Book excerpt: Fans of Harry Potter and His dark materials will love this new adventure involving spirit beasts and magic #releasethebeast Arnold has dreams where he is flying. Taking this as a sign of his spirit beast, a spectral animal that he will be able to summon, he eagerly awaits his fifteenth birthday when he will come of age and meet his destiny. Before that can happen, Arnold and his friends save the life of a retired Doyen warrior from a terrifying attacker, distinguishable only by the horrific scar that decorates his face, and Arnold finds himself invited to join the secretive Chichen. Arnold must learn to juggle school life with his gruelling training as he sets about honing his skills in the hope of unlocking his spirit beast. Something isn't sitting right with Arnold though and he knows that his family are hiding something from him about his spirit beast's identity, something which involves a long-hidden family secret. With his best friend Otto, Arnold is determined to find out what his spirit beast is whilst trying to figure out the identity of the scarred man, a journey which will push Arnold to his absolute limits.