It is an excellent addition to Tales from the Chocolate Heart series, a middle-grade fantasy with snarky princesses, radical goblin girls, terrifying ice giants, a philosophical dragon, and a cat. Sofia has always struggled to be a princess and wants to be able to explore the world. When her sister sends her on a diplomatic mission, the opportunity arises to do what she always liked to move about incognito. Sofia, on her own, learns the most valuable lesson in this tale -to quote, the people of Drachenburg hadn’t been accustomed to the sight of dragons, but they eventually got used to it. It was long past time for all of us to open our minds and hearts to the outside world because there are some things you never learn by staying locked in isolation.

title: The Princess Who Flew with Dragons
Author: Stephanie Burgis
Rating: 3 stars

Princess Sofia is a princess of a kingdom allied with dragons. She is sent as an ambassador for her country to Villenne. Sofia has always felt like non-royalty. She is a bookworm, and in this new city she can pretend to be a scholar, she makes new friends. But when ice giants attack to take back territory lost centuries ago Sofia must now find a way to rescue the royals, including her sister.

So i have conflicting feeling about this book. I’m not sure why but I’m not very attached to Sofia, this book is also book 3 in a series which i think might be why. I feel like she needed to be more sure of herself, but that also made her very human. She is expected to be perfect because she is a princess, but she isn’t and doesn’t want to fail people, but she also wishes people would not judge her for it. Both her and her sister grow from this experience. She becomes more sure of herself and stands up for herself which i wish she’d done at the beginning.

Like i said this was the 3rd book in a series. I don’t feel like i missed much but it could be the reason why i wasn’t as invested in the story. The ending was what sealed the deal.

I was given this book by Bloomsbury Publishing via @Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

#childrensbooks #middlegrade #upperelementary #dragons #trolls #childrensfantasy #fantasy #icegiants #theprincesswhoflewwithdragons
#TheChocolateHeartSeries

I liked this series and it's book. I realize I am not the age demographic for this series, but it seems like something I would have enjoyed if I was younger.

I love that Sofia is taking another major role in this book. I really like her character and very sadden that this series ended.

Unfortunately, I have this book on the short side and events were rushed-but it was still good overall.

This is a magical series. What's great about this series is that each title stands on its own and you can read them in any order.

Third in the Dragon Heart series. Recommended for readers of Jessica Day George, Gail Carson Levine, E.D. Baker, Patricia Wrede, and Cressida Cowell.

Sofia is not your stereotypical princess! She is not tall and willowy, she is not practically perfect, and she does not love court functions or social engagements. When Crown Princess Katrin, her perfect older sister, sends her to visit a neighboring kingdom, Sofia rebels. She joins a group of students and discovers that higher learning is perfect for her - until the kingdom is threatened by ice giants! Can Sofia save herself - and her kingdom - from doom?

One of the best things about this series, is that you don’t have to have read the others in order to enjoy any of them. They are all delightfully wonderful on their own. Especially this one.

Sofia was a character I think many kids will be able to relate too. She makes a lot of mistakes and feels guilty about them, but she also looks for ways to remedy them too. It is her mistakes that makes her stronger and a believable character. I also liked the fact that she didn’t see herself as a very good princess, but when the time came to really be one, she was able to step up and get it done. It was also good to see her change her perspective about herself and her sister, and what it meant to be a ruler to a kingdom.

I loved Jasper, Sofia’s dragon pen pal. When she finally gets to meet him I was just as excited as she was. He really steps up as well to help Sofia when the others are taken. His comments of human behavior were very interesting as well and the two of them had some interesting discussions.

The other characters in this book were also delightful. Sofia meets many new and interesting characters including a kobold and goblins. Talvikki and Fedolia both help Sofia expand her self and her beliefs with their stories and adventures. Fedolia was especially an interesting character with many hidden talents and some selfish priorities. But she does end up helping Sofia in the end.

