Heather’s Bookshelf: Mira’s Griffin
Author: Christie Valentine Powell
Released: 07/26/21
Genre: YA Fantasy
“Mira nodded but she couldn’t feel better. The bittersweet moment between her friends lasted on, and she couldn’t give them hope, not when they despised her relationship with Freko, not when Freko would hear that she told their secret.”
“Mira’s Griffin” introduces Mira, a fifteen-year-old who would much rather be climbing mountains than be confined to her village. During one of her outings, she loses her footing and is saved by a young griffin, who she names Freko.
But Mira’s people and the griffins have a long standing history of fighting and when Mira is taken, she finds herself in a very dangerous situation. The griffin community has captured many more people than just Mira. They utilize the humans around their camp and form connections that seem to enhance underlying skills for the humans.
When Mira and Freko figure out they can speak to each other, they set out to help their communities learn from each other and make their lives better. But not everyone on either side is on board with learning from each other.
Trigger Warning: violence
Overall, I enjoyed this story. In the beginning, it seemed like a pretty typical historical fiction book- focused on a girl rebelling from the expectations of her family, living in a Viking-like community. But then the griffins show up the direction of the book surprised me. The focus really changed to show both POVs including the human and griffin side. The author delves deeply into how the community of griffins is structured, their families, goals. How the griffins think of humans brings together why Mira was taken from her home. Without giving anything away, this is also a thought-provoking moment in the book that I appreciated. The magic in the book is also a little different and I enjoyed the way it was developed and displayed. The characters of both Freko and Mira are also very well developed and have specific character traits that are unique to themselves. Many of the ancillary characters are also clear and with definite motivations, likes, and desires which serves to complement the protagonists and the storyline. The middle third of the book slowed down a little for me in pacing, urgency, and seeming importance to the story. However, it picks back up at the end and almost feels a bit rushed considering the slowing in the middle.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
I checked out this story in a combination of platforms including ebook and audiobook. The narrator has a very soothing and clear quality to her voice. The story lends itself well to audiobook format.
OVERALL REVIEW:
Humans and griffins clash in this YA fantasy with threads of love, friendship, and social structure. Endearing protagonists and a unique story highlight this tale.
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Christie Valentine Powell
Interested in checking out the book for yourself?
Find it for purchase here, Audible, or Kindle Unlimited
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