Legacy of the Claw (Animas, 1) - Hardcover

Grey, C. R.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1423180380 ISBN 13: 9781423180388

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2014

Synopsis

To twelve-year-old Bailey Walker, kin means more than just family. It means being a part of the Animas bond, a harmonious link that connects humans and animals, and guides everything in his world. But Bailey hasn't found his kin yet, and without an Animas, he's destined to be an outsider-or worse, lose his mind entirely. So when he's accepted into the prestigious Fairmount Academy, he's determined to Awaken to his Animas once and for all, even if it's a measly worm.

But once there, Bailey can't resist the pull of the dark mysteries surrounding the kingdom. A bear has been viciously attacked on school grounds, and when he and his friends discover signs of a ferocious predator in the woods surrounding campus, he knows something's out there, something dangerous. And Fairmount isn't the only place where darkness is brewing. In the capital city, a new leader preaches that humans must assert power over their kin, enslave them instead of living as one.

Bailey can't shake the feeling that the root of the unrest, and the key to his Awakening, lies in an old riddle entwined around an even older prophecy-a prophecy that may reveal the truth about the rightful king of Aldermere. And Bailey may be the only one who can unravel them. The capital's dark forces will stop at nothing to prevent the prophecy from coming true. If they succeed, the Animas bond will be in peril. Can Bailey help protect the Animas bond while still trying to awaken to his own? In this first installment of the gripping ANIMAS series, the battle is just beginning.

About this title

About the Author

C. R. Grey was born in a house on a pier in Maine-literally on the ocean. She grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, then received her BA in Theater from SUNY New Paltz and her MFA in Fiction from Ohio State University. Grey lives in Poughkeepsie, New York, with her husband, one black cat, one white cat, and a Boston Terrier named Trudy. She can often be found weeding through ephemera in antique shops and walking over the bridges that span the Hudson River.


Jim Madsen has illustrated many books for children, including Family Huddle by Peyton, Eli, and Archie Manning. He lives in Provo, Utah with his wife and their three children. When he's not busy illustrating, Jim enjoys exploring the outdoors, golf, and riding Harley Davidson motorcycles. See more of his work online at jimmadsen.blogspot.com.

Reviews

Gr 4–6—Twelve-year-old Bailey has been accepted to the prestigious Fairmont Academy in Aldermere where he hopes that he will finally find his animas, a unique bond with an animal that almost everyone has by the time they are his age. The Dark Woods that surround the school seem menacing, but Bailey senses mysterious happenings occurring there and that something or someone is watching him. He and some new friends begin to venture out at night, which leads to some scary and wondrous adventures as well as the threat of expulsion by the school administration. The story has elements reminiscent of the "Harry Potter" series, including a unique school game called Scavage, teachers who are not always what they seem, and encroaching dark forces. This novel about a murdered king, his ambitious and unscrupulous daughter who seeks to overturn the animas bond and make the animals subservient to the humans, her missing brother, and a legendary "child of war" is a fun page-turner with interesting characters and unexpected plot twists. Readers will be propelled toward the next volumes in this entertaining new series.—Carol Schene, formerly at Taunton Public Schools, MA

Edition details

• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1423180380
• ISBN 13: 9781423180388
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Madsen Jim
• Number of pages: 304