The Assassin's Blade

by Sarah J. Maas

Sarah J. Maas is another of my favorite authors. I could read her novels over and over and not get bored.  In fact, this will be the 3 or 4th time I've read this book. And I plan to read the series again because the 5th book of the series is coming out at the end of August, and I like to review and reread them so I remember what's happened. Plus, I really just like her books.

The Assassin's Blade is the prequel to the Throne of Glass series. It gives the backstory to Celaena Sardothien, a 16 year old assassin. This book is made up of 5 short novellas, each with a story about her past.  The Assassin's Blade takes place in a made -up world called Erilea. Celaena is from one of the countries in Erilea called Adarlen where she is the protege of the King of Assassins, Arobynn Hamel.

In the first novella, The Assassin and the Pirate Lord, Celaena and Sam, a fellow assassin, are sent to Skull Bay to exact revenge on the King of Pirates. However, they soon find out that they are not there for that but for a slave trade agreement. The King of Assassin's, Arobynn Hamel, wants to start selling slaves, but Celaena has a big problem with that. With the help of Sam, they destroy the agreement and set all the slaves free. Of course, nothing is without a price.

In the second novella, The Assassin and the Healer, Celaena is waiting in a small town for a ship to take her to the Red Desert. She is healing from her many bruises and wounds, gifts from Arobynn for destroying is slave trade deal, a deal that would have made them a great amount of money. Arobynn was not pleased and beat Celaena terribly. Now he is sending her to the Red Desert to  train with the Mute Master of the Silent Assassins. While she is waiting for her ship, she is stuck in the dingy town. She meets Yrene, a barmaid and healer. Celaena teaches her some defense moons and convinces her to continue on her journey to a healers school.

In the third novella, The Assassin and the Desert, Celaena finally makes it to the Silent Assassins. She has one month to train and garner a note from the Mute Master of her training before she can return to Adarlen and Arobynn and Sam. At first, she is denied private training with the Master, but she does make a friend, Ansel, her first real friend ever. Celaena finally gets the Master's attention and gets her private training sessions where she learns to move in ways she never thought she could. One day, one of the silent assassin's betrays them all and the Mute Master's life is on the line. Celaena comes to the rescue, earning her letter of recommendation from the Master as well as lots of gold for saving his life.

In the fourth novella, The Assassin and the Underworld, Celaena finally returns home to Adarlen and the Assassin's Keep and Arobynn's waiting arms. He asks forgiveness for beating her, showering her with gifts.  He also gives her a new job, killing a man who wants to start a slave trade in one of the neighboring countries. Celaena also reconnects with Sam, and her growing feelings for him confuse her. In the end, she kills the man but comes to find out that Arobynn lied to her. The man was actually against the slave trade deals and was setting up houses for protection against the slaves. Celaena gives Arobynn all the money she received from the Mute Master, paying off all her and Sam's debt to him and setting them free from Arobynn's clutches.

In the fifth and final novella, The Assassin and the Empire, Celaena and Sam are free from Arobynn and free to love each other. They want to leave Adarlan and start anew, but they need to do it the right way or Arobynn with hunt them down. They need money and find one last job that will pay enough so they can leave. But job is dangerous, killing the Crime Lord and his second. After a few days of scouting, Sam goes to kill the Second in command, Farran, but he never returns. Celaena finds him at the Assassin's Keep, tortured and dead. She breaks, devastated and thirsting for revenge. When she attacks, she kills many men, including the Crime Lord. But she's captured by Farran and handed over to the King of Adarlan as per the "agreement" because someone has betrayed her. Celaena is sentenced to the salt mines in Endovier where she will work and be kept alive. She is carted off, promising herself she is not afraid. They will not break her.

What I like about this book: I love the backstory of Celaena. For those who start with this book and not with Throne of Glass like I did, this will just be a great story. There's action and adventure with a little love thrown in. Celaena is a smart, sassy heroine who doesn't consider herself as a heroine. The writing is powerful, visual and expressive, making you yearn to read more and more to find out. There are hints to Celaena's past which is revealed in a different book in the series but it's just enough to make you more curious. The characters are well rounded, dynamic characters with positives and negatives. Even though Arobynn is an awful, deceitful man, he truly loves Celaena in his own way and is trying to prove that. And even though Celaena is an acomplished assassin, the best there is, she loves things like music and is afraid of things too.

What I don't like about this book: Nothing. There is nothing you can't love about this book.

