My 8-year-old gives this a solid 5-star rating. My inner child is leaning more towards a 4. - So a solid 4.5 stars.

It was an enjoyable read, no doubt. However, I didn't find it quite as gripping as my 8yr old did. Plus, it felt like it dragged on a bit before diving into the truly adventurous parts.

Although there aren't many images or graphics throughout the book, I did appreciate the visuals and backgrounds of the different types of dragons at the beginning. They were easy to follow and added to the overall experience.

Overall, I'd say it's perfect for beginner readers looking to dive into the world of reading! ( )

The writing style/vocab aims for a slightly younger audience, but the violence pushes the age range higher. I've found that this series appeals to kiddos who are old enough to follow a high fantasy plotline but may be a bit behind in terms of reading level. It also often appeals to kiddos who love Warrior Cats - it has that same "collect them all" vibe with the different types of dragons.

I like the idea of each book in the series being told from the point of view of a different character from the group, but the author may take this concept too far. This first book, written in Clay's POV, reveals Clay's entire emotional framework and fixes it, all in one go. I worry that trying to fully resolve each character's issues in their dedicated book will lead to multiple unsatisfying, rushed story arcs. I would prefer seeing the dragonets mature together over the series, instead of ticking each of them off as we go. ( )

Not bad! Good pacing and strong characters. Quite violent, in a way that definitely appeals to younger teens. ( )

My kids are obsessed with this series. The world-building is strong and the characters are distinct and well-crafted.

I found this to be super strong start to a fantsay series. I think this book had a solid start. I liked this book had both elements of both found family and also fantsay. I really loved the magic system that was developed around dragons. I wish the start of the book would have been a bit better at making the five dragons more clearer about who was who. But I loved how this for short book really had complete story and changed the game some much in only 300 pages. I thought some of the plot points happened super fast but it was fun engaging read. I really loved clay as main character and exited to read more soon! ( )