dragons

Book Review: Dragon and Soldier

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Dragon and Soldier by Timothy Zahn

Dragon and Soldier (Dragonback, #2)
by Timothy Zahn (Goodreads Author)

4 out of 5 stars

Jack and Draycos are searching for information from a mercenary group, so Jack joins the group as an indentured soldier, hoping to sneak into their computer systems. After only ten days of training, Jack and his fellow teen soldiers are sent into battle. Things appear to be safe enough on the edges of the war and Jack is given sentry duty, but betrayal and danger are lurking in the shadows. Only Draycos, a poet warrior of the K’da, can help Jack to escape!

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Book Review: Dragon and Thief

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Dragon and Thief by Timothy Zahn

Dragon and Thief (Dragonback, #1)
by Timothy Zahn (Goodreads Author)

4 out of 5 stars

I was really surprised by this book! I was expecting your typical dragon story, but this is completely different from anything I’ve ever read about. It’s half dragon-fantasy, part science-fiction space wars, part murder mystery, with a smattering of corporate espionage.
The writing is fast-paced and perfectly crafted. Difficult to put down once you’ve started reading.

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Book Review: The Last Mapmaker

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The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat

The Last Mapmaker
by Christina Soontornvat (Goodreads Author)

4 out of 5 stars

Sai pretends to be from a wealthy family in order to get an apprenticeship with a mapmaker. She hides that her father is a criminal, and uses her skills as a forger to help the mapmaker copy maps and documents. When the mapmaker goes on a sea voyage to explore new regions of the world, Sai is eager to leave her past behind and start a new life. There are tales of dragons and dangerous seas in the South, but the riches and rewards could be immense.

I loved this story! It’s so exciting as they travel further and further from Sai’s home, and the people on board the ship begin to divide into groups with very different goals. Both the adventure and the emotional journey have a lot of tension and suspense. There are so many great twists in the plot!

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Book Review: Dragon Rain

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Dragon Rain by Vonnie Winslow Crist

Dragon Rain
by Vonnie Winslow Crist (Goodreads Author)

3 out of 5 stars

Each short story in this collection features dragons; some benevolent, some dangerous, and all of them mysterious and magical. There are dragons with mystical powers. Some dragons will bargain with humans, exchanging magic for goods. Baby dragons just out of the egg need protection. Dragons in captivity will exact their revenge. And there are some dragons who are looking for their soulmate.

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Book Review: Be the Dragon

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Be the Dragon by Catherine J. Manning

Be the Dragon: 9 Keys to Unlocking Your Inner Magic: Roar with Confidence and Slay Your Fears with Quizzes, Quests, and More!
by Catherine J. Manning
5 out of 5 stars

Go on a journey of discovery to find out what kind of dragon you are! This book has short stories about dragons who demonstrate some character trait of bravery, kindness, patience, or friendship to teach the reader how to be a real dragon in your own life.

There are several quizzes throughout the book so that you can find out what type of dragon you are, what type of roar you have, what dragon power is your biggest strength, and what problem-solving style you use best. You can do activities and crafts to complete a quest and build your creativity.

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Book Review: The Dragon in the Library

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The Dragon in the Library by Louie Stowell

The Dragon in the Library
by Louie Stowell, Davide Ortu (Illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars

Kit doesn’t like to read. She can’t sit still. She would much rather be climbing trees or playing with matches or other dangerous things. Her friends, Alita and Josh, convince her to visit the library with them. Kit discovers magical properties within the books that propel her and her friends into a wizarding adventure.

I loved this book from start to finish! The characters, the plot, the world-building, the magic; everything is wonderful!

I liked that the plot is simple and straightforward, but has a few little surprises that keep the story fresh and exciting. The writing style is absolutely hilarious! There are so many cute bits of dialogue and funny scenes that had me laughing.

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Book Review: Falcon and the Charles Street Witch

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Falcon and the Charles Street Witch by Luli Gray
Falcon and the Charles Street Witch
by Luli Gray

3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

Falcon’s little brother, Toody, falls out of an airplane and Falcon jumps out to save him. She is wafted along in a warm air current to land safely in New York City in the hidden garden of a witch. However, Toody is lost, and Falcon sets out on a mission to find him. She will need the help of her friend, the young dragon named Egg, and the help of a dragon who is extremely old and has lost his fire.

This book was all over the place. The plot meanders around with random magic and odd characters, all jumbled in a chaotic storyline. The characters are good, but lackluster. They have a lot of funny dialogue, but not much substance or depth. I didn’t really like how the modern world and the magic world interacted in this book. It didn’t make sense to me, so the setting felt disjointed.

Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for this book. Maybe I couldn’t enjoy it because it’s the second book in the series and I haven’t read the first book.

Book Review: The Griffin’s Feather

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The Griffin's Feather by Cornelia Funke
The Griffin’s Feather 
by Cornelia Funke (Goodreads Author)

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

Firedrake is back! Along with dragon rider, Ben, and the incorrigible Scottish brownie, Sorrel, the whole gang is off on an adventure, with new friends and some new enemies too. They are trying to acquire a rare griffin feather, the only magical way to save a nest of baby Pegasus eggs. Ben worries that this adventure might be too dangerous for Firedrake, since the griffins have a history of warfare with the dragons. It will take fierce courage and loyalty to bring them through this magical adventure together!

I love this author’s writing! The plot is imaginative, full of dry humor and magic. There are wild and wondrous settings all over the world, full of fascinating creatures, both mythical and real.

The main characters (Firedrake, Ben, Sorrell, Twigleg, and Barnabas Greenbloom) are magnificently written, with backstories, deep motivations and fears, and hidden longings that push them forward in the story, shaping their decisions and interactions with others.

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Book Review: Dragon of the Month Club

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The Dragon of the Month Club by Iain Reading
The Dragon of the Month Club 
by Iain Reading

4 out of 5 stars


Ayana and Tyler find a magical book that teaches them a new dragon-summoning spell every month. When one of their spells goes wrong, they are whisked into a magic land that manifests from different books and furniture in Tyler’s bedroom. They conjure several dragons to help them in their adventures, until they have a little entourage of creatures following them. Travelling across the wilderness, crossing oceans, and encountering strange characters from Tyler’s books, the two friends struggle to reach the tower of Professor Mobius, who they hope has the ability to send them back to the real world.

I enjoyed this book so much! The plot is really imaginative and interesting. The writing and pacing are excellent, keeping the reader on their toes with lots of plot twists and surprises.
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