Series: Dragonwatch
Author: Brandon Mull
Age group: 8 - 14 years
Page count: 376 pages
Publication date: March 14th, 2017
Summary from Brandon Mull's website:
In the hidden dragon sanctuary of Wyrmroost, Celebrant the Just, King of the Dragons, plots his revenge. He has long seen the sanctuaries as prisons, and he wants nothing more than to overthrow his captors and return the world to the Age of Dragons, when he and his kind ruled and reigned without borders. The time has come to break free and reclaim his power.
No one person is capable of stopping Celebrant and his dragon horde. It will take the ancient order of Dragonwatch to gather again if there is any chance of saving the world from destruction. In ancient times, Dragonwatch was a group of wizards, enchantresses, dragon slayers, and others who originally confined the majority of dragons into sanctuaries. But nearly all of the original Dragonwatch members are gone, and so the wizard Agad reaches out to Grandpa Sorenson for help.
As Kendra and Seth confront this new danger, they must draw upon all their skills, talents, and knowledge as only they have the ability to function together as a powerful dragon tamer. Together they must battle against forces with superior supernatural powers and breathtaking magical abilities.
How will the epic dragon showdown end? Will dragons overthrow humans and change the world as we know it?
Dragonwatch is a spin-off series on the Fablehaven series, which is expected to be five books long. Reading the Fablehaven series is necessary before you start this book. It’s like reading The Heroes of Olympus without reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians first. The plot relies on the previous books and builds up on the world.
Dragonwatch is written so well. All of the new locations and experiences are described vividly. The world and its history benefit from the writing. As the world of Fablehaven grows in the series, it’s nice to return to a familiar place and develop it more. I wish that the characters could’ve spent more time at Fablehaven. Sometimes the words, although descriptive, felt clunky. Parts of the story sucked my energy because I didn’t enjoy reading it.
The plot was fairly straightforward, but very well thought-out. Spin-off stories start off with the idea that the previously solved conflict has led to other problems. The first hundred pages in Dragonwatch are slow to start and recap on what happened in Fablehaven. Not only does it help the reader recollect key points, it provides foreshadowing for later on in the book. Afterwards, we jump right into the action. Some parts in the book seemed really dull because I wasn’t interested in what was going on. However, I was captivated by the last fifty pages. The solution to the conflict seemed so simple, but also really fun. I wasn’t overwhelmed with too much information. I liked how the author gave us a decent amount of history, let the characters and the reader sit on it for a while, but slowly developed it as the story moved along. The adults presented this information to the protagonists, and this bothers me because it happens in every Fablehaven book.
Kendra and Seth were very relatable characters. I was concerned about them being different ages at first, but it will appeal to readers because they can connect with one or the other. Their attitudes reflected hopeful, determined people. Kendra is very serious and tries to see things from all viewpoints, while Seth takes a guess and rolls with it.
I enjoyed meeting new and old characters in the story. These characters have smaller roles, but provide humor and keep the situation from becoming too depressing. Yet they help the protagonists in a time of need.
Most of the hurdles, I feel, were solved in Fablehaven. Based on their achievements in the previous series, Kendra and Seth seem to have an easy pass for issues that would’ve created huge conflicts. It also provides them with valuable information and resources as the action advances in Dragonwatch. These passes have both benefits and consequences because it makes both friends and enemies for the characters.
My favorite part is when Kendra rode a horse “that appreciated Jane Austen”. Life is good when that happens.
I have mixed feelings about Dragonwatch. Full of dragons, mystical creatures and quests to find hidden objects, I know Dragonwatch will appeal to many readers who like action-filled books. Both girls and boys will enjoy it. I didn’t like some sections of the book, and there were some flaws. This book has a very serious mood, and it isn’t a light read. I would recommend reading the first book of Fablehaven and making your own decision whether to continue the series.
Dragonwatch reminded me of Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George because they both have determined characters with fun personalities. They also have carefully constructed plots with strong worlds that have powerful history behind them.
Taken from his website.
Did you guys see his website got a huge update? I don't know when it happened, because I haven't checked his website in like... a year. I prefer the new version because it's so interactive. For example, the VR trailer for Dragonwatch!
Bye,
Vi
MMGM