What do you think?
Rate this book
Guardians of Ga'Hoole #10
The Coming of Hoole
The Legends
A tale of chaos, betrayal, and nachtmagen unfolds in the second of three ancient legends. It is no idle history, for hidden in its pages are truth about the great promise-and great danger-that lie just ahead for the Guardians. And so Soren, Coryn, and the members of the Band read on:
A Grizzled collier will tend a young prince in exile. An owl who would be a monk will don battle claws. A mother who is also a queen will raise an army. And under the shower of embers in the shadow of the Sacred Volcanoes, a king will be born-or die.
A tale of chaos, betrayal, and nachtmagen unfolds in the second of three ancient legends. It is no idle history, for hidden in its pages are truth about the great promise-and great danger-that lie just ahead for the Guardians. And so Soren, Coryn, and the members of the Band read on:
A Grizzled collier will tend a young prince in exile. An owl who would be a monk will don battle claws. A mother who is also a queen will raise an army. And under the shower of embers in the shadow of the Sacred Volcanoes, a king will be born-or die.
223 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2006
133 people are currently reading
3097 people want to read
About the author
Kathryn Lasky
266 books2,281 followersKathryn Lasky, also known as Kathryn Lasky Knight and E. L. Swann, is an award-winning American author of over one hundred books for children and adults. Best known for the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series, her work has been translated into 19 languages and includes historical fiction, fantasy, and nonfiction.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
February 2, 2013
To be honest, I'm more interested in Soren's story than any of the other owls. Maybe even Coryn's story as well, but there are five more books to go, why not finish the series?
January 2, 2011
I enjoyed reading this book. I love reading about the adventures of these owls, wolves and polar bears. I found the part about Svenka and her mate, Svarr, funny. Kathryn Lasky portrayed the male mind for what it really is. :-)
I enjoyed reading this book and was sad in the end when a character died. Though I did find a hole in the puzzle. In the last book that Grank "wrote" he mention several times that Siv had later told him what she had been doing, during the time when they were not together. But, I failed to see when in the very brief time they saw each other again when she did have time to tell him those things. But maybe in the next book there is an explanation for this.
I enjoyed reading this book and was sad in the end when a character died. Though I did find a hole in the puzzle. In the last book that Grank "wrote" he mention several times that Siv had later told him what she had been doing, during the time when they were not together. But, I failed to see when in the very brief time they saw each other again when she did have time to tell him those things. But maybe in the next book there is an explanation for this.
July 17, 2008
Gotta read the others to get this one. I miss Soren.
April 10, 2024
I absolutely love this story!
This series is so full of love, courage, friendship, creativity and bravery.
This series is so full of love, courage, friendship, creativity and bravery.
June 24, 2022
I'm not a massive fan of the side stories, I think they're an excuse to set up for Lasky's Wolves Beyond series. I just want to get back to Soren and the gang. It was cool to find out how the tree became Ga'Hoole though.
November 30, 2012
There's not much to say about The Coming of Hoole. It continues the legends that started unraveling in The First Collier, but it shifts the focus from Grank to Hoole. I like the inclusion of the polar bears (at this point, I like the inclusion of any non-owl creatures that get treated with basic respect), and I don't dislike the characters of Hoole or Theo, though Theo seems fairly extraneous.
The mythology is still garbled (I've given up on "What the hell are hagsfiends?" and moved on to "What the hell are halfhags?", which is even more confusing.), but there's a small victory in that the term Ga' is finally explained upon its hundredth use. Apparently, Ga' means "great spirit; a spirit that somehow contains not just all that is noble, but all that is humble as well".
All in all, I have to give this another two star rating. Parts of the story definitely deserved a three, but a lot of it was positively wince-worthy. At this point, I'm just looking forward to this series being over.
The mythology is still garbled (I've given up on "What the hell are hagsfiends?" and moved on to "What the hell are halfhags?", which is even more confusing.), but there's a small victory in that the term Ga' is finally explained upon its hundredth use. Apparently, Ga' means "great spirit; a spirit that somehow contains not just all that is noble, but all that is humble as well".
All in all, I have to give this another two star rating. Parts of the story definitely deserved a three, but a lot of it was positively wince-worthy. At this point, I'm just looking forward to this series being over.
April 21, 2025
Overall Rating : B+
"...the young Hoole will be tempered and wrought into a king!"
"...the young Hoole will be tempered and wrought into a king!"
