Dragon Flight By Jessica Day George Release Date: Buy it Today! Bloomsbury Ratings Action Romance Characters Overall Purchase on Amazon. Purchase at Powell’s. Find independent bookstores.

Creel, the heroine of the Dragon War, now runs the most successful dress shop in King’s Seat and is best friends with a prince. Now, if only she could figure out what to do about the army of dragons that (other kingdom) is building.

With her dragon and human friends, can she stop a coming war? Especially when the enemy has an army of enslaved dragons that outnumbers her own free dragons by at least five to one?

Plus, what’s she going to do about her major crush on her best friend? She’s a dressmaker–she’s not allowed to fall in love with a prince, right?

This book entertained and enchanted me just as much as the first one, Dragon Slippers, if not more. Everything that the author set up in the first book was carried through perfectly into the second. Dragon Slippers was one of those books that didn’t quite *need* a sequel, but definitely benefited from one. I felt that the story of Creel wasn’t quite tied up yet, and Dragon Flight completed her story nicely. After this, I can be happy without any more tales about Creel, though I wouldn’t argue if the author decided to return to this world.

My biggest problem with these books is something the author has no control of, and that is how they are marketed. Yes, these books will appeal to middle grade readers, but they will also appeal to older teens and adults, except that the books look incredibly young. Once again, the publisher chose to put characters on the cover who look about twelve years old at the most. Guess what? All the characters are in their late teens. I completely passed up the first book due to the cover for a long time, yet I think these are some of the best middle grade books I’ve read. Publishers need to realize that having a childish cover can really turn older readers away from a book. The British cover of Dragon Slippers is kind of goofy, but I don’t think it limits the marketing appeal as much as the American one did, though it was kind of girly.

Personally, I would have loved to see the author design this as a bit more of a young adult book than middle grade. Really, she wouldn’t have had to change much. Up the romance a touch, deal with a bit more of the cruelty that the kingdoms were inflicting on the dragons, add a pinch more of political intrigue, and this book would easily have stood on par with one of my favorite political intrigue/romantic books, Crown Duel. At least the author’s other new book, Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, was rightfully marketed and designed to appeal to young adults.

I am left with one question though, after these two books — Why is it so easy to enslave dragons? Makes me wonder if it’s just as easy to control other species and if anyone has tried this? Both books centered around dragons being made to fight against their own will. Which is a crucial point since the dragons in this book are no more good or evil than your average human. Still, I wonder how many different ways there are to control dragons.

Ratings Reasons:
Action 5 - Well-written dragon battles, who can ask for anything more?

Romance 4 - The one thing I would have liked more of was romance, but at least there was more than the last book and it came to a nice conclusion.

Characters 5 - Writing interesting dragons (or really, any non-human race) is a tricky art, and I think the author did a great job at it. Plus, her human characters were charming and flawed as well.

Overall 5 - I can’t recommend this (and the first) book enough. I’m glad Miss Erin convinced me I had to try it, so now it’s my duty to make everyone else give it a try as well!

Extras:
Well, first off, author website, with info about Dragon Slippers and Dragon Flight, plus her other book Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow. Also, I’ve reviewed her other two books.

Parents: 10+ - Nothing that will harm your young child’s psyche, unless they want to start a crusade for dragon rights.

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