02 June 2011

Early Review: Flying Blind by Deborah Cooke

*This title will be released on June 7, 2011*

Flying Blind (Dragon Diaries #1)

Title: Flying Blind
Author: Deborah Cooke
Series: The Dragon Diaries Trilogy#1
Cover Art: Juliana Kolesova
Genre: Paranormal YA
Excerpt: Yes
Source: Publisher
Reviewed by: Abigail

  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Paperback: 336 pages
  • Publisher: NAL Trade (June 7, 2011)
  • ISBN-10: 0451233883
  • ISBN-13: 978-0451233882
Buy This Book from Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide



Sexual Content:

Kissing


Rating:

Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.


Description

The next generation of shape-shifting dragons from the popular author of the Dragonfire novels.

Zoë is the Wyvern of the Pyr – the one female dragon shape shifter with special powers.  But Zoë is at the bottom of the class when it comes to being Pyr, and her powers are AWOL. Worse, there’s no reference book to consult, and the last Wyvern is dead….

Everything changes when Zoë’s best friend is bullied and Zoë reacts. Before she can blink twice, her inner dragon is loose, and she’s suspended from school and headed to a shape shifter boot camp with guys she’s known all her life. But soon she’s doubting her powers – and even some of her friendships.

Zoë quickly realizes she has to master her powers yesterday – there’s danger ahead and boot camp is a trap. A secretive group, the Mages, want to eliminate all shifters and the Pyr are next in line – unless Zoë and her friends can solve the riddle and work together to save their own kind…

Review

Dragon mythology is one of the few in paranormal fiction that is still relatively fresh, and Cooke runs wild with her dragon world.   If you’ve read her Dragonfire paranormal romance series, you’re already familiar with these elemental based dragons and will even recognize many of the parents in FLYING BLIND.

Zoe is the protagonist in FLYING BLIND, a fifteen year old impatient to grow up and develop her Pyr abilities (along with a nice set of boobs).  She’s likeable from page one, if a bit on the young side of fifteen for a YA title.  She’s displays a brave, loyal streak throughout the book that helps to temper her occasional recklessness.  She believably worries about boys and is no stranger to jealousy (but she isn’t ever petty about it).  It all added up to a very realistic teenage girl.

I have to mention one scene that really threw me very early on when Zoe and her friend get into a fight with a few nasty girls from school while everyone is showering after gym class.  I couldn’t get past the fact that this physical fight was supposedly taking place while everyone was naked and yet no mention was made about that.  It all seemed very unrealistic to me.

Overall, the writing is swift and fun, just like I’d imagine flying on the back of a dragon.  The characters do kiss the line between YA and Middle Grade, but the innovative mythology and mature storyline should please readers of any age.  If you’re looking for a break from vampires and werewolves or you’re a fan of Cooke’s adult Dragonfire series, you won’t be disappointed with FLYING BLIND.   The next book in the Dragon Diaries Trilogy is called WINGING IT and will be published on December 6th 2011.

Previous Books in Series
Also Reviewed By:
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2 comments:

  1. I'm not really sold on dragon mythology, but I really enjoyed your review of this and thanks for bringing the book to my attention =]

    The Cait Files

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cait - I'm liking dragon shifters more and more. It's nice to mix it up once in awhile.

    ReplyDelete

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