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ok_katiebug's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death and Abandonment
katelynprice's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I am so invested in this series! I love the world-building and character development that has already been established in book one. The one warning I'd like to give is that this can be pretty violent/gory/traumatic at parts for middle-grade readers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Blood, Abandonment, and War
shoganai813's review
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
Minor: Animal death, Gore, and Torture
I picked up this book expecting Artimis Fowel, Percy Jackson level and while it did have a lot of those younger elements it also odd how dark this book got at some points. I feel as if they had been humans instead of dragons there is no way they would have been able to publish this as anything but YA or adult. Example:papernihilist's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I am absolutely in love with these characters. I read most of the book in one sitting (I’m a fast reader, but I haven’t been that enthusiastic about a book in a while) and a lot of that was because I’m already so attached to everybody. The dragonets are all so varied in the way they cope (and the way they act in general) and spend half the book arguing, but they all still care for each other. I can’t help but trust the author to use this world and these characters to tell a great story.
I also loved seeing things through Clay’s eyes– His sense of wonder is just so endearing (not that he’s the only endearing dragonet in the series or anything). I feel like all of the characters are truly well thought out, and they feel very real to me. I cannot wait to read the next book!
I also loved seeing things through Clay’s eyes– His sense of wonder is just so endearing (not that he’s the only endearing dragonet in the series or anything). I feel like all of the characters are truly well thought out, and they feel very real to me. I cannot wait to read the next book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse and Emotional abuse
Minor: Child death and Death of parent
A lot of the death and violence is specifically in relation to war, and war seems to be a pretty central concept. There’s at least one detailed description of a battlefield that could be upsetting for a sensitive/young reader.dewugging's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Emotional abuse
annbutnotanne's review
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I must say, considering this is a novel for children, I was surprised by how much death and violence was in here. Don't get me wrong, I liked every second of it, but it wasn't what I was expecting.
So far I can't really say I'm all that attached to any of the characters so far, mostly because they all fit into certain molds perfectly. I felt like I'd read a version of all these characters at some point, which was irritating. Clay as a main character was so annoying for so long here, talking about something that genuinely did not matter in the slightest.
I did find the world-building to be interesting when we got it. Seeing how the Sky Wings differ from Mud Wings in terms of societal structure was really interesting, especially from a novel for children. I also liked how because one race of dragons is considered inferior compared to every other, it's clear not many races are aware of their full capabilities and talents since they couldn't be bothered to study them properly. Making it so not everyone has the same amount of knowledge and depth in regards to different societies is always a good sign of good world-building.
As far as writing goes, it was fine. I always felt like we were following dragons instead of humans when it came to action scenes and body movements, which was nice. The dialogue on the other hand was cringe-worthy. There were so many lines that were supposed to be jokes but fell so flat it made me uncomfortable.
I will say though I really enjoyed Peril as a character, particularly her dynamic with Clay. I liked the fact that her being possessive was explicitly portrayed as a bad thing and that she listened when Clay told her he wasn't okay with it. Possessiveness in relationships is far too often shown as a positive in media, and I'm glad kids can grow up knowing it's not normal and it's not healthy.
All in all, it wasn't amazing but it's much stronger than a lot of other fantasy middle grade series, maybe even some YA fantasy series. If you're choosing between this and say, Keeper of the Lost Cities, this blows it out of the water.
So far I can't really say I'm all that attached to any of the characters so far, mostly because they all fit into certain molds perfectly. I felt like I'd read a version of all these characters at some point, which was irritating. Clay as a main character was so annoying for so long here, talking about something that genuinely did not matter in the slightest.
I did find the world-building to be interesting when we got it. Seeing how the Sky Wings differ from Mud Wings in terms of societal structure was really interesting, especially from a novel for children. I also liked how because one race of dragons is considered inferior compared to every other, it's clear not many races are aware of their full capabilities and talents since they couldn't be bothered to study them properly. Making it so not everyone has the same amount of knowledge and depth in regards to different societies is always a good sign of good world-building.
As far as writing goes, it was fine. I always felt like we were following dragons instead of humans when it came to action scenes and body movements, which was nice. The dialogue on the other hand was cringe-worthy. There were so many lines that were supposed to be jokes but fell so flat it made me uncomfortable.
I will say though I really enjoyed Peril as a character, particularly her dynamic with Clay. I liked the fact that her being possessive was explicitly portrayed as a bad thing and that she listened when Clay told her he wasn't okay with it. Possessiveness in relationships is far too often shown as a positive in media, and I'm glad kids can grow up knowing it's not normal and it's not healthy.
All in all, it wasn't amazing but it's much stronger than a lot of other fantasy middle grade series, maybe even some YA fantasy series. If you're choosing between this and say, Keeper of the Lost Cities, this blows it out of the water.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Emotional abuse