November 18, 2022
The legends have been beautifully weaved into the present world of the owl kingdom and add more character and weight to the original story.
March 8, 2011
The second Legend of Ga’Hoole unfolds, beginning with the birth of prince Hoole, who is destined to fight a war against hagsfiends (hagsfiend = crowl, crowl= crow + owl) and their nachtmagen (evil magic, but not dark magic, owls like the dark). This is but a brief glimpse into The Coming of Hoole by Kathryn Lasky. Please note that this is book #10, and is actually looking into the Legends of Ga’Hoole themselves, which there are 3 of.
Grank, the First Collier, was a Spotted Owl. He, along with Theo, a Great Horned Owl, raise Hoole, son of Queen Siv and King H’rath (2 of Grank’s good friends; H’rath was killed by hagsfiends as a result of Lord Arrin’s betrayal), on an island in the Bitter Sea. Hoole knows little of what goes on outside the island, but all of this changes when he meets his mother (who was disguised as a gadfeather) for a brief moment before being interrupted by Pleek, a haggish Great Horned Owl, and his mate, the hagsfiend Ygyrk, who yearn for a child of their own, but when Ygyrk lays an egg, it always shrivels up. Will Pleek and Ygyrk ever have a child of their own? Will Hoole meet his mother again? Read the book to find out!
My favorite thing about this book is that, even though you know the overall outcome (I mean, you don’t see hagsfiends running around everywhere in the series), it’s still surprising how many minor details pop up. You wouldn’t expect such a huge cast of characters these three legends (The First Collier, The Coming of Hoole, and To Be a King) would have, or how many events take place.
I would recommend this book, or the whole series for that matter, to anyone 10 or older as long as they like owls, wolves, adventure, action, fighting, fantasy, nature, magic (both good and bad), battle strategy, more owls (or really just birds in general), and sharp metal claw extensions. Also, this book (series) is not for the incredibly faint of heart, but if you’ve read series such as The Hunger Games (I have not, but I’ve heard a lot about it) you should be fine. One last thing, books 9-11 can be read without having read 1-8 as long as you skip prologue and epilogue.
Grank, the First Collier, was a Spotted Owl. He, along with Theo, a Great Horned Owl, raise Hoole, son of Queen Siv and King H’rath (2 of Grank’s good friends; H’rath was killed by hagsfiends as a result of Lord Arrin’s betrayal), on an island in the Bitter Sea. Hoole knows little of what goes on outside the island, but all of this changes when he meets his mother (who was disguised as a gadfeather) for a brief moment before being interrupted by Pleek, a haggish Great Horned Owl, and his mate, the hagsfiend Ygyrk, who yearn for a child of their own, but when Ygyrk lays an egg, it always shrivels up. Will Pleek and Ygyrk ever have a child of their own? Will Hoole meet his mother again? Read the book to find out!
My favorite thing about this book is that, even though you know the overall outcome (I mean, you don’t see hagsfiends running around everywhere in the series), it’s still surprising how many minor details pop up. You wouldn’t expect such a huge cast of characters these three legends (The First Collier, The Coming of Hoole, and To Be a King) would have, or how many events take place.
I would recommend this book, or the whole series for that matter, to anyone 10 or older as long as they like owls, wolves, adventure, action, fighting, fantasy, nature, magic (both good and bad), battle strategy, more owls (or really just birds in general), and sharp metal claw extensions. Also, this book (series) is not for the incredibly faint of heart, but if you’ve read series such as The Hunger Games (I have not, but I’ve heard a lot about it) you should be fine. One last thing, books 9-11 can be read without having read 1-8 as long as you skip prologue and epilogue.
June 15, 2011
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!! I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!
The epic story of Hoole was SO cool!!!
I still can't get over it: Ga' + Hoole = THE ISLAND OF GA'HOOLE!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
I can't wait for the next one!!
The epic story of Hoole was SO cool!!!
I still can't get over it: Ga' + Hoole = THE ISLAND OF GA'HOOLE!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
I can't wait for the next one!!
April 11, 2023
Kathy please. You just rewrote book #8 but prequel style. Let’s shake it up, owl mama! Also where did my first person POV go??? Ugh. A swing and a miss, I think.
But 5 more to go! HOOT HOOT.
But 5 more to go! HOOT HOOT.
January 18, 2011
Book 10 The Coming of Hoole, finally Kathryn Laskey is getting back on track. The arc of irrelevance and boredom started in The Hatchling and continued all the way through The First Collier. But The Coming of Hoole is interesting and sticks to the original Guardians of Ga'Hoole story without slipping up nearly as much as the past three books.
