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Bears of the Ice #1
The Quest of the Cubs
Perfect for fans of His Dark Materials ! A gripping adventure where "nature, magic, and legend combine to create a world like no other." -- Kirkus Reviews , starred review For generations, the noble polar bears have ruled the Northern Kingdoms. But now, their society is on the brink of collapse. A group of power-hungry bears has seized control, and darkness is creeping across the snow.Cubs First and Second don't know any of this. Although they're twins, they couldn't be more different. First loves imagining stories, while his daring sister, Second, wants to live them. When their mother is taken prisoner, the cubs' world falls apart. They know they have to rescue her, but how can two cubs who've barely learned to hunt survive a treacherous journey across the ice? Their only chance is to learn to trust each other and--even more important--trust themselves. But survival is only the beginning. And soon, these two unlikely heroes find themselves at the heart of a battle unlike anything Ga'hoole has ever seen.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published February 27, 2018
67 people are currently reading
701 people want to read
About the author
Kathryn Lasky
266 books2,279 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
April 7, 2019
I found the sequel of this in a thrift store and immediately put the first book on hold at the library. More in the Guardians of Ga'Hoole world? Yes, please.
Let me preface this by saying I read and enjoyed all fifteen plus books of the Owls' world. Wolves of the Beyond was enjoyable but, oh boy, did it get weird. Bears of the Ice starts at the level of weird that Wolves of the Beyond ended with, but with each chapter, it's ramped up a notch.
I'm flabbergasted at some of the more violent content in this and how it's allowed for children to read. You've got cannibalism with a mom plotting on killing cubs to feed herself (
I checked out of the story around the time you find out that the main sibling pair has powers--which is basically the beginning of the book. Guardians had characters of extraordinary talent and whit as the main characters. WotB had magical/prophetic elements. The bears are straight up superheroes with what they can do. I don't see the point of it. It makes me care less about their journey .
Then you have the worldbuilding. This takes place further from the Great Tree than we have typically been, but that alone cannot account for the bizarre ability by every creature to read human letters. The cubs, even with rudimentary knowledge of their own world are somehow able to read street signs and grocery store advertisements that are hanging around. Then you have the fact that the weird cult is based around a clock. From everything I saw, the Owls and the Wolves and the Bears were like medieval/border line stone age level of technology, and these bears are churning out clocks and other mechanical achievements like compasses. There's even a moment later on where they meet a character who makes them hot cocoa and he drinks schnapps. He calls it that by name too. Then he goes to a grocery store to find oatmeal and hot cocoa powder. How does this even work???
The bear cubs were an interesting choice for characters, but they were so bland. I constantly got them mixed up because their voices were so similar. Even with a third party joining their group, all three of them blended so seamlessly into the same voice.
I rated this three stars, and the more I think about it, I wonder if I should drop it because three stars feels too generous. Definitely not continuing on in this world.
Let me preface this by saying I read and enjoyed all fifteen plus books of the Owls' world. Wolves of the Beyond was enjoyable but, oh boy, did it get weird. Bears of the Ice starts at the level of weird that Wolves of the Beyond ended with, but with each chapter, it's ramped up a notch.
I'm flabbergasted at some of the more violent content in this and how it's allowed for children to read. You've got cannibalism with a mom plotting on killing cubs to feed herself (
I checked out of the story around the time you find out that the main sibling pair has powers--which is basically the beginning of the book. Guardians had characters of extraordinary talent and whit as the main characters. WotB had magical/prophetic elements. The bears are straight up superheroes with what they can do. I don't see the point of it. It makes me care less about their journey .
Then you have the worldbuilding. This takes place further from the Great Tree than we have typically been, but that alone cannot account for the bizarre ability by every creature to read human letters. The cubs, even with rudimentary knowledge of their own world are somehow able to read street signs and grocery store advertisements that are hanging around. Then you have the fact that the weird cult is based around a clock. From everything I saw, the Owls and the Wolves and the Bears were like medieval/border line stone age level of technology, and these bears are churning out clocks and other mechanical achievements like compasses. There's even a moment later on where they meet a character who makes them hot cocoa and he drinks schnapps. He calls it that by name too. Then he goes to a grocery store to find oatmeal and hot cocoa powder. How does this even work???
