By Katherine Applegate (author) Part of the Endling series
"Big-hearted anthropomorphic adventure"
Paperback Temporarily Out Of Stock £8.99 £8.09
View All Editions (1)
This classic quest story is perfect for animal-loving adventure-seekers, replete with a kaleidoscope of characters and a high-stake journey driven by the colossal courage of one small creature.
Byx is the lowliest member of her dwindling dairne pack, a mythical doglike species that’s on the verge of being hunted to extinction. While she was “used to being last”, she “did not want to be the last to live”. She “did not want to be the endling” of the dairnes and so when she finds herself alone, indomitable Byx embarks on a perilous quest to find others of her kind, encountering new allies as she braves war-ravaged lands.
The writing is pacey and infused with much courage, compassion and hope, and a sparkling sense of legend. This is a heartily nourishing novel for 9+ year-olds with a thirst for fantasy, and readers who love animals and nature.
Endling - an individual animal that is the last in its species or subspecies Byx is used to being the smallest and the youngest. But for all of her young life, she's also been part of something bigger - part of a family, part of a pack. Until the day Byx finds herself alone, the last of the dairnes: an endling.
Read the full description
Byx is determined to see if the legends about other dairnes she's heard over the years are true. She sets off on a quest to find others of her kind, travelling through the war-torn kingdom of Nedarra. Along the way, she meets new allies who each have their own motivation for joining her:
Applegate effortlessly constructs her fantasy world, briskly moving readers through its imaginative details while creating winning, unique characters... A bracing, propulsive read that will be a challenge to keep on the shelf. - Booklist (starred review)
A sweeping fantasy epic for the middle grade set that will have readers clamouring for a follow-up -- starred review - School Library Journal
Readers will fall in love with Byx and race with her through Nedarra, breathless and eager, thinking deeply all the way - New York Times
The gripping first instalment of Applegate's new fantasy trilogy assembles a motley crew in a suspenseful, tautly drawn quest. - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Applegate skillfully builds a fully realized world of intrigue and wonder without ever letting up on the story's quick pace. A savvy choice for readers of fantasy. - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Katherine Applegate is the author of The One and Only Ivan , winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal. Her novel Crenshaw spent over twenty weeks on the New York Times children’s bestseller list, and her first middle grade standalone novel, the award-winning Home of the Brave , continues to be included on state reading lists, summer reading lists, and class reading lists. She lives with her husband, the author Michael Grant, who she co-wrote the Animorphs series with, and their two children in Northern California.
the best books for 9-12 year olds · the best books for teenagers
The Odyssey of Phoebe Quilliam
The Great Brain Robbery
Ronja the Robber's Daughter Illustrated Edition
Clockwork or All Wound Up
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Illustrated Edition
Endling will draw you into an amazing adventure with fantastical creatures. You will fall in love with Byx, the main character, as she loses her family and finds a new one, human and other.
Endling is a truly wonderful book. It will make you laugh and cry and draw you into an amazing adventure with strange, fantastical creatures such as felivets and wobbyks, but also a human girl named Khara. Most of all, you will immediately fall in love with the main character, Byx, a dairne, which is a dog-like creature, apart from their preference to walk on their hind legs and the fact that they can communicate with humans and other species.
After losing her pack to humans, who hunt the dairne, Byx fears that she is the last of her kind. She starts a terrifying quest to seek out the answers to her pack’s rumours: that there are more dairnes on the ‘living island’.... Read Full Review
Best book I have read this year so far! It's so exciting and the characters are great.
The Endling was such an exciting, fast-paced book.... Read Full Review
I really liked this story. I loved the creatures and can’t wait for the next book in the trilogy!
This book was very long and I wasn’t sure at first, but the front cover and the blurb on the back made me think I would try it.
I got into the story quite quickly. I think the author is a good storyteller and has a really good imagination. I loved the creatures she created and their funny names. I like the way she describes the scenery around them on their journey and I really like that the two main characters, Byx and Khara are girls. I think it is good that there is a little bit of magic in the story, but not too much. It’s really nice that the travellers might start out a bit sort of thrown together but learn to trust each other.... Read Full Review
Endling - an individual animal that is the last in its species or subspecies Byx is used to being the smallest and the youngest. But for all of her young life, she's also been part of something bigger - part of a family, part of a pack.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Endling: Book One: The Last and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
Endling: Book One: The Last features in the following genres: Fantasy / Magical, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Recommendations, Books Reviewed by our Reader Review Panels, Featured Books for 9+ readers
Paperback. £8.09, down from the £8.99 cover price. Temporarily Out Of Stock.
Endling: Book One: The Last was written by Katherine Applegate and published by Andersen Press Ltd
Endling: Book One: The Last has 366 pages
Yes it is part of Endling series
£8.09, reduced from £8.99. Temporarily Out Of Stock.
©PTC International Ltd T/A LoveReading is registered in England. Company number: 10193437. VAT number: 270 4538 09. Registered address: 157 Shooters Hill, London, SE18 3HP. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer
The National Year of Reading starts here. Join thousands of families and schools supporting reading for pleasure across the UK.