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lx2000 's review for:
Blazewrath Games
by Amparo Ortiz
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I ended up liking this a lot more than I thought I would. It's a YA book, but it's so endearing and likeable! Lana is an amazing protagonist - she's ambitious and strong, but the author (thankfully) doesn't use the very overused 'special snowflake' trope. Lana is a normal girl who dreams of being a Runner in the games, and she isn't handed it on a silver plate - she actually has to work hard for it. She is a really well developed character - she is loyal and brave, but also has a complicated relationship with her mother and struggles with her Puerto Rican heritage. She just felt real, and that was something I found really refreshing, because I feel like so many YA books these days put their heroine on a pedestal, in a way that makes me feel so disconnected from them. But Blazewrath Games doesn't do that, and it felt organic and genuine. There was also no main romance, which I appreciated, because it meant that the plot and characters were front and centre to the story.
I also enjoyed the cast of side characters - many of whom were LGBT - and I adored the use of the found family trope. And I'm always excited to read about dragons, and Ortiz did not disappoint - I enjoyed reading about the different types of dragons, their powers, and their relationship with their keepers.
My only criticism of this book would be that I would've loved to see the author delve deeper into the world-building; I notice that there were excerpts from texts, which intrigued me, and I would've loved to see this aspect developed more. But this is only a minor quibble.
I would highly recommend this book - it has great representation, an excellent protagonist, and an exciting plot!
I ended up liking this a lot more than I thought I would. It's a YA book, but it's so endearing and likeable! Lana is an amazing protagonist - she's ambitious and strong, but the author (thankfully) doesn't use the very overused 'special snowflake' trope. Lana is a normal girl who dreams of being a Runner in the games, and she isn't handed it on a silver plate - she actually has to work hard for it. She is a really well developed character - she is loyal and brave, but also has a complicated relationship with her mother and struggles with her Puerto Rican heritage. She just felt real, and that was something I found really refreshing, because I feel like so many YA books these days put their heroine on a pedestal, in a way that makes me feel so disconnected from them. But Blazewrath Games doesn't do that, and it felt organic and genuine. There was also no main romance, which I appreciated, because it meant that the plot and characters were front and centre to the story.
I also enjoyed the cast of side characters - many of whom were LGBT - and I adored the use of the found family trope. And I'm always excited to read about dragons, and Ortiz did not disappoint - I enjoyed reading about the different types of dragons, their powers, and their relationship with their keepers.
My only criticism of this book would be that I would've loved to see the author delve deeper into the world-building; I notice that there were excerpts from texts, which intrigued me, and I would've loved to see this aspect developed more. But this is only a minor quibble.
I would highly recommend this book - it has great representation, an excellent protagonist, and an exciting plot!