Tigerpetal Press : Book Review: The Coming of Hoole

The Guardians of Ga’Hoole Book 10: The Coming of Hoole by Kathryn Lasky

I really liked it

The second of the three old legends! I’m super excited to dive into this one and learn more about hagsfiends, as well as how Hoole differs from Coryn, since they’re quite similar to one another, both kings of Ga’Hoole and all owlkind.

Read: Apr. 20 – Apr. 24, 2025

Genre: Fantasy, Fable
Audience: Children, Middle-grade
Book contains: attempted murder, attempted kidnapping, attempted brainwashing, murder, war and death, fire, mild gore

Purchase a copy from Indigo.ca

The Importance of a Noble Heart

Soren and the band, along with Coryn, read the second of the Ga’Hoolian legends, this one about the hatchling Hoole and his rise to kingship. In the shadows, Lord Arrin and the hagsfiends continue plotting the conquering of owlkind and the kidnapping of young Hoole in order to overcome their weaknesses.

I quite enjoyed this legend! It was told in a different way to the first one, and I have to say that I preferred following young Hoole as he explored the world than I did following old Grank, who’s somewhat cynical.

Unlike the first legend, this story was told in third person with shifting focuses as the scene calls for it. We learn by the end who the narrator is, even though he has written in third person. Yet again, there were no cover portraits of the owls involved, and there was the repeated knightly legend of Ga’Hoole at the beginning instead of a frontispiece. We begin with a prologue in the present with Soren, Coryn, and the others, and end with an epilogue taking place after they’ve read this legend.

I read here and there throughout the week, interspersed with work. On some of the nice, warm days, I read outside, but for the most part, I cuddled up in a blanket on my recliner.

Hoole is a young, curious owl who reminds me greatly of Coryn. He is a natural at most things: flying, fishing, firesight, fighting. He is such a noble owl, which can be annoying since you don’t want a flawless character, but he made up for it with typical young boy antics. He sometimes says things out of ignorance, and he can be a bit petulant and impatient as well. Where it matters, though, he is kind and noble. Grank is an excellent father/uncle figure for him, and Theo (along with a new owl named Phineas) make excellent friends. Meanwhile, Siv is on her own journey. She spends a lot of time with Svenka and her two cubs, and in disguise as a gadfeather, meeting a Snowy named the Snow Rose.

Hoole’s main relationship is that with his mentors and friends, but also with fire and Ga’. Hoole is isolated and is thus ignorant about the world, but the lessons from his uncle and the images he sees in the fire teach him much. I especially loved the mentor-mentee relationship he forms with Fengo, the wolf, when they journey to the Beyond where he will eventually retrieve the newly named Ember of Hoole.

There were more typographical errors in this book again, but I didn’t mind because the writing was solid and energetic; Lasky holds her young audience’s attention with action, wonder, and awe. It’s a little violent, like the other books, in which the evil owls mount heads on spears, but it’s not overly graphic, so I give it a pass.

The pacing was good, as we start with Hoole’s hatching and follow him throughout his childhood, while also following other characters on different sides of the war. Time passes rather quickly, and by the end when the battle begins, it flies by.

I really liked this book, and I recommend fans of the series to keep reading!

Related Reviews:

The Guardians of Ga’Hoole Book 10: The Coming of Hoole by Kathryn Lasky

The Importance of a Noble Heart

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