The bear cubs were an interesting choice for characters, but they were so bland. I constantly got them mixed up because their voices were so similar. Even with a third party joining their group, all three of them blended so seamlessly into the same voice.
I rated this three stars, and the more I think about it, I wonder if I should drop it because three stars feels too generous. Definitely not continuing on in this world.
September 30, 2023
abgedrehte Idee, es aus der Perspektive von Bären zu schreiben, aber es hat mir sehr gefallen, nachdem ich mich reingefunden hatte
ich werde die anderen beiden Bücher auch lesen, denke ich
ich werde die anderen beiden Bücher auch lesen, denke ich
June 25, 2019
I'm called First, and my mother has left my sister and I alone in the polar region of Ga'Hoole. We've decided we'll try to find our father in the hunting grounds, but we only know we need to travel north. We wish our mother had taught us to hunt before she left, since it's hard to survive blizzards and dangerous creatures when you're weak from starvation. We've also heard stories about Tick Tocks and some kind of machine, but this mystery makes me uneasy. I think rogue bears are behind it, but I don't know anything more. It can't be anything good. The Roguers don't follow the proud traditions of bears and are vicious and deadly. I hope I never see one again, but my senses tell me it's likely.
I wasn't sure what to expect, as most of the characters were "normal", polar animals; except for the fact they could communicate with each other. First and Second (they got actual names later) spent the first half of the book learning to hunt while trying to avoid becoming meals for larger predators. The twins also had spiritual powers, as First could sense the thoughts of others and Second had a special connection to the ice. A later character was able to see the dreams of others. The emerging conflict involved the rogue bears and a giant clock. The clock began as a positive concept but became the source of cult worship and slavery. Unbeknownst to the cubs, their mother sacrificed herself to save them from becoming slaves to the Roguers. This happened in the opening chapters, so it's not a spoiler! The very end of the book became more intriguing once a leopard brought some clarity to the cubs' quest. The cubs aren't royalty, but their efforts will ultimately free all bears, theoretically Overall, the book got better the farther I got into the plot, so I think I'll probably check out the sequel, The Den of Forever Frost.
I wasn't sure what to expect, as most of the characters were "normal", polar animals; except for the fact they could communicate with each other. First and Second (they got actual names later) spent the first half of the book learning to hunt while trying to avoid becoming meals for larger predators. The twins also had spiritual powers, as First could sense the thoughts of others and Second had a special connection to the ice. A later character was able to see the dreams of others. The emerging conflict involved the rogue bears and a giant clock. The clock began as a positive concept but became the source of cult worship and slavery. Unbeknownst to the cubs, their mother sacrificed herself to save them from becoming slaves to the Roguers. This happened in the opening chapters, so it's not a spoiler! The very end of the book became more intriguing once a leopard brought some clarity to the cubs' quest. The cubs aren't royalty, but their efforts will ultimately free all bears, theoretically Overall, the book got better the farther I got into the plot, so I think I'll probably check out the sequel, The Den of Forever Frost.
June 8, 2019
I feel like the worldbuilding in this book had some SERIOUS issues--mainly that the characters were way too anthropomorphized. I was willing to suspend my disbelief for Guardians of Ga'Hoole with owls being able to read, write, fight with swords, forge armor, etc, because birds do have the ability to grip tools and such. But I cannot suspend my disbelief for a snow leopard drinking hot chocolate with some bear cubs. What is this? Zootopia? And the oatmeal??? Snow leopards are obligate carnivores! They! don't! eat! oatmeal!
And then there were a lot of gestures the bear cubs made that didn't seem plausible. Waving? Shoulder squeezes??? Like, sure Wolves of the Beyond got weird, but at least they only made gestures wolves could relatively realistically make (as far as I remember anyway).
ALSO, where the hell are the machines coming from? When did bears learn to make machines? Again! These are POLAR BEARS! They don't have opposable thumbs! If you want to anthropomorphize this much, either make your characters outright furries or stick with birds! At least birds can believably do these sorts of things.