I would recommend this book for anyone, boys and girls, who love action and adventure and who love a great story.

Let the Sky Fall

By Shannon Messenger

Shannon Messenger is currently one of my 4 favorite authors. She is amazing! Besides this series, she wrote one called Keeper of the Lost Cities which currently has 4 books with a 5th coming in November (can't wait!!!). Keeper of the Lost Cities is an AMAZING series. One of my students recommended them to me and lent me her copy. I couldn't put it down, zipping through the first 2. I couldn't wait for her to read the 3rd so I could borrow it, so I just ended up buying them all. Totally worth it. I've read them all to my boys who adored them. They can't wait for the next one to come out. I even read it to my 6th graders who also really, really enjoyed it. I even had a few boys who zipped through the series almost as fast I did. Those books are great for boys and girls of all ages.  So when I saw Shannon Messenger had another series, only for YA, I had to read it!

Let the Sky Fall is set in one of the California Valley deserts where it is HOT all the time. The book is told by dual point of view, going back and forth between the 2 main characters, Vane and Audra, both 17 years old.

Vane is a miracle child. When he was 7, he was found unharmed after a category-5 tornado where his parents were killed. He has no memory of anything except one thing: a beautiful girl with dark hair and eyes. For the next 10 years, he dreams of her. Then one day he sees her, and he can't believe she's real. She tells him her name is Audra, and he's not human. He's a sylph, a windwalker, and so is she. Together they must stop the most dangerous sylph their world has known, Raiden. Raiden uses 3 of the winds to rule and destroy. His only goal is to have the power of all 4 so he can be unstoppable.  However, each wind has it's own language, and only those who belong can share the language. Audra is an Easterly so she can control the East winds the best, though she is trained in the other two, Northerlies and Southerlies.  Westerlies are the only winds that's language is unknown, and Vane is the only Westerly alive.

Audra has been charged for the last 10 years to protect and hide Vane, keep him from Raiden's grasp. When times starts to run out, Audra needs to train Vane, helping him to harness the languages of the winds so that he can stop Raiden. However, he doesn't remember anything of the Westerlies. They only have a few days to figure it all out, while also trying to deny their growing attraction to the other. Audra knows she can never have Vane because he is betrothed to another and will someday be the king, but Vane doesn't care. Audra is everything he has been dreaming about for the last 10 years (literally), and he's not about to give her up for someone else.

In the end, there is a battle as Raiden sends 2 Stormers to capture Vane and kill Audra, but Vane finally has his final breakthrough, remembering the language of the Westerlies and harnessing the power of all 4 winds, making him virtually unstoppable. There are also some twists and turns, secrets revealed, and bonds strengthened. It sets up nicely for the next book in the series.

What I liked: I love the way that Shannon Messenger writes. She's so visual and descriptive and so creative! I also liked the characters. Vane was a snarky teenage boy with pretty much one thing on his mind (Audra), but he's able to focus when his life and those he loves are threatened. He's strong, but he does have his weaknesses. Audra is also a great character, though not quite as likable. She's very strict about everything and has many rules and regulations. Vane slowly helps her to let them go, helping her realize that she doesn't need to punish herself for mistakes from long ago. Shannon Messenger also is great at leaving little clues throughout her books, hints of things not known yet, but it makes you just want to know more and keep reading.

What I didn't like: Nothing. This book was excellent!

I recommend this book for middle school and above, for boys and girls. This would not be a book I would read to my boys, but it would be one that my middle schoolers could read. There are no swear words, sex, or drugs, but Vane sometimes thinks about what he'd like to do with Audra. There are no specifics, but it's implied. Overall it is a fantastic book and one that I will need to get for my classroom.

The Eye of Minds

by James Dashner

A few of my 6th grade boys really recommended this book/series. The Eye of Minds is the first book in The Morality Doctrine series by James Dashner, the author of The Maze Runner series.  And like his Maze Runner books, this books starts off fast, pushes limits, and rocks with action. It is a great books for middle school boys or older.

The Eye of Minds is set in a futuristic city. The exact city is not named, but it is large and sprawling. The main character is Michael and his two friend Bryson and Sarah. Computers rule this world, and everyday, everyone plugs into their Coffin, a casket-like structure. In the Coffin, you are plugged into the Virtual world where you can be whoever you want and can live whatever life you want. It's yours for the taking, if you know how to do it. Michael and his friends are hackers and can steal anything they'd like.

