Mira’s Griffin is a fantasy series by author Christie Valentine Powell, first published in 2019 and part of the The Spectra Universe.
Mira is a 15-year-old struggling with the confines of her Viking-like village. When climbing for eggs, she meets a griffin that saves her from falling. Soon, however, griffins capture her and many other members of her village.
Griffins unlock abilities in their human captives. Mira’s new ability to translate seems useless compared to her friends’ fire, water, and healing—until she discovers that she and her griffin friend can communicate. Their bond threatens griffin culture and human rebels alike. Caught in between, Mira and her griffin must teach their species to communicate before both sides are destroyed.
Something of an Origins Episode in that it comes way before the other Spectra Books and includes the origin of four of the kingdoms/clans.
Mira’s Griffin contains examples of:
- Action Girl: Mira can’t fight griffins, but she does more than her fair share of climbing.
- Big Bad: Alban and Calder, representing the two factions.
- Coming of Age Story: Mira goes from a rebellious teen to a tanslator/ambassador.
- Conveniently an Orphan: Mira's parents aren’t dead, but she is permanently separated from her family.
- Healing Hands: Ket the Sprite heals others
- Heart Is an Awesome Power: Mira’s communication abilities seem less than impressive until she discovers they work on griffins.
- Massive Numbered Siblings: Mira has one older sister and three younger siblings.
- Our Griffins Are Different: Griffins are sentient, though unable to communicate with humans. They are four limbed, with their wings folding down to become fore-limbs when they stand.
- Supernatural Sensitivity: Ket and other Sprites can sense living things around them.
- Translator Buddy: Mira becomes this for the humans, and Freko for the griffins.
- Voice for the Voiceless: Neither griffins nor humans can understand each other without a special translator.
- Voluntary Shapeshifter: Ket can shapeshift into a raven, while his brother Tapiol can become a pony and a fox.
