Book Description
On one side of the border lies the modern world: the internet, homecoming dances, cell phones. On the other side dwell the ancient monsters who spark humanity's deepest fears: dragons.
Seventeen-year-old Kay Wyatt knows she's breaking the law by rock climbing near the border, but she'd rather have an adventure than follow the rules. When the dragon Artegal unexpectedly saves her life, the rules are abruptly shattered, and a secret friendship grows between them.
But suspicion and terror are the legacy of human and dragon interactions, and the fragile truce that has maintained peace between the species is unraveling. As tensions mount and battles begin, Kay and Artegal are caught in the middle. Can their friendship change the course of a war?
In her young-adult debut, New York Times bestselling author Carrie Vaughn presents a distinctly twenty-first-century tale of myths and machines, and an alliance that crosses a seemingly unbridgeable divide.
Review:
A modern day damsel and her dragon forge a friendship that could unite or destroy two worlds. In Carrie Vaughn’s own words, VOICES OF DRAGONS is, “a girl-meets-dragon story, with jet fighters, rock climbing, and a homecoming dance. The more detailed answer: this takes place in an alternate reality where dragons emerged from hiding at the end of World War II, and the Cold War is between humanity and dragonkind. Most dragons live in their own, restricted territory in the Rockies and have no contact with people -- that is until Kay accidentally crosses the border and meets a young dragon, Artegal. They become friends, and then they have to try to stop a war between their peoples.” –From my interview on ATUF
This is the world seventeen-year-old Kay Wyatt has grown up in. Her father is the town sheriff and her mother is the assistant director at the Federal Bureau of Border Enforcement. She knows the rules better than anyone which is exactly why she likes to break them. When she meets a young dragon and he saves her life rather then ends it the two begin to question the rules and what they've been taught about each other.
Anne McCaffrey's excellent Pern series and more recently Eragon, deal with the bond that occurs between humans and dragons, but in epic fantasy settings. Carrie Vaughn's VOICES OF DRAGONS brings that bond to modern time mixing dragons with dating, tradition with technology, and legend with with young love.
Kay is a welcome protagonist to the Paranormal YA genre. She never complains and accepts responsibility for her mistakes. The people in her life love her for reasons that I could easily see as a reader (which is something of a novelty of late). But like any believable teenager, she is also reckless and overly confident, believing herself to be somehow immune to danger and grief. There are a number of powerfully sobering scenes when reality finally catches her
I was pleasantly surprised by the sweet romance in VOICES OF DRAGONS between Kay and her childhood friend Jon. Carrie explored that change and budding awareness between friendship and something more in a very believable, occasionally awkward and impatient, full of questioning and doubts sort of way. And I loved the way Kay dealt admirably well with the enormous amount of pressure her best friend put on her to hurry up and lose her virginity.
The end of VOICES OF DRAGONS could easily lead into a sequel (and I sincerely hope it leads to more than one). I asked Carrie about a potential future for Kay and Artegal and she had this to say: "I don't really see VOICES OF DRAGONS as a series. I wrote this book on its own, and while I'm planning a sequel, I still see it as being limited rather than an open-ended series." That’s more then enough reason to hope.
Sexual Content: (YA titles receive a more thorough breakdown) Kissing. References to sex. Peer pressure to have sex.
My Rating (out of 5):
Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & pre-order the sequel.
Click HERE to read an excerpt of VOICES OF DRAGONS
Product Details
- Reading level: Young Adult
- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: HarperTeen (March 16, 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0061798940
- ISBN-13: 978-0061798948
- Cover art: Larry Rostant
Disagree with my review? Contact me your review for this or any other book I’ve reviewed and I might use it for 2nd Opinion Review
Sounds like Kay is an actually realistic, decent teenager. Nice to see.
ReplyDeleteI read Voices of Dragons and i agree with you. It is a good book.
ReplyDeleteIt's waiting for me on my TBR shelf, i'm glad you liked it!
ReplyDeleteThe premise sounds perfectly awful to me, but who knows. I need a dragon book, so I'll put on my To Read list.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to picking this one up, since I like her other books. Nice review!
ReplyDeleteI hope you all give it a read. Definitely a step above many Paranormal YA novels, and Carrie writes extremely well.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great review. Kay looks like a very interesting character to get into. I will have to check this one out. You might also enjoy a new book coming out by Kate Kaynak, called, "Minder," which is going to be an exciting psychic espionage thriller with the main character being a sixteen year-old girl. It's the first book in a series and is being released on June 18th. Can't wait!
ReplyDeleteAudrey - I keep hearing about Kate's series. THANKS!
ReplyDeleteI read an reviewed this one myself and I agree with your review!=)
ReplyDeleteI like Kay's character!
This was already on my TBR list, but I really can't wait to read it! Really great review!
ReplyDeleteTara - hipe you love it as much as I did. HarperTEEN continues to release great titles.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great book. I have it on my wishlist after reading the synopsis. And after reading this review it sounds like it needs to be right there. :) Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMelissa - Oh yes. Hope you get a copy soon!
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