Dragonwatch Review

Distiller: Hikari Loftus
4/5 Stars



Dragonwatch
by Brandon Mull
384 pages
Shadow Mountain (March 14, 2017)

As you might have already guessed from my previous posts about Dragonwatch, I have been highly anticipating this return to the world of Fablehaven since last year. I was over the moon to receive this in LitJoyCrate's middle grade box and dove in almost immediately. 

Fablehaven is one of my favorite middle grade series and as a dragon lover, I’ve been excited to read this companion series set in Wyrmroost, the dragon sanctuary.

For starters, you do not have to read Fablehaven to pick up Dragonwatch— but as with any companion book or series, you’ll just have to accept that it will contain some spoilers. Since we are returning to Fablehaven and many of the same characters (Kendra and Seth still have the lead in Dragonwatch) author Brandon Mull made sure to briefly explain anything that carried over. It was a great refresher for me as well as a good way to get new readers up to speed.

I loved this return to Fablehaven and picking back up with Kendra and Seth (and other favorite characters). It just felt so good and nostalgic to be back in a world I have already spent hours inside, and to learn more about it. I also am really intrigued about where the series is heading based on what was set up in “Dragonwatch” and have some high hopes.

I think my only real complaint with “Dragonwatch” is that I really wanted the stakes to be higher when it came down to the conflicts and near-battles that happened along the way. There were a lot of things that happened in this first novel and I really wanted to feel more on the edge of my seat about them.

Like Fablehaven, Mull brings back a lot of humor, a lot of magic, and interesting characters. I think any reader could relate with either Kendra or Seth and I like the introspective process each of them goes through in their character arcs. I also love how their grandparents are such a big part of these books, and it’s those close family relations that I often miss from YA.

I’m really looking forward to where this series goes and highly recommend Fablehaven to EVERYONE. If you’re looking for good books for both male and female young readers, definitely give them a try.