Review: Beastlands: Race to Frostfall Mountain by Jess French

Beastlands:  Race to Frostfall Mountain is the first book in an exhilarating, epic, fantasy adventure that completely gripped me as I was taken on the most incredible quest with three courageous children seeking their own truths. 

Kayla, Alethea and Rustus live in insular, walled cities on the island of Ramoa, cities which are surrounded by the wildness of the Beastlands, a forbidden place which citizens have been taught to fear as terrifying beasts roam freely there.

Kayla is a cadet Sky Rider, training at the Sky Academy in Sophiatown.  She has a close bond with her winged pangron, Faro, her only friend.  When Faro is stolen, Kayla is determined to rescue him and finds herself in the Beastlands …

Alethea is a healer living in the poorest district of Ataria. A terrible disease, known as the Scourge, is rife in the city, taking the lives of many of its people.  When Alethea’s beloved grandmother catches the disease, Alethea pledges to find a cure, a cure which can only be found beyond the Beastlands …

Rustus is determined to follow in the footsteps of his family, despite their disdain for him and his own misgivings, and become one of the Scorched:  elite warriors who protect the city.  But when he fails the initiation, he is banished to the Beastlands … 

These three children were never meant to meet, yet destiny has forged a path for them, a path which brings them together in an incredible quest:  a race to reveal truths which threaten to endanger their world, truths that the children don’t yet know they are racing towards …

Wow!  This is the most incredible, action-packed adventure brimming with danger, secrets and revelations that kept me desperately turning pages as I raced with the children to Frostfall Mountain.  What secrets is the island hiding?  Are the creatures of the Beastlands really a threat to the cities, or is there greater danger from elsewhere?   

The world-building is fantastic, and I really felt immersed in both the cities (with their military, districts and politics) and the Beastlands which explains the genuine shivers of fear and the apprehension I felt for the children as they race to find answers … I adored exploring the Beastlands and its inhabitants, both flora and fauna, (even if some of its inhabitants were quite scary!) and loved the message of respecting and finding harmony with both rather than seeking to harm and exploit. 

I really enjoyed that the story is written from the perspectives of the three children which gives an insight into all three children as they deal with their own problems. Kayla, Alethea and Rustus have very different personalities and upbringings, but they do have in common that they understand what it is to be treated differently by others and to have others criticise and not believe in them. I really enjoyed the slow building of the friendship between the children as they learn to work together, open up to, and trust each other. They are all strong, sympathetic characters who face their fears, work for the greater good and have a wonderful respect for the creatures and plants that others’ fear and exploit.

Be prepared for a heart-pounding race through dangerous forests and perilous mountains in this absolutely thrilling, unmissable adventure. 

Thank you to Piccadilly for sending me an early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.