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Dragon Realm #1
Dragon Mountain
Deep within the mountain, a great creature stirred in its sleep. Its eyes rolled back in its head, and its wings jerked wide open...
When 12-year-old Billy Chan finds out his parents are sending him to a summer camp in middle-of-nowhere China, he doesn't know what to expect. There he meets fellow campers Dylan, Charlotte, and Ling-Fei, and together they stumble upon an age-old there are four powerful warrior dragons hidden deep within the mountain behind the camp! They need the children's help to set them free before terrible evil in the guise of the Dragon of Death is unleashed upon the earth. Billy and his friends must set off on a dangerous adventure that will take them to the heart of the Dragon Realm. But can they save the dragon and human worlds from destruction?
When 12-year-old Billy Chan finds out his parents are sending him to a summer camp in middle-of-nowhere China, he doesn't know what to expect. There he meets fellow campers Dylan, Charlotte, and Ling-Fei, and together they stumble upon an age-old there are four powerful warrior dragons hidden deep within the mountain behind the camp! They need the children's help to set them free before terrible evil in the guise of the Dragon of Death is unleashed upon the earth. Billy and his friends must set off on a dangerous adventure that will take them to the heart of the Dragon Realm. But can they save the dragon and human worlds from destruction?
256 pages, Paperback
First published September 3, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews
September 21, 2020
This was SO MUCH fun! I had such a blast reading this one. We follow Billy who gets sent to a camp in China. The camp is in the middle of nowhere, but we also have the legend of Dragon Mountain there. Billy makes friends with three kids at the camp where they discover four legendary dragons. They then have to save the world from the Dragon of Death.
This is the first in a series so there are a lot of questions left to be answered. I enjoyed the characters and their differing personalities a lot, as well as the Dragons and their personalities. There was a twist at the end I didn't really see coming so I found that exciting!
This is the first in a series so there are a lot of questions left to be answered. I enjoyed the characters and their differing personalities a lot, as well as the Dragons and their personalities. There was a twist at the end I didn't really see coming so I found that exciting!
October 19, 2022
Not as fun and emersive middle grade book as I had hoped but will probably continue with the series at least with book two
October 30, 2020
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. It sounded like it had a great premise, boy goes to a summer camp in China to study Mandarin and ends up discovering dragons. I was hoping for a Percy Jackson type story but with Chinese mythology and culture. Unfortunately, it just fell really flat for me.
The best part of the book was definitely the beginning when Billy arrives at the camp. He'd much rather be back in Califonia spending his summer surfing. Instead, his family have packed him off to China so he can improve his Mandarin and gain a wider knowledge about his Chinese heritage. This, along with thoughts about how perfect his older brother Eddie is, introduces an interesting dynamic that was never really explored. I also liked meeting Billy's fellow campers and following their inital activities. We get some history about the Chinese Zodiac and the task set for the campers involves solving a riddle. This was the sort of content that I was looking forward to. However, soon after this the story goes in a different direction and I just found it wasn't holding my attention.
The main thing that didn't work for me in this story was the characters.
1)Each member of the team feels like a caricature. They have one feature of their personality that is introduced early on and that is all that they are with little noticeable development.
2)There was no banter between members of the team to make you feel that their relationships are building and they are coming to care for each other. They go from total strangers, quite happy to exist alongside each other with no interaction, to best friends willing to die for each other in the space of a few days and no-one cracks a joke or makes a funny comment to ease the tension.
3) In almost every situation, every character gets to make a comment. This may not sound like a problem, but once other important characters are introduced, you end up with scenes where 8 characters all say essentially the same thing one after the other because everyone has to have their time to talk.
4) They are far too willing to believe everything that is told to them without any real doubts, hesitations or questions. Also, there is a lot of times when the characters, out of nowhere, just suddenly know what to do to solve a problem even though its something they've never done before, seen done or been told about and amazingly it works.
I think this book would be suitable for readers aged 8+ and it is particularly suited to readers aged 8-10.
The best part of the book was definitely the beginning when Billy arrives at the camp. He'd much rather be back in Califonia spending his summer surfing. Instead, his family have packed him off to China so he can improve his Mandarin and gain a wider knowledge about his Chinese heritage. This, along with thoughts about how perfect his older brother Eddie is, introduces an interesting dynamic that was never really explored. I also liked meeting Billy's fellow campers and following their inital activities. We get some history about the Chinese Zodiac and the task set for the campers involves solving a riddle. This was the sort of content that I was looking forward to. However, soon after this the story goes in a different direction and I just found it wasn't holding my attention.
