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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
3.5 stars! When is the movie adaptation coming out???
I decided not to give this book a rating.
Well, I didn't enjoy this book very much. Not because it's a bad book! I actually already suspected, this book wasn't for me.
It's urban fantasy and sports. I really don't like sports. So it wasn't surprising to me I didn't like it. If it wasn't for a Readathon, I probably wouldn't have even read it. But because of this, I speed read through it, so don't ask me any questions about it, 'till tomorrow I'll probably have forgotten everything about this book
Well, I didn't enjoy this book very much. Not because it's a bad book! I actually already suspected, this book wasn't for me.
It's urban fantasy and sports. I really don't like sports. So it wasn't surprising to me I didn't like it. If it wasn't for a Readathon, I probably wouldn't have even read it. But because of this, I speed read through it, so don't ask me any questions about it, 'till tomorrow I'll probably have forgotten everything about this book
This book follows Lana, who has always dreamed of competing in the Blazewrath Games — a magical sports tournament involving dragons and lotsa running. So when she’s selected to play for Team Puerto Rico, she thinks her dreams are coming true ... until she finds out the tournament is hiding a dark secret that she must uncover to save her new teammates, her family, and the world!
This book is classed as YA, but it’s on the younger side. I think it’s a great read for people aged about 11 and up, so definitely check it out if you’re looking for YA in that range! It contains fantasy violence and things of that nature, but nothing graphic or inappropriate for younger teens. It does deal with some complicated issues like identity and cultural pride, but in a way that’s accessible for most people.
The plot gave me clear Harry Potter Ministry of Magic vibes, with a dash of the cool sport aspect of Warcross thrown in. There are a lot of twists that were fun to encounter, and though the plot does get a tad complicated, I had a lot of fun uncovering all the secrets! It’s the kind of fast, compulsive read that you can devour in a couple of days.
Long story short, if you’re looking for a fun alternative to HP with a diverse cast and lots of dragons, definitely check this one out!
This book is classed as YA, but it’s on the younger side. I think it’s a great read for people aged about 11 and up, so definitely check it out if you’re looking for YA in that range! It contains fantasy violence and things of that nature, but nothing graphic or inappropriate for younger teens. It does deal with some complicated issues like identity and cultural pride, but in a way that’s accessible for most people.
The plot gave me clear Harry Potter Ministry of Magic vibes, with a dash of the cool sport aspect of Warcross thrown in. There are a lot of twists that were fun to encounter, and though the plot does get a tad complicated, I had a lot of fun uncovering all the secrets! It’s the kind of fast, compulsive read that you can devour in a couple of days.
Long story short, if you’re looking for a fun alternative to HP with a diverse cast and lots of dragons, definitely check this one out!
3.5 stars.
For some reason I was under the impression this was going to be a standalone? I had no clue I was getting myself into another series.
The pacing of this one felt a bit off to me. The stakes felt so low for a while. How am I supposed to care about a tournament when there's evil murder plots going on! And then all of a sudden we're at the climax. The emotional notes didn't quite hit for me the way I would have liked them to. The world-building also isn't really....well much there.
That might sound pretty negative, but I actually enjoyed this. It was a super easy read. Hello?? DRAGONS! Though I would have liked to have seen the main character interact more directly with some dragons. And for some reason I was into this family drama. We had some interesting characters I don't think we got to explore enough. With this being a series though maybe we still have more time.
If you like dragons and YA, go ahead and check this out, it's a super quick read.
"The thing about people is they tend to love us their way, not the way we’d want them to love us. We can tell them loads of times. We can draw them a bloody map. Sometimes their way is the only way that makes sense to them. Our voices are just white noise.”
For some reason I was under the impression this was going to be a standalone? I had no clue I was getting myself into another series.
The pacing of this one felt a bit off to me. The stakes felt so low for a while. How am I supposed to care about a tournament when there's evil murder plots going on! And then all of a sudden we're at the climax. The emotional notes didn't quite hit for me the way I would have liked them to. The world-building also isn't really....well much there.
That might sound pretty negative, but I actually enjoyed this. It was a super easy read. Hello?? DRAGONS! Though I would have liked to have seen the main character interact more directly with some dragons. And for some reason I was into this family drama. We had some interesting characters I don't think we got to explore enough. With this being a series though maybe we still have more time.
If you like dragons and YA, go ahead and check this out, it's a super quick read.
Great concept, with excellent representation on the page. However, didn’t really work for me in execution of the story, and relied on too many cliched statements and plot twists to really feel fresh or exciting.
adventurous
emotional
medium-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
So many dragons. I love to see it.
Y'all I'm still so amazed by this book. I loved everything about this from the cast to the plot. The ending was super satisfying too. I'm really curious to see what will happen in the sequel since events were wrapped up very nicely in this one.
Lana Torres has always loved Blazewrath. Ever since she can remember it's been part of her relationship with her father. When her home, Puerto Rico, finds its own dragons and enters the tournament, Lana has only dreamed of becoming the runner for Team Puerto Rico. Even though Lana hasn't been back to the island in 12 years, the island is in her blood.
The game of Blazewrath is exhilarating and dangerous. I loved learning more about it and seeing all the various training islands everyone goes through. When Lana becomes the new runner for Team PR she must train harder than she ever has in order to match up with the other teams. But something else is also stirring. The Sire, a dragon cursed into human form, is causing havoc and burning down dragon sanctuaries unless the Blazewrath World Cup is cancelled.
There is so much happening in this book. Like truly I am amazed every time I think of this ultimate masterpiece. I loved the cast of characters, everyone was dynamic and felt like a full character. I loved how easily diverse this book was too. And there were so many queer characters for a book that doesn't have a main romance pairing either!
Really I can't recommend this enough!
Rep: Biracial white and Puerto Rican female MC, Black female side character, white British achillean male side character in a MLM relationship, trans female side character, Puerto Rican male side character who uses a wheelchair, several Puerto Rican side characters, Japanese male side character, Scottish male side character, Muslim female side character, various other teams from China, Zimbabwe, Russia, Scotland, Japan and more.
CWs: Blood, bullying (specifically saying someone doesn't belong/isn't Puerto Rican enough because they haven't lived on the island recently), death, fire/fire injury, grief, injury/injury detail, murder, racism/colorism, violence. Moderate: alcoholism of side character, past mentions of child & domestic abuse, past mentions of parent's death, child death, homophobia/homomisia, kidnapping, torture. Brief: past mention/depiction of pregnancy.
Y'all I'm still so amazed by this book. I loved everything about this from the cast to the plot. The ending was super satisfying too. I'm really curious to see what will happen in the sequel since events were wrapped up very nicely in this one.
Lana Torres has always loved Blazewrath. Ever since she can remember it's been part of her relationship with her father. When her home, Puerto Rico, finds its own dragons and enters the tournament, Lana has only dreamed of becoming the runner for Team Puerto Rico. Even though Lana hasn't been back to the island in 12 years, the island is in her blood.
The game of Blazewrath is exhilarating and dangerous. I loved learning more about it and seeing all the various training islands everyone goes through. When Lana becomes the new runner for Team PR she must train harder than she ever has in order to match up with the other teams. But something else is also stirring. The Sire, a dragon cursed into human form, is causing havoc and burning down dragon sanctuaries unless the Blazewrath World Cup is cancelled.
There is so much happening in this book. Like truly I am amazed every time I think of this ultimate masterpiece. I loved the cast of characters, everyone was dynamic and felt like a full character. I loved how easily diverse this book was too. And there were so many queer characters for a book that doesn't have a main romance pairing either!
Really I can't recommend this enough!
Rep: Biracial white and Puerto Rican female MC, Black female side character, white British achillean male side character in a MLM relationship, trans female side character, Puerto Rican male side character who uses a wheelchair, several Puerto Rican side characters, Japanese male side character, Scottish male side character, Muslim female side character, various other teams from China, Zimbabwe, Russia, Scotland, Japan and more.
CWs: Blood, bullying (specifically saying someone doesn't belong/isn't Puerto Rican enough because they haven't lived on the island recently), death, fire/fire injury, grief, injury/injury detail, murder, racism/colorism, violence. Moderate: alcoholism of side character, past mentions of child & domestic abuse, past mentions of parent's death, child death, homophobia/homomisia, kidnapping, torture. Brief: past mention/depiction of pregnancy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Racism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Torture, Kidnapping, Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy
3.5 stars for me, but I think if I’d read this in middle school I’d have LOVED it. A very fun and heartfelt story about dragons, magic, family, chosen family, and heritage.
Thank you to the Canadian Manda Group for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
3.5 stars
My full review can be found here!
Upside: The world-building here was absolutely fantastic, and the story takes you on such a fun ride. Also, stating the obvious: here, there be dragons. And the dragons are a blast. I can so easily see this as a film, or an animated TV show, and I would eat it up!
Downside: those moments that I know would steal the show as a film came off...a little cheesy—and a little too convenient—in text format, in a way that immediately pulled me out of the writing.
But overall this cover is to die for and it was such a promising debut. I cannot wait to see what goes down in Ortiz’s future books!
”It is never easy to predict how a group of strangers will get along, especially when there are dragons involved.”
3.5 stars
My full review can be found here!
Upside: The world-building here was absolutely fantastic, and the story takes you on such a fun ride. Also, stating the obvious: here, there be dragons. And the dragons are a blast. I can so easily see this as a film, or an animated TV show, and I would eat it up!
Downside: those moments that I know would steal the show as a film came off...a little cheesy—and a little too convenient—in text format, in a way that immediately pulled me out of the writing.
But overall this cover is to die for and it was such a promising debut. I cannot wait to see what goes down in Ortiz’s future books!
Sad to say that this book didn't work for me. I don't want to belabour the things I didn't like, as debut authors are already fighting in an intensely competitive arena, but I will say that stylistically this fell short of my expectations. It was a book in which the content (gruesome battles, danger, death) was decidedly YA, but the structure/composition felt more like middle grade. I wasn't invested in the characters and the plot was an interesting skeleton that never moved beyond its potential. I will say that as I read this, I often found myself wishing I could watch it; with some fleshing out, this would make a phenomenal anime.
While it didn't work for me, I do hope that this finds its audience. The author has a brilliant imagination and the representation was top notch.
While it didn't work for me, I do hope that this finds its audience. The author has a brilliant imagination and the representation was top notch.