Anyway that's all my salt for now. Overall it was fun to get back to the world of Guardians, but I feel like this book could have been a lot better if the details were more thought out. If the clock had been built by owls or some other bird that would have helped a LOT with believability. And just nix the hot chocolate. That's all I'm asking.
And then there were a lot of gestures the bear cubs made that didn't seem plausible. Waving? Shoulder squeezes??? Like, sure Wolves of the Beyond got weird, but at least they only made gestures wolves could relatively realistically make (as far as I remember anyway).
ALSO, where the hell are the machines coming from? When did bears learn to make machines? Again! These are POLAR BEARS! They don't have opposable thumbs! If you want to anthropomorphize this much, either make your characters outright furries or stick with birds! At least birds can believably do these sorts of things.
Anyway that's all my salt for now. Overall it was fun to get back to the world of Guardians, but I feel like this book could have been a lot better if the details were more thought out. If the clock had been built by owls or some other bird that would have helped a LOT with believability. And just nix the hot chocolate. That's all I'm asking.
May 7, 2024
So far, I am liking this series the most from Lasky. I read Wolves of the Beyond, Horses, of the Dawn, and half of Guardian's of Ga'hoole. Not a huuuge fan, but not a hater either.
It's a little basic, but that's to be expected from a mid-grade series. The plot twists were very easy for me to predict, perhaps not for a kid, though.
I don't like the orcas being called killer whales, but she uses both, so I guess that makes up for it a little.
One little nit-pick I have is on page 87. First says, "I have an idea. We should name ourselves." However, it was not his idea, Jameson said they should do that already, not even that long before he says this.
I liked all the foreshadowing leading to them getting their real names.
I really like how she mixed in bigger/confusing words that kids wouldn't recognize. I appreciate her expanding their vocabulary and building their context clues! Perverted not so much. Googling that will not yield child-friendly results.
Oh my gosh. Skagen. I'm crying!
I also enjoyed the ending. Very excited to continue on with the series!
It's a little basic, but that's to be expected from a mid-grade series. The plot twists were very easy for me to predict, perhaps not for a kid, though.
I don't like the orcas being called killer whales, but she uses both, so I guess that makes up for it a little.
One little nit-pick I have is on page 87. First says, "I have an idea. We should name ourselves." However, it was not his idea, Jameson said they should do that already, not even that long before he says this.
I liked all the foreshadowing leading to them getting their real names.
I really like how she mixed in bigger/confusing words that kids wouldn't recognize. I appreciate her expanding their vocabulary and building their context clues! Perverted not so much. Googling that will not yield child-friendly results.
Oh my gosh. Skagen. I'm crying!
I also enjoyed the ending. Very excited to continue on with the series!
May 9, 2018
I love bears so when I saw this new book I just knew I wanted to read it. I tried reading it to my son who is in 2nd grade but he wasn't into it because of the sad parts and there are some scary parts. So I decided to read it myself. These 2 cubs are so brave and go on this grand journey and during this time they grow so much and learn so much about themselves. I can't wait for book 2 to come out. However there are some things that are a bit creepy such as the whole clock thing and the delusion of it. I'm sure the reading level really depends on the child and what they can handle.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2020
I haven't read a kids animal book in a long time, but I had a lot of fun reading this! I loved the author's Guardians of GaHoole series (and now I feel like I'll have to read it again someday, cause I know I forgot so much) and the Wolves of the Beyond series. This story takes place in the same world but with polar bears.
The hints of history and worldbuilding were all very neat, and quite honestly I'm looking forward to reading more stories in the owl world that I now remember loving.
The hints of history and worldbuilding were all very neat, and quite honestly I'm looking forward to reading more stories in the owl world that I now remember loving.
May 1, 2022
The only reason I picked this book up is because it is a short, easy to read polar fantasy so I could earn extra points for my realm in realmathon.