The main thing that didn't work for me in this story was the characters.
1)Each member of the team feels like a caricature. They have one feature of their personality that is introduced early on and that is all that they are with little noticeable development.
2)There was no banter between members of the team to make you feel that their relationships are building and they are coming to care for each other. They go from total strangers, quite happy to exist alongside each other with no interaction, to best friends willing to die for each other in the space of a few days and no-one cracks a joke or makes a funny comment to ease the tension.
3) In almost every situation, every character gets to make a comment. This may not sound like a problem, but once other important characters are introduced, you end up with scenes where 8 characters all say essentially the same thing one after the other because everyone has to have their time to talk.
4) They are far too willing to believe everything that is told to them without any real doubts, hesitations or questions. Also, there is a lot of times when the characters, out of nowhere, just suddenly know what to do to solve a problem even though its something they've never done before, seen done or been told about and amazingly it works.
I think this book would be suitable for readers aged 8+ and it is particularly suited to readers aged 8-10.
January 23, 2021
Yeaaaaaaah... This book 🤦♂️ Genuinely, it started off quite strong, with a handful of likeable characters and a pretty fun premise. But boy did it plummet downhill about half way through.
The world building was beyond clunky, and the quality of writing seemed to decrease for some reason. What started off as a lighthearted romp became increasingly convoluted and boring. The action scenes (if they can even be called that!) were particularly bad, with perpetual use of deus ex machina. I mean, really! Some of the drop of a hat solutions to the heroes’ predicaments were just laughable. Oh and gods, that “twist” ending! Things wrapped up within the course of about 30 pages, and it was wholly unsatisfying. The set-up for sequels was pants-poor too, leaving everything hanging without the slightest sense of a conclusion. Nope, I will not be check them out.
(Shout out, by the way, to Samatha Shannon for describing this as “a joy to read” – further confirmation of her woeful understanding of what makes a good story.)
The world building was beyond clunky, and the quality of writing seemed to decrease for some reason. What started off as a lighthearted romp became increasingly convoluted and boring. The action scenes (if they can even be called that!) were particularly bad, with perpetual use of deus ex machina. I mean, really! Some of the drop of a hat solutions to the heroes’ predicaments were just laughable. Oh and gods, that “twist” ending! Things wrapped up within the course of about 30 pages, and it was wholly unsatisfying. The set-up for sequels was pants-poor too, leaving everything hanging without the slightest sense of a conclusion. Nope, I will not be check them out.
(Shout out, by the way, to Samatha Shannon for describing this as “a joy to read” – further confirmation of her woeful understanding of what makes a good story.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2020
4.5 stars
Dragon Mountain is such fun middle-grade that really reminded me of everything I love about children's fiction. Adventurous, magical and heartwarming it so easy to fall in love with this story and it's characters!!
We follow Billy as he goes to a summer camp in the "middle of nowhere" china, and there he befriends Dylan, Charlotte and Ling-Fei (which first of all these four have the best friendship and was such a joy to read about!!) and they discover they can enter a magical mountain where they meet 4 dragons, who they bond with and have to team up with them to help prevent the dragon of death from taking over the world!!
There was so much I loved about this book, the characters were all so loveable, Billy was your standard middle grade protagonist full of spirit and a great leader with a good heart and his other friends complimented him so well, I love strong friendships (in middle grade especially). The dragons where also such interesting characters to follow and I loved how they bonded with the humans who had similar to hearts to them and how much they cared about there humans!
There was aslo so much action in this book, the characters are constantly getting up to mischief both in the dragon realm and the human realm!! This book just flew by for me and I couldn't believe it when the audiobook was over! Also watching the characters take initiative and use each of their strengths to help the group problem solve was so great to read!
Billy is also bi-racial (with a chinese father and white mother, which I think the authors are a biracial couple) and although I'm not biracial myself I really appreciated that this representation was included in the book and hopefully helps young kids who might be confused about there idenity!! I also loved the mythology that was woven into this book!
Also I listened to the audiobook arc and the narrator was FANTASTIC. one of the best middle grade audiobooks I've ever listened too!!
