The Gryphon's Lair (A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying #2)

by Kelley Armstrong

Overview

The exciting second book in the fantastical series for ages 10-14 by NYT bestselling author, Kelley Armstrong.

Rowan is now the Royal Monster Hunter, and her twin brother, Rhydd, is destined to be king. But her mother's cousin Heward is still determined that his children be the ones to inherit the titles, and will stop at nothing to show that Rowan and Rhydd are too immature to properly lead. After the gryphon that Rowan captured in Book One gives birth but then dies, Rowan is left with a baby gryphon she knows she cannot keep. And it grows faster than anyone can imagine . . .
     In order to save face after an accident involving the troublesome gryphon, Rowan, with the help of her friends Dain and Alianor, along with an entourage of monstrous companions, must make a journey to the mountains to release the gryphon back into the wild. What starts off as a simple enough task soon becomes a dangerous quest, as the group encounters numerous rare and deadly monsters along the way, including wyverns and ceffyl-dwrs. Nothing is easy when you're a "monster magnet" like Rowan.
    Can she prove herself worthy of the title of Royal Monster Hunter? Find out in this exciting second book in the Royal Guide to Monster Slaying series!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780735265387
Publisher:	Tundra Book Group
Publication date:	06/02/2020
Series:	A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying , #2
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.30(d)
Lexile:	740L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

KELLEY ARMSTRONG is the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of three trilogies for teens: the Darkest Powers; Darkness Rising and Age of Legends, as well as several thriller and fantasy series for adults and three YA thrillers (The Masked Truth, Missing and Aftermath). She is also the co-author (with Melissa Marr) of the Blackwell Pages series, a middle-grade fantasy series based on Norse gods. The Masked Truth received a starred review from PW ("overflowing with twists"), while Missing received a starred review from VOYA ("a compelling thriller that keeps the reader hooked until the end"). Visit Kelley online at kelleyarmstrong.com

Editorial Reviews

One of CCBC’s Best Books for Kids and Teens Fall 2020
One of the Ontario Library Association's 2020 Best Bets selection (Honourable Mention, Junior Fiction category)

PRAISE FOR The Gryphon's Lair:

"Remarkably well-crafted, The Gryphon's Lair is a memorable thrill filled with tough choices, hard-fought battles and unforgettable lessons." —STARRED REVIEW, Shelf Awareness

"A fun and fiery follow-up." —Kirkus Reviews

"An enjoyable follow-up to its rollicking predecessor." —School Library Journal

“The Gryphon’s Lair is an entertaining novel that speaks to today’s awareness of social difference and ecological protection.” —Highly recommended, CM Reviews

From the Publisher

06/01/2020

Gr 4–6—Rowan returns in this follow-up to Armstrong's A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying. Readers do not have to wait long for the Royal Monster Hunter to land in another sticky situation. When the gryphon captured in her last adventure is killed while giving birth, Rowan convinces her mother, the Queen, to allow the baby named Tiera to stay in the castle so it can be studied before it's returned to the wild. When her mother's family attempts to claim the throne through scheming, Rowan is once again thrust into a highly dangerous yet necessary mission to bring Tiera home to her kin living high in the mountains. Following in the footsteps of the first installment, this entry offers nonstop action and adventure. Rowan and her friends not only encounter mythological beasts, they also deal with the everyday problems of the average middle schooler. Rowan must field rumors of her mother becoming involved with someone new after her father's death and navigate the misunderstandings and awkward feelings that come with friends becoming potential crushes. VERDICT An enjoyable follow-up to its rollicking predecessor. Recommended for fans of Rick Riordan and Tamora Pierce.—Sara Brunkhorst, Glenview P.L., IL

School Library Journal

2020-03-15
Princess Rowan and company return to battle monsters, bestial and human alike, in Armstrong’s action-packed sequel to A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying (2019).

Having flouted tradition to trade roles with her twin brother, 12-year-old royal monster hunter Rowan has at last settled into routine—if you can call wyvern attacks, gryphon births, and political undermining from ambitious cousins “routine.” The court is thrown into upheaval once again when the gryphon that Rowan captured in the previous title as part of her monster hunting trials dies giving birth, and the fledgling beast rapidly grows bigger and more dangerous than Rowan can manage. After an accident, the princess reluctantly volunteers to return the creature to the wild—a task easier said than done when every monster in the kingdom seems to dog the princess’s steps. Armstrong follows the second-installment playbook almost to the letter, introducing new monsters and every fight sequence imaginable to test Rowan’s, Dain’s, and Alianor’s expanding skill sets and saving any real plot advancement for the inevitable third book. But action is no sin with such an impressive menagerie to feature—belligerent koalas and carnivorous aquatic horses just for starters—nor does Armstrong waste the opportunity to show readers the growing depth of Rowan’s sense of purpose and relationship with her friends. Rowan’s illustrated field guide continues to expand in the backmatter as well. Armstrong’s setting is a thoroughly multiracial (but not racialized) one, with the principals’ skin tones of varying shades of brown.

A fun and fiery follow-up. (Fantasy. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews