This is my favourite book in the series so far. Written from a different perspective to the previous books and much more captivating.

We love a book that follows both sides, good and evil. A different perspective, but just as alluring as the first books.

3.75 stars

I didn't think i would like this book as much when i realized that it was all from the standpoint of Nyroc son of evil Kludd and Nyra, rather than Soren and the owls of Ga'hoole. But it was soooooo good. And by the end you love Nyroc just as much as Soren. Eagerly starting the next book, which continues his story.

i love nyroc so bad he's literally baby and otulissa my girlboss queen it's very refreshing to see new characters and preexisting characters get fleshed out

01/11: Still loving this series on audio. In this one, Nyroc, Nyra & Kludd's chick makes his way in the world. Nyroc is loyal to his mother and the Pure Ones, but he's too good for them. He struggles with issues of "free will" and "truth." He also befriends his buddy, the Sooty Owl, "Dustytuff," or rather "Phillip." When Nyroc looks into fire and sees the awful truth about his mother and the Pure Ones, he flees with Phillip. Alas, they are captured. Nyra kills Phillip and Nyroc escapes. He wanders in fear until he finally grows tired of being afraid. In his hiding out, he has overheard legends and has healed. To be continued...

I think this is my favorite Guardians of Ga'Hoole book.
I loved it so much, and I recommend it to anyone really, unless they haven't read the beginning of the series yet.
I give this book a 93%, very high on my scale! 5 shiny stars!


Ah, now I feel so nostalgic about the old days of my past childhood!
I must re-read this book!

sorry for the vagueness and shortness of this review (which isn't really a review at all, i suppose... -_-).
It's just that it's been so long and I won't be able to write an accurate review with details! ^^

I began reading this after my 9 year old son became obsessed with the series, even though we mistakenly assumed this was the first book. I was drawn into the world immediately, despite the other-worldly language (yeep, larp, gizzard, scroom, wilf, churr, nod pule) and found the story to be multi-layered and fascinating. Nyroc is a wonderful protagonist and there is great depth to his experience of having to confront evil, even when it lingers so close to home. I would love to go back and read the entire series now, and my son is very keen to do the same. He's absolutely obsessed by owls now and I love that a fiction series can have that effect on him!

The Hatchling by Kathryn Lasky. Is a book about a owl named Nyroc born into the family of kludd and Nyra who are leaders of the pure ones, they want him to be leader, but he doesn't want to. I loved this book. In every way it was amazing because it showed a whole new perspective of a different character we have never heard before. I've seen on the TV, people making other people do this, and that is what Nyroc is going through. I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes animals killing one another or someone who just likes animals.

Robert Grade 6

از هر نظر عالی.
نوزاده، از هر نظر عالی است. یک شروع به‌شدت احساس‌برانگیز، منقلب‌کننده، هیجان‌انگیز و پرکشش برای ماجرایی دیگر در جهان داستانی بی‌نظیر نگهبانان گاهول.
نایروک، فرزند نوزاده‌ی نایرا و جغد شرور ـ کلاد ـ که در ماجرای قبلی شرور اصلی به شمار می‌رفت و در جلد ششم مُرد، حالا به دنیا آمده و یکی دو ماه از تولدش هم گذشته است. یکی دو ماهی عاری از بچه بودن و بچگی؛ چرا که مادر بی‌رحمش می‌خواهد ابرشروری از او بسازد تا انتقامِ پدرش را بگیرد و بار دیگر پاک‌زادگان را به قله‌ی قدرت برساند.
نایرا مجنون است، گاهی علاقه‌اش به فرزندش بالا می‌زند و گاهی با او بسیار تندخو و خشن است. نایرا اما از قدرت کم‌نظیر فرزندش بی‌خبر است: نایروک می‌تواند شعله‌ها را بخواند، یک شعله‌بین است؛ توانایی نادری که از زمان بنیان‌گزار درخت گاهول وجود نداشته است.
مغز نایروک پر از دروغ است؛ از اتفاقاتی که بر او گذشته و قتل پدرش و شرّ مطلق نگهبانان و درخت گاهول اما وقتی نخستین بینش را تجربه می‌کند و چیزهایی در شعله‌ها می‌بیند، شک و تردید او آغاز می‌شود...

