9780062359858
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The Guardian Herd: Starfire audiobook

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The Guardian Herd: Starfire Audiobook Summary

Riders of the Realm author Jennifer Lynn Alvarez “will lift the reader on the wings of danger and destiny, magic and hope”* in this first book in an action-packed fantasy adventure series. Perfect for fans of the Warriors and Guardians of Ga’Hoole series.

Once every hundred years, a black foal is born, prophesied to either unite or destroy the five herds of winged horses that live in Anok–fated to become the most powerful Pegasus in all the land.

Star is this black foal.

Even though Star seems harmless because he’s unable to fly, the leaders of each herd aren’t willing take any risks. So, they plan to execute Star before his first birthday. With the threats against him mounting, Star must rely on his friends and the untapped power within to win an epic battle between good and evil.

* (New York Times bestselling author Peter Lerangis)

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The Guardian Herd: Starfire Audiobook Narrator

Andrew Eiden is the narrator of The Guardian Herd: Starfire audiobook that was written by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez

Jennifer Lynn Alvarez received a degree in English literature from UC Berkeley. Her first four-book series was The Guardian Herd, followed by the Riders of the Realm trilogy. She lives with her family in Northern California. Visit her at www.jenniferlynnalvarez.com and visit the Guardian Herd series at www.theguardianherd.com.

About the Author(s) of The Guardian Herd: Starfire

Jennifer Lynn Alvarez is the author of The Guardian Herd: Starfire

The Guardian Herd: Starfire Full Details

Narrator Andrew Eiden
Length 5 hours 16 minutes
Author Jennifer Lynn Alvarez
Category
Publisher HarperCollins
Release date September 23, 2014
ISBN 9780062359858

Subjects

The publisher of the The Guardian Herd: Starfire is HarperCollins. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is Action & Adventure, General, Juvenile Fiction

Additional info

The publisher of the The Guardian Herd: Starfire is HarperCollins. The imprint is HarperCollins. It is supplied by HarperCollins. The ISBN-13 is 9780062359858.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Lolly's Library

June 02, 2015

Reading this made my inner child (who often escapes and runs amok as an outer child, but that's an issue to deal with another day) gleefully, squealingly happy. About the only thing that would've made the whole thing even better would've been the presence of unicorns. But that's just my horse-obsessed inner child speaking.The story revolves around a very familiar theme, that of loneliness and not belonging and wondering if everyone would be better off if you just ran away. Believe me, as a teenager, I ran the gamut of these emotions, so I could fully empathize with Star, the protagonist of the story. As a black pegasus in a world where black pegasi aren't an everyday occurrence, Star feels like an outcast. Add in an ancient prophecy attached to those rare black pegasi, one of which is born every hundred years, which states that the pegasus foal will either unite or destroy the herds and become the most powerful pegasus in the land, and it's no wonder Star is either shunned or actively bullied by the other foals, not to mention many of the adult pegasi. As a final insult, Star doesn't fully belong to his herd: His mother had been driven away from her herd and was taken in by the Sun Herd, then died after giving birth to Star; the lead mare, Silvercloud, promised Star's mother she'd protect him, a promise she's kept all these years, to the detriment of her relationship with the herd's over-stallion, Thunderwing. So not only is Star concerned about his destiny, he feels guilty for destroying the lives of those protecting him. This makes for one sad, lonely little youngster. The fact that, on top of all these issues, Star is a pegasus who can't fly . . . Well, it's no wonder he feels depressed! In the end, Star comes through his trauma and finds his place in the world, but it's a bumpy road he has to travel before reaching that peak.This is definitely not a light and fluffy book, an impression one might get upon hearing that it's all about pretty, pretty pegasi. But right from the start, in the first chapter, we deal with bullying and fear and the threat of death. From there the book gives us fighting between herds and even within the herd--fighting that ends in a lot of death--more bullying, physical violence, betrayal and vengeance, near-death experiences due to starvation and infection, a forest fire that kills yet more pegasi . . . you get the picture. But don't be put off and think it's too dark for a kid. Trust me, at heart kids are sociopaths, and I mean that in the most positive way: They're still forming their moral compass and books that show how things can go wrong, how life isn't always fair, but how things like love, compassion, cooperation, and sacrifice can save the day provide helpful guidance. Kids are plastic, elastic, and flexible; they can handle more serious issues that we adults might want to shield them from. But exposure to the darker side of life, even viewed through the lens of fantasy, gives kids a more well-rounded attitude and the potential to cope with any future issues that might befall them. They'll sympathize with Star and root for him even as they growl at Star's enemies, especially Brackentail; they'll cry when things go wrong and yelp for joy when Star finally starts to fulfill his destiny. In short, I can see both girls and boys devouring this book and any follow-up volumes.I've noticed some people dinging the bit where Star's tears cause flowers to spring up in their wake, complaining it's too far-fetched and silly. Um, we're talking about a book concerning talking pegasi and a star on a hundred-year cycle that gives one particular pegasus a unique power. You're going to complain about the idea of flowers growing from tears? *opens mouth, pauses, shuts mouth and shakes head* Yes, Star's tears bring forth flowers, which I took as an obvious and overt sign that his destiny isn't written by an ancient prophecy. Star's destiny is one he will write every day, one of his own making. A destiny I'm eager to read about in however many sequels Ms. Alvarez decides to write (very, very many, I'm hoping).

