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story_singer_101's review
5.0
The Dragon's Tooth is one of the best written modern fantasies I've ever read, which is saying something because I've read hundreds if not thousands of fantasies. While the book is technically aimed at YA readers, N. D. Wilson's writing style is far beyond a typical YA novel. Words flow together with such technical skill that the writing sometimes seems lyrical. Not only is the writing style incredible, but the characters were phenomenal and 3-dimensional. I especially enjoyed Cyrus and Antigone's relationship, which mirrored real sibling relationships with an extra helping of hilarious banter that had me laughing out loud throughout the entire book. In addition to solid characters, the book had incredible action and fantastic world-building, turning the everyday world into anything but boring and everyday. Finally, the book had incredible themes that had me thinking for months after finishing the book. I don't know if I've ever read a fantasy that challenged and inspired me in the same way that Ashtown Burials did. I highly, highly recommend The Dragon's Tooth and the entire Ashtown Burials series. It's a read that is well worth your time.
sarahareinhard's review
4.0
Found this book via a friend, who liked it but wavered when I pushed her for how many stars she’d give it (1-5, 1=terrible, 5=fantabulous). I was shocked, then, that I not only loved it, but couldn’t put it down. I gave it four stars out of five, and have already written the publisher requesting a review copy of the second book. I’ll be sharing it with the young people in my life and recommend it for the young people in your life, too!
rheren's review
4.0
Great fun: lots of action and adventure, and a pleasantly complex storyline, although it didn't get as deep as I would've liked into the specifics of the world that's painted for us. Like Harry Potter, which it's obviously (almost too obviously) imitating, it's a bit hard to take seriously, but if you suspend disbelief a bit it works quite well. This one is fun in that it weaves in a lot of literary and historical figures in fun ways. I will look forward to reading the rest of the series.
kaylarust94's review
4.0
A great young adult book filled with adventure and whimsy. The characters in this book act and think just as I would expect people that age to which really just added to the believability of a fictional book. I really enjoyed this book and am excited to keep reading the series!
brandypainter's review
5.0
If 4.5 stars was an option I might have gone with that. As it is not, this is more a 5 than 4 to me.
Review originally posted here.
The Dragon's Tooth pretty much has a little bit of everything. If you enjoy action there are plenty of car chases, bullets flying, and things exploding. If you enjoy mythology there is some of that. (And not the overdone Greek, Roman or Egyptian variety either. Wilson brought in the Ancient Mesopotamian mythology for this one.) If you like supernatural there is a "burial ground" trapping immortal bad guys. If you like boarding school stories you will find the protagonists receiving the most interesting of educations in the compound they are now residents of. (Not a magical education as is so common in fantasy novels, but a "how to become an Indiana Jones type explorer for a secret society" education.) If you like psychological thrillers the book offers up one of the creepiest mind controlling villains to show up in quite some time. (If I were writing about my Most Disturbing Characters now, Dr. Phoenix would be on the list for sure.) If you are a fan of mystery there is also plenty of that. The only thing missing is romance, but there are going to be four more books after this, so there is still time for that too. There are also literary nods to both Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Treasure Island. And a ferocious giant immortal turtle answering to the name of Leon. (No joke.)
Is there a lot going on in this book? Yes. And not all of it comes across flawlessly, but it is pretty close. This is one of those stories where the adults monumentally screw up and the kids get to be the ones to brilliantly save the day. Kids eat those stories up, and I appreciate them still too. The world building here is intricate and not completely understood by the end of the story. That is okay though because Cyrus and Antigone are learning as they go and the reader is sharing the experience. The Order of Brendan in which Cyrus and Antigone find themselves is thousands of years old. It can't be fully explained in one book. What is made known in this book is fascinating and definitely whets the appetite for more.
I very much enjoyed the characters of Cyrus and Antigone. They have experienced a lot of tragedy and it has affected them greatly. They show real emotion and you can really sympathize with them. They are flawed too and not at all the tragic hero types. I really enjoyed how much of each of them was revealed in their interactions with each other. Like in this scene:
"I really don't want to sleep in here, and I feel like I'm going to cry."
"Well, don't," said Cyrus. "Think of me. How much worse would it be for me if you were crying?"
"It's not like I'm planning on crying. It's just that, well, here we are. And Mrs. Eldridge is the only person we know, and it's not like she's excited to help us. Dan's gone and we don't know if anyone is doing anything about it. Mom's back at the hospital-when will we get another Mom day? Are we even allowed to leave? And we're sleeping in a room with a boy we just met who looks like he's dying, and there are Whip Spiders, and the motel is burned, and who knows what's going to happen tomorrow? This place was supposed to help us." She scrunched her face.
