I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I did stay up past 1 AM on a Sunday night to finish reading this. On the other, I never jived with Rin that way I did with the other, previously introduced, characters. Also bringing back Selia just seemed very contrived and a shoe-horned in plot element. ( )

Highly recommended,

FROM AMAZON: Ever since her brother Razo introduced her to the trees, Rin has turned to them for peace or reassurance, even direction--that is, until the day they seem to reject her. Rin is sure something is wrong with her, something that is keeping her from feeling at home in the Forest, from trusting herself with anyone at all.

Determined to find a new sense of self, Rin accompanies Razo into the city, where she discovers that a mysterious threat haunts Bayern. She joins with three magical girls--Isi, Enna, and Dasha--as they venture toward the kingdom of Kel . . . where someone wants them dead. ( )

{Fourth of 4: [Books of Bayern] series. YA, fantasy} (2009)

This book could be read as a stand-alone since each book in the series is an individual story but it helps to have read the previous books as there are recurring characters. This time the story is about Rinna, younger sister of Razo, and it follows her childhood growing up in the Forest which lies between the capital cities of the countries of Kildenree and Bayern.

After Razo and all his older brothers, Ma finally has her longed for girl and everyone knows she loves Rinna best. Rin grows up with a heap of nieces and nephews and her favourite brother Razo, who teaches her to climb trees. But when Razo goes off to the city and has adventures, Rin discovers she has a power in her but using it troubles her conscience. She doesn’t want to lose Ma’s love so she does her best to suppress the power and be as good as her Ma. And then when she’s fifteen, Rin goes to the city to join Razo and his friends in the palace with the royal family Anidori, Gerric and the Little Prince Tusken and have adventures of her own with the ‘fire-sisters’ who can control the elements.

I really like the way Hale describes the familial love and affection especially between Rin and her Ma and between Rin and Razo and the way Ma and Rin are central to their family, the Agget-kin.

He spent winter nights longing for a younger sibling, someone he could call runt, someone he could push and pinch.
Ma was longing too, but for a girl to share thoughts with, a daughter cut and sewn from her own soul.
When Razo was almost five, he and Ma both got their wish. The baby girl was born on a night so hot the wind panted and the summer moon blazed like the sun.
‘Rinna,’ Ma named her.
‘A girl,’ said the father.
‘Rinna-girl,’ said Razo, peering over the side of the cot.
The baby blinked huge dark eyes and opened her mouth into a tiny circle. All desire to push and pinch hushed right out of Razo.
He bent closer to her year and whispered, ‘I’m going to teach you to climb trees.’

I like the camaraderie and banter between the characters and the thread woven through the story of Enna’s wedding, delayed because Bayern is once more at war with only Isi and her friends to protect it.

4 stars ( )

I really enjoyed Goose Girl all those years ago, I think I tried to read Enna burning and/or River of Secrets, but didn't get far. I really enjoyed this one. It has flaws, but I didn't care. It made me want to pick up the others again. ( )

3.75 stars

This is the 4th book in Hale's Bayern series of books (beginning with The Goose Girl). Forest Born focuses on Razo's little sister, Rin. Rin was born and grew up in the forest and seems to have an affinity for trees. But, when she's 15, she does something to change that and suddenly she doesn't feel like she fits in in the forest anymore. Razo suggests she come to live in the city with him and the queen of Bayern for a while, as one of the queen's waiting women. Unfortunately, there is something wrong in Bayern and a bunch of them must go find out what is going on and fix it before it's too late.

This was still enjoyable, although I don't think I liked this one as much as the others in the series. It is fun to revisit the characters, though, and I am still hoping there will be another book focusing on Conrad, although I'm not sure if she is done the series or if she is planning to do more on other characters or not. ( )