das Ende schnell und etwas zu hektisch ablaufen, weil am Anfang zu viel Zeit für die ganzen Ereignisse in den Schneelanden gebraucht wurde. Der Endkampf war dann nämlich teilweise doch etwas unspektakulär dafür, dass der Magier als so mächtiger Gegner aufgebaut wurde. Und die Geschehnisse nach dem Finale wirkten ein wenig lieblos hingeklatscht (Isla und Siffrin, what?!), schade eigentlich.
Trotzdem hat mir die Buchreihe wirklich gut gefallen, und ich muss auch nochmal Cathlen Gawlich als Sprecherin loben, die allein mit den unterschiedlichen Stimmen so viel aus der Geschichte gemacht hat! <3
December 23, 2021
Foxcraft. Magul este un volum alert, unde Isla e forțată să se maturizeze și unde aflăm despre neamul lupilor - cum e organizată haita lor, ce zei venerează, cum privesc ei energiile universului și cum se supun acestora. Inbali Iserles face o treabă minunată reintroducând cititorul în acțiune. Deși a trecut destul timp de când am citit cel de-al doilea volum, mi-a fost ușor să mă întorc în lumea din Foxcraft și să reîntâlnesc personajele deja îndrăgite.
Recenzia, aici.
Recenzia, aici.
November 15, 2017
Lots of intense moments. Really good. :D
April 29, 2023
Now that I think about it, I don't think I actually finished this book when I was little. I don't think I really understood what was going on, so I got bored and stopped. Didn't stop me from making my mum sew me a fox onsie (complete with velcro-attached tail) and going as Isla for the book character parade one year at primary school. Anyway-
Out of the three (realms? regions? sectors? I forgot the word I was looking for) I think the Snowlands are my favourite. I think this is because when Isla actually gets a chance to appreciate the beauty of the tundra while she's there, unlike the times when she was in the Graylands or Wildlands. Also the wolves having their own problems was a nice distraction (for me and for Isla) from thinking and stressing about Pirie and the Elders all the time.
Also I'm biased because I just love wolves. I love how their hierarchy works and how they put the pack (or Bishar, in this context) before their individual selves. The scene in this book where the Bishar is hunting bison is so so magical. And I love the slightly creepy shaman figure that always seems to be somewhere in these animal series.
Screw it, I think this is just simply my favourite book of the series. I love a good questing montage and there was a good one or two in this book. Even better that I could follow along on the map.
And the ending. I love Haiki's whole character arc, and it's really cool and unique to have him practically immune to the effects of foxcraft (this series has the all-the-magic-is-just-illusions-blink-hard-enough-and-it'll-go-away trope) so he can easily lend everyone through the Darklands. Quite convenient too.
I thought the meeting of the Mage was a little anticlimactic though. The huge battle against his army was over long before they actually saw him for the first time. I thought the concept of the White Fox was really cool though.
I also just wanna quickly talk about a really cool foxcraft, maa-sharm. Maa is like fox's souls, their source of foxcraft. When another fox is injured/low on maa they can transfer maa between them, hence maa-sharm. When foxes are engaged in maa-sharm, they touch each other's maa, often getting visions of each other's childhood memories etc. That's how. foxes can sense how strong Isla's maa is, how Isla kinda unlocked Siffrin's childhood for him, etc. Anyways. Maa-sharm is cool.
Out of the three (realms? regions? sectors? I forgot the word I was looking for) I think the Snowlands are my favourite. I think this is because when Isla actually gets a chance to appreciate the beauty of the tundra while she's there, unlike the times when she was in the Graylands or Wildlands. Also the wolves having their own problems was a nice distraction (for me and for Isla) from thinking and stressing about Pirie and the Elders all the time.
Also I'm biased because I just love wolves. I love how their hierarchy works and how they put the pack (or Bishar, in this context) before their individual selves. The scene in this book where the Bishar is hunting bison is so so magical. And I love the slightly creepy shaman figure that always seems to be somewhere in these animal series.
Screw it, I think this is just simply my favourite book of the series. I love a good questing montage and there was a good one or two in this book. Even better that I could follow along on the map.
And the ending. I love Haiki's whole character arc, and it's really cool and unique to have him practically immune to the effects of foxcraft (this series has the all-the-magic-is-just-illusions-blink-hard-enough-and-it'll-go-away trope) so he can easily lend everyone through the Darklands. Quite convenient too.
I thought the meeting of the Mage was a little anticlimactic though. The huge battle against his army was over long before they actually saw him for the first time. I thought the concept of the White Fox was really cool though.
I also just wanna quickly talk about a really cool foxcraft, maa-sharm. Maa is like fox's souls, their source of foxcraft. When another fox is injured/low on maa they can transfer maa between them, hence maa-sharm. When foxes are engaged in maa-sharm, they touch each other's maa, often getting visions of each other's childhood memories etc. That's how. foxes can sense how strong Isla's maa is, how Isla kinda unlocked Siffrin's childhood for him, etc. Anyways. Maa-sharm is cool.
February 18, 2018
Isla travels to the cold Snowlands to find her brother Pirie. Here she has to deal with wolves, that are no friends of foxes, but Isla has made a useful connection that will save her life. Isla's knowledge of Foxcraft is what keeps her out of harm's way over and over again. She's incredibly skilled at it and every time someone explains a new trick she masters it in no time. She needs to if she wants to survive and save herself and the other foxes from the Taken.
Isla has the Elders on her side, but that might not be enough to stay ahead of the fox that calls himself the Mage. The Mage enslaves other foxes. He's preparing to summon an ancient power, something that should stay dormant and shouldn't be released. The Elders need Isla's help in their fight against him, but she also should find her brother. Is there a link between both missions and will Isla eventually succeed or has her search been in vain? Will the Mage win or can he be stopped?
The Mage is another brilliant story about the beautiful brave Isla. Isla is growing up. She can stand up for herself, she's becoming smarter every day and she can take care of both herself and others. I was impressed by her progress and the way she uses her powers. Isla has learned a lot on her travels and she's a formidable fox now. This put a big smile on my face. She's a wonderful main character and I really enjoyed reading about her adventures once more.
Inbali Iserles has written such a fabulous series. The magical aspect of The Mage is amazing. I was thrilled that there are so many great scenes about this topic and I enjoyed every single one of them. Isla has to fight against a mysterious enemy and this time she has several allies. She is no longer alone and this aspect of the story is heartwarming. The overall vibe is incredible and that is something I enjoyed so much. I also loved the ending of the story, it's fitting, spectacular and moving at the same time. The Mage is a gorgeous finale of a stunning series, I highly recommend the Foxcraft books.
Isla has the Elders on her side, but that might not be enough to stay ahead of the fox that calls himself the Mage. The Mage enslaves other foxes. He's preparing to summon an ancient power, something that should stay dormant and shouldn't be released. The Elders need Isla's help in their fight against him, but she also should find her brother. Is there a link between both missions and will Isla eventually succeed or has her search been in vain? Will the Mage win or can he be stopped?
The Mage is another brilliant story about the beautiful brave Isla. Isla is growing up. She can stand up for herself, she's becoming smarter every day and she can take care of both herself and others. I was impressed by her progress and the way she uses her powers. Isla has learned a lot on her travels and she's a formidable fox now. This put a big smile on my face. She's a wonderful main character and I really enjoyed reading about her adventures once more.
Inbali Iserles has written such a fabulous series. The magical aspect of The Mage is amazing. I was thrilled that there are so many great scenes about this topic and I enjoyed every single one of them. Isla has to fight against a mysterious enemy and this time she has several allies. She is no longer alone and this aspect of the story is heartwarming. The overall vibe is incredible and that is something I enjoyed so much. I also loved the ending of the story, it's fitting, spectacular and moving at the same time. The Mage is a gorgeous finale of a stunning series, I highly recommend the Foxcraft books.