Laskey made the right move in ending Grank's rambling first-person narrative and returns to the third-person, which the rest of the series is written in. The "writer" of this Legend book that Soren and Coryn (now accompanied by Otulissa and the rest of the band) read is supposedly unknown, but easy to figure out from pretty much the first ten pages. I liked her choice, and though you don't really get much more insight into this character than any of the others, it was still good narrative.
The widowed Queen Siv's egg has hatched, and Grank names the owlet Hoole. Immediately he and Theo begin to teach and train him, and Hoole is enthusiastic about it all. You can't help but love his owlet character- he's hyper and ambitious, totally unaware of who he really is and the power he has. When others decide to inhabit the island with Hoole, Grank, and Theo, however, the first collier begins making plans for their journey to Beyond the Beyond, where Hoole will learn from the dire wolves- most especially Fengo, Grank's old friend.
Meanwhile, Siv can't stand to have never seen her owlet. She makes an attempt to see him, which almost ends in his capture by hagsfiends, so contents herself with letting those she trusts in her old kingdom know she's there, readying suport for when she'll need it.
As typical now with Kathryn Laskey, there is no show of character development- Hoole grows up overnight without so much as a warning, and there is almost no mention of how the owl kingdom is faring without Hrath's leadership. So why do they care that the hagsfiends are there? From what it shows they haven't done anything bad! The battle scene at the end is sloppy, and, as predicted, the magic of the hagsfiends doesn't seem to stop any of Hoole's side, even though it supposedly made them unreachable in The First Collier.
But I still liked this book. It had good pace with a good story. Afterward, however, I'll be very glad to get back to Soren and the band (with the unfortunate addition of Coryn) with The Golden Tree, which will supposedly pick up where The Outcast left off. It's almost hard to read their tiny prolouge and epilouge scenes in the Legends trilogy.
Laskey made the right move in ending Grank's rambling first-person narrative and returns to the third-person, which the rest of the series is written in. The "writer" of this Legend book that Soren and Coryn (now accompanied by Otulissa and the rest of the band) read is supposedly unknown, but easy to figure out from pretty much the first ten pages. I liked her choice, and though you don't really get much more insight into this character than any of the others, it was still good narrative.
The widowed Queen Siv's egg has hatched, and Grank names the owlet Hoole. Immediately he and Theo begin to teach and train him, and Hoole is enthusiastic about it all. You can't help but love his owlet character- he's hyper and ambitious, totally unaware of who he really is and the power he has. When others decide to inhabit the island with Hoole, Grank, and Theo, however, the first collier begins making plans for their journey to Beyond the Beyond, where Hoole will learn from the dire wolves- most especially Fengo, Grank's old friend.
Meanwhile, Siv can't stand to have never seen her owlet. She makes an attempt to see him, which almost ends in his capture by hagsfiends, so contents herself with letting those she trusts in her old kingdom know she's there, readying suport for when she'll need it.
As typical now with Kathryn Laskey, there is no show of character development- Hoole grows up overnight without so much as a warning, and there is almost no mention of how the owl kingdom is faring without Hrath's leadership. So why do they care that the hagsfiends are there? From what it shows they haven't done anything bad! The battle scene at the end is sloppy, and, as predicted, the magic of the hagsfiends doesn't seem to stop any of Hoole's side, even though it supposedly made them unreachable in The First Collier.
But I still liked this book. It had good pace with a good story. Afterward, however, I'll be very glad to get back to Soren and the band (with the unfortunate addition of Coryn) with The Golden Tree, which will supposedly pick up where The Outcast left off. It's almost hard to read their tiny prolouge and epilouge scenes in the Legends trilogy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2016
I finished the second third of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series, which I am reading a second time. The books that I've are varied by that I mean that the books are different in plot and view. Book 6 is about the Gang/Chaw of Chaws and the owls of the Tree and the war against the Pure Ones. Meanwhile, books 7 and 8 are about Coryn's journey from learning to be the successor to Kludd and the leader of the Pure Ones to becoming the rightful King and heir of Hoole. These two books are mostly in Coryn's point of view and hardly show the owls from the Tree. Yet again there is another shift with books 9 and 10 (as well as 11) that focus on the legends with Grank, Hoole, Siv, and Theo. They chronicle the owl world a thousand years before with Hoole's upbringing and his rise to King against natchmagen and the hagfiends. So basically this third has been action packed and diverse with many different characters. From the beginning I enjoyed the character of Coryn and his story. But it took me awhile to get into the legends. This third showcases a lot of great stuff from action, adventure, courage, war, love, mystery and many other themes. The books in this series just get better.