While I did not dislike this book, I did not really like it either. I think the narrator pushed this book to the positive side of an average 3 stars for me; she did an amazing job. I think the world could be compelling. I have heard of the world of Gahoole before (where Lasky has set several other series) but I have not read any of those books. I have read only Lasky's historical fiction books previously. Perhaps I would have enjoyed the book a little bit more if I had known more about the world itself. Perhaps not.
Aside from my disconnect from the story, a couple other things brought down the rating.
One, the book ends with the plot unresolved. I have read plenty of fantasy stories where the characters have one overarching goal that they do not achieve until the last book. However, the authors of those book give small, checkpoint type resolutions in each book. Lasky did not do that in this book. It read almost as if she wrote one huge book and then just chose a point to chop it into individual segments.
Two, for a children's/middle grade book, several things are quite graphically presented or alluded to like potential cannibalism of one polar bear who is given the care of the titular cubs. I found things like this in stark contrast to the actual writing which read very children's/early middle grade. The two did not mesh.
Some may enjoy this. I found it fine but have no interest in continuing on in the series.
While I did not dislike this book, I did not really like it either. I think the narrator pushed this book to the positive side of an average 3 stars for me; she did an amazing job. I think the world could be compelling. I have heard of the world of Gahoole before (where Lasky has set several other series) but I have not read any of those books. I have read only Lasky's historical fiction books previously. Perhaps I would have enjoyed the book a little bit more if I had known more about the world itself. Perhaps not.
Aside from my disconnect from the story, a couple other things brought down the rating.
One, the book ends with the plot unresolved. I have read plenty of fantasy stories where the characters have one overarching goal that they do not achieve until the last book. However, the authors of those book give small, checkpoint type resolutions in each book. Lasky did not do that in this book. It read almost as if she wrote one huge book and then just chose a point to chop it into individual segments.
Two, for a children's/middle grade book, several things are quite graphically presented or alluded to like potential cannibalism of one polar bear who is given the care of the titular cubs. I found things like this in stark contrast to the actual writing which read very children's/early middle grade. The two did not mesh.
Some may enjoy this. I found it fine but have no interest in continuing on in the series.
August 9, 2023
Progress, something bad happens, progress, something bad happens, progress, something bad happens.
I also found the characters to be incredibly shallow and I’m growing tired of the “children with special abilities” trope, something that littered Laskys previous series “Wolves of the Beyond” they’re all different than others. I liked when Soren was just some owl who got owlnapped and that was all he had going for him from the very beginning. His dread of the pure ones and his will and faith to find the guardians was genuinely interested and I wanted to find out what happened to Soren after each book. But with these two new series, Wolves and Bears, nothing really sets them apart as special anymore. With Faolan, he had his splayed paw which left him an outcast, but that was taken away and didn’t really become much of an issue later. Now we have 3, three, special powers bears.
I felt this book was very similar to that of the fourth book in the Wolves series. The traveling happened, but I never felt like the character really went anywhere. The Roguers were a major big bad in this book, and yet I never really felt like the characters were in any real danger. Part of me wished they had gotten captured at the end just to see how these bears managed to escape, or stop the clock. Instead, they escaped the roguers and get to go on yet another long journey to find the forever frost cave. I’m going to read on, but I don’t have much interest in a third traveling book.
I’ll be taking a break from Lasky’s books for a moment.
I also found the characters to be incredibly shallow and I’m growing tired of the “children with special abilities” trope, something that littered Laskys previous series “Wolves of the Beyond” they’re all different than others. I liked when Soren was just some owl who got owlnapped and that was all he had going for him from the very beginning. His dread of the pure ones and his will and faith to find the guardians was genuinely interested and I wanted to find out what happened to Soren after each book. But with these two new series, Wolves and Bears, nothing really sets them apart as special anymore. With Faolan, he had his splayed paw which left him an outcast, but that was taken away and didn’t really become much of an issue later. Now we have 3, three, special powers bears.
I felt this book was very similar to that of the fourth book in the Wolves series. The traveling happened, but I never felt like the character really went anywhere. The Roguers were a major big bad in this book, and yet I never really felt like the characters were in any real danger. Part of me wished they had gotten captured at the end just to see how these bears managed to escape, or stop the clock. Instead, they escaped the roguers and get to go on yet another long journey to find the forever frost cave. I’m going to read on, but I don’t have much interest in a third traveling book.
