ldockham's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
cupidcried's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
caissa_chthonia's review against another edition
adventurous
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
balancedmultitudes's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
reading_ninja's review against another edition
5.0
Dragons, do i have to say anything else?
Ok, dragons, if dragons are involved u are already half way to a wonderful fantasy seri, the heroine of this series is a total kickass woman, add in wonderful world building, loads of great secondary characters, did i mention dragons?!, plus a very enjoyable story and u have this first book in this awesome fantasy series
Ok, dragons, if dragons are involved u are already half way to a wonderful fantasy seri, the heroine of this series is a total kickass woman, add in wonderful world building, loads of great secondary characters, did i mention dragons?!, plus a very enjoyable story and u have this first book in this awesome fantasy series
kay_slayerofbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting Enough
2.5 stars
The story itself got 3.5 stars. It was written fairly well and I admit to be caught by the story line. Highly likely I'll at least get the next installment in the series (episodes 6-10) at least, but I was not impressed by the narration and rated the performance with 1 star. So more than likely I'll get the ebook and read rather than listen to the audiobook.
2.5 stars
The story itself got 3.5 stars. It was written fairly well and I admit to be caught by the story line. Highly likely I'll at least get the next installment in the series (episodes 6-10) at least, but I was not impressed by the narration and rated the performance with 1 star. So more than likely I'll get the ebook and read rather than listen to the audiobook.
inked_up_bookshelf's review against another edition
5.0
Against all odds a young “crippled” female is attempting to become a dragon rider. Amel faces a lot of hardships within the first four books. A lot of fast paced action! I look forward to continuing the story of Amel and her purple dragon Roalcan.
secre's review against another edition
3.0
An omnibus made up of the first five serial installments of the Dragon School series and one I've had a few ups and downs with. There are many things that are good about these bite sized pieces of fiction. I really liked the portrayal of the lead character for instance. Having a disabled yet capable lead is refreshing and I largely found her engaging. A lot happens in these first five installments, so if you like action packed fantasy then they might be right up your street.
What I found more difficult was how thin on the ground a lot of the world building and character development was throughout; the world building in particular didn't really begin to bulk out until the final installment, and I found many of the side characters to be inconsequential and poorly defined. A lot of this is likely due to the short serial format as each installment has to have enough action to keep it moving and yet that doesn't leave a lot of space for anything else in the 80-100 pages.
Final ratings of all installments:
The First Flight; 3/5 stars. There is a huge amount of potential here, but it’s rushed and so whilst it’s easy reading, I found it lacking. However the writing style is engaging and the world building is interesting if a little bare bones.
Initiate: 3/5 stars. I found the same issues present here though that I had with the initial installment; the world building is imaginative, but sketchy, with the short format just not giving enough space to flesh it out fully. However, once more the writing flows well and I'm interested in where the over-arching narrative is going to go.
The Dark Prince; 2/5 stars. This felt more like a filler installment, and I can't help but feel that it could have been used to pad out the Initiate and The Ruby Isles instead of being a piece in and of itself. I also struggled with the characters here as previously interesting characters behaved in utterly obnoxious ways and I hate the 'It's for your own good!' trope with a passion.
The Ruby Isles; 3/5 stars. I enjoyed this far more than The Dark Prince and appreciated the glimpses of the wider world outside of Dragon School. This is action packed, yet offers some interesting world and character development.
Sworn; 4/5 stars. This was the strongest installment of the lot, and offered a lot more in terms of world building as well as some interesting new characters. It balances the final climatic action with the slower world development well.
I suspect part of my issue here is down to my difficulty in engaging in the serial format, particularly as I felt the world building and side characters were often neglected in favour of immediate action. But it's an engaging series that I would likely recommend for the younger teenage audience.
As with all of the individual installments however, my final critique stands. These are only worth it if you have a Kindle Unlimited subscription in honesty. If you don't subscribe to KU, then these are an expensive way to get short bites of fiction.