In the beginning of the book, Michael is faced with a situation that can earn him points in his virtual world. Michael must prevent a young woman from jumping off  bridge. However it's not so simple. She is crazy, mumbling and screaming about a man named Kaine who won't let her "Wake" up. She's trapped in the Sleep. In front of Michael, she rips out her Core (a small device that connects her to her body in her Coffin) and plunges over the bridge to her death. Without her Core, her death is not just virtual but actual. Michael tries to grab her but joins her in her plunge. He, thankfully, wakes up in his Coffin sore but alive.

He is disturbed with this turn of events. Who is this Kaine? And why is he responsible for, not just this death, but others as well? Michael is picked up (forcefully) by the VNS (VirtNet Security) and brought to their headquarters. Michael is introduced to Agent Weber who explains that Kaine is killing off people for an evil plan. Michael and his friends are tasked with finding Kaine using their impressive hacking skills and leading the VNS to his location (in the Sleep) so they can stop him before he destroys everything.

Michael and his friends join in the hunt, but Kaine scares them, holding them in a void with nothing but his voice. They almost stop, but decide to continue on with their search. They find they need to get on the Path to get to the Hallowed Ravine. There they will find Kaine with his evil Morality Doctrine, whatever that is. It's not easy. They are attacked by Kaine's minions, KillSims, which can suck the virtual life out of you, leaving you almost brain dead in the real world. One latches onto Michael, and after that, he starts to have terrible headaches that come and go suddenly (but very painfully). Michael, Bryson, and Sarah have to join an adults-only game to find the start of the Path. The game is labeled Devils of Destruction and is supposedly based on a historical battle. However, this game is all about killing each other violently to get points. They three friends must battle for 3-4 days as they look for the start to the Path, getting killed over 20 times each in every way imaginable.

Once they find the Path. It starts on a disk floating in a weird world. An old granny gives them a clue of how to get off. She also warns them that if they die, they will wake up in their Coffins, but they can no longer get back to the Path. They figure out the clue and find themselves in more bizarre circumstances, places that get creepier and more dangerous as they go. Bryson and then Sarah both die, leaving Michael alone to finish the search, still battling his headaches along the way. He finally makes it to the Hallowed Ravine where he finds Kaine. Kaine is thrilled Michael is there, as he has led him there the whole time. Kaine says he has big plans for Michael who doesn't yet understand what is really going on. Before Michael can get answers for all his questions, the VNS show up and start blasting everything to smithereens.  Michael almost escapes but gets trapped by KillSims eager to suck him away. He pools his hacking strength and blows them all to dust, blowing everything surrounding him the virtual world away.

He awakes in his Coffin, amazed at how things smell and feel more clear than before, and he finds out he is not actually who he thought he was. There is a big surprise ending that sets you up for the next book.

What I liked: There were good twists and turns, excitement around every corner, and interesting characters. Kaine and Michael are not who you think them to be and it leaves you wondering who you can trust.

What I didn't like: I didn't really like some of the more graphic details, especially in the Devils of Destruction game. It was violent, and that's not something that I revel in. However, boys will definitely be sucked into this game as it is fast paced and exciting.

I would recommend this book to boys and girls who like excitement and adventure. This would be for middle grade or above as some of the content is for older kids.

Tuesdays at the Castle

by Jessica Day George

It seems like I'm on a Jessica Day George kick right now, but this one I was reading to my boys. Tuesdays at the Castle is a GREAT books for younger kids and middle school kids or anyone who enjoys magic and fun.

This story takes place in a made-up country with many kingdoms. The kingdom of Sleyne is the main setting and specifically Castle Glower, the most amazing castle ever. The main character is Celie (short for Cecelia). She is a spunky 12 year old girl who knows the castle better than anyone. She is also the youngest princess. Her older sister, Liliah (short for Deliliah) and her brother Rolf are the other main characters in the story.

Castle Glower is a magic castle. Every Tuesday, the Castle moves, shifts, adds, or deletes rooms. No one really knows how it works, but it just does. Celie loves the castle and is determined to map it all out. She knows many things about it that others don't and finds lots of secret rooms, passageways, and hiding spots. And the Castle seems to like her back. The Castle is also particular about the people who stay there. If it doesn't like a person, it might play tricks on them, kick them out, or get them lost. On the other hand, if the Castle likes a person, it provides quick routes to places, hiding spots, and grand rooms.

