Reviews

Dragon Captives by Lisa McMann

anoif_erutan_this_is_jade's review against another edition

adventurous emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

librarylisa614's review against another edition

2.0

I probably would have enjoyed it more if I had read the Unwanteds series.

ccpprrjj's review

adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

So, this book definitely isn't as good as the original series, but it's still an enjoyable read.  There's something about returning to Artime that's so nostalgic and comforting for me.  There were parts of this book that I truly enjoyed, and parts that dragged. So here's a list.
Things I disliked

• Writing:  Parts of the book felt a little forced and heavy-handed.  More-so than in the original series, that's for sure.  There just wasn't as much subtext and some of the charm of the writing from the originals was missing.  That's not to say the writing style was bad overall, there were just some parts that made me cringe a little.
• Leaving the Seven Islands:  I just don't care about Grimere as much as I do about Artime and the other islands.  I understand why we had to leave them for the plot, but I wish there were more chapters later in the books about what's going on in Artime and how Alex was dealing with everything.  And I just miss spending time in Artime.
• Fifer:  I just don't find Fifer to be a very compelling character.  And (having read the series before) I know that she doesn't get much better.  In this book especially she just felt very flat and one-dimensional for a main character.  And she really didn't do much.

Things I liked

• Old Characters: It was so much fun to see characters from the original series as adults, even if it was mostly at the beginning.  It made me happy to see Aaron being so soft and happy.  It made me less happy to see how much Alex is hurting.  It makes sense with his character, though.  The way all the older characters aged really works.  They still feel like the same people, just ten years older.  And I loved it.
• Thisbe and Seth:  Compared to previous reads, I found myself enjoying Thisbe and Seth's characters more than I have in the past.  Seth is just such a sweetheart and so used to being in the twins shadow that seeing him get a chance to shine makes me happy.  And Thisbe is probably the most fleshed out of the younger/new characters (but still not as robust as the older characters).  She's an interesting mix of scared and bold, confident and unsure.  It makes her very enjoyable to read about.
• The ending:  Despite being a bit of a tragic ending, it was emotional and satisfying.  It does a good job of opening up the conflict and setting up the rest of the series.  And makes me want to come back to the next book.

And those are my thoughts.

ronniewest's review against another edition

4.0

Read a few years ago, listened to it this time. Hate the reader, love the story.

yapha's review against another edition

4.0

Good news for Unwanteds fans! There is a new series featuring the now 12-year twins Fifer and Thisbe. The bad news is the book ends with a major cliffhanger...

It has been 10 years since we last visited the seven islands of the Unwanteds, and Artimé and Quill are still at peace. Alex and Aaron Stowe's younger twin sisters Fifer and Thisbe are extremely frustrated with their older brothers. They are told that they have the most natural magical ability on the island, but Alex refuses to let them be trained in using magic until they learn some self-control. They don't feel they will be able to control their magic until they have some training. Just when they have disappointed Alex again, something exciting finally happens. Hux, one of the young dragons that Alex had made wings for, returns to Artimé. He needs larger wings, but he also needs Alex to come with him to create the wings for his brothers and sisters. The dragons are being held captive and will be killed if they are not able to fly. When Alex refuses to help, Fifer and Thisbe decide to take matters into their own hands, bringing along their friend Seth as well. An exciting return into the world of the Unwanteds. Recommended for fans of the series, grades 4 & up.

eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss

jhans113's review against another edition

4.0

Went to the library, my nephew who is 5 randomly selected this book for me to read, I've never heard of before, if you want a good book to read let the younger kids pick it out for you, they seem to know what they are doing. This book is great from the first chapter, difficult to put down and fun to read.

08151991j's review against another edition

4.0

I loved this story. Basically Thisbe and Fifer are two girls who have untamed powers, they want to prove that they can control their magic. When their brother receives a message letting him know that the dragons needs help, the girls jump at the chance. However, they face obstacles that can kill them. The ending isn't what I normally expect, but the quest seemed epic in my opinion.

shoelessgirl's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 stars. I enjoyed this, but took a while to warm to the twins - I get their motivations, but they seemed oddly naive at times. They did grow on me though, and I look forward to the next instalment :)

marcel's review

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

claire_d616's review against another edition

3.0

i didnt really like it as much as the first series. i wish the Revinir was someone else besides the queen. Alex annoyed me because all he did was mope around and feel sorry for himself, but Lani cant even walk soooo. why is so selfish. the twins were annoying, Seth was like um there, and Dev had literally no point to add to the story other then to possibly have a love interest with one of the twins.
literally the only none annoying person in this book was simber, but then he is pretty awesome!!