I’ll be taking a break from Lasky’s books for a moment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2024
Since I've read The wolves of the beyond I am on a mission to finish all of these books related to Guardians of Ga Hoole including the original books. But I've decided to start with these three since they are about bears - polar bears to be precise and I rarely ever read books about those... and this one was ...weird. I don't mind them having magic powers- I mean other animals in this world do - but it's so weird when they can seemingly use their paws as hands - I mean we meet a snow leopard that can cook cocoa and go to store to buy more and the bears apparently have knees since they are constantly kneeling. It's also a bit weird reading about a cult - and I mean full on cult in a book meant for kids. Bears suddenly started worshipping a clock - and they kidnap young cubs so that they can sacrifice them to the clock and they brainwash other bears- it's pretty intense and this book also doesn't shy away from the darker themes and gore. One of the main characters is killed and then attacked and half eaten by vultures, the cubs get injured several times, there is a ton of blood in general since the theme is darker and one of the main characters is nearly killed by his deranged mother so he can be feed to his stronger siblings. It's a pretty dark book. It sets the world pretty good but I am still hoping that the others in this mini series are better.
September 3, 2018
The Quest of the Cubs (Bears of the Ice #1) by Kathryn Lasky, 225 pages. Scholastic Press, $17
Language: PG; Violence: G; Mature Content: G.
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
In a Post-apocalyptic world, expressed by the bears as the Great Melting, the Bears’ culture has disintegrated. The cubs are searching for their mother because unknown to them she has traded herself to save them from being sacrificed. She leaves her beloved cubs with a cousin who turns on them the minute their mom leaves. So, the quest begins.
The world is presented very creatively, evidently Lansky has written other books set in the world, the series Guardians of Ga’hoole. The characters are well developed and there is plenty of action for those who crave it. It left me wanting to read more about these feisty cubs and their intelligent mom. The notes mention 3rd to 7th grade but I would also recommend it for older students with low reading levels.
Reviewer: Lisa Moeller; Language Arts Teacher/Librarian
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
Language: PG; Violence: G; Mature Content: G.
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
In a Post-apocalyptic world, expressed by the bears as the Great Melting, the Bears’ culture has disintegrated. The cubs are searching for their mother because unknown to them she has traded herself to save them from being sacrificed. She leaves her beloved cubs with a cousin who turns on them the minute their mom leaves. So, the quest begins.
The world is presented very creatively, evidently Lansky has written other books set in the world, the series Guardians of Ga’hoole. The characters are well developed and there is plenty of action for those who crave it. It left me wanting to read more about these feisty cubs and their intelligent mom. The notes mention 3rd to 7th grade but I would also recommend it for older students with low reading levels.
Reviewer: Lisa Moeller; Language Arts Teacher/Librarian
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
June 10, 2020
Das Cover ist wundervoll und zieht einen sofort in den Bann.
Ich liebe solche Cover abgöttisch und muss die immer im Regal stehen haben.
Der Schreibstil ist fesselnd und sehr bildlich.
Ich konnte mir beim lesen alles sehr gut vorstellen, die Umgebung und die verschiedenen Eisbären.
Die Autorin lädt den Leser ein in ein spannendes, mysteriöses Abenteuer um zwei kleine Eisbären.
Wir erleben die Eisbärjungen heranwachsen, überleben und auch träumend die Sterne beobachten.
Die Geschichte ist wirklich absolut fesselnd und auch an manchen Stellen grausam.
Die Jungen kämpfen ums überleben und begegnen nicht nur gut gesinnten Eisbären oder Tieren.
Ganz auf sich gestellt entdecken die Beiden ihre Kräfte mit denen sie langsam vertraut werden.
Das Buch war viel zu kurz, ich hab es regelrecht im Rausch gelesen.
Zum Glück hab ich Band 2 schon hier, sodass ich sofort weiterlesen kann.
Eine fesselnde Geschichte in der Welt der Eisbären über den Kampf ums Überleben, Mythen, Familie, Freundschaft und mit einem Hauch Magie.