What I found more difficult was how thin on the ground a lot of the world building and character development was throughout; the world building in particular didn't really begin to bulk out until the final installment, and I found many of the side characters to be inconsequential and poorly defined. A lot of this is likely due to the short serial format as each installment has to have enough action to keep it moving and yet that doesn't leave a lot of space for anything else in the 80-100 pages.
Final ratings of all installments:
The First Flight; 3/5 stars. There is a huge amount of potential here, but it’s rushed and so whilst it’s easy reading, I found it lacking. However the writing style is engaging and the world building is interesting if a little bare bones.
Initiate: 3/5 stars. I found the same issues present here though that I had with the initial installment; the world building is imaginative, but sketchy, with the short format just not giving enough space to flesh it out fully. However, once more the writing flows well and I'm interested in where the over-arching narrative is going to go.
The Dark Prince; 2/5 stars. This felt more like a filler installment, and I can't help but feel that it could have been used to pad out the Initiate and The Ruby Isles instead of being a piece in and of itself. I also struggled with the characters here as previously interesting characters behaved in utterly obnoxious ways and I hate the 'It's for your own good!' trope with a passion.
The Ruby Isles; 3/5 stars. I enjoyed this far more than The Dark Prince and appreciated the glimpses of the wider world outside of Dragon School. This is action packed, yet offers some interesting world and character development.
Sworn; 4/5 stars. This was the strongest installment of the lot, and offered a lot more in terms of world building as well as some interesting new characters. It balances the final climatic action with the slower world development well.
I suspect part of my issue here is down to my difficulty in engaging in the serial format, particularly as I felt the world building and side characters were often neglected in favour of immediate action. But it's an engaging series that I would likely recommend for the younger teenage audience.
As with all of the individual installments however, my final critique stands. These are only worth it if you have a Kindle Unlimited subscription in honesty. If you don't subscribe to KU, then these are an expensive way to get short bites of fiction.
galaxymw's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
3.5
si0bhan's review
4.0
I’m not usually a fan of sequel series, where we get short snippets at regular intervals, as I much prefer to sit and devour one big book. In the case of the Dragon School series, however, I was more than happy to consume each book as it was released. Despite this, I do believe you get a much better experience if you read the combined editions so you get to enjoy the story back-to-back. With this first collection, you get books one through five to enjoy.
Dragon School: First Flight, book one, sucked me completely into the world – it was so much more than I’d expected, and I couldn’t wait to get more. Dragon School: Initiate, book two, sucked me in even deeper – it showed me there was more to the story than I’d originally thought, ensuring I would pick up the next. Dragon School: The Dark Prince, book three, was a very important book in the series – it may not have been my favourite book, but it was vital to the overall story. Dragon School: The Ruby Isles, book four, continues to move things forward in a wonderful way – it may not be my favourite of the stories, but it is another important addition. Dragon School: Sword, book five, was another brilliant read, adding more to the series – it was also the book that reminded me why I was following the series in the first place, pulling me back in after a short hiatus.
Upon finishing this collection, you’ll be more than happy to dive into book six to see what comes next.
Dragon School: First Flight, book one, sucked me completely into the world – it was so much more than I’d expected, and I couldn’t wait to get more. Dragon School: Initiate, book two, sucked me in even deeper – it showed me there was more to the story than I’d originally thought, ensuring I would pick up the next. Dragon School: The Dark Prince, book three, was a very important book in the series – it may not have been my favourite book, but it was vital to the overall story. Dragon School: The Ruby Isles, book four, continues to move things forward in a wonderful way – it may not be my favourite of the stories, but it is another important addition. Dragon School: Sword, book five, was another brilliant read, adding more to the series – it was also the book that reminded me why I was following the series in the first place, pulling me back in after a short hiatus.
Upon finishing this collection, you’ll be more than happy to dive into book six to see what comes next.