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Book Review of Dragonwatch (Book #1) by Brandon Mull
My kids and I were so excited to hear that Brandon Mull would be writing a break-off series to Fablehaven! As soon as this book came out, we had it in our hands. And they all read it. And they all read it again. “Mom! You need to read Dragonwatch!” “Mom, why haven’t you read it yet?” “Mom, when are you going to read Dragonwatch?” So, here I am, finally getting around to reading it. Just in time because I get to review book #2 very soon! So…drumroll please…I (finally) present my book review of Dragonwatch by Brandon Mull.
Blurb:
“In the Hidden Dragon sanctuary of Wyrmroost, Celebrant the Just, King of the Dragons, plots his revenge. He has long seen the sanctuaries as prisons, and he wants nothing more than to overthrow his captors and return the world to the Age of Dragons, when he and his kind reigned without borders. The time has come to break free and reclaim his power.
No other person is capable of stopping Celebrant and his dragon horde. It will take the ancient order of Dragonwatch to save the world from destruction. Long ago, Dragonwatch was a group of wizards, enchantresses, dragon slayers, and others who confined the majority of dragons into sanctuaries. But nearly all of the original Dragonwatch members are gone, and so the wizard Agad reaches out to Grandpa Sorenson for help. As Kendra and Seth confront this new danger, they must draw upon all their skills, talents, and knowledge to battle against forces with superior supernatural powers and breathtaking magical abilities.
How will the epic dragon showdown end? Will dragons overthrow humans and change the world as we know it?”
My Book Review:
I’m so excited to get to spend more time with Seth and Kendra! I have to admit that I really hoped Brandon Mull would write more about them! This adventure is a bit overwhelming for them, but I’m sure they’ll live up to the challenge! I love that Seth is still Seth. He’s curious, mischievous, a boy, and has a difficult time listening to (and following) instructions. Sometimes this works to his benefit, but other times it gets him in big trouble.
Kendra is more relatable because she is more like me: a rule follower. I cringe every time Seth talks or walks or gets an idea. Kendra, on the other hand, reminds me a little too much of me. She can be a little bossy (this for sure doesn’t describe me at all—just so you know), kind of a know-it-all, and she follows the rules with exactness. It’s interesting to see how these qualities benefit her, but they can also sometimes, just sometimes hinder her. I like that she is a strong character, though, and she isn’t afraid to speak her mind. Even if it’s to a big, scary dragon!
There are a few new characters in this book, and my favorite of the new characters is the Tiny Hero. He is awesome. Henrick the alcetaur is also pretty cool. I didn’t even know what an alcetaur was, do you? He’s like a centaur, but he has the body of a moose. There you go, you learned something today! The Somber Knight is…yep, you guessed it—somber!
This book is so fun! Seth and Kendra have a huge task ahead of them, but they have good attitudes, are willing to work hard, and they are very brave. I like that they need to do it together. They each have a role to play, and they are very good at those roles. I like that they each have time to shine individually as well as together. The book is well written and so much fun. I loved the challenges they faced, and the solutions they came up with.
It does kind of follow the same pattern as the Fablehaven books, but that’s not really a complaint because I liked those a lot. If you enjoyed Fablehaven, you will definitely enjoy Dragonwatch! I highly recommend both series, especially for middle-graders and early YA. Oh yeah, and anyone who loves a fun story! I just have one question: when does book #2 come out? Oh yeah…next week! Stay tuned next week for my review of Dragonwatch book #2!!
Content Rating: PG+ (There isn’t any profanity or “intimacy.” There’s not really any violence either. There is an angry dragon, but he doesn’t hurt anyone in this book.)
Age Recommendation: Middle Graders (4th-6th) and up
My Rating: 4/5
If you’d like to purchase this book, click here: https://amzn.to/2RbkvsF
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Dragonwatch was really good. The writing is great. I feel like I’m on the adventure too. It’s nice to have main characters Kendra and Seth grow up in the sequels and take on more responsibility and be fairly sensible. My 16 and 14 year old still like these books too.
I’m excited to read the second Dragonwatch book.
Hi Heidi,
My 17 and 15 year-old boys also loved this book! I have #2 in my hands right now, and will review it soon! I have three kids fighting over who gets to read it after I do, and they’re all teenagers. So there you go! It’s YA approved! 🙂
~Monica