Hale: The Rise of the Griffins by JK Noble | Book Review

I won this book via a Goodreads giveaway. All opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Disclosure here.

Many people will contribute to changes brewing in Malphora.

Hale and his older sister, Carly, have just escaped from their kidnapper, only for Carly to meet her tragic end. Hale accidentally loses his amulet, the only thing left of his family, and is transported into Malphora, where Griffins and much more roam. Mary, another griffin, tries to bond with the reincarnation of her lost love, River, who just happened to be Hale’s best friend. Ellionna, the vessel of the siren, has just been banished from her tribe after accidentally murdering two boys with her voice, and now she’s trying to find herself. Marcus, the prophet of the griffins, helps with a problem in the Bimmoran kingdom that could impact all of the worlds in existence. How will each of these characters cope with the changes that could affect every one of these lives?

It’s a fantasy novel with a dash of dark sides.
This book takes place in the fantasy world called Malphora, where many mythical creatures live. The worldbuilding of this book was rich and engaging. There were a lot of details of the places taking place in the story. I wouldn’t want to go to Malphora because of a lot of violence and dangerous, bloodthirsty creatures ruling the place. Though, with many people changing the perspective in the story, it took a lot of work to keep track of what was going on. On the bright side, it was incredible how they transformed into griffins and the powers.

Hale is a perceptive and intelligent character. He can notice many things about a person with just a glance. Carly was a protective big sister. Mary was a cunning girl. Ellionna is kind-hearted and a little tragic due to her situation. Marcus had great powers and was also intelligent.

Under the magical world, this book tackles the theme of family values and friendships. The cliffhanger was a little too rushed, and I’m not too fond of rushed endings of books, series, or movies.

Give this book to any YA fantasy lovers who like multiple short stories that fold into one.

My rating