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A review by notyourhijabi
A Darkness of Dragons by S.A. Patrick
4.0
Received in exchange for an honest review from Usborne Publishing UK.
It's not often that I come across a MG book that I feel I absolutely *must* read, but when I checked out the synopsis for A Darkness of Dragons, it was a no-brainer. I needed this book, and I needed it ASAP! Based on a story that's not often seen in retellings, this book takes the best things of Pied Pier of Hamelin and adds even better to it- like dragons that coexist with humans, for example!
Our main character, Patch Brightwater, is an apprentice Piper, who attempts to help a village infested with rats - the catch? He uses a song that has been banned. This lands him deep in the dungeons of Tiviscan, where he now has to spend the unforeseeable future locked up in. However, he makes friends with a rat called Wren- well, a human cursed to live as a rat- and realizes he's locked up next to the original Hamelin Piper. The wicked one that led all those children (of humans and dragons alike) in a trance so they were never found again.
When Patch realizes he has to quite literally save the world from the Hamelyn Piper who, in case you didn't realize already, is the villain here, he embarks on an epic journey, making interesting new friends along the way. What follows is an absolutely enthralling journey, full of dark magic, musical spells and fun characters- who are, incidentally, my most favourite part of the book. Be it Patch or Wren or their friendship, it all warmed my heart, and this was one quest I was fully on board with.
The author did a fantastic job with the world-building and definitely succeeded in keeping me hooked all throughout the course of the story- twists, turns and all! Would I recommend this gem of a story? You bet I would! Pick this one up for a fun ride as the author takes you on an exhilarating adventure through dungeons to mountain peaks, with some of the most memorable characters ever.
Plot: 5/5
Writing: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Cover: 5/5
Enjoy factor: 4/5
Final Rating: 4/5
It's not often that I come across a MG book that I feel I absolutely *must* read, but when I checked out the synopsis for A Darkness of Dragons, it was a no-brainer. I needed this book, and I needed it ASAP! Based on a story that's not often seen in retellings, this book takes the best things of Pied Pier of Hamelin and adds even better to it- like dragons that coexist with humans, for example!
Our main character, Patch Brightwater, is an apprentice Piper, who attempts to help a village infested with rats - the catch? He uses a song that has been banned. This lands him deep in the dungeons of Tiviscan, where he now has to spend the unforeseeable future locked up in. However, he makes friends with a rat called Wren- well, a human cursed to live as a rat- and realizes he's locked up next to the original Hamelin Piper. The wicked one that led all those children (of humans and dragons alike) in a trance so they were never found again.
When Patch realizes he has to quite literally save the world from the Hamelyn Piper who, in case you didn't realize already, is the villain here, he embarks on an epic journey, making interesting new friends along the way. What follows is an absolutely enthralling journey, full of dark magic, musical spells and fun characters- who are, incidentally, my most favourite part of the book. Be it Patch or Wren or their friendship, it all warmed my heart, and this was one quest I was fully on board with.
The author did a fantastic job with the world-building and definitely succeeded in keeping me hooked all throughout the course of the story- twists, turns and all! Would I recommend this gem of a story? You bet I would! Pick this one up for a fun ride as the author takes you on an exhilarating adventure through dungeons to mountain peaks, with some of the most memorable characters ever.
Plot: 5/5
Writing: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Cover: 5/5
Enjoy factor: 4/5
Final Rating: 4/5