April 1, 2022
I think this one was my favorite out of all three books! I thought the wolves names were confusing but my favorite wolf was Farraclaw who is now known as King Farraclaw. I cannot believe that Isla is the new black fox I thought she would become an Elder I mean the black fox is an but you know what I mean. I guess that Siffrin is like the same age as Isla and at the end Isla and Siffrin were talking and Isla said she was wrong about Siffrin and that they can be friends but then she said maybe they can be more sooo does that mean they are going to mate? Overall I loved this book oh yeah I forgot about Metis he was the black fox and he was a weird character.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2020
My son has been obsessed with this series for years and has been bugging me to read them, so I finally did. They are really cute and I whizzed through them. It was definitely something I enjoyed, but I wouldn't say that they were something that I would recommend other adults to read with any sort of enthusiasm. Children, yes. I definitely would recommend them to children.
There are children's books that I ADORE and I would read even if my kid wasn't into them, they are THAT GOOD. This series....not quite that good to me. Maybe some might think so, it's really just a matter of opinion, I think. Because they ARE well written.
But I don't know, it didn't appeal to me like other series have. Maybe I'm just not as into talking animals as my son. Hm. Well...I DO like the Miss Bianca series, though...old series and all talking animals, mostly mice. No magic either. This one at least has magic.
I DID like the magic. That part was awesome, I will say. Very intriguing, the magic they have in there...I did like those parts. Well done! And the main story line was quite well done and how it threaded through all 3 books, making you have to get all 3. Well done.
The wolf names bugged the hell outta me though. Holy crap they were annoying.
I did also really like the perspective of humans from the animals. That made us really seem perplexing and even awful. That was pretty intriguing.
And the whole story story line was great! I just don't think it's the kind of story I will ver read over and over again like my son. It's not like a Harry Potter or Hunger Games situation where you just cannot get enough of it. But hey, they can't all be.
Wow this is a crap review.
Read the books, they are good. They will probably make you like foxes and wish they really had magic. Do they? Now there's a thought! But they might not be your favorite books ever. Or maybe they will. Who knows.
There are children's books that I ADORE and I would read even if my kid wasn't into them, they are THAT GOOD. This series....not quite that good to me. Maybe some might think so, it's really just a matter of opinion, I think. Because they ARE well written.
But I don't know, it didn't appeal to me like other series have. Maybe I'm just not as into talking animals as my son. Hm. Well...I DO like the Miss Bianca series, though...old series and all talking animals, mostly mice. No magic either. This one at least has magic.
I DID like the magic. That part was awesome, I will say. Very intriguing, the magic they have in there...I did like those parts. Well done! And the main story line was quite well done and how it threaded through all 3 books, making you have to get all 3. Well done.
The wolf names bugged the hell outta me though. Holy crap they were annoying.
I did also really like the perspective of humans from the animals. That made us really seem perplexing and even awful. That was pretty intriguing.
And the whole story story line was great! I just don't think it's the kind of story I will ver read over and over again like my son. It's not like a Harry Potter or Hunger Games situation where you just cannot get enough of it. But hey, they can't all be.
Wow this is a crap review.
Read the books, they are good. They will probably make you like foxes and wish they really had magic. Do they? Now there's a thought! But they might not be your favorite books ever. Or maybe they will. Who knows.
February 9, 2020
This last book took a lot of twists and turns but the ending encounter left a lot to be desired. There was a lot of tension build up and then... It went flat.
There's a log going on in this book being the longest of all 3. It was still an interesting read but wished the ending had more of a punch than it did.
This book did become slightly graphic which is surprising due to a children's book.
There's a log going on in this book being the longest of all 3. It was still an interesting read but wished the ending had more of a punch than it did.
This book did become slightly graphic which is surprising due to a children's book.
February 5, 2023
3.75
The final in the Foxcraft series
Isla travels further north into the snow lands where wolves roam as she continues her search for her brother Piri
We see old characters come back and new characters and the story Is great but again all the words and names are confusing. The names sound similar
Ferraclaw valiant Jowl
And mirrorclaw and all the claw clan have claw at the end but I had no idea who most of them were
Luckily It didn’t detract too much from the story and I learned the most important wolves names
Good end to a good series
The final in the Foxcraft series
Isla travels further north into the snow lands where wolves roam as she continues her search for her brother Piri
We see old characters come back and new characters and the story Is great but again all the words and names are confusing. The names sound similar
Ferraclaw valiant Jowl
And mirrorclaw and all the claw clan have claw at the end but I had no idea who most of them were
Luckily It didn’t detract too much from the story and I learned the most important wolves names
Good end to a good series
March 30, 2023
This was a very intense read! There is so much lore in this trilogy. The action kept me glued to the book. In the end, the book, and the trilogy itself, was pretty good.
