Good Morning World,

How are you holding up? This whole Coronavirus thing is hitting astronomical levels. It been scary, panic-inducing, and anxiety-triggering. That’s why I messaged my Airbnb I’ll be renting on my writer’s retreat and told them how grateful I am to them for letting me stay there.

This whole global health situation is the perfect reason for me to go on vacay starting tomorrow, and best of all, Hermann is remote (and just two hours away from me). I will still be exploring the city where possible, but will mainly be doing nature walks and wineries, avoiding contact with others as much as possible.

Anywho, due to my reading lineup being all Animorphs until next Tuesday, I will not be posting a WWW Wednesday post today. Instead, you get to join me on my Animorphs journey further. Lucky you!

This time around I’m reviewing The Hork-Bajir Chronicles, technically #22.5 in the series.

I don’t really recall this story at all from my childhood, so I just dove in. Let’s get this thing started!

Blurb:

Dak Hamee, born into the Hork-Bajir tribe, is something special from the start. “Strange,” says his mother. “A seer,” says the Old One, Tila Fashat. “A seer is one who is born to show a new way. Many, many seasons pass, then our father, the Deep, and our mother, the Sky, say, ‘Send a seer to the people. The people have need.’ And so one is born who is different.” When strange and different Dak meets Aldrea, the clever Andalite daughter of Prince Seerow, they learn together of the dangerous plot of the Yeerks, and of Esplin 9466, who will stop at nothing to build his empire. Learn more about Prince Seerow’s Kindness, find out how Andalites kiss, and plumb the mysteries of the Deep in this suspense-filled story of good, evil, and interspecies love.

The Review:

I gave this book five Hork-Bajir stars!

After finishing the last book in the David trilogy, I didn’t know what to expect. The last three books were so great, so surely there must be a not-so-great one on the horizon, right? Not the case with The Hork-Bajir Chronicles!

This book is essentially a backstory to the Hork-Bajir’s plight as a race and their interaction with the Yeerks.

Young Andalite Aldrea, daughter of Seerow (ring a bell?), and her family have been exiled to an unknown planet after Seerow’s misjudgment of how violent and evil the Yeerks are. There, they find the Hork-Bajir, a peaceful race of bark-eating aliens.

Soon, disaster strikes and the Yeerks make their presence known. Can Aldrea team up with the odd Hork-Bajir Dak Hamee and figure out a way to survive this evil, or will they die trying?

I have to say, there are so many great elements to this book. This doesn’t feel like your typical Animorphs book based on the surroundings, the plethora of alien culture, etc. I thought it was very refreshing.

The characters were interesting and unique. Aldrea isn’t your typical Andalite. She’s female and untrained in military combat, yet she rises to the occasion when she needs to. She’s brave, yet overly authoritative and selfish at times. I also really like Dak Hamee. He’s been born into a species that typically has very little intelligence, but has been blessed with intelligence to match Aldrea. I really liked his journey of self-discovery. And Alloran? Pft! Don’t get me started on that meanie of an Andalite!

The plot and scenery was great and kept my interest the entire time. They’re on this distant planet with odd terrain and this creepy blue fog-infested area that no one goes to, and I loved how everything was portrayed. There is a bit of romance in here, but just the right amount and I actually really loved it.

I will say, this book delves into darker concepts, such as the Andalites and how they tend to use other species in their war against the Yeerks. Also, how the Hork-Bajir evolve under this threat.

I honestly can’t think of anything negative to say about this book. It adds so much more texture to an already vivid universe, and through the romance, heartache, and space battles, I was living for this book!

Can’t wait to read the next book!

That’s a Wrap!

Thanks for stopping by, and happy reading!

Have you read this book before? What did you think? Do you have a book recommendation similar to this one? Feel free to share in the comments!

If you’d like to see other reviews of mine, feel free to check out my blog homepage or my GoodReads. You can also follow my GoodReads reviews here. There are some great binge-worthy books on there!

Have a great day!

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