Tag: dragons

REVIEW: Wings of Fire: A Guide to the Dragon World by Tui T. Sutherland

REVIEW: Wings of Fire: A Guide to the Dragon World by Tui T. Sutherland

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary and Review

A gorgeous compilation of dragon facts and stories from the various tribes of dragons from the long-running Wings of Fire series!

Each section includes full color art with descriptions of the tribe’s dragons. Then readers get to enjoy scrolls, stories, and letters gathered from members of the tribe to help Starflight create a resource that cuts through the secrets and lies that in the past led to distrust, war, death, and destruction.

This is probably a better resource for series fans rather than for newbies. Spoilers from the various books are included throughout the guide. I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting the tribes and stories. In the end, this made me want to go back and re-read the whole series again. If you have a Wings of Fire fan in your life, they will LOVE this guide. And if the fans you know happen to be students in your classroom, then your classroom library needs this resource guide.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

REVIEW: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Violet has been preparing her whole life to attend Basgiath War College as a scribe, just like her father. But following his death, her mother, General Sorrengail, decides she must join the Riders Quadrant instead – the most ruthless and deadly path at Basgiath.

The cadets who survive the initiation and early training have the chance to bond with a dragon which means developing a magical gift and riding that dragon into battle. But there are fewer and fewer dragons willing to bond with humans. So the competition is fierce. Violet has never been physically strong or healthy, so she’s already at a significant disadvantage. And on top of that, there are others at Basgiath who want to kill her.

Review

Yes, I know. This book pubbed almost 2 years ago, and was almost immediately a huge hit. But my copy sat on my TBR bookcase for ages. I don’t always love books with a lot of hype, so I was reluctant to take my chances with it. Then book 3 released to great fanfare, and it felt like time.

This absolutely lived up to the hype! I was sold from the start, and never wanted to put the book down.

This felt comfortable and familiar from the start – I’ve read this sort of book before. The heroine who isn’t supposed to be special, who has to overcome all sorts of trials to prove herself – both to others and herself. The bad boy love interest. All familiar. And all ABSOLUTELY my jam. By the time I got to the dragon portion of the story, I had already ordered the next two books so I could get completely caught up with the series. It’s so fun to finally understand all the memes!

If you love these sorts of stories as much as I do, be sure to give this one a try if you haven’t already! (Language, violence, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: The Bakery Dragon by Devin Elle Kurtz

REVIEW: The Bakery Dragon by Devin Elle Kurtz

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary and Review

Ember the dragon is a bit too small to amass a hoard of gold, but he finds his own way to create a different sort of golden hoard.

This is darling! I loved little Ember and the baker who gave him a warm, dry place in a storm – and also a new skill he could share with his dragon friends. The community that is eventually formed between the dragons and the townspeople made for a lovely ending! Pick this up for a cozy read this winter.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Damsel by Evelyn Skye

REVIEW: Damsel by Evelyn Skye

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Random House in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Lady Elodie Bayford, eldest daughter of the Duke of Inophe, loves her home. Yes, the country is poor and barren. Their people must rely on trade with one another and the generosity of the duke to get by. But Elodie is devoted to the people and the land. She would do a lot for her people. But the arranged marriage still took her by surprise.

Elodie would be marrying Prince Henry of Aurea, and her marriage in turn would save her country. But while excited about the match – and her future on the gorgeous and lush Isle of Aurea with the handsome and charming Henry – she is puzzled by what the prosperous country is getting in return for this arrangement.

And then she finds out about the dragon.

Review

This is a novel based on a screenplay which will be a Netflix movie this fall (October 13, 2023). And it is AMAZING!

I loved Elodie from the beginning. I was rivetted from the first few pages as I was watching for Elodie to discover the dragon and role she is to play in Aurea in exchange for resources to save her people. And once she knew the whole arrangement, I couldn’t put the book down until the end. This is going to make an amazing movie!