"I think you are planning on crying," said Cyrus. "It's like you're trying to talk yourself into it."
"Dork."
"Girl."
"Oh, shut up." Antigone raised her head. "If you think making me mad is going to keep me from crying, you're dumber than I thought, and you haven't been paying any attention to girls for pretty much your entire life."
Genuine sibling banter and it tells a lot about they feel about each other. And the boy Antigone mentions who looks like he is dying? Nolan. He is one of the most intriguing secondary characters and probably my favorite outside the main two. Of course, he is an honorable tragic thief ,so no surprise there. He is part of a little posse of supporters that build up around Cyrus and Antigone by the end of the book that I have a feeling we will be hearing more from in later volumes.
Wilson is exploring a plethora of interesting themes with the story as well. I very much like how he portrays immortality as something pitiful rather than desirable. There is also the whole mind set of Dr. Phoenix, his experiments, and what he is doing with genetic and psychological mutation. Racism and cultural elitism. are also explored. Despite the depiction of Cyrus on the cover (Really Random House, why is it so hard to do this right?) Cyrus and Antigone are described several times as having dark skin that they inherited from their mother, who has a very interesting background. It is her background the Order takes exception too and the kids are often referred to by others as mutts and mongrels. There is definitely a lot of food for thought to chew on the book.
I will warn you the end is going to make you want the next volume of the series (which I've heard tell will number 5 total) immediately. This is unfortunate as it doesn't even have a release day yet.
Review originally posted here.
The Dragon's Tooth pretty much has a little bit of everything. If you enjoy action there are plenty of car chases, bullets flying, and things exploding. If you enjoy mythology there is some of that. (And not the overdone Greek, Roman or Egyptian variety either. Wilson brought in the Ancient Mesopotamian mythology for this one.) If you like supernatural there is a "burial ground" trapping immortal bad guys. If you like boarding school stories you will find the protagonists receiving the most interesting of educations in the compound they are now residents of. (Not a magical education as is so common in fantasy novels, but a "how to become an Indiana Jones type explorer for a secret society" education.) If you like psychological thrillers the book offers up one of the creepiest mind controlling villains to show up in quite some time. (If I were writing about my Most Disturbing Characters now, Dr. Phoenix would be on the list for sure.) If you are a fan of mystery there is also plenty of that. The only thing missing is romance, but there are going to be four more books after this, so there is still time for that too. There are also literary nods to both Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Treasure Island. And a ferocious giant immortal turtle answering to the name of Leon. (No joke.)
Is there a lot going on in this book? Yes. And not all of it comes across flawlessly, but it is pretty close. This is one of those stories where the adults monumentally screw up and the kids get to be the ones to brilliantly save the day. Kids eat those stories up, and I appreciate them still too. The world building here is intricate and not completely understood by the end of the story. That is okay though because Cyrus and Antigone are learning as they go and the reader is sharing the experience. The Order of Brendan in which Cyrus and Antigone find themselves is thousands of years old. It can't be fully explained in one book. What is made known in this book is fascinating and definitely whets the appetite for more.
I very much enjoyed the characters of Cyrus and Antigone. They have experienced a lot of tragedy and it has affected them greatly. They show real emotion and you can really sympathize with them. They are flawed too and not at all the tragic hero types. I really enjoyed how much of each of them was revealed in their interactions with each other. Like in this scene:
"I really don't want to sleep in here, and I feel like I'm going to cry."
"Well, don't," said Cyrus. "Think of me. How much worse would it be for me if you were crying?"
"It's not like I'm planning on crying. It's just that, well, here we are. And Mrs. Eldridge is the only person we know, and it's not like she's excited to help us. Dan's gone and we don't know if anyone is doing anything about it. Mom's back at the hospital-when will we get another Mom day? Are we even allowed to leave? And we're sleeping in a room with a boy we just met who looks like he's dying, and there are Whip Spiders, and the motel is burned, and who knows what's going to happen tomorrow? This place was supposed to help us." She scrunched her face.
"I think you are planning on crying," said Cyrus. "It's like you're trying to talk yourself into it."
"Dork."
"Girl."
"Oh, shut up." Antigone raised her head. "If you think making me mad is going to keep me from crying, you're dumber than I thought, and you haven't been paying any attention to girls for pretty much your entire life."
Genuine sibling banter and it tells a lot about they feel about each other. And the boy Antigone mentions who looks like he is dying? Nolan. He is one of the most intriguing secondary characters and probably my favorite outside the main two. Of course, he is an honorable tragic thief ,so no surprise there. He is part of a little posse of supporters that build up around Cyrus and Antigone by the end of the book that I have a feeling we will be hearing more from in later volumes.
Wilson is exploring a plethora of interesting themes with the story as well. I very much like how he portrays immortality as something pitiful rather than desirable. There is also the whole mind set of Dr. Phoenix, his experiments, and what he is doing with genetic and psychological mutation. Racism and cultural elitism. are also explored. Despite the depiction of Cyrus on the cover (Really Random House, why is it so hard to do this right?) Cyrus and Antigone are described several times as having dark skin that they inherited from their mother, who has a very interesting background. It is her background the Order takes exception too and the kids are often referred to by others as mutts and mongrels. There is definitely a lot of food for thought to chew on the book.
I will warn you the end is going to make you want the next volume of the series (which I've heard tell will number 5 total) immediately. This is unfortunate as it doesn't even have a release day yet.
rosannelortz's review
5.0
The Dragon’s Tooth, by N. D. Wilson was released about six months ago with much fanfare and excitement. I had enjoyed a couple of Wilson’s other children’s books, Leepike Ridge and The 100 Cupboards, but my disappointment with books 2 and 3 in the 100 Cupboards series made me reluctant to attempt The Dragon’s Tooth. When the fanfare subsided, I pretty much forgot that the book existed. Earlier this month, however, my six-year-old nephew proudly showed it off to me as the longest book he’s ever read. I decided to place it on hold at the library and give it a whirl.
Twelve-year-old Cyrus Smith lives in a dilapidated old motel with his older sister Antigone and older brother Dan. With their father dead for several years and their mother in a coma, the Smith children are forced to fend for themselves. For Cyrus, life consists of mundane things like skipping school, collecting old tires, and eating waffles. But when a strange guest named William Skelton checks in at the motel and demands to receive Room 111, life for the Smith children takes a radical change.
As the motel goes up in flames around them, Cyrus and Antigone find themselves initiates in a secret society known as the Order of Brendan with a bloodthirsty villain named Maximillien Robespierre on their trail. The children flee to Ashtown, a secret city housing the Order of Brendan, bringing with them a set of magical keys, an invisible snake named Patricia, and a shiny black shard said to be a piece of a dragon’s tooth. The adventure only gets wilder from there with venomous whip spiders, dragonfly surveillance cameras, friendly bull sharks, and immortal enemies. The book is a thrilling page-turner full of allusions to history and literature, a sort of Treasure Island of Dr. Moreau. (And no, I’m not going to explain that. You’ll have to read it see what I mean.) The only disappointment I had after finishing it is that the next book of the series hasn’t yet been published. I can wait. But not very patiently.
Twelve-year-old Cyrus Smith lives in a dilapidated old motel with his older sister Antigone and older brother Dan. With their father dead for several years and their mother in a coma, the Smith children are forced to fend for themselves. For Cyrus, life consists of mundane things like skipping school, collecting old tires, and eating waffles. But when a strange guest named William Skelton checks in at the motel and demands to receive Room 111, life for the Smith children takes a radical change.
As the motel goes up in flames around them, Cyrus and Antigone find themselves initiates in a secret society known as the Order of Brendan with a bloodthirsty villain named Maximillien Robespierre on their trail. The children flee to Ashtown, a secret city housing the Order of Brendan, bringing with them a set of magical keys, an invisible snake named Patricia, and a shiny black shard said to be a piece of a dragon’s tooth. The adventure only gets wilder from there with venomous whip spiders, dragonfly surveillance cameras, friendly bull sharks, and immortal enemies. The book is a thrilling page-turner full of allusions to history and literature, a sort of Treasure Island of Dr. Moreau. (And no, I’m not going to explain that. You’ll have to read it see what I mean.) The only disappointment I had after finishing it is that the next book of the series hasn’t yet been published. I can wait. But not very patiently.
harperv28's review
4.0
I really liked this book. I am looking forward to the next one in the series.
ghutter05's review
3.0
Three and a half stars -- it missed four because I got a little bogged down in the middle. It felt like the author was trying to lay out too many strings of the story at once. But I would still recommend it to a reader of Percy Jackson and Harry Potter.
onewinternight's review
4.0
X-men meets Treasure Island with a Christian worldview. So, very good-my favorite Wilson novel so far.