نایروک نماد فرزندان بسیاری از نسل ماست، البته بسیار نمادین. شرایط مشابه بسیاری را می‌توان به نایروک ربط داد، ساده‌ترینش والدین بد و شرور اما فراتر از آن، نایروک پسربچه‌ای مستعد است در دنیای بی‌رحم که نزدیک‌ترین دوستش قربانی نجات جان او می‌شود اما درنهایت دوباره اسیر قفسِ تنگ مادرش می‌شود و درنهایت خود را از جهان طرد می‌کند تا رشد و پرورش یابد و به آنچه غایت مطلوب است دست یابد.
مترجم کتاب به من گفت جاهای زیادی از این کتاب اشک ریخته. حقیقتاً نوزاده سوای از کشش و تعلیق‌هایی که دارد و شما را دنبال خود می‌کشاند ـ تنها جلد از مجموعه تا به اینجا که یک روزه و طی ساعاتی پشت سر هم خواندمش ـ قسمت‌هایی تأثیرگذار و احساس‌برانگیز دارد که قلب ما را لمس می‌کند.
نایروک مظلوم است و شرایط سختی دارد، نوزاده‌ای است بسیار تنها و بی‌کس اما در عین حال استعدادها و قابلیت‌های ویژه‌ای دارد که او را بی‌نظیرترین جغد دوران خواهد کرد؛ باید دید نویسنده در جلد بعد برای نایروک چه برنامه و نقشه‌ای دارد، اگرچه مشخص است که قرار است قصه‌ی هول افسانه‌ای و مربی‌اش گرانک، بار دیگر تکرار شود، نایروک و مربی‌اش اوتولیسا این داستان را این‌بار روایت خواهند کرد.

Growing up, I really enjoyed books seven and eight of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series. I liked the idea of a young owl overcoming his upbringing and seeking truth and new beginnings. The prophecy part was just an interesting addition for me. Now, of course, however many years later, I have different feelings about it (though the nostalgia factor is always there).

The Hatchling continues where The Burning left off—with Nyra and her egg. Nyroc is the son of Nyra and Kludd, and is destined, or so he is told, to be the next great leader of the Pure Ones. However, thanks to his friend Philip, a rogue smith, and his own firesight, Nyroc discovers the truth about his mother and the Pure Ones and runs away, eventually seeking to go Beyond the Beyond, a mysterious place full of wolves and volcanoes, to find the legendary Ember of Hoole.

As an adult, I can see many of the flaws and shortcomings of this book that I didn’t notice as a child. Nyroc’s change towards the Pure Ones is too abrupt and is handwaved away by his “strong gizzard” and by several actions taken by Nyra. A convenient enough reason for a children’s book, but too unsatisfying for me. The introduction of a random prophecy embedded into the Hoole stories is too sudden and not foreshadowed enough, although I liked that it is Otulissa, and not Soren, who discovers it and sets out on a quest.

But, I do like that Lasky is continuing to expand and build on her owl world, that she is introducing new concepts—however abruptly—and new places and new incentives for the characters. It’s exactly what an extended series should do, and she’s doing it (and she does it again in book 13). And, as I said, I didn’t notice any of these things when I was a child—I just enjoyed the story. So that’s a credit to Lasky.

As for the storyline, this is the best book so far. The fact that this book follows a new main character with stronger characteristics than the previous main character from the last 6 books, really improved this book.

In saying that though, there is a mistake on page 55, where some words are in italics when they shouldn’t be.
Also, on page 94 there is a factual mistake where the venom from a snake is described as a poison. Venom and poison are two different things. Snakes aren’t poisonous.
These mistakes are the reason why this book gets a 4/5.

I do love how there’s a part of this book that links with the storyline of ‘The Wolves Of The Beyond.’
On page 97, Phillip explains that he once saw a bear weep and cry over a cub of hers that just got swept away by a river. This could very truly be the bear the adopts Faolan after finding him in the river in ‘ The Wolves Of The Beyond.’