Also, side note: The wolves made me think a lot about the videogame Cattails. How they lived felt very similar to the cats in that game.
Also, side note: The wolves made me think a lot about the videogame Cattails. How they lived felt very similar to the cats in that game.
April 18, 2023
This book was my favorite of the great trilogy. My favorite part was when Isla joined The Bishar of Claw, and my favorite character was Farraclaw. The fight at the end of the book fast-paced, and I liked how Isla became the Black Fox. Overall, this was a great book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2017
Amazing couldn’t put it down I finished it and asked why did it have to end it was filled with beautiful writing
January 2, 2020
Noch besser als die ersten beiden Teile 😍🖤
February 14, 2020
Official Rating:
5/5 stars 🌟
5/5 stars 🌟
October 20, 2020
My family read this series out loud at bedtime. My daughter, 8 and 10, were obsessed. (It was over our five-year-old’s head, but she fell asleep to it - another endorsement!). Beautifully written, a lovely tale for kids and a cool fantasy world. We loved it, including my husband and myself. And now we have three fox-obsessed kiddos.
October 15, 2025
Honestly this was the best book, I loved it and was so sad that the books were so short and the series short to….
July 19, 2023
This sooo good!!! My favorite part is when Isla and Siffrin become a couple I always felt that they should!! I also love how Isla has so much courage!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2019
What an action-packed finale! At first I thought that it was starting to drag on a lot. But then all of a sudden... BAM! Isla is back on her search for Pirie and this time ... to face the evil Mage once and for all with her powerful Foxcraft on her side.
September 11, 2019
Name: Tayler Carpenter
Book title: Foxcraft, The Mage(#3)
Personal Response
I really liked this series and it was fun to read and the story was really good. I think that this book did a great job ending the Foxcraft series. I wish that there were more books for this series because I like to see what the characters are doing after beating the Mage.
Plot Summary
Isla made it into the snowlands shortly after using wa’akkir to get away from the taken and cross the Raging River. She finds a cave to hide in, but then three wolves find her inside and they talk about how they will kill Isla. Isla says Farraclaws name and the wolves stop and ask her how she knows Farraclaw and she tells them that she saved him from the Graylands. They bring her to Farraclaw and she tells him why she is in the snowlands. Isla becomes part of the Bishar and she meets the sick king. Isla finds out that the king is sick because a fox tried to pleach with the king and it failed because a wolf and fox can’t pleach together. Isla thinks this is the work of her brother but it turns out to be Metis, the Black fox. Métis came to the snowlands to try and get a wolf to help the foxes in the fight against the Mage. Shortly after Isla and Metis have to go back to the Wildlands and meet with the Elders. At Elder Rock Isla and the elders pleach together to be strong enough to beat the Mage. When Isla, Siffrin, Haiki, Simmi, and Tao enter the darklands they run into the taken and they go and find where the takens fur is located to stop the pleach. After they freed all the foxes, Isla went to find the Mage and when she found him she found her brother Pirie. Isla couldn’t hit the Mage because he had pleached with the White Fox which is a ball of gas that devours anything. She had to wait for the White Fox to try and leave the cave to hit the Mage because it left him in his physical state. After she hit him flames ignited in the cave and the Mage was burned and Isla and Pirie walked out of the cave. Isla became the new Black fox and Siffrin, Pirie, Shri, Zilla, and Isla are heading to a place by the sea that Isla’s fa had talked about.
Characterization
Isla has long way from being a Graylands cub to being the Black fox. She has lost friends and made new friends, she has learned the ways of foxcraft, she has shared the maa of the Elders. Métis knew Isla had the strength and will to beat the Mage and he was right. Isla has become the Black fox and she started out as a Graylands cub who didn’t know what foxcraft is. Isla has become one of my favorite characters.
Recommendation
I recommend this book to people who like adventure and animals who talk. I recommend this to people around the age of 11 and older. Anyone who doesn’t like magic and talking animals probably shouldn’t read this.
