“For as long as my people remember, griffins steal away those who stray into their mountains. Since your people have come, the griffins have gone farther, into our villages. We cannot allow it to continue.” Fifteen-year-old Mira was one of the first to hear the native’s warning, but she would rather climb mountains than hide in the confining village. Her gift of translating for her tongue-tied … tongue-tied sister only ties her down. Then she discovers Freko, a young griffin who saves her from falling.
Mira believes that griffins are unaware humans are more than beasts, but tension is growing. Humans are fighting back, and fatalities on both sides seem inevitable. Mira and her griffin must find a way for the two sides to communicate before they destroy each other.
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I went into this story not entirely sure what to expect and I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised!
Judging the book by it’s cover (which I try not to do but I can’t help myself at times) I was expecting a YA story about a young girl who befriends a griffin and although that was the basic plot…there was so much more to this story than that.
The author created an entire well fleshed universe with pitfalls and triumphs focused around the enteral struggle of good and evil which is never black and white no matter how often people try to make it that way.
I couldn’t put this book down. Every time I thought I knew the direction the plot was taking, it would twist in a new direction. My only small complaint was that the ending was very rushed but I was still able to follow it I just wish I knew more of what happened.
Overall I loved this story and I think all fantasy readers will enjoy it as well.
A new spin in fantasy
This fantasy story, Mira’s Griffin, is more than mythological creatures and beasts, it’s about something that is rare to write about, the Griffin. I haven’t read anything from this author before, and I really enjoyed this st ory. The characters were fresh and very unique. The story is well-done, and not only caters to the young adult, but others who enjoy a good fantasy story. This story takes not only Mira on a journey, but brings along the reader as well. It was both entertaining and interesting, interesting to keep reading, and wondering what would happen next. The mix of Griffins and humans takes another look at how cultures can interact with each other, in both positive and negative ways. People can be afraid of what they don’t know or understand. A great story. I look forward to reading more by this author. This book is a definite recommendation by Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews.
Let’s get this out of the way right from the start.
I HATE the book cover for Mira’s Griffin.
We don’t need to dive into detail, but I need to emphasize similarly, right from the start, that it’s just about the only thing I disliked about this book. Seriously, don’t judge Mira’s Griffin by its cover; otherwise, you’ll miss out on a creative world, compelling plot, and themed narrative with a few clever twists.
By Christie Valentine Powell, Mira’s Griffin follows a young girl (Mira) who discovers griffins living in the mountains near her village. She befriends one, but in the process, a whole cascade of events spiral out of control in to a plot with ever increasing stakes.
This story has magic, and creative magic too! This story also has political worldbuilding, but of a kind you very rarely see. You see, in Mira’s Griffin, the worldbuilding focuses on the society of the griffins, not that of humans, which is a very fresh approach to fantasy worldbuilding.
Overall, Mira’s Griffin tells a narrative with themes both universal and unique. It emphasizes the problems with human nature to out-group and reject the “other,” while transposing those similar fears onto an entirely different species, too. Powell thus successfully develops a powerful conflict that both illustrates “humanity vs. nature,” and “humanity vs. humanity,” and “nature vs. nature,” all while using the same characters.
Well done, Powell! My only significant knocking of points comes from the length of the narrative. I definitely think the book would have benefited from being a hundred pages shorter.
Writing: 7/10. There were a few moments where action wasn’t clearly described, and the book suffers a bit from its length.
Characters: 9/10. Powell successfully establishes a wide cast of characters and develops them all in varied and interesting ways.
Setting: 8/10. While Powell is sparse in details about the actual geographic setting, she builds a fantastical world filled with magic, mystery, and varied people groups that feels natural within the first few chapters.
Plot: 9/10. The conflict constantly builds and grows throughout the narrative until its powerful ending.
Overall: 8.25/10. Congratulations on your four star review!