When I first picked this up and realized I had read this author before (Circle of Shadows was fantastic!), I was even more excited to read this. And Evelyn Skye did not disappoint. I was concerned that because Elodie was going to be alone, trying to survive the dragon, for a large portion of the book, that there would be a lot of long, dry sections of description. The sorts of things I usually skip over to get to the dialogue. But that wasn’t the case at all. This is super engaging, and I felt like I couldn’t skip past anything because I had to know it all. This is simply excellent.

Fantasy fans, there’s so much here to love – dragons, royalty, secrets, family, betrayal. I think this works for both adult readers and YA readers. And the bonus material at the end was FASCINATING – do not skip that part! I can’t recommend this highly enough – don’t miss this one! (Some language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Moon Rising by Tui T. Sutherland

REVIEW: Moon Rising by Tui T. Sutherland

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

The War of Sandwing Succession is over and the Dragonets of Destiny have started a school so other dragons can learn about one another and old animosity might someday be overcome. But someone seems to be trying to cause trouble at the school – and commit murder. One Nightwing, Moon, has the legendary mindreading and prophecy gifts of her ancestors, so she’s getting clues about the culprit. But she’s afraid everyone will hate her if they find out what she can do.

Review

This is the graphic novel adaptation of the 6th novel in the Wings of Fire series. This kicks off my favorite arc of the series, and I was pleased with how this turned out. The artwork is gorgeous and does a great job with the story. But it’s still an adaptation of a larger story. This really whet my appetite to revisit the series again so I can enjoy the full experience.

Newcomers should probably start with book 1 to understand the references to the first arc, but I think this can stand alone. But to truly experience the story, I still think the full middle grade novel is the best bet. This graphic novel can be a great introduction for newcomers to the story, and it can also be a great visual experience for readers who already love the novel.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ – Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: The Heretic Royal by G. A. Aiken

REVIEW: The Heretic Royal by G. A. Aiken

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Queen Annwyl the Bloody (Dragon Actually) – the Mad Queen – has come to Forgetown, the lands ruled by Keely, the Blacksmith Queen. And Annwyl is not alone. She has a group of shapeshifting dragons with her.

While Keely and her sister Gemma try to figure out what to make of the unpredictable woman and her dragon allies, their sister Ainsley is trying to make her mark and get her family to take her seriously. So when an opportunity arises for her to take a swipe at her sister Beatrix’s rival army, Ainsley and her friends take it.

Review

Wow! I have some mixed feelings on this one, but the bottom line is WOW. The epilogue left me gasping and growling. I read this 4 months ago, so I am looking at 16-18 months or more of waiting until book 4 releases. Ugh. I need it!

Almost a year ago, when I first saw the pre-order for this, the third book in the Scarred Earth Saga, I couldn’t hit the pre-order button fast enough. I was thrilled to get a chance to read an early review copy, something I treated myself to during my 2022 sabbatical. I have adored this series since I first heard about The Blacksmith Queen (♥♥♥♥♥).

That said, I struggled with this one. I loved the glimpses of Ainsley in the last book. But the fun, punchy moments earlier in the series became these longer fights with Gemma that were hard to enjoy. Also, the arrival of the dragons at the end of book 2 became a long “introduction” to this book, and it dragged. And I could not get a handle on the various dragons. (Readers who have read the author’s Dragon Kin series will not struggle like I did. I didn’t realize this was a crossover until after I finished reading.) But on the first read through, I couldn’t keep them straight. I would have loved more scenes with Ainsley and her friends, too. They were a curious trio, and I wanted more of them together, bantering and battling, which would have been a fun attempt to balance the more stagnant dragon parts. Also, the romance here was only okay. I didn’t feel it had the same build up – and fun – as in the previous two books.

To me, this felt like a transitional book, one with a goal of moving characters to wherever they need to go to be ready for book 4. So for me this lost something by not having a strong, driving story of its own. Most of the “action” here centered on Keely’s stronghold and trying to build an alliance, teeing things up for later.