gremlinkitten

January 11, 2016

I honestly don't know what to rate Starfire. It was beautiful, it was ugly. It was heartbreaking, it was triumphant. I loved it, I hated it. The book just made me emotional. I don't know if it was my mood, or if it reminded me of growing up "different", something altogether different, or a mix of all three, but it hit me in the feels and I've been left reeling. I need to let the story sink in more for an accurate rating.

Erik

October 20, 2014

Star is the “black foal” – a black pegasi that is born once every 100 years. On the black foals’ first birthday (at midnight), the Hundred Year Star gives its power to the black foal of the century. With this power, the black foal can become either the Destroyer or the Healer of the herds. Either way, the foal will become more powerful than any pegasi in Anok. Thunderwing (and most of Sun Herd) thinks that Star will become the Destroyer, if he lives. Star doesn’t blame them – he isn’t so sure himself! Thunderwing, the over-stallion (chief) of Sun Herd now is the head of the Guardian Herd, the herd to which the black foal is born. It is the Guardian Herd’s responsibility to keep track of the black foal and to determine it’s fate when the time came. Thunderwing gave Star until his first birthday to live and then declared that Star must be killed in case he becomes the Destroyer. When the lead-mare of Sun Herd helps get Star to safety by bringing him to a secluded cave, she gets kicked out of Sun Herd. She dares to go back only to warn the Sun Herd about the pegasi army about to attack the Guardian Herd because they lost track of Star. The warning didn’t help. Now Star’s friends’ lives are in danger! What can he do?This is an amazing book! It reminded me a little bit of the Warrior Cats series by Erin Hunter, with all of the Herds and all – but it was also very different (not just because it’s about pegasi). I liked it. The Guardian Herd series is very unique and I like that it hooks you right in the first paragraph! I could not put it down! ( Seriously. I didn’t really leave my bean-bag chair at all until I was done… ;) )! Ms. Alvarez is a great author with a descriptive writing style that gets the reader involved. Star is a character you really come to care for. He is a great main character, and is a nice guy pegasi. I like how Star’s character developed during the time he spent exiled in the cave. I love how Ms. Alvarez describes the world of Anok. It felt like I was really there, diving through the trees, galloping through the plains! I thought all the interactions between the herds and members of each herd was interesting. You got to learn about their society and chain of command and such. I can’t wait for the other books in this series! Bonus points for an awesome cover too!*NOTE* I got a free copy of his book in exchange for an honest review