Ich liebe solche Cover abgöttisch und muss die immer im Regal stehen haben.
Der Schreibstil ist fesselnd und sehr bildlich.
Ich konnte mir beim lesen alles sehr gut vorstellen, die Umgebung und die verschiedenen Eisbären.
Die Autorin lädt den Leser ein in ein spannendes, mysteriöses Abenteuer um zwei kleine Eisbären.
Wir erleben die Eisbärjungen heranwachsen, überleben und auch träumend die Sterne beobachten.
Die Geschichte ist wirklich absolut fesselnd und auch an manchen Stellen grausam.
Die Jungen kämpfen ums überleben und begegnen nicht nur gut gesinnten Eisbären oder Tieren.
Ganz auf sich gestellt entdecken die Beiden ihre Kräfte mit denen sie langsam vertraut werden.
Das Buch war viel zu kurz, ich hab es regelrecht im Rausch gelesen.
Zum Glück hab ich Band 2 schon hier, sodass ich sofort weiterlesen kann.
Eine fesselnde Geschichte in der Welt der Eisbären über den Kampf ums Überleben, Mythen, Familie, Freundschaft und mit einem Hauch Magie.
July 21, 2020
This book is about two polar bear cubs finding their way to survive in the northern kingdom to find their father after being left by their mother. They barely knows know how to hunt and there are so many other deadly creature that they might come across with. I think the whole message and theme of the story is quite unique , it said the bears of this place had invented a giant clock to predict the next great melting, which it’s purpose is to help save the lives of the bears themselves, yet another group of bears turn it into an evil purpose, they worship the clock and capture others to be slaves, and the worst of all is they sacrifice thousands of bear cubs by throwing them under a huge wheel of sharp metal teeth. This reminds me of some religions of cultures in human world , which people stubbornly believes in some kind of spirit or power , and sacrificing lives of their own. Until someone take action to stop such cruel actions and this is what the two bear cubs are going to do and became heroes of their kind.
April 22, 2019
Whew! Readers of Lasky will know that one of the hurdles reading her books is keeping up with all the strange names and vocabulary that liberally pepper her fantasy. Bears of the Ice is certainly no exception. Fans of Ga'Hoole will recognize this offshoot of the extremely popular series and will no doubt feel right at home here. I, who am only loosely acquainted with that universe, felt a little worn down by the sheer enormity of it all.
The essence of this new series is an arctic universe governed by polar bears. Two cubs are cruelly separated from their mother by thugs who steal cubs to be part of an ice clock that is the center of a cult-like mysticism designed to forecast the next great melting which would jeopardize the bears' society. The twin cubs are very different, each having a special ability to navigate their environment. Fighting to survive, they end up in the very place their mother sacrificed to keep them from, but they may be Nunquivik's only hope.
The essence of this new series is an arctic universe governed by polar bears. Two cubs are cruelly separated from their mother by thugs who steal cubs to be part of an ice clock that is the center of a cult-like mysticism designed to forecast the next great melting which would jeopardize the bears' society. The twin cubs are very different, each having a special ability to navigate their environment. Fighting to survive, they end up in the very place their mother sacrificed to keep them from, but they may be Nunquivik's only hope.
March 12, 2018
My daughter chose this book at the school book fair completely because it is about polar bears. Let me tell you, even she couldn't stand this book. It was terrible, confusing, trying to have a plot that was way too complicated for the age that would pick up this book. It was also terrifying, talking about murder and blood a lot (and not natural, we have to eat to survive murder. This was like, we kill baby polar bears to use their blood to lubricate the gears of a clock fucked up murder.) The ending was terrible as well, leaving my seven year old in tears because of a characters death with absolutely zero resolution or slight attempt at a semi-decent ending.
we seriously had a discussion after this book was over whether we should donate it to the library or just set it on fire to avoid having anyone else have to go through the misery of reading it.
we seriously had a discussion after this book was over whether we should donate it to the library or just set it on fire to avoid having anyone else have to go through the misery of reading it.