Dragon Mountain is such fun middle-grade that really reminded me of everything I love about children's fiction. Adventurous, magical and heartwarming it so easy to fall in love with this story and it's characters!!
We follow Billy as he goes to a summer camp in the "middle of nowhere" china, and there he befriends Dylan, Charlotte and Ling-Fei (which first of all these four have the best friendship and was such a joy to read about!!) and they discover they can enter a magical mountain where they meet 4 dragons, who they bond with and have to team up with them to help prevent the dragon of death from taking over the world!!
There was so much I loved about this book, the characters were all so loveable, Billy was your standard middle grade protagonist full of spirit and a great leader with a good heart and his other friends complimented him so well, I love strong friendships (in middle grade especially). The dragons where also such interesting characters to follow and I loved how they bonded with the humans who had similar to hearts to them and how much they cared about there humans!
There was aslo so much action in this book, the characters are constantly getting up to mischief both in the dragon realm and the human realm!! This book just flew by for me and I couldn't believe it when the audiobook was over! Also watching the characters take initiative and use each of their strengths to help the group problem solve was so great to read!
Billy is also bi-racial (with a chinese father and white mother, which I think the authors are a biracial couple) and although I'm not biracial myself I really appreciated that this representation was included in the book and hopefully helps young kids who might be confused about there idenity!! I also loved the mythology that was woven into this book!
Also I listened to the audiobook arc and the narrator was FANTASTIC. one of the best middle grade audiobooks I've ever listened too!!
April 28, 2021
Oh what a lovely adventure and such magic! Plus dragons are always great.
September 2, 2020
When I first heard about this book coming out and saw its cover I wanted to read it as soon as possible. I was so excited to discover what the actual book would hold. I was sure I would love it and that it would be an outright 5 stars read.
I requested and received an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review.
Looking at its intended reader in younger middle grade, this book holds a fantastic adventure story where four kids in their early teens meet up for the first time and set soon out onto the adventure of their life. There are dragons and scary moments and riddles that need to be solved and a world that needs saving and all four children learn more about themselves by being thrown together into this adventure. There is some really good representation in this book with breaking up gender stereotypes bit by bit.
So far so good.
However, there were also parts of the story I did not get along with as well as expected.
In the end, this book was quite a mixed bag of reading experiences for me with some wonderful scenes in it and having an overall feel of gentleness, kindness and cosiness, of wonder and adventure, and on the other hand a story that fell in quite a few ways somewhat apart.
I requested and received an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review.
Looking at its intended reader in younger middle grade, this book holds a fantastic adventure story where four kids in their early teens meet up for the first time and set soon out onto the adventure of their life. There are dragons and scary moments and riddles that need to be solved and a world that needs saving and all four children learn more about themselves by being thrown together into this adventure. There is some really good representation in this book with breaking up gender stereotypes bit by bit.
So far so good.
However, there were also parts of the story I did not get along with as well as expected.
In the end, this book was quite a mixed bag of reading experiences for me with some wonderful scenes in it and having an overall feel of gentleness, kindness and cosiness, of wonder and adventure, and on the other hand a story that fell in quite a few ways somewhat apart.
September 7, 2020
The idea of travelling from California to the ‘middle-of-nowhere’ China for a Summer Camp to help brush up on Cantonese is the worst possible use of holiday time for Billy Chan. Yet little does he know that fate has in store for him a trip like no other and the time spent far up in the mountains at Camp Dragon will turn out to be anything as dull as he had imagined.
Dragon Mountain has everything in it that you would want from a domestic-fantasy novel but with something far more relevant and updated with regards to relationships between friends who become family. Billy Chan, disjointed from his home and at odds with his Hong-Kong heritage, finds himself trapped on a mountain with other 11+ year olds in similar positions. Dylan O’Donnell, a reserved and cautious boy from Ireland, the over-confident ju-jjitsu specialist Charlotte Bell from the deep South and native Leng-Fei who carries a zen-like calm about her, inadvertently find themselves grouped together.
Countries and characters apart, they should have a reason for communicating yet when the Camp’s mentor, Old Gold, sets them a task each finds that they bring something special and unique to this partnership that means that it all just works – as if by magic. Yet when they encounter an other-worldly tiger and an ominous crack in the mountainside wide enough for a person to fit through, the partnership is stretched to its limits.