In the beginning of the story, the King and Queen are traveling back from their oldest son, Bran's, graduation from wizardry school. On the way, they are attacked and killed.  Everyone is devastated, even the Castle.  Rolf, who is next in line, is the next king. Because he is young (only about 16/17), the Councillors plan to have a regency so they can help him. This isn't a good idea because they push Rolf into things he doesn't agree with. Rolf and his sisters also have guests visiting who came for the funeral and never left. One is Prince Khelsh from Vhervhine, a brute and all round bad guy. The other guest is Prince Lulath from Grath with his 3 little, yappy dogs who just seems curious. The Councillors want Rolf to assign Prince Khelsh as his heir apparent, but Rolf doesn't feel comfortable with that. Celie also finds out that The Emissary and Prince Khelsh plan to have Rolf killed off after Prince Khelsh is assigned heir apparent so he can take over and be king. Celie also finds out the Prince Khelsh planned the attack on her parents. He even goes so far as to perform magic on the Castle and kill it too.

Celie, Liliah, Rolf, and their friend Pogue work together to stop Prince Khelsh and the Emissary, find their parents (who aren't really dead), and save the Castle. Celie is clever and quick, the perfect combination to outsmart the bad guys. In the end, the King and Queen are found, the Castle is brought back, and Celie saves the day!

What I liked (and what my boys liked): There was humor in the book. At one point, Celie and her siblings play pranks on the Councillors, The Emissary, and Prince Khelsh. They also have help from the maids who hide the chamber pots on the men and short sheet the bed. There were times my boys were rolling on the floor or repeating the story later one. "Remember when Prince Khelsh said, 'Pee pots'?"
Another thing I liked was Celie. She was a fantastic protagonist. She was smart and sassy, but sweet and kind. She was fun to follow. Her siblings were also fun characters, but Celie was the best.
The Castle was definitely one of the best parts of the story. Who wouldn't want to live in a magic castle? I wonder what kind of room it would give me?

What I didn't like: There wasn't much I didn't like in this story. It was just fun and kept you wanting to read more all the time. My boys loved it and give it a high recommendation. We already ordered the next book in the series, and they can't wait!

Princess of the Silver Woods

Princess of the Silver Woods
By Jessica Day George

From reading the last post, you know I enjoy reading Jessica Day George. This one was not a disappointment.

This story is a mixture between Little Red Riding Hood and Robin Hood, and it was mixed well. It's set in the made up country in a medieval time period, but we're back in the Westfalin kingdom, where the original story, Princess of the Midnight Ball, started. Again the twelve dancing princesses are the characters that the story is based around, but the main character is the youngest sister, Petunia, who is now 16 years old.  This story is 10 after Princess of the Midnight Ball took place and 3 years after Princess of Glass.  The other main character is Oliver, the Robin Hood character in the story. 

In the beginning of the story, Petunia is on her way to visit the Grand Duchess Volenskaya, an old lady whom she met when she visited on her year visit to Russaka 3 years earlier. On her way, her carriage is stopped by the Wolves of Westfalin Woods, a group of bandits in wolf masks. They ask for all the goods, but Petunia surprises them by holding her pistol in the leader's face. The carriage escapes, but tips over a little while later on a sharp curve. All the riders extricate themselves, trying to figure out what to do next. Do they continue on their way, or do they head back to the palace? While they are deciding, Petunia decides to relieve herself. Heading into the woods a little, she happens upon the leader on the Wolves and his little brother who's broken his ankle. Because she sees them without masks, Oliver, the leader, "kidnaps" her and takes her back to their base.

Petunia finds out that Oliver, who's not much older than her, is an earl who has lost his lands. In order to provide for his people, he had to resort to thievery. After one night in his keep, Oliver delivers her to the Grand Duchess Volenskaya's estate (which are really his lands). They are almost run over by Prince Grigori, the Grand Duchess' grandson, on his way to search for Petunia. Oliver barely escapes and has to hide in a hothouse on the Grand Duchess' estates (a hothouse he remembers from his youth). After it gets dark, he decides to leave but is stopped by the sight of shadowy men crawling towards the house and an open window. He's scared for Petunia.

Petunia is safe for the time being at the estate, enjoying her time with the Grand Duchess and Prince Grigori. She is, however, starting to have nightmares again of Under Stone and the Princes who made them dance every night. Her sisters are there too, and they can't seem to get free.  

