Zephyr’s Flight

In Strong’s YA fantasy novel, the first in a series, a teen with dreams of riding dragons defies a powerful ruling Council.

In the fantastical realm of Juro, 15-year-old Astria Sannfjaer wants nothing more than to be a Rider like her father, Jorie, who disappeared (along with his dragon) five years ago. But the people of her home valley of Invernell abide by the Council, and the Council insists that Astria can’t be a Rider until Jorie trains her. A Rider partners with a single dragon, and Astria has seemingly found one; Zephyr is smaller than other dragons, and he can’t fly, but he’s fixated on the teenager. At the Vederlofte, a ceremony in which youths go before the Council to declare their chosen craft, Astria chooses Rider, which the Council continues to disapprove. The real reason they deny her may be her uncanny ability to understand dragons, including their “honks”; the Council believes Astria’s the Speaker, recalling a Speaker/Rider who long ago turned dragons against humans and “used them to enslave the world.” Astria, who stays loyal to Zephyr, is effectively on her own—her mother, Skye, and Jorie’s friend Efrin can’t sway the Council, despite Skye being one of the 12 Council members. Outside of Invernell, Astria mingles with the Northmen, “foreign” neighbors whom her people are prone to dismiss. But the Army of the North would make a great ally against the Quarajii, a conquering barbarian horde that may be “the Darkness” that many fear is imminent.

Strong’s story shares some similarities with the How to Train Your Dragon book and movie series as it centers around the plucky Astria. She defies others’ expectations throughout the novel as the Council tries to mold her future (even suggesting she’ll win their favor if she gets engaged to a local boy). Her longing to be a Rider is about forging her own path, a desire for freedom that she doesn’t yet necessarily know she wants or needs. Astria is a strong person who consistently proves herself, from finding a way to help Zephyr fly to staving off hunger while out in the wild (Zephyr, like all dragons, hunts for himself and won’t share his catch). The supporting cast shines just as brightly: Various Council members stand out for their stubborn antagonism, while quite a few Invernell citizens (eventually) show that they’re on Astria’s side. The resilient young hero discovers a worthy romantic interest and interacts with several other dragons, namely the mostly reliable dragon Vandrare (who’s “wild” because he’s not partnered with a Rider). The author’s prose is both concise and colorful: “The nearby cornfields were bare, and the clans busied themselves with the wheat harvest. Along the valley rim, elm trees glowed yellow between live oaks, and scattered within the village, maple trees blazed red.” In this opening installment of Strong’s series, ample surprises and character developments unfold, leaving any number of directions for the next entry to take.

An unforgettable coming-of-age tale set against the backdrop of mythical creatures and faraway lands.