The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland is a graphic novel which is very engaging and is the first installment of the series. As the war rages for twenty years, a prophecy is given to the land of Pyrrhia, claiming that the war will be stopped by five dragonets that will hatch on the brightest night. In the world of Pyrrhia there are 7 different types of dragons each with unique abilities. After the Sandwing queen died without a successor, her three daughters fought for possession of the throne.
So you know the basic idea of the fairy-tale and folklore-inspired fiction: Princess Aurore had a christening party which was interrupted by a slighted uninvited guest who casts a curse over the poor child. In the fantasy fiction curse when she turns 16 she will prick her finger and one drop of blood will fall and Aurore will die. Another guest utters a counterspell in the suspenseful tale, and the guest at least is not a fairy in this book.
Scarlet and Tella finally leave their homeland after years of masked misery with the urgency to return in fear of the source of that misery--their father. Intrigued by the magic and wonders of the land of Caraval, they agree to play a game and meet the man they’ve always looked up to--Legend, who isn’t at all what they imagined. While Tella seemingly gets lost along the way, Scarlet is forced to compete and win the game of Caraval if she wishes to see her sister again.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black is a young adult fantasy fiction novel set in the world of the Fae. The story follows Jude Duarte, a human girl thrown into the world of Faerie after a tragic event as a child. She is accompanied by her twin sister Taryn and their older sister Vivi, who is part Fae. Jude and Taryn are ridiculed throughout the novel for their humanity, and Jude has a strong desire to prove her power and worth to the Faerie.
Vira, Ronak, Riya, and Kaleb, royal siblings, have different agendas, wishes, and secrets. Ashoka’s dying source of magic leads them to the Ivory Key, which can make each of their wishes come true. However, there is a perilous journey ahead of them and their strained relationship hinders them in their path. They band together to find the Ivory Key for their own agendas. They get closer together and decide how to use their newfound power.
Through the Dark is a collection of stories that were mentioned (but not explained) in the Darkest Minds trilogy. I feel like I was a bit too critical going into this book as I don’t really like side-books to series, but this collection of stories was actually very good. The stories included in this collection are like actual stories from minor (but also kind of huge) gaps in the series.
The Serpent’s Shadow is the third and final entry in The Kane Chronicles and is written by Rick Riordan. In this final book, Apophis, the serpent of chaos, plans to throw the world into eternal darkness. Carter and Sadie Kane must stop him from doing so by relying on a dangerous ghost and ancient spells to save the world. I thought the first two books in this series were very good, but I have to say that this is the best one yet. All the characters in this book shine, from Carter and Sadie Kane to Ra.
The Throne of Fire is the second book in The Kane Chronicles and is written by Rick Riordan. In this book, Sadie and Carter Kane must rush quickly to prevent the deadly serpent Apophis from destroying the world. This is the sequel to The Red Pyramid, a book which I liked a lot because of how new it felt.
What makes Dragon's Keep work for me is its approach: a medieval fantasy written more like historical fantasy than high fantasy. Yet it has that sliver of magic and magical creatures (dragons, of course) to spice up the lyrical story. In other words, the author avoids over-doing the chosen one approach, and instead creates very believable characters in a believable world.