Oliver decides to help Petunia the only way he can: by turning himself in to the King and telling him what he saw. He is held in a attic until further questioning can be done. When he's questioned, he shares everything but the shadow men. That he only shares with some of the princesses.  The princesses and their husbands help Oliver escape, and they are all off to the Grand Duchess' estate to help Petunia.

Petunia and her sisters are reunited and thrilled to be together again, but it doesn't last long. They are ferried away to the Kingdom Under Stone and the princes who are waiting to make them brides. All seems to be lost, but the princesses don't give up. And neither does Oliver and the other husbands. They find a way into Under Stone to help free the princesses and a happily ever after is won! The princes of Under Stone are trapped for good, and the princesses will never be bothered by them again.

What I liked: I love happily ever afters. And this one had it. Oliver and Petunia fall in love and plan to get married. And it was nice to see some of the other characters again. Rose and Galen (from Princess of the Midnight Ball) are still happy and in love, and Poppy and Christian (from Princess of Glass) are married at the end of the book. There was a decisive victory and defeat in the end with no loose ties. It finished up nicely.

What I didn't like: Princess Petunia was not a totally consistent character. In the beginning, she was indecisive and unsure, but then she became bold and bossy.  One can chalk this up to a character changing and growing, but the time allotted for this growth was minimal.  She also complained often that all her sisters babied her and always treated her like the baby, but by the end, they let her do most of the work.  It just seemed like it wasn't consistent. But those are small things.

I would recommend this book to middle school girls who love fairy tales and happily ever afters!

Princess of Glass

Princess of Glass
By Jessica Day George

I picked up this book because I love fairy tales! I love fairy tales and fairy tale retellings, and Jessica Day George is very good at writing these.  The first book I read of Jessica Day George was Princess of the Midnight Ball which was a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses fairy tale. It was fantastic. I then picked up her next book Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow which retold the fairy tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon. I finished that particular story in one day and loved every minute of it. I also have been reading Jessica Day George's original story called Tuesdays at the Castle about a magical castle. This one I've been reading to my boys and they love it just as much as I do.  So reading Princess of Glass was an easy choice.

This retelling of Cinderella is set in a imaginary medieval country. It follows about 3 years after Princess of the Midnight Ball left off.  In that story, the main character is the oldest sister, Rose, and her 11 other sisters (all named after flowers). In Princess of Glass, the story's main character is Poppy, one of the other sisters. She's a spunky 16 year old girl who's never been away from her family, especially her twin sister Daisy. 
All the royal families in the country have decided to have an exchange program, sending their daughters and sons around to the other kingdoms to visit and possibly find a spouse. Poppy has been chosen to go to Breton where she meets Prince Christian, a prince from a different kingdom who is also visiting. The King of Breton wants Christian to marry someone from his kingdom and secure the friendship, but Christian is not sure he's ready to marry. He's just enjoying Poppy and other friendships he's made.
Enter Eleanora. Eleanora was the daughter of a wealthy man who lost all his forture and died. Eleanora is left penniless and homeless, and she is hired as a maid. Except Eleanora is a terrible maid. A terrible, terrible maid. She can't fold, she leaves scorch marks when she irons, she spills tea (usually on people), and she breaks heirlooms. She's been fired from 2 places already and is on her last. She is approached through a puddle of water by the Corley. The Corley tells Eleanora that she's her godmother and wants to help her. Eleanora, who has nothing and no one, jumps at the chance. It helps that the Corley is wealthy and has a palace of glass. The Corley convinces Eleanora to woo Prince Christian and get him to propose. Three balls are planned within two weeks where Eleanora will have her chance. Her dresses are spectacular and her exquisite shoes are hot glass poured right on her feet (ouch!). At the dance, everyone is mesmerized and doesn't know who she is. Even people whom she works for don't recognize her. Everyone wants to know this Lady Ella, as she wants to be called. The men fight to dance with her, and the women want to claw her eyes out because she's stealing all the men's affections. Poppy is the only exception. She can see through the enchantment.
Poppy, along with another character who happens to be in love with Eleanora, work to free the others of the enchantment. After the second ball, Eleanora's feet start to turn to glass and she's afraid. Poppy and her friends, now free of the enchantment, hatch a plan to help. Poppy decides to take her place, as the last ball will be a masquerade ball. The plan starts off well, but in the end, she and Eleanora are captured by the Corley. Prince Christian comes to the rescue and there is a happily ever after in the end.