The plot was really interesting. Sofia’s adventures in Villene were full of fun and learning. The Ice Giants were pretty terrifying and their territory and kingdom were written with such detail that it made me shiver. The resolution of the problem was maybe a bit over the top, but I loved how Sofia just decided to take charge to save her sister, Jasper and the other royals without a thought for her own safety.

A great addition to this series. Kids who loved the first two books will just adore this one as well.

The Princess Who Flew With Dragons by Stephanie Burgis is a fantastic read.

Philosopher Princess Sofia is not a perfect princess. In fact, she make more embarrassing mistakes in a day than her perfect sister, Katrin, has probably made her entire life. When Katrin sends Sofia to Villenne for the Diamond Exhibition to represent all of Drachenburg, Sofia believes that she is being sent away as a punishment. Upon arriving at Villenne, Sofia makes the worst impression imaginable and is sent away from the palace and the exhibition. She soon meets some new friends and has the time of her life … until the Ice Giants come and freeze all the royalty of the world, including Katrin. Sofia must summon all her personal talents and powers in order to save her sister and her kingdom.

As someone who very often makes things worse by my many mistakes, I found great comfort in Sofia. Though I admit, I was a bit worried in the beginning that she would turn out whinny and annoying, she turned out to be a layered character that I connected with and really wanted to see her succeed. I enjoyed getting to know her friends as well and all the adventures they went on. This is the first book in the series that I have read, and though it’s the third in the series, I didn’t feel lost. The past was well explained and I enjoyed this story on its own, though now I want to read the first two. I really recommend this book to kids and adults alike.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

"Perfect for fans of Shannon Hale, this girl-powered fantasy follows a smart young princess determined to save her kingdom.

Princess Sofia of Drachenburg is sick of being used for her older sister's political gains. At twelve years old, she's already been a hostage to invading dragons and promised to marry a wicked fairy. Now she's being sent to far-off Villene to play the part of a charming, diplomatic princess. Her only comfort lies in writing letters to her pen pal and best friend - Jasper, a young dragon she's never even met.

But when an accident leads to her exile from Villene, Sofia is free to wander as she pleases for the first time in her life. And when Jasper's magical sister Aventurine turns him into a human boy, Sofia thinks life can't get any better. Until...the legendary ice giants of the north attack, trying to reclaim the territory that was theirs centuries ago. With the dragons and royals frozen in ice, can Sofia and Jasper save their families and kingdom?

With another strong heroine and plenty of action, this is an enchanting and strong-hearted fantasy set in the same world as The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart and The Girl with the Dragon Heart."

Do yourself a favor and pick up this or ANY book my Stephanie Burgis and you will be whisked away into a magical land you won't want to leave.

When I saw the same author of The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart was coming out with a new book, my family was so excited. We are big fans of Aventurine so we were ready to dive into this. Let's just say, I can't wait for the audiobook to come out because I KNOW my daughter will be listening to it multiple times. Aventurine comes back into this story and turns her brother into a human to help the Princess Sofia after she's been exiled. The story was cute, adventurous, and just the right amount of heart.

Unfortunately this is a book that I have to put as a DNF.

The concept of the novel was cute and seemed like it was going to be a lot of fun to read and to have for younger readers. Who didn't want to go on an adventure when they were flown there in a carriage carried by a dragon? But I found Sofia to be a little bit of an annoying character and wasn't able to get through the book because she was just negative about so much. But it was a fun story while I was reading but I couldn't make it through with Sofia.

Despite the fact that I haven't read the first two books in the series, I found this book easy to follow. The author does an excellent job of briefly recapping the plots of the previous books at the beginning of the story, without feeling like the first two books are being retold in their entirety. The characters are relate-able, with realistic foibles and the mythology of other characters and species feels well developed. The magic in the story has limits, making it more believable and each species has a thoughtful and well developed history and back story. Thought the main character is pretty lovable at the start of the book, her character continues to grow and develop through the story, making the character even more compelling. Having read The Princess Who Flew with Dragons, I would be interested to go back and read the first two stories, as well as Burgis' other work. This book would be on target for those who enjoy Kate O'Hearn, Angie Sage or Rick Riordan.

