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nclcaitlin's review against another edition
3.5
A middle grade book to melt your heart by the author of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries!
For fans of Northern Lights (The Golden Compass) by Phillip Pullman.
As a baby, a fire dragon is discovered in Wales by a brilliant but error-prone Magician near the bodies of her slain parents. To save her, he turns her into a human girl called Ember.
When she is older, to learn to control her magic, she goes to Antarctica to stay with her aunt. There, she gets involved in foiling a group of aristocrats’ annual hunt of the region's ice dragons.
This warm-hearted middle grade book would be perfect for Winter! Most of the story takes places in frosty Antarctica with cute, loyal penguins; a magical door knob; and dragons who like riddles!
Suitable for all ages, the themes and messages are all endearing.
Trying to fit in, noticing the different kinds of loneliness, learning to trust friends…
“Anger was easy: anger was like fire, which burned hot but eventually went out. Disappointment, on the other hand, had a cold, lingering quality that made her wish she could sink into the carpet and live there like a dust mite.”
P.s. the audiobook does Welsh accents!
pestopastaismylife's review
3.0
i read this because i wanted something light and calming to read, and i never usually read middle grade books so i thought id give it a go (must say the vocab is at a quite high level for a kids book!! :) )
i quite liked this book, there was nothing wrong with it and i thought the premise of a dragon turning into a girl was cool! i read it quickly and it was a nice little read to relax into. pretty high stakes for a kids book i thought, and i loved the underlying themes of exploitation of wildlife from humans which obviously rings very true in today's society. i kind of wanted more of ember turning into a dragon and connecting to that part of herself if that makes sense.
i quite liked this book, there was nothing wrong with it and i thought the premise of a dragon turning into a girl was cool! i read it quickly and it was a nice little read to relax into. pretty high stakes for a kids book i thought, and i loved the underlying themes of exploitation of wildlife from humans which obviously rings very true in today's society. i kind of wanted more of ember turning into a dragon and connecting to that part of herself if that makes sense.
hayam's review against another edition
4.0
dragons, talking cats, and cute penguins!
this book is for the girlies who daydream about far away lands and magical creatures.
this book is for the girlies who daydream about far away lands and magical creatures.
r_j_setser's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
cottonkiwi's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed this overall although I found the ending a bit rushed. I loved the worldbuilding!
mollyj099's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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
3.5