Forbidden Mountain

Description: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - CHOOSE YOUR GUARDIAN. CHOOSE YOUR DESTINY.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fablehaven and Beyonders series comes an epic new fantasy set in a world where children bond with a spiritual guide--some promising greatness and glory, while others, destruction and death.

**This deluxe hardcover edition features exquisitely designed sprayed edges complete with gold swords!**

Every Anoran child dreams of the day they will enter the sacred bonding hut and match with a guardian--a spiritual guide who grants magically enhanced abilities. A lucky few will bond with Advocates, who promise greatness and glory. Others will be tempted by forbidden offers from the Accursed--dangerous spirits who bring nothing but destruction and a penalty of death to any Anoran who chooses them. But when Mako discovers that the worst of these agents of chaos has returned to spread an ancient evil through the empire, he faces an unthinkable choice: Will he bond with one of the Accursed to gain the power to stop another?

Halfway across the empire, Arden has no guardian and no prospects of adventure...until she infiltrates an underground criminal network to find her missing friend. Relying on her knack for sensing the truth through even the smoothest lies, Arden finds herself at the center of a sinister conspiracy that runs much deeper than she ever imagined.

Soon Mako's and Arden's fates collide, and together they must face bandit armies, dark secrets, and untold dangers to fight an enemy who could destroy all they've ever known.

Review Quotes: ★ "[A] thrilling combination of adventure, fantasy, and intrigue....A great choice for kids who love chunky books that allow them to immerse themselves in an imagined world." --Booklist, starred review

"An enticing adventure....Layered conflicts and worldbuilding provide a solid foundation, and a cliff-hanger ending will leave readers clamoring for the sequel." --Publishers Weekly

"Where Mull triumphs is in writing characters who speak and act their age within a rich story that remains faithful to an upper middle grade audience....Mull threads guilt and redemption through what will certainly be an epic high fantasy series." --School Library Journal