I just adore that cover! It really is striking and depicts what water dragons would look like racing. It really conveys a sense of what this story is all about.

Silver was a wonderful character, full of spunk and courage. She has a wonderful relationship with her cousin Brajon, which was nice to see. Her relationship with her parents was pretty realistic. There was tension between her and her father, because of her lack of focus on becoming a jeweler, but you could still see that they loved each other. Silver’s adventures shows how brave and strong she is and willing to do what it takes to get what she wants. But she is also compassionate and willing to sacrifice her dreams to help others in trouble. Her bond with Hiyyan was also very precious. Hiyyan has quite the personality and as they struggle to get to know each other and to understand each other, their bond only gets stronger.

The plot was well done, although there were some slow spots and at times I was a bit confused as to how much time was passing. But the rest of the story makes up for these short comings. The world building was wonderful. I loved the Arab-inspired world which shows mostly through the food, clothing and architecture. The addition of water dragons was unique. There are a variety of types and they are all described well enough that I could picture them quite well. Silver’s descriptions of riding Hiyyan for the first time was awesome, especially when they flew. There were also some good twists to the story, and the descriptions of the racing were fascinating.

Overall a really good start to an exciting new series. My kids who love the Wings of Fire series, will be excited to read this as well.

A fun middle grade novel featuring dragons and a strong female lead. The pacing is occasionally frustrating in that the narrative often seems rushed and sometimes it's difficult to tell how much time has passed (seriously, how long were they in that cave system?) but the target audience is unlikely to mind and certainly they won't grow bored. It is the start of a series (and reads like it), so readers should expect to buckle up for the long haul. The description of dragons in engaging and charming, I wouldn't be surprised if in the future readers will discuss their preferred water dragon in the same way they discuss their preferred Hogwarts house.