Blazing the Trail

Author: Deborah Cooke

The Dragon Diaries (Trilogy) #3

Publisher: NAL Trade

Released: June 5, 2012

REVIEW HERE


So, I was in a pretty crap mood when I got to English class late, one that was not improved by Derek glowering at me from the back of the room when I entered.  I could feel his gaze boring into the back of my skull throughout the whole class, and he was ticked enough to not know the answer when he was called on.

I think that had to be a first.  I hoped he'd be mad enough to ignore me afterward, but no luck; he followed me out of class and back to my Muriel check.

I was really not interested in getting chewed out, but Derek's heightened sense of smell apparently wasn't' sharp enough to pick up on that.

Or else he didn't care.

"So, what was that all about?" he demanded in his growly undertone.  "Where did you go?  And why were you in Trevor's car?"

"You saw that?"

"I had a feeling.  I turned back to find you."  He glared at me.  "I saw you leave, but I couldn't catch up with you."  His tone turned fierce.  "You never should have gone anywhere with him.  You know he's dangerous."

"He told me that Adrian had been eating shifter shadows.  I went with him to try to stop Adrian."  It seemed like a good idea not to mention - yet - that I'd completely, totally, and utterly failed in that goal.  I marched down the hallway and he walked beside me.

"Alone?  Dumb Zoe.  Dumb."

That stung, because it had been dumb.  It woul dhave bene nice for him to have had some confidence in me, though.  "I told Meagan."

"Well, you didn't tell me."

I strode onward.  I hadn't exactly had time to update everyone on the planet on my situation.

"We're a team," he said with force.  "We have an alliance, in case you've forgotten.  We're supposed to work together but you acted alone."  I guess the fact that I didn't immediately defend myself made him even more angry, because he took a deep breath and a step back.  "If you got yourself in danger, you deserved it."

Deserved it?  I was with him until those last two words.

"Excuse me?"  I halted in the hallway and spun to face him.  I didn't care who saw me and I didn't care what my eyes did.  I was feeling the need to breathe some fire.

"I deserved to be spellbound?"  I demanded in an undertone.  "I deserved to be cornered and nearly sacrificed to the ShadowEaters?  Is that really what you think?  Just because I didn't tell you what I was doing, I should die?

Derek, to his credit, looked shocked.  His eyes widened as he surveyed me.  It was a bit late, to my thinking, to worry about the details.

"No," he whispered.

"Yes," I hissed with force.  "The ShadowEaters are free.  I tried to stop Trevor and Adrian, but I failed.  Not only that, but they're hungry and they've already killed someone by eating his shadow."

Derek paled.

"Plus Adrian has become one."

Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal Romance)

Format(s): Paperback (320 pages), E-book

Book Source: Publisher

About the book:

It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and Zoë Sorensson’s love life is heating up. Cute, loyal, and understanding, wolf shifter Derek is pretty much the perfect guy. He likes Zoë, and he knows what it’s like to have to keep a secret. Yet, Zoë can’t help but wish it was rebel rocker Jared asking her to the Valentine’s dance instead. But Jared’s too busy playing hot and cold with her heart, calling Zoë his dragon girl one minute and then taking special interest in her best friend the next.

Zoë is just about ready to breathe fire, especially once she uncovers a new threat that targets her friends. Although Zoë thought the Mages were defeated, they’re back and have invoked an old spell to give them new power—they plan to eliminate all shape shifters on the night of the big dance. Now, Zoë must lead an alliance of young shifters to battle the Mages and figure out exactly what—and who—she wants, before it all goes up in smoke…

What G & U are talking about:

Blazing the Trail, it seems, is the final book in the young adult Dragon Diaries series. As it comes to a close, Gikany and Una are proud to see the young woman Zoe has matured into.  In fact, we actually hoped to see more of her until, while researching for this review, we discovered it is a trilogy, and this is the end.

In Blazing the Trail Zoe must finally choose what she wants in life, more importantly: who.  This final decision may have ramifications that will affect the alliance and the future of the shapeshifters.  The strife between Zoe and Trevor is finally resolved.  Through this novel, Zoe fully comes into her powers or at least can recognize them better. 

There were a few moments that felt a little simplistic and obvious, but that could be because Gikany and Una are adults reading this – lacking the naivety of a high school girl.  However, the body count in this novel is a little shocking.  Blazing the Trail has a few more gruesome moments compared to the previous novels.  With the death of classmates, we would recommend that high school and older students read this series.

Although there is some typical teenager drama and angst, this final edition of the Dragon Diaries had a maturity to it, in the writing and style, which helped to support the feeling of Zoe’s maturity level rising.  She realized she needed to learn from her mistakes, not dive in before evaluating the situation, and truly gauge what her heart and mind were telling her.  She seemed much more balanced – giving us a glimmer of the great Wyvern she will be.  

All in all, Gikany and Una enjoyed the Dragon Diaries trilogy and the final book, Blazing the Trail.  We hope that we will get a glimpse of these great characters in the future.  Even though there is a sense of finality to the ending, you just never know and we hold hope that maybe there will be future novels.

