November 28, 2022
In Reyes’s ambitious fantasy debut, a series opener, four children must learn to trust one another after self-aware magic and gold threads of destiny bring them together to save the world. Blue, a dragon who was once a stable boy turned king, and his Rider, River, who never wanted to be bonded to a dragon, awaken from a decade-long hibernation to discover that the world is on the brink of war. Thirteen-year-old, tawny-skinned Shenli, in service to a cruel chancellor, balances his desire to protect his family with his yearning to rebel against corrupt royalty. According to her seer grandmother’s prophecy, brown-skinned 13-year-old Wren, hailing from a mysterious island of long-lived people, will bring all four tweens together; to do so, she must defy her people’s strictest laws while attempting to rein in her own erratic magic. In this complexly plotted adventure told in a nonlinear chronology, Reyes slowly weaves together seemingly disparate narrative threads—some of which take place over the course of several years—and often hints at long-hidden secrets tied to deeper worldbuilding, sowing excitement for the planned sequel. Character descriptions imply racial diversity throughout. Ages 8–12. Agent: Joanna Volpe, New Leaf Literary and Media.
November 1, 2023
Young Heroes align on opposing sides amid revelations about their families and powers in this second series entry. Although ruthless Chancellor Cudek has sown the seeds of a plague on Meraki Island that's turning the residents to stone, his scheme to revive the Forgotten Ones, a group of heterodox magic workers forcibly exiled from Meraki long ago, can only advance if he's able to bring his stolen fragment of the Offering Tree back to life. Familiarity with the opener, Heroes of Havensong: Dragonboy (2023), is a must. Reyes disperses her expanding multiracial cast on multiple hunts for exotic ingredients for medicines and spells while continuing personal journeys. For instance, Shenli angrily battles panic attacks and feelings of powerlessness while consistently making problematic choices; meanwhile, Blue wrestles with imposter syndrome even after learning how to switch between boy and dragon at will. Slyly giving her dialogue a modern bent ("I'm super stoked to help!") while pitching characters into encounters with Fates (only two in this iteration: a blabby brother and more secretive sister), antlered bears, an ancient phoenix, and various long-lived wizards with complex love/hate relationships, the author expertly moves pieces into place for a climactic face-off and also introduces a tantalizing element of doubt about just who the good guys are in this scenario. Characters are diverse in skin tone. There's no chance for anyone to chill in this well-crafted, action-packed sequel. (map) (Fantasy. 8-13)
COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.