DAWN OF THE DRAGONS

A boy in upstate New York is thrust into the center of a dangerous war in this prequel to New Dragon City (2022).

Twelve-year-old Lucas Murphy cares strongly about his 7-year-old neighbor, Noah Miller, although Noah’s father’s vocal espousal of conspiracy theories is tiresome. But when Mr. Miller rushes his family to a bunker, believing that dragons are invading, Lucas becomes convinced that this time he might be right. Using the computer password and the key to the basement that Mr. Miller gives him, Lucas takes his friends, twins Jace and Jacinda Alvarez, to investigate. They aren’t the only ones interested in the evidence they discover, however. Meanwhile, a young, cat-sized dragon named Cinder, whose mother is the queen of their herd, has been injured and separated from everyone else. When Lucas discovers terrified Cinder, his remaining doubts about the presence of dragons are erased—and the split-second decision he makes to save her has serious consequences. As the conflict between dragons and humans escalates dangerously, fanned by misunderstandings on both sides, Lucas and Cinder become trapped in the middle and must help guide everyone to harmony. Deeply woven themes of the importance of media literacy, trust, and forgiveness wrap around realistically complex friendships and plenty of exciting dragon action. As strong as the worldbuilding is in this entry, exposition never dominates the narrative, and readers will be enthralled from beginning to end. Lucas reads as white, and Jace and Jacinda are cued Latine.

Smart, fulfilling, and full of heart.