Their Rating:

Enjoyed it – strongly recommend (A)

Purchase Info:

Blazing the Trail: The Dragon Diaries #3

Reviews in the Series:

Flying Blind: The Dragon Diaries #1  

Winging It: The Dragon Diaries #2

Winging It

Author: Deborah Cooke

Publisher: NAL

6 December 2011

REVIEW HERE

We ran out of conversation at that point. I got my books for the morning classes, sure that he’d leave.

He didn’t.

He cleared his throat. For the first time I’d ever noticed, Derek looked uncomfortable. He almost shuffled his feet. That made me curious as to what he wanted to say. “So, they say you draw.”

Now I was the one watching him intently. “Some. Yeah.”

Those eyes were icy blue, his gaze fixed on me. “Dragons.”

I swallowed, feeling like I was under a microscope. “Usually.” I felt myself blushing. “Call it a weakness.”

“I don’t.” I wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but he was digging in his bag. He offered a new notebook to me, as if he thought I’d refuse to take it. “Draw me one?”

Kids asked me to do this all the time, to embellish one of their notebooks with a dragon. For some reason, Derek’s request felt different, maybe just because he was different.

Intense. That was the word for him.

Like the weight of the world was hanging on my decision.

Or maybe I was making too much of it.

I tried to shake off my sense of foreboding. “Sure,” I said, as if it was no big deal.

It wasn’t.

At least it shouldn’t have been.

“Gotta get in line early,” he said, to myt surprise. “Haven’t you heard?” He was studying me again. “Everyone’s talking about the dragon who spooked Suzanne.” He jerked his head toward the bathroom, scene of the crime, which was closed off.

“Oh, I did hear something,” I said, trying to sound disinterested.

“I thought you’d be all over that story, since it stars a dragon.”

I blushed. Again. “I like them better in fiction.”

“Really?” He couldn’t have sounded more skeptical.

I changed the subject. “So, any preferences? Flying? Perching?”

“Kicking butt.” He spoke with resolve. “I want to see a dragon kicking some bully’s ass.”

My mouth went dry. I had those prickles on the back of my neck again.

There couldn’t be any way that Derek knew my secret.

Could there?

He looked one more time into my eyes, hard, as if he was trying to tell me something. I couldn’t think what it might be. I couldn’t think of a thing to say.

Not one thing.

Derek smiled a little, that secret smile he seemed to keep especially for me, then turned and walked away. I stared after him, wondering.

About the book:

What G & U are talking about:

Flying Blind

Author: Deborah Cooke

Release Date: June 7, 2011

Publisher: NAL Trade

The Dragon Diaries #1

ISBN: 978-0451233882

Genre: Young Adult

Format(s): Paperback (336 pages), e-book

We received a copy of this book from the PUBLISHER for the purposes of an honest review.

From the author’s website:

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…

What Gikany & Una are talking about:

Flying Blind is the debut novel in the Dragon Diaries. This series seems to be a spin-off her adult Dragonfire series. Although neither of us have read this series (however it is on our TBR list), you do not need to have read it to enjoy this book. The premise is intriguing with the mythology of the existence of dragon shape-shifters. Within this group known as Pyr they are all male, except for a single female Pyr called the Wyvern. She has similar abilities to the men; superior senses, shape shifting, and longevity, but she also has additional powers. We found the world-building to be pretty good.

Like most first books in a series, there are always, what Una likes to refer to as, growing pains. This book felt a bit jumpy, the continuity was not smooth between the chapters. Occasionally it felt as if it skipped or glanced over matters. The main character, at first, was quite annoying. However, if you are junior high school age, maybe you can identify better with her than an adult can. We felt she was a bit whiny, although this lessened through the course of the book. Flying Blind was slow to start but once we were halfway through, it seemed to pick up and really improve. We especially enjoyed the perspective through Zoë into her dad’s mind.

There are a few issues we would like to point out in the Flying Blind. We were bothered by one of Zoë’s love interests in the book. We feel having a fifteen year old (Zoë) lusting after a twenty year old a little uncomfortable. The fact that the twenty year old encouraged and welcomed it; was of greater disappointment and discomfort. Considering that this is for younger audiences, we felt it was slightly inappropriate. Without giving anything away, maybe due to the way the book plays out in the end, this issue is to be resolved in the next novel.

We were also perturbed by the possible misinterpretation of the Wyvern’s powers and their connection to sexual activity; most especially to the possible emphasis on life-long abstinence for girls only (because there is only one Wyvern at a time). However, we must note that Flying Blind is told from first-person perspective (Zoë’s) and that could be contributing to what may end up as a plot device/twist later in the series.

Considering that overall the book lacks real substance, these two issues really struck us while reading. Are they enough to ruin the book for us, not quite. We are actually intrigued to see how Ms. Cooke will deal with these issues in the Dragon Diaries. Perhaps they will add to the next story arc in upcoming novel and will end up as part of the overall series story arc.

Flying Blind is a light-hearted, quick, and enjoyable read (once you get past the whininess). Although we felt there are a few issues as we mentioned, we did enjoy it and look forward to reading the next novel in this series, Winging It, due out December 2011. We especially want to see how these possible issues are either addressed or resolved in the next book.

Their Rating:

3 stars: Liked it, there were a few issues - recommend (B)