MIDDLE GRADE FICTION REVIEW : DragonBorn by Struan Murray
ABOUT THE BOOK
Become the impossible . . .
Life is no fun for Alex Evans. Ever since her dad's death, her overprotective mother has smothered her with unbreakable rules and unspoken fears. When the frustration inside Alex finally gets too big to bear, it rushes to the surface.
And flames spill from her mouth.
Because Alex is a dragon. One of the many who live among us, unless something awakens their true nature. Led by the mighty Oliphos to the legendary island of Skralla, Alex must now train alongside fierce, frightening dragon children, if she is to unlock the power of her birthright.
But other dragons are rising too. Drak Midna, the greatest dragon of all, is preparing a war against the human world, and Alex has to be good enough for this fight, or we all will burn . . .
REVIEW
Alex Evans struggles with her mother's strict rules. On her twelvth birthday everything changes when she discovers that she is a dragon and has been changing form in her sleep. Oliphos, a dragon who's been around for over 3,000 years arrives to take her to Skralla, an island where she will learn how to use her powers. But things don't go well for Alex, even though she makes a few friends right off the bat, her struggle to change into dragon form leads to ridicule and bullying from some of the other dragon children. And her teachers offer little sympathy. Things get even worse when a black dragon kills animals nearby and Alex is discovered to have a black dragon scale in her hair. On top of all of that Alex misses her mom and her deceased father. When her bag of treasures, including a letter from her father she's waiting to read, is destroyed during a fight with one of her fellow dragon children, Alex decides to seek a magical object called the Phylactory. Unfortunately, the Phylactory is also being sought by the greatest (and most evil) dragon of them all, Drak Migda. Her actions have unintended consequences with an attack on Skralla threatening everything she's trying to build.
Alex is a sympathetic heroine from the beginning as she struggles to obey her mother's rules while still grieving her father's loss. She makes friends quickly at Skralla but really struggles to access her dragon side. Secondary characters such as Erik, a human child working at The House who befriends Alex and helps her learn to relax and let her dragon free and Kaida, who supports and encourages Alex from the get go prove to be a great if complicated complement to Alex. Adult characters such as Oliphos and Dr. Archibald P. Puppinsworth (a scholar who seeks the Otherworld of magical creatures and objects), offer Alex support and advice. Several twists through the story kept the plot fresh and captivating. Once I got into the story I felt compelled to continue. An intriguing story full of themes related to loss, friendship, and overcoming challenges (and mistakes). Highly recommended for young dragon-loving readers who enjoy an action-packed adventure.
Comments
Post a Comment