Maria

April 07, 2015

I love animal fantasy (it's my favorite style), but I'm skeptical since I've found fewer and fewer good books falling into this category. First, I was drawn in by the cover and I decided to read the first 20 pages. No sample has ever gripped me this tight (yet). Every century, a black pegasus was born and on his first birthday, the Hundred Year Star would cast its fire down onto him making him the most powerful pegasus alive thus turning him into the Destroyer or the Healer. With immense power, he could either kill or heal. This outcome was unpredictable and this is why all the clans of pegasi were nervous about Star's existence and most didn't want to take chances at all. What made me want to read the rest of the story was the fact that Star, the black foal (a mere child really) knew he would be executed on his next birthday by his own herd and he was at peace with the thought. He enjoyed the little time left with his best friends in a world of hostility and bullying.And I find that to be a very powerful emotion to start a book with. Very well done Jennifer. I relished this story. And it only gets better and better. I loved the constant duality between dwindling hope and unshakable belief - would Star become the Destroyer or the Healer? And what choices do we really have in life? In this book, I saw our own world from two different perspectives - one is raging war, the other, soul healing forgiveness.Simply awesome. A beautiful story, really well and smoothly written with a great flow (it feels like you're drinking nectar). The characters feel real, the details of their winged lives make you feel like a pegasus yourself. There are a couple of shocking scenes in battle as the war ravages the lands and the souls of the pegasi, but they only enhance the message at the end. This book is a wonderful example of the depth of the animal fantasy category. When bulgy ornaments are removed from the picture, exposing the simple truth, all becomes clear. This is why children books are good for adults, too :)I can't wait for book 2 ^^

Kelsi

September 18, 2015

Review to come.

Angela

April 19, 2015

Alvarez transforms the classic archetype of the hero's journey into the story of Star, the black foal who is destined to be either a healer or a destroyer if he survives his first year and receives the power of the Hundred Year Star. Alvarez populates her fantastical world of good and evil with five pegasi colonies battling for power and peace.A very engaging story for older children and children-at-heart.I'm excited to read the next book in this new series!

Mariah

December 08, 2014

"I really liked that he had a lot of action and fighting! The ending was really good and was very surprising. I can't wait till the next book comes out." Aidan Mullins 6th grade

Gabby

January 16, 2015

The book was special in its own way. It was a little violent, but overall it's a book everyone should read. I am a big fan of the author anyway. And she did a especially great job on this one!

Crystalpixel

June 13, 2018

** spoiler alert ** I loved this book! My favorite part was that Star could fly after all. I can't express my love for this book

Sriya

October 07, 2017

its full of mystery and tension

S Reeb

February 14, 2018

Kept me on my toes!

Jessica

February 09, 2022

Listened to this with my kids. They loved it so much, and honestly so did I. There are a few parts that had me tearing up with emotions so be mindful of younger readers. the book is beautifully written and super interesting. I was just as invested as my kids. And I highly recommend trying it as an audiobook.

Abby

April 02, 2020

I wasn't expecting this to be as good as it was. The characters are very endearing, even the main hero--a rare surprise in the world of young adult literature. Despite his lack of character depth (he doesn't seem to care much that he's slated for death), Star is a likeable character who isn't too perfect or too edgy. The story is very driven and there's no shortage of action; you're never bored with the characters or plot. It's very Warriors-esque, so much so that it's almost Warriors with pegasi. The names are much the same, they have a "medicine mare", and there's even an "Allegiances"-type description glossary in the beginning. Not that I don't love Warriors, I would just rather this had been less similar. The world building, while vivid, needs more explanation. It's never explained how the pegasi get their names, why all the leaders are called "-wing", etc. Other animals are present in the world of Anok, but the pegasi are the only ones who are mythological, something that doesn't make a lot of sense to me. The pacing also tends to feel rushed in places, especially the climactic scene where Star receives his power. We build up to it for an entire book, but the actual scene takes less than two paragraphs. In fact the entire ending feels very rushed. Overall it's a good read if you enjoy animal fantasy, especially if you're new to the genre, as it doesn't promise too much and isn't too complex. With a little more care put into pacing and more in depth world building, this series could be something great.

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