That said, I am still fully invested in this Saga. I adored Isadora’s appearances in this book. I imagine the next book will be hers. I’m eager to read it, but that anticipation is tempered by the dragging parts of this one and the experience of loving Ainsley in bits and pieces earlier in the series, but not loving her quite so much when the full focus of a book was on her. But I have my fingers crossed for book 4 to be a better fit for me.

These books absolutely need to be read in order. You do not want to miss the amazingness of The Blacksmith Queen and The Princess Knight. I re-read both in preparation for this, and loved them just as much in a re-read as I did the first time through. I feel like this series is fantasy with hints of romance. If that sounds up your alley, pick up the whole trio of books out now so you are ready for book 4 when it releases. (Language, violence, gore, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Might re-read.

REVIEW: The Princess Knight by G. A. Aiken

REVIEW: The Princess Knight by G. A. Aiken

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Keeley has taken up the title of The Blacksmith Queen out of obligation. Her soulless younger sister, Beatrix, has married the Old King’s merciless son, Marius. She helps him in his quest to kill his brothers and have the throne to himself. Although her true aims have nothing to do with her husband. He is a means to an end. Keeley can’t have the murderous couple in charge. So while she’d rather return to her forge and her comparatively quiet life, she leads and she fights.

Keeley’s sister, Gemma, fights at her side. The two also fight with each other every chance they get. But when push comes to shove, they always have each other’s backs.

When someone starts wiping out the various religious orders in the land, including Gemma’s War Monks, she returns to her old order, hoping to convince them to take Keeley’s offer of sanctuary. But Gemma’s order has changed a lot in the two years since she left.

While Gemma deals with the War Monks, Keeley is still trying to figure out what Beatrix is up to and how to stop her. It may seem like all of their worries when this began two years ago were unfounded. But anyone who knew Beatrix would know she’ll stop at nothing but full control and domination. They may not yet see or know what she is plotting, but there is no doubt she is up to no good.

Review

I cannot get enough of this series! I reread book 1, The Blacksmith Queen (♥♥♥♥♥) to prepare for this, and then read this cover to cover. In fact, I’m ready to read this again, and I just finished. This is far more gory and violent than I usually like or read, but the story and the characters are outstanding enough that I push past the yuck to stick with the awesome rest.

You will likely find this in the romance section of the bookstore, but for me this is a fantasy series first and foremost. Yes, there’s a romance in each book. But the real focus here is on the world, the political and religious action, and on this particular family.

I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy the shift from Keeley as the focus in book 1 to Gemma as the focus here. But it was perfect! We get a tremendous amount of information and understanding for Gemma here, and I loved it. This made me like her more than I did in book 1. I have my fingers crossed that Ainsley is the focus of book 3 because she was probably my favorite character in this book full of awesome characters.

I keep coming back to this series for the excellent world-building, the humor and sass in the writing, and the fantastic characters. There are tons of fantasy elements here – magic, sword fights, allies and enemies – with some romance thrown in. For me, this is the perfect blend of genres! (Language, sex, violence/gore, LGBTQ+, TW: Sexual assault)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

BONUS REVIEW: Princesses Versus Dinosaurs by Linda Bailey

BONUS REVIEW: Princesses Versus Dinosaurs by Linda Bailey

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Tundra Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

As a group of princesses celebrates being in a book about all tiaras, gowns, and glass slippers, they encounter a rival group of dinosaurs who believe the book is all about them.

This is darling! I enjoyed the split pages where each group convenes about the dilemma. Then they bring in the heavy hitters, which is my favorite part.

Things get silly for a moment, but in the end, the princesses and dinosaurs come to a delightful compromise.