What I liked: I liked the twist in the story, the fact that it was told from what would be considered one of the ugly stepsister's points of view. It also was told in varying points of view, sometimes Poppy, sometimes Christian, and sometimes Eleanora. You know what 's coming, but because it involves some evil magic, you are left wondering how it will all be solved. It is a sweet story with a happy ending, which is one of the things I love.

What I didn't like: Eleanora was not a likable character until she needed help near the end. Maybe she's not suppose to be, but it would have been nicer if I could have rooted for her a little earlier. She did receive a happily ever after as well (which is another thing I like). 
I also was confused at the end. How did they break the Corley's spell? All they did was break through glass wall after glass wall until they got back to their house (magically) and then it was all over.  How does that break the supposedly powerful magic spell?
Also, the love story was a little lacking. Prince Christian goes from thinking that Poppy was odd to wanting to spend time with her to being in love with her. But there are no emotions involved with it. And Poppy doesn't show many emotions either towards Prince Christian even though she loves him. 
Also, she keeps dreaming of the King Under Stone (from Princess of the Midnight Ball) and how he wants her to come back but that's not really resolved either. What is the meaning of those dreams? 

Overall, this was a good book.  I would recommend it to my fairy tale loving students. 

Wings of Fire

Wings of Fire
The Dragonet Prophecy
By Tui T. Sutherland

So I picked up this book to read because my 9 year old son started reading it. He picked it up because he loves fantasy and dragons. He zipped through the first book pretty quickly and raved about it. I also had a 6th grader who read the book and couldn't put it down either. Since I also like dragons and fantasy, I figured I'd like it too.
This book is the first in a series. It starts off in a made up island country called Pyrrhia full of dragons and a few humans (called scavengers). There are 7 different types of dragons and each has their own territory on the island. Each type of dragon has different characteristics and abilities.
The main character in this book is Clay. Clay is a Mudwing and one of the 5 dragonets (or kid dragons) of Prophecy. His cohorts are Tsunami (a Seawing), Glory (a Rainwing), Sunny (a Sandwing), and Starflight (a Nightwing). These 5 dragons are prophesied to end the war that is raging between the different dragons and bring peace.
In the beginning of the book, the dragonets' eggs are being stolen and carried to a secret place to keep them safe from those who wanted to destroy them and prevent the prophecy from being carried out. As the Skywing egg is carried off, one of the ruling queens who doesn't want the prophecy to play out, gets ahold of it and drops it off a cliff, thus killing the Skywing dragonet. This is a huge problem because the prophecy is supposed to include a Skywing, Mudwing, Seawing, Sandwing, and Nightwing. The dragons, looking to fulfill the prophecy, steal a Rainwing egg instead because they won't be able to get another Skywing. They decide to figure out the prophecy later.
Six years later, Clay and his friends are sick and tired of being cooped up in their secret hiding spot. They decide it's time for them to be out in the real world and they make a plan to escape. Things don't go according to plan, and they get captured by the Skywing queen, Queen Scarlet. She is not a nice queen, instead enjoying violence and bloodshed. In the arena outside her palace, she holds challenges between her prisoners, fights to the death. Her champion, a dragonet named Peril, is unbeatable and able to burn other dragons with just a touch. Peril finds Clay fascinating and comes to visit him often. She grows attached and tries to help him, but not his friends. She wants to keep him to herself. 
On Queen Scarlet's hatching day celebration, a mighty battle is announced, a fight that includes Clay and his friends. Clay faces Peril, to which both are devastated, but Glory comes to the rescue and helps lead an escape. They collect all their friends (except Starflight who was taken away by other Nightwings), and they head to the Mudwing territory to find Clay's parents. When they find his mother, she doesn't care about him in the least and sends him away. Clay is saddened by this, but then is approached by his siblings. They rejoice in seeing each other, but Clay leaves with his friends to continue their journey. They head off next to the Seawing territory to see if they can find Tsunami's parents next.
In the end, someone they thought they could trust is planning on betraying them and tweaking the prophecy for their own gains. 

What I liked: I really liked the different types of dragons with their different abilities. I enjoyed how the dragonets stuck together, protecting and working together even in a world where it seemed to be every dragon for their self. There were a lot of unpredictable parts within the story where I didn't know what was going to come next. It was creative and unique, and the characters were complex and flawed, but realistic and fun to follow.  The next books are by a different character's point of view, giving a clearer view into their characters too. 

What I didn't like: There wasn't anything that I didn't like out of this book.