Forbidden Mountain (Guardians #1) by Brandon Mull, 528 pages. Labyrinth Road (Penguin Random House), 2026. $23.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG (illegal activity and mentions of alcohol and kissing); Violence: PG13 (assault, blood and gore, battle scenes, mentions of suicide, and murder)
BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ESSENTIAL, HS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL
Everything for Mako (13yo) depends on passing his tests for a good apprenticeship and on who he receives as his guardian in three days. Arden (13yo) might not have abilities like those who live on the forbidden mountain, but her knack for reading people goes beyond average skill. While intending to do good, these teens feel lost after making mistakes and have to decide who they can trust to guide them out of it.
At first, Mako and Arden both seem to be stuck on slippery slopes due to their choices. However, their reactions to their respective consequences contrast greatly, making their similar circumstances diverge even as their stories start to intersect by ending up in the same camp. Both of them want to do good, and their examples invoke questions of whether doing something wrong for the right reasons can still be good. Expect high anticipation for the sequel!
Reviewer: Carolina Johnson
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