Book title: Foxcraft, The Mage(#3)
Personal Response
I really liked this series and it was fun to read and the story was really good. I think that this book did a great job ending the Foxcraft series. I wish that there were more books for this series because I like to see what the characters are doing after beating the Mage.
Plot Summary
Isla made it into the snowlands shortly after using wa’akkir to get away from the taken and cross the Raging River. She finds a cave to hide in, but then three wolves find her inside and they talk about how they will kill Isla. Isla says Farraclaws name and the wolves stop and ask her how she knows Farraclaw and she tells them that she saved him from the Graylands. They bring her to Farraclaw and she tells him why she is in the snowlands. Isla becomes part of the Bishar and she meets the sick king. Isla finds out that the king is sick because a fox tried to pleach with the king and it failed because a wolf and fox can’t pleach together. Isla thinks this is the work of her brother but it turns out to be Metis, the Black fox. Métis came to the snowlands to try and get a wolf to help the foxes in the fight against the Mage. Shortly after Isla and Metis have to go back to the Wildlands and meet with the Elders. At Elder Rock Isla and the elders pleach together to be strong enough to beat the Mage. When Isla, Siffrin, Haiki, Simmi, and Tao enter the darklands they run into the taken and they go and find where the takens fur is located to stop the pleach. After they freed all the foxes, Isla went to find the Mage and when she found him she found her brother Pirie. Isla couldn’t hit the Mage because he had pleached with the White Fox which is a ball of gas that devours anything. She had to wait for the White Fox to try and leave the cave to hit the Mage because it left him in his physical state. After she hit him flames ignited in the cave and the Mage was burned and Isla and Pirie walked out of the cave. Isla became the new Black fox and Siffrin, Pirie, Shri, Zilla, and Isla are heading to a place by the sea that Isla’s fa had talked about.
Characterization
Isla has long way from being a Graylands cub to being the Black fox. She has lost friends and made new friends, she has learned the ways of foxcraft, she has shared the maa of the Elders. Métis knew Isla had the strength and will to beat the Mage and he was right. Isla has become the Black fox and she started out as a Graylands cub who didn’t know what foxcraft is. Isla has become one of my favorite characters.
Recommendation
I recommend this book to people who like adventure and animals who talk. I recommend this to people around the age of 11 and older. Anyone who doesn’t like magic and talking animals probably shouldn’t read this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2022
Wow! I finished this book with a big smile on my face!
I’m not gonna lie: I was thinking that Isla would become the next Black Fox. I’m proud of her and very happy that she has this role.
I’m also happy that she and Siffrin are now a couple, because it just feels like it’s meant to be! They meet through the books and they do an amazing job together.
But here is the sad part: Haiki. Why did he have to die? Why? I liked him, even if he betrayed Isla and the Elders. I mean, he had a good reason: he was doing it for his family. But I don’t think that he really had to die. It’s just sad. But this proves to Isla that he was loyal to her and that he regreted his decision.
There is just one little problem for me with these books: the wolves. I don’t like how foxes talk about wolves, saying that they believe in foolish stuff. Because it’s wrong. And Isla saw that at the hunt. They had some magic helping them hunt. I love wolves, they are my favourite animals and I don’t like when others think something bad of them.
But, this book was amazing and I recommend it!
I’m not gonna lie: I was thinking that Isla would become the next Black Fox. I’m proud of her and very happy that she has this role.
I’m also happy that she and Siffrin are now a couple, because it just feels like it’s meant to be! They meet through the books and they do an amazing job together.
But here is the sad part: Haiki. Why did he have to die? Why? I liked him, even if he betrayed Isla and the Elders. I mean, he had a good reason: he was doing it for his family. But I don’t think that he really had to die. It’s just sad. But this proves to Isla that he was loyal to her and that he regreted his decision.
There is just one little problem for me with these books: the wolves. I don’t like how foxes talk about wolves, saying that they believe in foolish stuff. Because it’s wrong. And Isla saw that at the hunt. They had some magic helping them hunt. I love wolves, they are my favourite animals and I don’t like when others think something bad of them.
But, this book was amazing and I recommend it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2022
Good descriptions and plot line: the two things that make this series great.
Sure, I got confused on some details, but I'm not going to complain.
