Forest Born by Shannon Hale

Rin has always been a quiet, helpful girl, but a secret has been eating away at her, and the solace Rin once could find among the tall trees surrounding her forest home has vanished. When she leaves home to join her older brother in the city, she finds intriguing answers to her questions, an adventure she doesn't expect, and a sense of self she never thought she would find.

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Forest Born marks Book 4 in the award-winning Books of Bayern series. And for me, it was definitely my favorite. While this story is a stand-alone, it is fully appreciated when preceded by the first three books. 

Readers of the Books of Bayern will be delighted to return to beloved characters. Isi and Geric are now raising their first child, Enna and Flynn are happily married, and Razo and Dasha's relationship is soaring. The war is over, people are happy--what could go wrong? But when Geric is severely burned, it seems fire-speakers have returned--who is their leader?

Fans will be horrified when a long-thought dead enemy returns, more powerful then ever before. Will Isi, Enna, and Dasha have what it takes to defeat this overwhelming power? What can quiet Rin do to help them--especially since she's afraid she's as wicked as the enemy itself?

I really sympathized with Rin. I suppose most girls, at least one point in their life, become insecure about themselves and are afraid that their inner darkness will turn them into something they don't want to be.

While the other previous books had good humor, I found the teasing and jokes in this one to be especially funny.

Nature-speaking has always been a thrilling factor in these books, and now we have them all in one novel in full potency: wind, fire, water, trees, animals...and people. Which is the most dangerous to use and to live with? Most believe it is people-speaking which is said to destroy any goodness the user might have had inside them...

Violence-- People enslaved by a people-speaker injure and end up killing themselves. People are burnt and slain. Children's lives are threatened. It's not too descriptive.

Language--Very mild, if any.

Sexual Content--Couples, married and soon-to-be-engaged, kiss. A girl blackmails a boy into a kiss. That is Rin's terrible secret. In a bid to feel special, she uses manipulation and lies. For a little while, she's elated by the dangerous power it gives her, but that quickly wears off, leaving her devastated by the hurt she caused.

Spoiler--Rin and the antagonist, though opposites in nature, share the same power. The antagonist uses their power for their own ends and is thoroughly wicked. Rin, after her bitter mistake, will eventually learn how the power of words can be a great and wonderful thing if used with care and love.

Overall, the book was full of deep heart, thrilling action, great dialogue, good lessons about the powers of friendship, family, words, and the discovery of self worth. I really enjoyed it.

~ 4.5 Stars! ~