Dragon Mountain is the first in a series of stories by Katie and Kevin Tsang which sees our four protagonists team up with a group of dragons who need their help to save their world and the human world. Realms away, lost in time, a darkness is slowly awakening as the Dragon of Death gradually regains the strength and power it once lost. Will our protagonists and their dragon companions have the strength, cunning and teamwork required to stave off its coming?
Aside from the richly imagined dragon world, Katie and Kevin Tsang story should also be celebrated for the modern and wholesome relationships between the four children. Whilst much of this story is about each protagonist confronting their identity and understanding their strengths, it is also a story of self-belief and the power that real friendships have in fostering this. No hero here is perfect but each imperfection is what makes them unique and believable. Put together though and this sense of support, care and trust in each other makes the story and characters so very special.
I found myself particularly fascinated in Billy’s own conflict between his love of the Californian waves and the dismissiveness of his Chinese heritage. The other characters too, alongside their dragons, each have their own journeys to make and these are not rounded nicely by the end of this first instalment. Instead they each have room to grow. Some have tough exteriors that may need to crack whilst others remain self-doubting. What Katie and Kevin Tsang have here is not just a world rich in imagination but characters rich for growing and changing and building together.
Considering how much children’s fantasy is full of characters who carry on regardless of any conflicts or challenges that come their way, Dragon Mountain acknowledges that it is the inner journey that is the real adventure and how we choose to get there and who with is part of the real magic.
Dragon Mountain has everything in it that you would want from a domestic-fantasy novel but with something far more relevant and updated with regards to relationships between friends who become family. Billy Chan, disjointed from his home and at odds with his Hong-Kong heritage, finds himself trapped on a mountain with other 11+ year olds in similar positions. Dylan O’Donnell, a reserved and cautious boy from Ireland, the over-confident ju-jjitsu specialist Charlotte Bell from the deep South and native Leng-Fei who carries a zen-like calm about her, inadvertently find themselves grouped together.
Countries and characters apart, they should have a reason for communicating yet when the Camp’s mentor, Old Gold, sets them a task each finds that they bring something special and unique to this partnership that means that it all just works – as if by magic. Yet when they encounter an other-worldly tiger and an ominous crack in the mountainside wide enough for a person to fit through, the partnership is stretched to its limits.
Dragon Mountain is the first in a series of stories by Katie and Kevin Tsang which sees our four protagonists team up with a group of dragons who need their help to save their world and the human world. Realms away, lost in time, a darkness is slowly awakening as the Dragon of Death gradually regains the strength and power it once lost. Will our protagonists and their dragon companions have the strength, cunning and teamwork required to stave off its coming?
Aside from the richly imagined dragon world, Katie and Kevin Tsang story should also be celebrated for the modern and wholesome relationships between the four children. Whilst much of this story is about each protagonist confronting their identity and understanding their strengths, it is also a story of self-belief and the power that real friendships have in fostering this. No hero here is perfect but each imperfection is what makes them unique and believable. Put together though and this sense of support, care and trust in each other makes the story and characters so very special.
I found myself particularly fascinated in Billy’s own conflict between his love of the Californian waves and the dismissiveness of his Chinese heritage. The other characters too, alongside their dragons, each have their own journeys to make and these are not rounded nicely by the end of this first instalment. Instead they each have room to grow. Some have tough exteriors that may need to crack whilst others remain self-doubting. What Katie and Kevin Tsang have here is not just a world rich in imagination but characters rich for growing and changing and building together.
Considering how much children’s fantasy is full of characters who carry on regardless of any conflicts or challenges that come their way, Dragon Mountain acknowledges that it is the inner journey that is the real adventure and how we choose to get there and who with is part of the real magic.
January 7, 2021
Waterstones Children's Book of the Month for September 2020
I received a promotional reading copy from the publisher. I decided to read it out of interest and my opinion will not be influenced by this.
As soon as I saw the cover I knew this was one that I was going to read. After I read the blurb I took it home. Then, I saw the authors and thought things have gone better since I was familiar with their other works and I liked them. So yeah, I was kind of biased in terms of DRAGONS, but oh I enjoyed this book so much!
The writing style was very engaging and the story had a very good rhythm, you literally cannot get bored as you jump from one action to the next one and twists and turns and changes and it won’t stop getting better. I found it very easy to connect with the characters, there are four kids who are the protagonists with very different personalities, so it makes it fun and natural to connect with them and their struggles as a group.