This will be a fun read-aloud with a good message – that this is a book for everyone. But kids are definitely going to want a close up look at the fun illustrations, too, so be prepared for plenty of lap reading and read-to-self time.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½= Good+

REVIEW: The Poison Jungle by Tui T. Sutherland

REVIEW: The Poison Jungle by Tui T. Sutherland

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Sundew the LeafWing is headed home with unexpected companions – Blue and Swordtail, the SilkWings, and Cricket the HiveWing with the dragonet Bumblebee. She’s taking them to her home in the Poison Jungle, the place where the LeafWings have been hiding for 50 years. But now the LeafWings are ready to stop hiding and fight back against the HiveWings. Sundew’s mother, Belladonna, has been leading raiding parties out, and her tribe is ready to unleash decades of anger on those who destroyed their home and the rest of their tribe.

But Sundew and her friends have discovered some secrets about Queen Wasp and her mind control. Sundew has a sample of the vine and flower she grows to control the other dragons. If they can find a LeafWing who knows what it is, they might be able to stop Wasp. But the Poison Jungle holds more secrets than the LeafWings know. Sundew is even keeping some secrets of her own. And secrets have a way of coming into the light whether you want them to or not.

Review

This was great! There’s significant suspense in this one. The jungle itself is a major source of suspense. And the characters are fantastic. I loved digging into Sundew’s story more. I adored her relationship with Bumblebee. The romantic subplot also gives new insights into the character. I loved it.

It’s hard to review this well because there are spoilers in almost everything I want to say. This ends with a major event and NO hints for what is going to happen next. And the next book – Dragonslayer (February 2020) – goes back to the history of Pyrrhia. Readers will be chomping at the bit to get back to this story by the time book 14 is released!

There were two places where I felt the story had things to say about contemporary issues. One is in the wrestling Sundew does with her feelings about the HiveWings. Her anger burns hot at the whole tribe, but when she considers them rationally, she knows none of the HiveWings – except Wasp – have acted on their own free will. So what responsibility do the HiveWing’s hold for their actions? They may not have taken action of their own free will, but they have enjoyed the privileges garnered by being the top race on their continent. Aware readers may see the racial comparisons to our own world. The second piece is a spoiler, but I will say it introduces the idea of immigration and raises some of the questions we wrestle with today. I’m eager to see how that part of the larger story plays out.

Fans of the series should dive right into this one if they haven’t already. You don’t want to miss it! (LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

BONUS REVIEW: Novice Dragoneer by E. E. Knight

BONUS REVIEW: Novice Dragoneer by E. E. Knight

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Ace in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When Ileth was seven, she met a dragon named Agrath and a dragoneer named Annis. Ileth was at the well to gather water for the “orphan lodge” where she lived. She was immediately drawn to Agrath. Annis even invited Ileth to sit on him. And most amazing of all, Annis told her when she was 14 and old enough to apprentice, she should come to the Serpentine and ask for her so she, too, could become a dragoneer.

And that’s exactly what Ileth does. Only, she arrives at the Serpentine after the gate has been closed and all the apprentices have been accepted. Annis and Agrath were both killed in the war, so Ileth has no sponsor to get her inside. She has no invitation or “name” that would grant her access. But her determination eventually attracts the attention of the Master of Novices who agrees to let her in the door. But she’ll have to work very hard if she hopes to stay at the Serpentine and eventually become a dragoneer.

Review

This is Ileth’s story of her early days at the Serpentine – her friends, her enemies, her adventures, her failures, and her triumphs. There’s a full story arc, but there’s not really a clear problem to solve or one trial to overcome. This is her journey during her novice season. I struggle with books like this because I just don’t know what goal I am reading towards. This made a long book feel that much longer to me.

Thankfully, there was Ileth. I loved her. And that redeemed some of the factors that might have caused me to leave this one unfinished. I was attached to this determined, kind, bright girl, and I wanted to see what happened to her. (There’s a LOT.)

There’s one big twist in the end that shook things up a bit. And the fall out of that will likely be a big plot factor for the next book. I enjoyed the surprise and the race to the end of the book. But this is really just the start of Ileth’s journey to become a dragoneer.

Fantasy fans who enjoy a story with good character development as the focus should check this one out. I enjoyed the dragon pieces, especially Ileth’s relationship with one particular dragon in the story, but the focus here is really on Ileth. (Trigger Warning: assault)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