Heroes of Havensong: Dragonboy
A stunning new middle grade fantasy!
“For there is one who can make amends- with the aid of three unlikely friends.”
Four worlds collide when destiny brings together a team of kids to complete a prophecy and end an ancient war. Humans, dragons, and magic must work together for the first time in years to fulfill their destinies:
Shenli, a human boy, is stuck in servitude to Chancellor Cudek after his father’s mistakes. He must pay off his debt- in years of service- if he hopes for his family to ever regain their honor. But Cudek isn’t all that he seems, and Shenli’s quest for honor and approval will reveal the truth.
Wren, a young girl on a magical island, is of age to receive her magic. But her magic ceremony goes wrong due to her mixed-up feelings. What was supposed to be a day of acceptance turns into a journey far from home, if she ever wants magic like the rest of her people.
River, a magical gardener, wants only to become Lead Harvester of her village. She thinks her destiny is set, and she’s ready for it. But her destiny is far more than gardening, and she must accept a world outside the comfort of her magical plants.
Blue, a stable boy, is planning for the day the king goes to slay the dragon. But on the day of the event, disaster strikes. The king dies, and blue must take his place. Blue must learn to be brave and face his destiny even when it scares him.
Without knowing it, their paths will intertwine, each with their own missions and goals. Only by working together can they all get what they want, and more importantly, what they need.
Lately, I’ve been reading a lot of middle grade fantasy (because who doesn’t love fantastical stories about kids?) and I’ve been waiting to find a book that has the same spark as the stories I read when I was younger.
Heroes of Havensong: Dragonboy has that spark. If I picked this up as a kid, I’m certain I’d have devoured it in a day. I loved this book as an adult and can barely find anything to criticize about it.
Megan Reyes does a wonderful job with this book. It balances the perspectives of four different characters, and I loved all of them. All of the characters feel rich and lively. They have their own stories and you can sympathize with them, even when two characters have opposite worldviews.
I was impressed by how much depth there is to this world. There are enough surface-level explanations that younger kids would like it, but also depth that older readers would enjoy when it comes to the characters and their struggles.
The magic is incredibly unique. From poofy clouds of hiccupping magic to dragons growing feathers, this magical world is full of surprises. I did wish there was a better explanation of how magic works- it’s a bit confusing what spells can be cast and what the limits are. But since it’s the start of a series it’ll likely be explained in more detail if there’s future books.
I hope this series continues, since it ends on a serious cliffhanger. Admittedly, I almost felt like it was too much of a cliffhanger and not enough was resolved. But I liked the rest of the book so much, I don’t mind the ending. It was so easy to get invested in this world!
Highly recommend this to any young readers looking for more fantastic fantasy books, especially if they love Percy Jackson or Skandar and the Unicorn Thief. It’s also perfect for any parents looking for a book they’ll genuinely enjoy reading to their kids!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the ARC.