October 25, 2019
I often 'read along’ (and encourage) my young reader friends With this book, the first in the series “Bears of the Ice”, I would be careful in recommending it to the youngest of 'good readers'. Younger children might find in a little scary. In fact, initially, I thought it a little unsettling. It begins with ‘evil’ bears – Rougers – coming to take cubs from their mother. The mother sacrifices her freedom and, of course, the cubs escape and the adventure to find and save their mother and father begins. Set in a ‘world’ of bears e.g. they read, write, etc., it’s a lite fantasy book in which the main are polar bears who interact with other arctic animals. It’s not just a wildlife story and pulls at the heartstrings of the reader. (As the first in the series, expect a cliffhanger ending.)
February 24, 2021
I was so excited to read more books set in the world of Ga'Hoole! And I wasn't disappointed!
The polar bears side of the story has always intrigued me. I like them. Their way of life is different than the owls, but they have similar honor.
It's interesting to see the creations and things from the "others" (us humans) in this tale. Clocks, maps, etc...
*SPOILERS*
I was disgusted by Taaka! What a horrible mom... I'm glad Third made it out.
I wonder if he will name himself or if the other two cubs will, and what his name will be. I like the names they chose for themselves.
I liked Skagen, he was a neat character.
Tick Tocks... poor cubs... I hope they can stop it. I can't wait to see how they stop those bad bears.
Maybe the owls will help. Maybe even Jameson will return to help out.
The polar bears side of the story has always intrigued me. I like them. Their way of life is different than the owls, but they have similar honor.
It's interesting to see the creations and things from the "others" (us humans) in this tale. Clocks, maps, etc...
*SPOILERS*
I was disgusted by Taaka! What a horrible mom... I'm glad Third made it out.
I wonder if he will name himself or if the other two cubs will, and what his name will be. I like the names they chose for themselves.
I liked Skagen, he was a neat character.
Tick Tocks... poor cubs... I hope they can stop it. I can't wait to see how they stop those bad bears.
Maybe the owls will help. Maybe even Jameson will return to help out.
June 6, 2025
If you show me a cover with two cute lil polar bears, I can't say no! However, I also struggle with these kind of books.
Give me a murder mystery or a thriller where humans get hurt and I don't bat an eye. But you give me a book where an animal gets hurt? That's hard for me to take. It's why I'm so reluctant to read the warriors series!
This book is darker than I expected it to be. I did not expect these poor lil bears to go through so much hell. And killing off my favorite character? Not cool, book, not cool.
Also, I'm not sure if this book came out before tiktok but every time they call the bears "tick tocks" I actually cringe a little inside. I thought they were actually talking about that damned app 😭
Overall, it was a good book. Emotional and sad, but good.
Give me a murder mystery or a thriller where humans get hurt and I don't bat an eye. But you give me a book where an animal gets hurt? That's hard for me to take. It's why I'm so reluctant to read the warriors series!
This book is darker than I expected it to be. I did not expect these poor lil bears to go through so much hell. And killing off my favorite character? Not cool, book, not cool.
Also, I'm not sure if this book came out before tiktok but every time they call the bears "tick tocks" I actually cringe a little inside. I thought they were actually talking about that damned app 😭
Overall, it was a good book. Emotional and sad, but good.
June 22, 2021
Svenna had two cubs named, First and Second. Svenna had never taught the cubs to hunt. She arranged for the cubs to stay with her cousin Taaka. She offered a special stone to her because there was no other way Taaka would take the deal. On the way there, Svenna had to leave somewhere when she got there and left First and Second with Taaka. Taaka was support to teach the cubs how to hunt, and she knew that would be hard. After the cubs were taught to hunt, they were lost in the forest. They went on a journey to find Taaka and Svenna. Soon, they found Taaka, and Svenna was there waiting for them worried.
June 16, 2025
For two young polar bear cubs, their lives changed when their mother was taken to another kingdom, and they were left to stay with a cousin Bear named Taaka. Taaka was not very nice, and the two cubs ran away to find their mother in that other kingdom. They underwent many scary adventures, but they did meet one of Taaka's cubs who ran away. From then on, they remained together and were set on finding both their parents despite many close calls with other animal members. There is also another segment to this story that I definitely want to read. Another book that is not only for middle schoolers but also very entertaining for adults as well.
