Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to the free advanced digital copy of this book.

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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.

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.

Dragonboy started off slow and had an interesting premise. Blue is chosen as a the replacement king to be surrendered to the dragons but he gets A LOT more than he thought he would. River is a girl who's good at growing plants and taking care of them. Wren leaves her home to search to her lost magic. Shen Li is a boy conscripted into the army to pay his family debt left by his father.

These 4 POVs are thrown together and make for a confusing soup of a story that takes too long for them to join together. They live in a world where magic exists, but magic and non-magic users do not get along. The 4 are from all different groups and have to join forces to prevent another great war.

They do no trust each other until the very end and lots of issues could have been avoided if the "heroes" just talked to each other once finally together. There were too many plot points that didn't fit together easily and it meandered a lot.

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.

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.

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!

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!

A delightful and heart stopping adventure with a fun voice and great characters, HEROES OF HAVENSONG: DRAGONBOY is an excellent MG fantasy. With a compelling magic system, funny moments, and dragons (!!!), there is so much to love.

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!

Looking for your next great middle grade fantasy read? Look no further. While the elements may seem familiar–a group of diverse characters, magic, dragons–the author pulls them together in an unconventional way. First, the initial part of the book skips back and forth several years and among the different characters. This is a little tricky to follow, but does keep things interesting. Second, the characters do not come together quickly, but through a lot of difficulty.

Taking it a step beyond just action, the characters each have some conflicts they are working through and yet, this does not slow the narrative but enhances it and puts the characters in positions where difficult choices have to be made. But don’t fear–there is plenty of action.

This new middle grade fantasy is one that can unequivocally be recommended on every level and with the characters being in the twelve to thirteen age range, it will have appeal to readers from elementary to middle school. This is the first in a series and there is definitely many things to still resolve in this story.

This is an amazing fantasy debut with incredible world building. Four different kids--a witch whose magic has run away, a boy who has turned into a dragon, a girl who does not wish to be his rider, but must, and a boy who has to work off family debts by becoming a soldier--all come together in this superbly written story. The stakes are as high as they can get--the future of the world depends on their success. Each character is interesting and complex, and the various settings are vividly described and form a perfect backdrop to the story events. The magic is fascinating, the details so well drawn, and the fast pace keeps the pages turning. I'm so glad this is the first book in a series because it will leave readers yearning for more.

"And so it has begun, kit.
Now we wait.
We watch.
We listen.
Above all else, we hope.
Yes! We will carry the Great Hope in our bellies until all goodness has been restored."

WOW! I don't tend to read much fantasy but the voice here really pulled me in. The unique worldbuilding with the ability to smell emotions, and magic hiccuping is so fun, clever, and really stands out as a new classic in the fantasy genre. Even though there are lots of characters, it’s easy to follow them as they are all distinct and interesting, and provide their own unique lens onto the creative and detailed worldbuilding here. Some difficult things happen in this book, and the ending is not happy but it IS hopeful--Reyes treats her middle grade readers with respect and maturity, giving them a realistic narrative that leaves us heartbroken but above all hopeful for what's to come. Can't wait to read the next one

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!

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.

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.

“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!

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!