Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Book Review- The Dragon's of Noor


By Janet Lee Carey
Published by EgmontUSA
Released on September 28th, 2010
Ages 12 & Up
Source- Egmont
5 Stars- A Fantastic Fantasy

A dreamwalker who has lost her way. A shape shifter who fears his own dark power. A fire herd punished for his magic. Can these three teens keep the human world of Noor and the magical world of Oth from splitting apart?

The ancient trees of Noor are dying. If the blight kills the last azure trees whose deep roots bind the worlds, the bridge between Noor and Oth will split apart forever. Already as Hanna, Miles, and Taunier sail to the source of the blight, the rent between the worlds is widening, and magic is going out of Noor. The quest deepens when a strange wind blows across Noor stealing young children, and Hanna is powerless to protect her younger brother from the stealing wind. The Three journey east to the azure forests of Jarrosh. East to the dragon lands. East to the place where the wind-stolen children were taken. In Jarrosh, among dragons, the Three will be challenged to discover their hidden powers. Each of them must break beyond the boundaries of self to discover the ancient magic joining all to all (quoted from Goodreads).

I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed this book! While I've not read the first book in this series, The Beast of Noor, I had no problems reading The Dragons of Noor with out being lost at all in the story. It's a fantastic fantasy that both young readers and older readers a like will enjoy.

I really enjoyed the characters. Hanna has this amazing ability as a Dream Walker, Miles her brother is a shapeshifter and his best friend and wonderful love interest Taunier is a fire worker. Together the three of them are out to find their younger brother and find the rest of the missing children who have been swept away by the winds. The three will soon find out they are also the ones who will solve an ancient prophecy, with the help of The Dragons of Noor.

Not only is the adventure these three go on engaging and fun, but I really enjoyed watching how much each of their characters grow. I loved the family dynamics between Hanna and Miles who will do anything to protect each other and find their younger brother. I also enjoyed watching the romance between Hanna and Taunier grow from friends into something much more, as it's sweet, innocent romance. I really admired the fact that they both knew of each other's secrets and have been there to support one another long before they fell in love, and their acceptance of one another is something I loved.

The prophecies are a wonderful mix to their adventures to save the ancient lands and protect the magic that lies there, but it wouldn't be complete with out the dragons. I fell in love with the dragons, as each of their personalities and characters really shown through in the story as well. I'm picky when it comes to reading dragons stories, and I'll admit it wasn't hard to fall in love The Dragons of Noor. It's also the blend of other magical creatures that made the story, like the tree spirits from the waytrees. The waytrees in this story are also characters in their own rights, but I can't say more or it may spoil some of the plot.

Combing a fierce loyalty to the Queen of the dragons, Damausaun, and the bond forged from a close family, and friendship made for relatable characters with not only Hanna, Miles and Taunier, but also the Dragons. I adored the world that Janet created. Set in a beautiful land, with mythological creatures, magic and strong, the characters made this story I would highly recommend. I am looking forward to reading more of Janet's books and I'm hoping there will be more books in this series.

To find out more about this series and Janet's writing, follow her on her blog here http://dreamwalks.blogspot.com/
I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~