It will be a long time before my feeling of “aw, the series is over already?” goes away. Great job! 🦊
Sure, I got confused on some details, but I'm not going to complain.
It will be a long time before my feeling of “aw, the series is over already?” goes away. Great job! 🦊
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2018
better than the other 2 so :D
October 31, 2019
Very good beginning, but it felt like a kinda rushed ending.
July 2, 2022
I am sad that this is the last book😨 but reading it was a true wonder. Reading this series changed my thoughts on reading!
January 10, 2018
Star Rating: 4 stars
Note: This is the final volume in the Foxcraft trilogy so this will not be an in-depth review.
To break up some of the epic fantasy that I was reading, I decided to pick up one of my guilty pleasure reads- animal-centered fantasy. I love how writers can take an animal that we know and love (cats, wolves, dogs, foxes, bears, owls, mice etc.) and give them personalities and complex societies with religion and social stratification, in effect, create a fantasy world where they are the forefront and humans take a back seat if they are even there at all. Anyway, the animal fantasy I decided to pick up this time was the final volume in the Foxcraft trilogy, The Mage, by Inbali Iserles. This volume wraps up the story of Isla and her journey to find her brother, Pirie, after an evil group of foxes called the Taken lead by an individual called the Mage invade their home, kill their family, and cause Isla and Pirie to flee everything that they know and become separated. Over the course of her journey to find her brother, Isla has made some amazing discoveries about herself, fox-kind, and fox-craft (the magic that foxes use to co-exist with humans and live in relative freedom).
For a middle-grade book about foxes, you wouldn’t expect to find any ground-breaking themes; however, within the pages of this book, Iserles was tossing around some pretty adult themes if you knew where to look for them. For instance, she set up completely separate but interlocking societies for the different “cubs of Canista,” and through the entire series, but this book especially, she pits individuals of these cultures against each other to see how they [the cultures] would hold up if they were to be viewed side by side. It could be determined that she was using these different animals and their cultures to symbolize the different social structures or power bases in our own society. In other words, she was using her fantasy world to critique society.
To do this, she put a lot of work into developing the different settings and personalities for her characters, and in some respects, she did an awesome job. However, at some points, I think she could have done more. Although, she was able to develop three distinct areas with their own cultures in each, we didn’t always get a clear picture all the time. She gave us enough to know that the different individuals of Canista have different social structures and ways of looking at the world, but she doesn’t really flesh that out as well as she could. If the book or series was longer, she would have been able to give us more and she would be able to develop her story better. She would have her characters refer to some part of their mythos or their society but she wouldn’t explain its significance so it would be missed because she wasn’t able to fine tune everything like she would have been able to do if the book or series was longer as previously mentioned. I hope that Iserles decides to expand this series or this world because she can use those books to flesh out things she wasn’t able to with this trilogy.
All in all, it was a great ending to a series that has the potential to be expanded and to become something amazing. 4 stars!
Note: This is the final volume in the Foxcraft trilogy so this will not be an in-depth review.
To break up some of the epic fantasy that I was reading, I decided to pick up one of my guilty pleasure reads- animal-centered fantasy. I love how writers can take an animal that we know and love (cats, wolves, dogs, foxes, bears, owls, mice etc.) and give them personalities and complex societies with religion and social stratification, in effect, create a fantasy world where they are the forefront and humans take a back seat if they are even there at all. Anyway, the animal fantasy I decided to pick up this time was the final volume in the Foxcraft trilogy, The Mage, by Inbali Iserles. This volume wraps up the story of Isla and her journey to find her brother, Pirie, after an evil group of foxes called the Taken lead by an individual called the Mage invade their home, kill their family, and cause Isla and Pirie to flee everything that they know and become separated. Over the course of her journey to find her brother, Isla has made some amazing discoveries about herself, fox-kind, and fox-craft (the magic that foxes use to co-exist with humans and live in relative freedom).
For a middle-grade book about foxes, you wouldn’t expect to find any ground-breaking themes; however, within the pages of this book, Iserles was tossing around some pretty adult themes if you knew where to look for them. For instance, she set up completely separate but interlocking societies for the different “cubs of Canista,” and through the entire series, but this book especially, she pits individuals of these cultures against each other to see how they [the cultures] would hold up if they were to be viewed side by side. It could be determined that she was using these different animals and their cultures to symbolize the different social structures or power bases in our own society. In other words, she was using her fantasy world to critique society.