Princess Sophie gets her own adventure in this third book in the Chocolate Heart series. She is sent off to another land by her sister. After traveling for days by dragon, she arrives disheveled and unwell and makes a mess of the introductions to the king and queen. So she is shuffled off to the outskirts and left on her own. Of course that suits Sophie quite well. She becomes a student at the university and sits in on lectures from her favorite philosopher. She makes friends with goblins and a kobold and writes letters to her dragon friend Jasper about her adventures. Surprisingly, Jasper joins her in his human form. Then her sister gets wind of her disastrous visit and sweeps in to give her a talking to only to be frozen by ice giants. It is up to Sophie and Jasper and their kobold friend, Fedolia to save all the royals and stop the ice giants.

This was a nice continuation of this series. I liked that we got out of Drachenheim and got to see another part of this world. Sophie is definitely a princess and a lot of her thought processes come from a princess standpoint, but she does make an effort to think outside the box and that works in her favor when dealing with the ice dragons.

This is set in the same world as The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart and The Girl with the Dragon Heart, but this time we find out more about Katrin, who is ruling Drachenheim, and her younger sister Sofia, who is not a fan of her sister. When Katrin decides that Sofia will be flown by dragon to the Diamond Exhibition in Villenne to represent the country, Sofia thinks this is just another way her sister is manipulating her. When she arrives, bedraggled and ill after a difficult journey, the king and queen are not impressed and politely banish Sofia and her retinue to a small house far outside town. Since she doesn't think she can make much of a difference, Sofia decides to go undercover and explore Villenne on her own. She doesn't quite think through how difficult and dangerous this is; she even has to borrow clothing from one of her ladies maids in order to go out! She is a fan of a professor of philosophy at the university, and after attending one of his interesting lectures (he is also a bit at odds with the local government), she meets some other students-- goblins Talvikki, Berritt and Hannlena, and a kobold named Fedolia. Not long after, her dragon pen pal Jasper shows up in human form! The two go back to the town and have more adventures. Eventually, however, Katrin gets wind of Sofia's antics and shows up in town, only to be frozen with the other leaders by Ice Giants! Sofia knows she must save her sister even if she isn't her biggest fan, and with the help of Jasper and Fedolia, she heads into the giants' territory to try to save her, which takes skills that Sofia didn't know she had.

Strengths: I adored The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart , with it's interesting setting and copious amounts of hot chocolate! It's fun to revisit the same world but deal with other characters. It's interesting to meet Jasper and get more dragon insight into Drachenheim, and the Ice Giants are a formidable and misunderstood adversary. Sofia's non-princess adventures with the goblins at the university are unusual and teach her a lot about what non royals experience. Sofia is able to solve the Ice Giant problem in an unconventional way, and I think there is at least one more book needed in this series.
Weaknesses: I did not like Sofia. She would have small epiphanies about how much harder everyone else's life was, but then she would go right back to her privileged way of thinking. She did make some progress, but she was not my favorite character.
What I really think: I'm curious to see what direction the next book takes.

This is one of my favorite middle grade series! This novel is full of humor, charm, and magic! The characters are lovable, strong, and determined! I have been a fan since the first novel, and this one did not disappoint! I’m so excited for more! If you love Gail Carson Levine, E. D. Baker, and Jessica Day George, don’t hesitate to read this series! Full review to come!

Hello, I will be adding this review to my Instagram, blog, and Goodreads on October 28th, 2019. Links will be provided to each one once they are live. Thank you!

Title: The Princess who Flew with Dragons (Tales from the Chocolate Heart #3)
Author: Stephanie Burgis
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Publication Date: November 5th, 2019

eARC provided by publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.


