I love the Hork-Bajir Chronicles. It is, in my opinion, by far the best book of the entire Animorphs series. I totally love Dak and Aldrea and have all the feels about their story, from the first awkward encounter to the blossoming trust and affection to the full-on romance, even though Aldrea is a manipulative bitch who often feels superior to Dak. Dak’s a giant sweetheart.

I love the way the book is written too, because I love seeing from Esplin’s point of view. I love seeing his ambition and drive and his utter obsession with Andalites, which makes sense, because they are so different and exotic and unique from a Yeerk’s point of view. All those eyes! Natural weapons! Speed! Imagine it.

I love that they have a son and I’m devastated that he’s made a slave and dies a slave. I’m so pleased Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak escape and have itty bitty tiny Toby, because I love Toby, too. I love how it shows hard evidence of the Andalites not always being the high and mighty pure saviours of the galaxy we’ve been lead to believe they are. I love all the shades of grey in the book, with good guys doing bad deeds and giving us a better idea of the supposed bad guys, who are only doing what is natural to them.

As much as I love the Hork-Bajir Chronicles, I also love Aldrea’s appearance in The Prophecy. I feel it gives a better sense of closure and I love love love seeing Aldrea as a mum, even only in flashbacks. I love how much she falls in love with being a Hork-Bajir, much like Elfangor falls in love with being a human. It says something about Andalites, doesn’t it, that we get two major stories of people who choose to abandon their entire cultures and lives to live as another species with which they have fallen in love.