But also the dragons are such lovable characters as well, and their relationship with the kids is equal parts wholesome and funny.
Billy, one of the main characters is bi-racial, with a Chinese father and white American mother, which I only highlight in terms of diversity and representation for kids. As the authors are a bi-racial couple, I feel like this issue was dealt and woven into the plot perfectly.
If I had to compare this books I would recommend them to kids who liked How To Train Your Dragon, Percy Jackson, Frostheart and obviously The Land of Roar.
It is the first one of a series and it has drawn my attention enough to keep an eye on the sequels as I need to know how the story continues. It kinda end on a bit of a cliffhanger, so it definitely encourages you to read the rest.
I received a promotional reading copy from the publisher. I decided to read it out of interest and my opinion will not be influenced by this.
As soon as I saw the cover I knew this was one that I was going to read. After I read the blurb I took it home. Then, I saw the authors and thought things have gone better since I was familiar with their other works and I liked them. So yeah, I was kind of biased in terms of DRAGONS, but oh I enjoyed this book so much!
The writing style was very engaging and the story had a very good rhythm, you literally cannot get bored as you jump from one action to the next one and twists and turns and changes and it won’t stop getting better. I found it very easy to connect with the characters, there are four kids who are the protagonists with very different personalities, so it makes it fun and natural to connect with them and their struggles as a group.
But also the dragons are such lovable characters as well, and their relationship with the kids is equal parts wholesome and funny.
Billy, one of the main characters is bi-racial, with a Chinese father and white American mother, which I only highlight in terms of diversity and representation for kids. As the authors are a bi-racial couple, I feel like this issue was dealt and woven into the plot perfectly.
If I had to compare this books I would recommend them to kids who liked How To Train Your Dragon, Percy Jackson, Frostheart and obviously The Land of Roar.
It is the first one of a series and it has drawn my attention enough to keep an eye on the sequels as I need to know how the story continues. It kinda end on a bit of a cliffhanger, so it definitely encourages you to read the rest.
December 26, 2023
I really should have trusted my instincts on this one, because I enjoyed listening to Dragon Mountain a whole lot! There's dragons and friendship, magic and mayhem, funny banter, great sentiments and a plot filled with adventure and action -- all things that I personally adore in the stories I read. While it certainly is geared towards a younger target audience (and I'll definitely be gifting this one to the younger readers I know), I still very much enjoyed getting to know Billy and his friends, as well as their dragons, and getting to be a part of the adventure they go on. It's such a delightful read, and I'm looking forward to continuing with the series.
January 16, 2021
This was a brilliant middle grade fantasy. With dragons, magic, adventure, friendships and did I mention dragons? What more could you want. An easy read a brilliant adventure.
April 11, 2022
CAWPILE rating: 6.93
actual rating: 3.5 ⭐️
actual rating: 3.5 ⭐️
December 9, 2021
I would have stopped reading Dragon Mountain after the first few chapters, if it wasn't for my son. He's seven and it's about dragons, so obviously he liked it. However, the storytelling was awful. It's like the authors were trying too hard to convince readers that their characters were believably afraid of the dangers they faced. Billy constantly questioned his choices and bounced between excitement and trepidation so often it made me want to scream. Just go on your flarking adventure! We already know this book is fiction, you don't have to constantly berate me with a character's inner turmoil over one decision. There are DRAGONS for the love of God. I wish they had just accepted their situation and went with it.
Comparing this book to Percy Jackson is an insult to Rick Riordan.
The story itself didn't always make sense, and I could tell my son was getting frustrated with me for stopping so I could notate my issues with the book. The dragons have been trapped in a mountain for what? A hundred years or something? Yet they don't have names? What have they been calling each other all this time??? "When our humans die, so does the name. It is wiped from my memory and all who have ever spoken it." Okay, so why do other dragons have names? They've been referring to other dragons like Dimitrius, yet they themselves haven't had one for more than a century? Pfft. Additionally, the names they are given by children were predictably lame and unoriginal. Tank? Spark? Buttons? (If I were an ancient and powerful dragon, I would have been insulted by their lack of imagination.)
