STORMRISE

War has come to the country of Ylanda.

The northern nomads have breached the border, and each family must send one male to fight. Seeking to protect her twin brother, Storm, disabled by a childhood illness, Rain adopts his identity—even though discovery would mean death for her and dishonor for her family. Having trained in the art of Neshu fighting with her father, Rain is confident about battle, but the practical matter of hiding her female body remains. She consults Madam S’dora for something to make her periods stop, even dragon magic. Like most, Rain believes dragons are the stuff of legend, but when she-king dragon Nuaga begins to visit her dreams, Rain recognizes not only that dragons are real, but that they offer hope for winning the war. While the premise is nothing new, solo debut author Boehme makes the story exciting: The world is well thought out, and the dragons are distinctive, with clear rules for magic that will draw readers in. The northern nomads and their leader, Tan Vey, are more a faceless evil than fully developed in their own rights, but the main characters are strong and well rounded, and readers will feel invested in their survival. Characters are described as having olive or golden skin and dark hair.

Mulan with dragons for added fun: Be prepared to break out into “I’ll Make a Man out of You.” (Fantasy. 13-16)