April 16, 2016
Once again, another wonderful book in the Ga'Hoole series.
Siv and Svenka have become wonderful friends. When Siv leaves to find Hoole disguised as a gadfeather, she makes another friend, the Snow Rose, who doesn't know her real identity until later. When MacHeath leaves the Beyond, his former mate, Hordweard follows him and Fengo suspects the worst. MacHeath reaches the frozen country only to be first greeted by Siv who thinks he's up to no good. Svenka spies on him and Siv races to raise an army to save Hoole from the Hagsfiends.
I can't wait to see what happens next. I'm going to miss Siv and the rest of the wonderful characters when we finally get back to the Band as the main characters.
Siv and Svenka have become wonderful friends. When Siv leaves to find Hoole disguised as a gadfeather, she makes another friend, the Snow Rose, who doesn't know her real identity until later. When MacHeath leaves the Beyond, his former mate, Hordweard follows him and Fengo suspects the worst. MacHeath reaches the frozen country only to be first greeted by Siv who thinks he's up to no good. Svenka spies on him and Siv races to raise an army to save Hoole from the Hagsfiends.
I can't wait to see what happens next. I'm going to miss Siv and the rest of the wonderful characters when we finally get back to the Band as the main characters.
July 2, 2012
The characters are a group of owls and other creatures in a time of legends. It happens in a mythical world where humans are mysterious creatures. The owls act like humans with slightly altered feelings and emotional centers.
The current story features Hoole the great owl king he marks the end of the first time of magic. The kingdoms are under attack by hagsfiends, which are half owl – half crow entities that use evil magic.
If you like King Arthur then you may like this book and book 9 and 11 of The Guardians of Ga’Hoole series
Reviewed by Bulldog - Age 8
The current story features Hoole the great owl king he marks the end of the first time of magic. The kingdoms are under attack by hagsfiends, which are half owl – half crow entities that use evil magic.
If you like King Arthur then you may like this book and book 9 and 11 of The Guardians of Ga’Hoole series
Reviewed by Bulldog - Age 8
April 19, 2015
Hoole wanted to live a peaceful life with his uncle Grank. But that could not happen because they were constantly being attacked by the evil hagsfinds. So they flew to beyond the beyond to get away from the hagsfinds. Then in an epic reunion with his mother Hoole learns that he is actually a prince that has the potential to become a great king. The Coming of Hoole is about trust, perseverance, and patience.
February 28, 2013
This is one of my favorites of this series. It has very strong characters (both male and female), inspiring lessons, and of course some vile villains. It's the second book of the legends where Coryn and the bandage actually reading the legends. It is extremely wonderful. Everyone reading this series should pay close attention to this one. 8 out of 5 stars.
April 18, 2011
My heart soared as I read the story of Queen Siv and Hoole. This chapter of the story was masterfully crafted. I can't wait to read the next one. I also loved the way that the Ga' Hoole Tree got its name.
August 13, 2012
Yeah, these books are getting less interesting as they go on, partially because the author keeps conveniently changing obvious portions of her own mythology.
Oh,... but the cover is worth a good laugh...
Oh,... but the cover is worth a good laugh...
December 10, 2014
Idk what happened. Her books used to be so good but now...
I didn't care for the plot and the main character in the series was missing from the whole book till the end. Not like her other books at all. Kind of like an extra book.
I didn't care for the plot and the main character in the series was missing from the whole book till the end. Not like her other books at all. Kind of like an extra book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2008
Again (and again) a very solid book that I loved!
October 24, 2008
Hoole is very 'dignified' in this one.
January 4, 2010
This time the story is on young hoole.
December 29, 2009
The second in the trio of Legend books in the Guardians of Ga'hoole series
Dire wolves... are brought into the picture.
Dire wolves... are brought into the picture.
May 16, 2010
This book once again covered the legend of Hoole as he grows.
April 20, 2010
Awesome
November 10, 2012
In the 10th Guardians of Ga'Hoole installment we learn more about the life of Hoole.
September 30, 2010
Great tale!
February 12, 2011
I loved it was my most favorite of the whole series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews