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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm keeping this short, I was expecting more of the games and I loved all of the side characters, but I wasn't the biggest fan of Lana
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Homophobia, Death of parent
This book wasn't a bad read. I don't really have too much to say about it except that I enjoyed it well enough. I think that it was in interesting choice to use dragons in a more futuristic setting as opposed to a medieval one. That's something that stood out to me. The characters were pretty neat too, we got some nice LGBT rep in this one so that's cool too.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Not even being nearly taken out by an untamed dragon can deter Lana from being fascinated by the creatures her father has spent his career studying. If anything it fuels her passion for the game that they are an essential component of. Her love for the Blazewrath Games and dreams of being a part of them one day are matched only by the nostalgia she has for the place, and I suspect the times she had, as a young child with her father in his native Puerto Rico. When dragons tied to the country she holds as hers experiences a sudden emergence of their own exclusive breed of dragons it looks like she may very well have her shot to make her dream come true. That is, if she can skirt around her mother. And a rabid dragon. And avoid a menacing dragon-turned-human bent on making the world pay attention and get back at the games and those involved with dragon-kind.
"Blazewrath Games" is a coming of age story that involves identity and general belonging. It is about family, friendships, and the testing of those bonds. While there are some characters that come off as boiler plate caricatures in how they respond to the situation or Lana it is important if you are outside of this target age range, I'm realizing in retrospect, that this is the story of a teenager who is bound to precieve things more strongly and personally. The evolution of these relationships is proof of that.
This book is also absolutely a response and twist on a well known author's creation. However, I'm willing to give leeway as the inclusiveness and diversity that's represented plants this firmly as an alternative to the other who no longer can hold the same nostalgia for some but truly loved certain elements of it. It doesn't hurt that even as someone who's a one-sport type person who isn't easily invested in such things, that it was just fun.
The array of people, backgrounds, personalities, and character traits is only admired secondarily to the array of dragon breeds. I absolutely adored how Ortiz drew from the various countries these creatures represented to shape their designs either from environment or mythology. There is also a really fun integration of magical vs nonmagical elements and technology. It was an entertaining test of where I am in my own quest to learn Spanish at times. Probably best of all the writing perks is that it avoided some common narrative turns and pulled some unexpected punches along with some more predictable.
Overall it might not be the most stand out or deeply engrossing fantasy you'll read, but it will take you for a romp.
"Blazewrath Games" is a coming of age story that involves identity and general belonging. It is about family, friendships, and the testing of those bonds. While there are some characters that come off as boiler plate caricatures in how they respond to the situation or Lana it is important if you are outside of this target age range, I'm realizing in retrospect, that this is the story of a teenager who is bound to precieve things more strongly and personally. The evolution of these relationships is proof of that.
This book is also absolutely a response and twist on a well known author's creation. However, I'm willing to give leeway as the inclusiveness and diversity that's represented plants this firmly as an alternative to the other who no longer can hold the same nostalgia for some but truly loved certain elements of it. It doesn't hurt that even as someone who's a one-sport type person who isn't easily invested in such things, that it was just fun.
The array of people, backgrounds, personalities, and character traits is only admired secondarily to the array of dragon breeds. I absolutely adored how Ortiz drew from the various countries these creatures represented to shape their designs either from environment or mythology. There is also a really fun integration of magical vs nonmagical elements and technology. It was an entertaining test of where I am in my own quest to learn Spanish at times. Probably best of all the writing perks is that it avoided some common narrative turns and pulled some unexpected punches along with some more predictable.
Overall it might not be the most stand out or deeply engrossing fantasy you'll read, but it will take you for a romp.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Tear out my heart why don't you! This book is a wild rollercoaster that I am lining back up to ride with book two!!
3.5/5
Definitely filled an urge for a Harry Potter-like book I didn't know I had, but the ending was a little too quick/neat and left me with questions that I don't know are ever going to be answered.
Check out my full review at Forever Young Adult.
Definitely filled an urge for a Harry Potter-like book I didn't know I had, but the ending was a little too quick/neat and left me with questions that I don't know are ever going to be answered.
Check out my full review at Forever Young Adult.
adventurous
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
*4,5 stars*
This book is SO GOOD! It's action-packed, it's entertaining and it has such a cool concept.
The world-building in this book is fantastic, this book is set in our world but there are wizards and dragons too, and Amparo Ortiz does an amazing job of sharing the history of the cohabitation of these three groups. There are so many different types of dragons and they have different appearances and abilities, which is so cool. We get so much information about the dragons while at the same time it's clear that people only know what dragons want them to know, they keep a lot of secrets so there is so much mystery surrounding them.
One of the coolest aspects of this book is Blazewrath as a sport which is played by teams of dragons and humans, and the Blazewrath games, which is an international competition. The way Amparo Ortiz writes the matches is so incredible, I was at the edge of my seat the entire time while the matches took place, cheering the Puerto Rican team.
The plot revolves around a conspiracy surrounding the Blazewrath Games and it's very engaging, the characters are amazing, there's a found family element that's heartwarming, and it includes diversity in an effortless and organic way (most of the main characters are POC, and there's also queer, trans and disabled characters).
The only issue I had is that a lot of convenient things happened and even some unrealistic things like the fact that the main character learns to fight in a few days and she fights well enough to beat people that have been training for a lot longer.
This book is SO GOOD! It's action-packed, it's entertaining and it has such a cool concept.
The world-building in this book is fantastic, this book is set in our world but there are wizards and dragons too, and Amparo Ortiz does an amazing job of sharing the history of the cohabitation of these three groups. There are so many different types of dragons and they have different appearances and abilities, which is so cool. We get so much information about the dragons while at the same time it's clear that people only know what dragons want them to know, they keep a lot of secrets so there is so much mystery surrounding them.
One of the coolest aspects of this book is Blazewrath as a sport which is played by teams of dragons and humans, and the Blazewrath games, which is an international competition. The way Amparo Ortiz writes the matches is so incredible, I was at the edge of my seat the entire time while the matches took place, cheering the Puerto Rican team.
The plot revolves around a conspiracy surrounding the Blazewrath Games and it's very engaging, the characters are amazing, there's a found family element that's heartwarming, and it includes diversity in an effortless and organic way (most of the main characters are POC, and there's also queer, trans and disabled characters).
The only issue I had is that a lot of convenient things happened and even some unrealistic things like the fact that the main character learns to fight in a few days and she fights well enough to beat people that have been training for a lot longer.
adventurous
medium-paced
I really wanted to like this more, but the story felt a little too much but also not enough at the same time. For a dragon book, there wasn’t enough dragons. But the storyline with the Sire was good.