Dragonboy (Heroes of Havensong #1) (2024)

WOWZA!!!! This definitely has become one of my new favorite all time reads for sure. I can't say PHENOMENAL with enough capitalization or !!!! to express just how MUCH I loved this lol. This has the most fantastic & immersive world building, as well as phenomenal story building. You learn so much about this world, some of its backstory, each of our MC (about their stories, & the area of the this world they are in, etc.), but it never feels like too much, or that you won't remember it all. It's just so brilliantly done. The chapters alternate POV between our 4 MC, & to begin with each shows different time periods with each chapter leading up to the Great 4th war, until we are all caught up on events that led up to it, & are at present time with everyone. Each MC is so unique & amazing in their own way. Blue & Wren have my heart the most though. But no matter the POV I read from, I stayed enthralled in the story, & so intrigued. Such engaging, detailed, VIVID, imaginative writing. The magic system, & each "layer" of it, for a better word lol, is soooo refreshingly unique. The Magics are my favorite part(especially when they growl! Lol). There are so many incredible details that make up this world/story I can't list them all, & I wouldn't want to-I don't want to spoil any minute of this for anyone. We have a favorite of mine:HIGH stakes, race against time, fast-paced adventure that you CAN'T put down. Then the twists make it even more impossible to stop-you have to know! Lol. From what I've heard about adult "epic fantasy", this gives me MG epic fantasy vibes for sure. This has friendship, family, magic, danger, suspense, magic, adventure, fate, bravery, so much heart, & DRAGONS! Lol HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend. Im just left speechless that is a debut novel. Wow. I neeeeeddddd the next book! Lol STUNNING cover by Isle Gort too.💜

"There is a song whispered through every creature across the realms. The Fates warned us, but no one pays any mind to the Fates anymore."

This is such a cute story, I'm so glad I finally finished it!! I got this book (signed!) from my friend who is friends with the author, so I was SUPER excited to read it. And I'm proud to say it lived up to my expectations 👏👏

The characters were endearing and the storyline intriguing (if a bit slow at the beginning). Loved watching our heroes struggle and triumph. Also I'm obsessed with Blue's ability to smell emotions, what a brilliant idea.

Overall, great book for young readers ❤️❤️

**

OVERVIEW
"Blue, River, Wren, and Shenli grew up on different sides of a war they didn't start. Their land has been torn apart over centuries of conflict, with humans taught to fear all things magical, dragons driven to near extinction, and magic under attack. But an ancient prophecy has put the four them on a collision course with destiny--and with each other--in a mission to heal the fractured realm once known as Haven.

All of them must follow the threads of Fate, leaving behind the lives and homes they know to discover the truth about the seemingly endless war--and the truth about themselves. As the barriers between them begin to crumble, can they unravel the lies they've been taught to believe in order to restore the balance between humans, dragons, and magic before it's too late?"

POSITIVE ELEMENTS
Strong messages/themes of courage and friendship. Positive role models throughout the story.

SPIRITUAL ELEMENTS
Talk of the Fates. Magic (magical powers, animals, phenomenons etc).

VIOLENCE
Talk of war and battle. Light descriptions of pain and injury. Danger and dangerous situations. Threats. Weapons. Risks taken. People taken prisoner. Sad memories/flashbacks.

SEXUAL CONTENT
None.

LANGUAGE
Clean.

DRUGS/ALCOHOL
A poisonous gas is used to put dragons to sleep.

OTHER NOTES
Highly recommended ages 8+ for a fun story you'll remember!

**

~Happy Reading~

This book reads a bit like a YA epic fantasy that got patched for middle graders. There are good things and bad things about that.

Caveat: I am an ADULT who reads a lot of middle grade novels, but I am still an ADULT and thus obviously not the target audience for the book.

The Good:
I can imagine that some kids would enjoy the complexity of the plot. There are multiple clans - even among the Meraki people and Mainlanders, multiple POVs, multiple parallel angsts. The author has also tried to be inclusive, it would seem, with the very varied names (though they seem to follow no particular convention among the clans). Also, the idea of sentient - and temperamental - magic is fun!