Synopsis: "Princess Sofia of Drachenheim is sick of being used for her older sister’s political gains. At twelve years old, she’s already been a hostage to invading dragons and a promised future fiancé to a wicked fairy. Her only comfort lies in writing letters to her pen pal and best friend--Jasper, a young dragon whom she's never even met.

When Sofia's older sister sends her on a diplomatic mission to far-off Villenne, she's meant to play the part of a charming, smiling princess. But when an accident leads to her exile from the city, Sofia is free to wander as she pleases for the first time in her life. And when Jasper's food-mage sister Aventurine turns him into a human boy, Sofia thinks life can't get any better. Until… the legendary ice giants of the north attack, trying to reclaim the territory that they lost centuries ago. With the dragons and royals frozen in ice, can Sofia and Jasper save their families and kingdom?" (Goodreads)



My Review:
I have loved reading through this series and find myself enjoying the characters more as I get the different point of views in each book. For this one in particular, Princess Sofia is our main heroine and I was here for it!

Sofia had a small part in the first book and a bit of a bigger part in the second but this book right here is where she shined! She is brave, loyal, smart, and stubborn. The last quality usually has her ending up in a bit of trouble but that is where I connect with her. We can all be pretty stubborn, am I right?

Aventurine's brother gets to be the main dragon in this tale and I loved his interactions with Sofia! They share similar qualities but seem to come up with different ways to handle a situation. I mean, he is a dragon after all.

New characters are introduced such as goblins and kobolds, even ice giants are present! I loved learning more about each one and seeing how they all fit together at the end.

Overall, this was my favorite one so far. There are great lessons throughout the book and I can't wait to share this wonderful book with my daughter some day!

The third book in Burgis’s dragon series, this book is just as delightful as the first two. This time we’ve got a princess who is terrible at being a princess, along with her dragon and kobold friends trying to save her sister, and a bunch of other neighboring royals from a bunch of ice giants. I recommend this for fans of Jessica Day George and Shannon Hale.

I should probably preface by saying that I've never read any Stephanie Burgis books before. I didn't feel lost with PRINCESS, but perhaps certain intricacies of the world-building didn't shine through as they might for someone familiar with the series.

Overall, it was a pretty 'meh' read. It's a familiar fantasy setup, with dragons and goblins and princesses, and the world felt a bit...stale in that regard. Burgis attempts to twist the royalty narrative with questions of privilege and responsibility, but ultimately, those elements weren't properly developed. Sofia's character arc wasn't BAD, but it lost power due to the narrator constantly reminding us that "three weeks ago, Sofia never would have XXX." As we crawled toward the end, I found myself skipping pages, since the entire story seemed to amount to little more than a lesson: nobody is perfect. Which is great, and true, and important - but I felt slapped over the face with it.

My favourite section was Sofia's undercover adventures with her gang of philosopher girls, a group of goblins (and a kobold) with a knack for both philosophy and TROUBLE. It was tense (would Sofia get exposed? Surely something was going to go wrong!) and fun (bouncy water trampoline) and I adored how dastardly the girls were, whilst simultaneously being accepting and loyal. THIS was the subplot that thwarted expectations about academics/ cleverness versus force, the lines of morality, Sofia's inner struggle, etc, all while being a wonderful adventure. I could've read an entire book about this dynamic, and really, it was after the ice giants showed up that things began to stagnate.

So yes. It wasn't a bad read by any means, but veered towards forgettable. For me personally, it lacked a certain freshness. Still, plenty to enjoy, and it's one I'd recommend to lovers of traditional fantasies. 3/5.

Perhaps I would have found this particular book more appealing had I read the first part, but given the MC's continual references to her own poor behavior in the previous novel I am not convinced this would be the case. This falls into that strange subgenre of middle grade fiction that fixates on highly unpleasant and well to do characters becoming remotely more tolerable after continued to exposure to their less fortunate brethren. I find this particular trope unappealing (people are people, not props in other people's life lessons). I'm sure there are readers who will adore this book but I am not one of them.