June 5, 2018
I was shocked with the graphics of blood and murder in this book. It also jumped all over the place and it was hard to stay with the plot. I understand it is the first book of a series but I will not be looking forward to reading the second book. To me, this book was really dark and violent. A mother not feeding her young to a clock gear murdering young cubs. And the Roguers wow, they were deranged bears. The young cubs did manage to stay together and bring in a Third cub. They worked well together to stay alive. Not my favorite book
September 23, 2022
Lots of adventure in this novel that is connected to the Ga'Hoole series. Two cubs are supposed to be captured by the rogue polar bears but their mother sacrifices herself instead and gets sent to the terrible place up north. The cubs set out to find their mother and father and meet all sorts of interesting animals along the way, some dangerous and some friendly. Definitely intriguing with the connection to time and clocks and the "Great Melting." No need to have read Ga'Hoole to understand this book.
May 13, 2018
I didn’t get anything from this book, but maybe that’s because, even though this is the first of a new series, there have been many previous books set in this world, none of which I’ve read? For example, I loved Hartman’s Tess of the Road, but someone I recommended it to, who hadn’t read the prior series set in the same world, thought the world-building felt off. So I am giving a small benefit of the doubt that something similar may be playing into my reaction here.
May 31, 2018
A group of Roguer Bears have taken control of the Polar Bears Northern Kingdom. They have been taking bear cubs away from their mothers. When they come for Svenna’s twins, First born Stellan and Second born Jytte, she makes a deal to go with the Roguers to be of service to the Mistress of the Hands herself so her cubs will be spared. The cubs then set out on their own across the ice to find their father and to save their mother. A cute tale of family, friendship, and survival.
August 31, 2018
My seven year old daughter and I loved this book, we can’t wait for the second one (already pre-ordered it)! We did not find this book disturbing and my daughter was able to understand and follow along. If there was anything bad at all to say about this book it is that some of the names were very hard for her to pronounce, but this is such a minor thing. My daughter and I would most definitely recommend this book!
October 23, 2018
This book was very enjoyable. There are two cubs who have had their mother taken to someplace they don't know. They go on many adventures to go North to try and find their father. They meet many other bears along the way including one evil one who tries to send them to death. They eventually reach the evil place where their mom is working and they barely escape the guards. They are then sent to go find their father so they can take down this evil place and stop cubs from being killed.
May 21, 2023
This is the second book I've tried from this author (same one who wrote the Ga'Hoole series), and this one really, really, really did not work for me. Though the main characters were polar bears, this book did the biggest "talking animal story" sin there is: The bears were just human. They could read/write, they used days of the week (something bad was happening on Tuesday), they cried, they had knees... What is even the point of making a talking animal story if they're just going to be human?
February 15, 2025
Really I think a 4.5
This book is about two cubs called First and Second who (don't worry they get real names) have to go to their mother's cousin when she leaves to protect them but they soon find out that they have to leave. They decide to start on a journey but it will be more dangerous than they think. Not only that but there are demented bears endangering their own kind.
A very good book that I think Warrior fans will enjoy.
This book is about two cubs called First and Second who (don't worry they get real names) have to go to their mother's cousin when she leaves to protect them but they soon find out that they have to leave. They decide to start on a journey but it will be more dangerous than they think. Not only that but there are demented bears endangering their own kind.
A very good book that I think Warrior fans will enjoy.
February 3, 2018
I am an 8 year old boy and this was one of the best books of my life! I only got to read it because of my
book fair at school. I got so addicted that I started it Wednesday ended it Saturday which is today. Rate this book high remember it is good! There is only a few big pictures every once in a while! And it
describes things well! So read this book to see polar bear cubs go on an epic quest!
book fair at school. I got so addicted that I started it Wednesday ended it Saturday which is today. Rate this book high remember it is good! There is only a few big pictures every once in a while! And it
describes things well! So read this book to see polar bear cubs go on an epic quest!
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