The Not As Good:
While some folks might enjoy the plot's complexity, the book felt WAAY too crowded with backstory and plotlines and deliberate loose ends (for a sequel!) for me. There were a lot of ideas, and there wasn't enough space to actually absorb any of them. If it's going to be so many dispirate ideas, pacing needs to be on point. At the same time, Part 1 sorta felt like it went WAAY too slow, the story really only begins in Part 2. I only made it through Part 1 cause I trusted the recommendation source. Middle grade me would have probably dropped off (because I hadn't discovered the willpower required to read litfic then - so beautiful, but mostly so so slow).

I also feel like adventures (especially for middle graders) are about show, not tell. But there were huge sections of the book with just exposition couched as dialog, and exposition couched as storytelling. It felt like most of the book, in fact, was just travel + exposition - but nothing much really happened for the most part. And then some underwhelming obstacles got thrown in for adversity.

Overall: Your mileage may vary on this. I got this off Owlcrate Jr, and it didn't have the same impact on me that a lot of their recommendations do.

But I can get why some kids would enjoy it. Ultimately, the lore of the world is pretty cool... And young fantasy readers might just find that exciting by itself.

2/5 for me. Would recommend to middle graders who have strong completionist tendencies, or are going really hard at a fantasy phase.

This book was trying to be a lot of things all at once and it didn't especially succeed at any of them.

As epic fantasy it's mediocre and rather unoriginal. As middle grade it's a bit too convoluted and slow for most of the age demographic. Any of the individual storylines could have made a decent start to a middle-grade series on its own, but when put together the story becomes...cluttered.

If nothing else, Reyes should have started about 150 pages later than she did. There's far too much set up that could have been put in more concisely later on to keep the pace from dragging. I don't think I know an 8-12 year old who would have gotten through those first 150 pages. They're just not especially compelling and they jump around too much to allow readers to sink into the story.

I do think either Wren or Blue's story could have been made into compelling books on their own. Ideally with the characters aged up slightly (quite a few parts read as if Reyes started with an adult epic fantasy and then aged the characters down for marketability), but neither story is completely unworkable with the characters as they are. The elements of a decent story are there, they're just undermined by the way Reyes decided to put them together.

(That said, I will probably pick up the sequel because I'm curious as to what happens even if the reading experience wasn't as enjoyable as it could have been. Reyes is at least doing a little right.)

HEROES OF HAVENSONG: DRAGONBOY is an immersive epic fantasy debut with complex and likable characters, deep world building, and one of the most unique and interesting magic systems I've ever read. The writing itself is beautiful, utilizing wonderful descriptions without being overdone. The first in a series, this a great addition for all fantasy fans!

I picked this up for a recommendation for kids content. Being 31 myself, I didn’t expect to love this book. I was pleasantly surprised at just how good this book was. I had expected a MG story to be juvenile but it ended up tackling some pretty heavy topics. For adults considering reading MG this was a fantastic intro!

Heroes of Havensong is set to be a truly classic fantasy! It's full of heart and adventure, and packed tight with compelling characters you'll root for!

“For there is one who can make amends- with the aid of three unlikely friends.”

⭐ 5/5

I’ve been waiting to find a book that has the same spark as the stories I read when I was younger.

Heroes of Havensong has that spark. If I picked this up as a kid, I’m certain I’d have devoured it in a day. I loved this book as an adult and can barely find anything to criticize about it.

Megan Reyes does a wonderful job with this book. It balances the perspectives of four different characters, and I loved all of them. All of the characters feel rich and lively. They have their own stories and you can sympathize with them, even when two characters have opposite worldviews.

I was impressed by how much depth there is to this world. There are enough surface-level explanations that younger kids would like it, but also depth that older readers would enjoy when it comes to the characters and their struggles.

The magic is incredibly unique. From poofy clouds of hiccupping magic to dragons growing feathers, this magical world is full of surprises. I did wish there was a better explanation of how magic works- it’s a bit confusing what spells can be cast and what the limits are. But since it’s the start of a series it’ll likely be explained in more detail if there’s future books.

I hope this series continues, since it ends on a serious cliffhanger. Admittedly, I almost felt like it was too much of a cliffhanger and not enough was resolved. But I liked the rest of the book so much, I don’t mind the ending. It was so easy to get invested in this world!