To do this, she put a lot of work into developing the different settings and personalities for her characters, and in some respects, she did an awesome job. However, at some points, I think she could have done more. Although, she was able to develop three distinct areas with their own cultures in each, we didn’t always get a clear picture all the time. She gave us enough to know that the different individuals of Canista have different social structures and ways of looking at the world, but she doesn’t really flesh that out as well as she could. If the book or series was longer, she would have been able to give us more and she would be able to develop her story better. She would have her characters refer to some part of their mythos or their society but she wouldn’t explain its significance so it would be missed because she wasn’t able to fine tune everything like she would have been able to do if the book or series was longer as previously mentioned. I hope that Iserles decides to expand this series or this world because she can use those books to flesh out things she wasn’t able to with this trilogy.
All in all, it was a great ending to a series that has the potential to be expanded and to become something amazing. 4 stars!
June 23, 2024
I really enjoyed it for the most part.
I liked the whole arc with the wolves and thought they were so adorable! I love the added touches of wolfness, like wagging their tails and howling. She left nothing out, and they really felt like genuine wolves!
There were some crazy plot twists! I saw some of them coming and didn't see others. It was a nice mix of foreshadowing and surprise.
I LOVED the ending. All of it. The redemption arc, the romance, the outcome, every bit of it!
The main thing that irritated me was Isla not having any repercussions for breaking the Foxcraft rules. She turned into an animal that she wasn't supposed to, and nothing ever happened, but Métis also broke the rules and was "damaged beyond repair," so why the inequality? Additionally, it's frustrating that she just suddenly becomes perfect at Foxcraft exactly when she needs to. Training, sneaking Farraclaw, etc. She's bad at it until she needs to git gud, and her answer is just "guess I'll try harder," and it works out suddenly.
I liked the whole arc with the wolves and thought they were so adorable! I love the added touches of wolfness, like wagging their tails and howling. She left nothing out, and they really felt like genuine wolves!
There were some crazy plot twists! I saw some of them coming and didn't see others. It was a nice mix of foreshadowing and surprise.
I LOVED the ending. All of it. The redemption arc, the romance, the outcome, every bit of it!
The main thing that irritated me was Isla not having any repercussions for breaking the Foxcraft rules. She turned into an animal that she wasn't supposed to, and nothing ever happened, but Métis also broke the rules and was "damaged beyond repair," so why the inequality? Additionally, it's frustrating that she just suddenly becomes perfect at Foxcraft exactly when she needs to. Training, sneaking Farraclaw, etc. She's bad at it until she needs to git gud, and her answer is just "guess I'll try harder," and it works out suddenly.
January 31, 2018
I read to my girls almost every night, and the Foxcraft trilogy is our third series of books in just the past few months. After the Tuesdays at the Castle series (which was very good) and Dragon Slippers (another great read), I wanted to try something different, and decided on foxes.
I'll be honest, after the first book I wasn't sure I wanted to continue. It was darker, grittier, and just so...different than what we had been reading.
I'm glad we didn't stop.
The story picks up some serious momentum in the second book, and by the end of the third, we were cheering, crying, and wishing we could find out what comes next. Without giving anything away, let me offer my sincere endorsement of this magical tail (pun intended). It is spellbinding, and the heroine Isla is a worthy addition to our cast of favorite characters. Thank-you Inbali Iserles for a tale that is reminiscent of the animal lore of Kipling. Wonderfully told!
I'll be honest, after the first book I wasn't sure I wanted to continue. It was darker, grittier, and just so...different than what we had been reading.
I'm glad we didn't stop.
The story picks up some serious momentum in the second book, and by the end of the third, we were cheering, crying, and wishing we could find out what comes next. Without giving anything away, let me offer my sincere endorsement of this magical tail (pun intended). It is spellbinding, and the heroine Isla is a worthy addition to our cast of favorite characters. Thank-you Inbali Iserles for a tale that is reminiscent of the animal lore of Kipling. Wonderfully told!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews