DRAGON GIRL AND THE AWAKENED FLAMES

A lost dragon realm, a prophecy, and magical toenails set the stage for this comedic fantasy.

Emba Oak isn’t like other children: She has “yellow-hazel” eyes and limbs covered in “glittering scales,” and she lives in a cave. She shares her home with her adoptive mother, Fred (aka Winnifred, the Wise Hermit of Witchingford Wood), and Odolf Bravebuckle, a young blacksmith’s assistant on the run (both are pale-skinned). Fred is the guardian of the Tome of Terrible Tomorrows, a magical book of prophecies that may hold the key to the kingdom’s fate. After a mysterious dragon materializes (but only Emba can see it), Fred reveals the truth: Emba is human “with a bit of something extra,” having hatched from a dragon’s egg Fred found under an oak tree. When Necromalcolm, a dragon-obsessed necromancer, kidnaps Fred, Emba and Odolf must embark on a quest to save her. Deftly balancing action and humor, the story delivers fresh twists on familiar beats, sustaining momentum with cliffhanging chapter endings. While many literary orphans face callous adults, Fred is a refreshingly loving surrogate parent whom Emba adores. Evocative writing—“It was terrifying and wondrous and bone-shakingly shiversome, all at the same time”—propels the briskly paced chapters, and young readers will savor Emba’s transformation from sheltered child to resolute adventurer. Odolf, a goofy runaway with a yearning for heroics, provides comic relief. As he and Emba brave each threat together, their nascent sibling bond solidifies into a tender, familial camaraderie.

A sparkling adventure.