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A review by nad_tm
A Darkness of Dragons by S.A. Patrick
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I went into this book completely blind. I admit I bought this out of impulse during one of my book hauls simply because I liked the cover. I did not know it was a retelling, but it was a pleasant surprise because I love retellings. And this retelling was done super well!
The book follows the story of a young Piper and ... well, anything more I say will be sort of spoilers. I loved the worldbuilding - the kingdom, the social system, dragons! The characters were delightful, especially with my favourite found-family trope: the family of a young boy who gets caught in some unpleasant circumstances, a rat, and a dragoncriff who loves stitching.
Knowing it was a children's book, I did not expect such complexity of the plot. I'm not sure how I felt about so many different plotlines one after another. It wasn't difficult to follow, but I would have preferred not being whipped over to the next turmoil before I was able to completely be invested in the previous one. I do admit that this is better than dragging them over several books.
Another thing that felt sort of icky was that although the entire book was from Patch's perspective, there were moments when the POV abruptly shifted to Wren for just a few paragraphs. Not a big deal for sure, but gave me severe whiplash.
Other than that, it was very fun to read. The ending was weirdly satisfying - the whole plot wasn't resolved, but it was cut off at a perfect place, if that makes any sense. I'm sure the sequel will be just as enjoyable!
The book follows the story of a young Piper and ... well, anything more I say will be sort of spoilers. I loved the worldbuilding - the kingdom, the social system, dragons! The characters were delightful, especially with my favourite found-family trope: the family of a young boy who gets caught in some unpleasant circumstances, a rat, and a dragoncriff who loves stitching.
Knowing it was a children's book, I did not expect such complexity of the plot. I'm not sure how I felt about so many different plotlines one after another. It wasn't difficult to follow, but I would have preferred not being whipped over to the next turmoil before I was able to completely be invested in the previous one. I do admit that this is better than dragging them over several books.
Another thing that felt sort of icky was that although the entire book was from Patch's perspective, there were moments when the POV abruptly shifted to Wren for just a few paragraphs. Not a big deal for sure, but gave me severe whiplash.
Other than that, it was very fun to read. The ending was weirdly satisfying - the whole plot wasn't resolved, but it was cut off at a perfect place, if that makes any sense. I'm sure the sequel will be just as enjoyable!