Highly recommend this to any young readers looking for more fantastic fantasy books, especially if they love Percy Jackson or Skandar and the Unicorn Thief. It’s also perfect for any parents looking for a book they’ll genuinely enjoy reading to their kids!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the ARC.

Heroes of Havensong: Dragonboy is the kickoff to a new fantasy middle grade series and boy does it kick. The story is fast paced, throws you into a deeply magical world and just says ‘GO!’. From dragons, to sentient magic dust clouds, and evil tyrants this book covers all the fantasy basics. There is even a prophecy foretelling of the Heroes!

Our story is told in alternating points of view, and in the begining in alternating timelines. We meet Blue, our Dragonboy, when he begins his journey. This is where things got a little confusing for me, and honestly I wonder if it won’t for a young reader. This starts ten years before the bulk of the rest of the novel. In fact the following 4 or 5 chapters all bounce between years leading up to the ‘The Fourth War’. You have to pay close attention to the chapter headings because otherwise you’re lost. From their we meet River, Wren, and Shenli. Each grows up somewhere different and has different views, gifts, and roles in the upcoming war.

The greatest strength in this for me was the believability of the characters. They felt the appropriate age and I can really see a lot of middle grade kids resonating with one or more of these characters. Did that mean that I didn’t feel like punching one in particular every time they made a choice? No. That kid drove me NUTS. But he made choices that I feel like a kid would make, mistakes a kid would make and that is going to work for it’s audience.

The world is complicated (maybe a bit too much) but full of wonder and magic that really kept me reading when I wanted to shake a child. For a middle grade reader I’d really recommend this. I loved the ideas and how well the characters read, and honestly - the magic dust cloud? Amazing idea.

I liked how each character's story and motives were so different. I liked each character, have come to care about what they care about, and want to see their storyline through to the end.

I liked the complex way the different cultures of the world fit together, seeing the same world in such different ways and having no idea what the other perspective looked like. It felt realistic and thoughtful and I want to see how our main characters can help bridge the gaps.

I didn't like that none of the 5 storylines of the book resolved:
- Storyline 1: <0% resolved
- Storyline 2: 75% resolved
- Storyline 3: <0% resolved
Storyline 4: 25% resolved
Storyline 5 (presumably the one that was supposed to give this book closure): 50% resolved

That's bad. Really bad. I understand, say, book 4 out of a 5-book series having an ending like this, when you're already hooked and charging toward a grand conclusion, but BOOK ONE‽‽‽ Out of a we-don't-know-how-long-yet series? No. Not fair.

Like I said, I care about what the characters care about and want to see their storylines through to some resolution, so I guess I just have to keep reading. But I hope the next book ends better. It's not satisfying getting to the end of a book and not feeling resolved.

The writing style was inconsistent, stunningly beautiful for snatches and so dull in other parts that I finally understood what "show don't tell" is supposed to mean (a concept I'd never fully grasped before). Overall the writing lacked that golden way of singing to my heart that makes a book special. But I hope the author keeps writing. There are so many cool ideas in this book series and I bet she'll get better and better at expressing them.

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Dragonboy is the first book in a new middle grade epic adventure fantasy series by Megan Reyes. Released 24th Jan 2023 by Random House on their Children's imprint, it's 416 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out 3rd quarter 2023 from the same publisher. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a beautifully written and engaging fantasy for middle grade readers (Lexile 690L). The young protagonists have to learn to work together to overcome prejudice and challenges to save their way of life and their world. The plot is quite complex for a middle grade book and the first third of the book, developing the world, magic, and characters, seemed to take a long time (for a kids' book).

It's a charmingly written book and the author is quite adept at descriptive prose and plotting.

Four stars. It would be a great choice for public or school library acquisition, home use, or family reading.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This story, written with multiple POV, follows four characters: Blue, River, Wren and Shenli. Their stories all start in different places but converge over time. The magic system isn't terribly complicated but it seems well thought out and the story has a lot of details.

The start is very slow. The first part (which is around 100 pages) is all set-up with nothing actually happening yet. I was fine with this, but others might not be. The ending, also, leaves too many unanswered questions for my tasted. Even if the author is setting up a sequel, it's annoying just how much was left unresolved, especially considering that this is book #1.

I also find the concept behind the story unsettling - a 12-year-old kid getting turned into a dragon more or less against his wishes is pretty messed up. While people do mention that the situation must be hard for him, NO ONE actually admits that there's a serious ethical problem here. Like, the kid didn't want to be a dragon. The people who turn him into a dragon are the good guys and yet no one seems to feel bad about doing it to him. That's beyond odd.

I did like all of the kid's storylines, though. I connect with Blue, but mostly because I feel bad for him. Wren's started very cliche and trope-y, but I liked her by the end. Shenli's was probably my favorite just because there was some interesting exploration on the concepts of loyalty. River's is probably the least interesting for me, but she's okay. In all, the characters were endearing enough to where I'd be interested in seeing where it goes.

I loved this fast-paced and funny medievalesque fantasy full of dragons, magic, and adventure starring brave kid heroes written in a cracking voice. I don't want to include spoilers in this review, but there is something that happens in the first quarter of the book that literally got me jumping out of my chair to tell everyone in my family what I had just read! This is one of my favorite depictions of magic I'e ever read in any genre, age-group, anywhere. Each person's magic has its own personality. And when it hiccups, you know danger is coming! This is a full immersive experience where Megan Reyes harnesses all five-senses to make you feel the magic on the page. I've really never read anything like it. The four main characters navigate new roles in their own fantastical worlds while working together through intergenerational trauma from past conflicts and natural disasters. It is all incredibly interesting work within the story world, and I think middle grade readers will draw many parallels to the challenges they're facing in their own friendships, families, and communities. The themes of discovering your own path in life no matter what fate may have laid out for you, that you are enough just for being you, and that you can create a found family are really well-developed. Highly recommend! Thank you to the publisher for the chance to read! #TeamWren all the way! CW: a number typical of the genre, including mild fantasy violence, war, family member death, family member funeral, child abandonment

If anyone had told me that this would be basically a 400 page prequel to a war, I might not have been so interested to pick this up, which would have been such a mistake.

This book is FIRE (dragonfire, I guess I should specify). I don't recall the last long, sweeping fantasy book in which I felt so personally invested in each, vastly different characters and was able to keep up with all of their motives and struggles and GUH. This book is so masterful at keeping the reader engaged (not an easy feat for a book of it's length!) while telling such an intimate story and balancing that with the slow march to a vast, sweeping war.

I don't know if I can gush about this book enough. It was so much fun and so powerful and even touching on the terrors of war, genocide, balancing self-centered desires with the needs of the community, juxtaposed with rejecting the needs of the community with self-discovery and OMG if I don't stop gushing I will give everything away!

Read this book! It's fun and adventurous and definitely a masterclass in telling a fantastical story in a middle grade age!

HIghly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Heroes of Havensong: Dragonboy is a middle grade fantasy that follows four kids as they come into new abilities, powers, or roles and how they must work together when a power-hungry chancellor threatens this world. Each character has their own unique strengths and flaws, which make for dynamic relationships, at times at conflict with one another.

Author Megan Reyes does a fantastic job weaving storylines and world building with conflict and character development. She creates an imaginative fantasy setting with unique magic that young readers will want to devour! I loved how the characters were all from very different backgrounds with fascinating backstories. They had to overcome their differences and in some cases biases, to work together. This first book wrapped up nicely, but with plenty left unresolved to make readers hungry for the next book!

I was lucky enough to meet Megan Reyes when she came to talk to our Much Ado about Writing community shortly before the launch of Dragonboy. I don't read a lot of fantasy, but I loved her first line so much -- and the way she talked about the rest of the story -- that I couldn't resist pre-ordering a copy. Now I can't wait to read the next book in the series to find out what happens to Blue, River, Wren, and Shenli.

Megan weaves the four points of view -- plus a surprise fifth one -- seamlessly, allowing us to connect with each of the main characters as their paths come closer and closer, finally intersecting at the story's climax (sorry, no spoilers here!).

But I will give away that irresistible opening. (Go ahead, try to resist. I challenge you!)
Every twenty-five years, the king of Gerbera is eaten by a dragon.
It is tradition.

So much to love about this masterfully created fantasy. I was quickly enthralled in the story’s magical world right from its opening paragraph and found myself rooting for the four protagonist as the action kept coming. Beyond the fun fast-pace tale of magic, dragons and young inspiring heroes, there’s much here between the lines about pointless wars, unfairness of ruler’s power over their subjects, trust/loyalty, and insightful depictions of grief. Fantastic descriptions of smell and memory and the link between the two add even more depth. All these layers left me in awe of the author’s creativity and imagination. Can’t wait for the next book in this series

Cute book, I could see younger readers enjoying this, especially. Shenli, Blue, River and Wren were all great characters although River I found pretty annoying in the middle of the story ! There’s some interesting world building concepts going on with the dragons (although I found the history sections info-dumpy) and I have hopes for more to be revealed in the future.

This was a fun start to a new series—I’ll definitely give the next book a try. Although it might be a bit formulaic, I wouldn’t dismiss the series just yet.

Free Netgalley Book For review. 3.5 rounded up.

This is one of my first 2024 reads and turned out to be one of my favorite fantasy series that is middle-grade but will please readers of all ages who love the coming-of-agestory of a dragon meeting his rider,and not a portal fantasy.

Plus, it's more than one POV and has a great creative take on how dragons are born, how the world deals with magic, and how to pick riders. The relationship between the rider and dragon, or the young girl searching for her runaway magic with the young soldier are both compelling and will keep you turning the page.

Despite some fun and original world building, decent prose, and a quality audio reader, I couldn’t get into this. I stopped around halfway. Too many characters for me to care much about any of them. Too much info dump and history for me to find a meaningful plot. Apart from a few minor personal goals the story was vague—meet up with some other “chosen” kids and “save the word.” Disclaimer: I’m not a big MG reader. Don’t know why I continue to pick them up. Maybe it’s the romantic in me that thinks another HP1 is out there…

Wow! This is an action packed full fantasy read! Dragonboy has fantastic world building and a complex and intricately designed magic system! Our four young heroes are intertwined in prophetic intrigue and mystery. Each character has their own unique place in a complicated world and they take charge along the way! Loved going along for the ride with these young heroes and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Thank you so much to the publisher for an advanced copy for review!

Heroes of Havensong is an incredible, fast-paced, fantasy adventure that already feels like a timeless classic. Told in a four-person POV, each character (Shenli, Wren, Blue and River) and their world is richly imagined. The book has a unique magic system and I couldn’t stop turning the pages to see what happened when these four stories converged on each other. Perfect for high fantasy lovers, especially anyone who loves a dragon story! Highly recommend!

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

Multiple point of view story. Themes of trust, loyalty and friendship throughout. Trigger warning, there are discussions of war, death and grief. This is a bedtime and reading time story that kids and adults will love. Love the descriptions of the world and dragons.

What a fun middle grade fantasy! This had such a fun cast of characters, an interesting world, magic, and DRAGONS! I love dragons. It also had one of my favorite opening lines I've ever read in a book.

The pacing was a little bit slow for me, and the jumps between POVs sometimes got confusing. Overall, a solid middle grade and I'm intrigued enough to check out the next book when it comes out!

A stunning tale of four heroes chosen by fate to save the land of Haven. The four children each have a unique story that is woven together by the strings of fate, and it is easy to fall in love with them and their journey. The story is fast paced, full of magic and surprise, and an excellent read for middle aged readers (even bigger ones, too!).

This was such a fun and epic middle grade fantasy read. I loved the author’s descriptive writing style and the unique magic system in this book. This book follows four different characters throughout and I loved following the story and getting to know the characters more. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This was an action packed book that was a great read. The dragons having feathers were interesting since we always think dragons have scales.

Beautiful debut setting the stage for a sweeping saga of epic proportions! Perfect for lovers of magic infused adventures, flying dragons, and complex friendships. I don’t even know how in the world the author kept track of all the threads woven through this story! Very fun read!

Conventional fantasy, but well-done and particularly impressive for being firmly middle grade and a debut. Reyes is already writing at the level of authors she names as inspirations in her endnote: Auxier, Ursu, and Barnhill. I'll read the next one.

I didn't know it was possible for a mg book to bring something fresh and unique to a dragon rider fantasy, but Reyes managed just that! I also love the interactions between the friends and the ways they learn to grow and empathize with each other.