"Magic and monsters in a thrilling new fantasy adventure"
October 2021 Debut of the Month
Twelve is a Huntling, in training to become a Hunter and pledged to serve the seven clans as a warrior. Full of rage and guilt following the massacre of her family and neighbours, she is determined to remain friendless and dedicate herself to revenge. But when the Hunting Lodge is attacked by goblins, and other creatures even worse, and Seven, the only person she has any connection with, is kidnapped, Twelve sets out to rescue the little girl. She’s joined on the quest by Dog, the Lodge’s huge, living stone guardian, and by the two boys she likes least. Together they face multiple dangers and an array of terrifying and tricky monsters. As in the best of these sorts of adventures – and this is definitely an example of the best of these kind of adventures – throughout their trials they learn more about each other and themselves. Aisling Fowling’s debut is a thrilling fantasy full of battles and creatures the like of which you’ve never seen before, and stars characters you’ll regard as friends by the book’s end. There will be more adventures for Twelve and co to come, and readers will be counting down the days to the next.
One to recommend to fans of A Clock of Stars by Francesca Gibbons and Orphans of the Tide by Struan Murray.
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The LoveReading LitFest invited Aishling to the festival to talk about her debut novel and the start of a thrilling fantasy series. You can watch the full, exclusive event here.
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I really enjoyed this book as it was unusual in its eccentric characters and plot twists.
This book follows the story of Twelve and her Friends as they attempt to find their friend Seven, who has been taken by goblins from the hunting lodge, where they all train and live. Along the way of their mission they discover things about themselves and meet lots of creatures that they could never have imagined. This book had quite a slow start but once it got going it was absolutely brilliant. This novel would take any reader on a rollercoaster of emotions. The story is immensely difficult to guess, with its unexpected twists and turns. Twelve is a unique main character with her obvious weaknesses and hidden strengths.... Read Full Review
I could NOT put this book down. It is like a vivid dream - you never want it to end. Full of frozen forests, mortifying monsters and fierce friends, this story is perfect for children who are hungry for an adventure.
When she takes the pledge, Twelve's life suddenly changes to become a life of training, fighting and monsters. Not long after this her life changes again, this time because a little girl has been taken from the Lodge. Determined to save her, Twelve teams up with Dog; a stone guardian and one of the only people who seem interested. Suddenly she is thrown into a daring and dangerous advenure full of frozen forests, mortifying monsters and fierce friends.... Read Full Review
I loved this book about a girl called Twelve and some of her not quite friends Five, Six and Seven. They end up having a great adventure and learning new things and respect for each other. I can’t wait for the rest of the trilogy.
The cover and the title of this book drew me in straight away, it’s just the kind of thing I like. It’s quite a chunky book, but it’s broken into chapters so you can easily read a section at a time. The only problem is, I just kept thinking ‘one more chapter’ and then before you know it you’ve read loads!
This is a story about a girl called Twelve. That isn’t her real name, but it’s what they call her at the Lodge where she is training to be a Hunter. She and a younger girl called Seven end up in trouble and are sent to the dungeons for the night, but through the night the dungeons are broken into by Goblins and Seven is kidnapped and the Lodge under serious attack.... Read Full Review