The dialogue between the characters is also obnoxious af. The kids talking amongst themselves is one thing, but the ANCIENT DRAGONS sounded just as inexperienced and came across as childish themselves. Don't even get me started on Billy's acceptance of death. In the midst of him constantly questioning what they're doing he somehow comes to terms with his own death. "This might be the last thing that he ever did. He thought about his life at home, his life before dragons. And he realized that even if this was the end, it would be worth it. To get a chance to experience magic in the world. To be a part of something epic." What is he? 12? And he's known about dragons and magic for less than 24 hours. How did he go from speculative to full on I WILL DIE FOR THIS SHIT?
There were also several inconsistencies that I'm not even going to bother to list, but they made me roll my eyes and wish for the book's seemingly inevitable conclusion. I just wanted the story to end so I could get rid of the book and never think about it again. Dragon Mountain had the potential to be a fun middle grade book for kids, but the redundancy and dialogue were too off-putting. I liked how the book started, but it went from okay to terrible as soon as the kids discovered dragons. If you're going to write something fantastical, it has to be believable (this was not). The world-building needs to make sense (it didn't), and the characters have to be somewhat likable or at least people you want to root for (not even a little bit). (★★☆☆☆)
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Comparing this book to Percy Jackson is an insult to Rick Riordan.
The story itself didn't always make sense, and I could tell my son was getting frustrated with me for stopping so I could notate my issues with the book. The dragons have been trapped in a mountain for what? A hundred years or something? Yet they don't have names? What have they been calling each other all this time??? "When our humans die, so does the name. It is wiped from my memory and all who have ever spoken it." Okay, so why do other dragons have names? They've been referring to other dragons like Dimitrius, yet they themselves haven't had one for more than a century? Pfft. Additionally, the names they are given by children were predictably lame and unoriginal. Tank? Spark? Buttons? (If I were an ancient and powerful dragon, I would have been insulted by their lack of imagination.)
The dialogue between the characters is also obnoxious af. The kids talking amongst themselves is one thing, but the ANCIENT DRAGONS sounded just as inexperienced and came across as childish themselves. Don't even get me started on Billy's acceptance of death. In the midst of him constantly questioning what they're doing he somehow comes to terms with his own death. "This might be the last thing that he ever did. He thought about his life at home, his life before dragons. And he realized that even if this was the end, it would be worth it. To get a chance to experience magic in the world. To be a part of something epic." What is he? 12? And he's known about dragons and magic for less than 24 hours. How did he go from speculative to full on I WILL DIE FOR THIS SHIT?
There were also several inconsistencies that I'm not even going to bother to list, but they made me roll my eyes and wish for the book's seemingly inevitable conclusion. I just wanted the story to end so I could get rid of the book and never think about it again. Dragon Mountain had the potential to be a fun middle grade book for kids, but the redundancy and dialogue were too off-putting. I liked how the book started, but it went from okay to terrible as soon as the kids discovered dragons. If you're going to write something fantastical, it has to be believable (this was not). The world-building needs to make sense (it didn't), and the characters have to be somewhat likable or at least people you want to root for (not even a little bit). (★★☆☆☆)
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July 14, 2021
I started this book at 8am this morning it’s now 3:30pm I could not put it down and absolutely brilliant adventure story with fabulous characters you can’t help but immediately love, and the dragons!! Such amazing individual personalities that leaped from the page!
I’m so glad I have dragon legend that I can dive straight into!
I’m so glad I have dragon legend that I can dive straight into!
August 23, 2021
This is the kind of book that even though it was really adventurous and fast pace, the really juvenile writing threw me off completely.
It was one of those cases that the middle grade read way too young for me unfortunately.
It was one of those cases that the middle grade read way too young for me unfortunately.
March 31, 2021
Great attractive looking dragon book, perfect for fans of Wings of Fire and moving on from Dragon Defenders. The age of the protagonist being 12 makes the idea of going to a summer camp in China more believable than the age of the readers who seem to be going for this book, namely about age 7-9. The kids I am selling it to are reserving it in their droves and number two has been ordered.
March 24, 2022
There was zero resolution to this story at the end. Hearts of humans bonding with dragons and the dragons issuing them spidey suits and spandex with skirts was unexpected. Real unexpected. Almost a DNF
October 12, 2021
Rated by nine year olds
Josh- 5 stars
Abby- 5 stars
Aiden- 10 stars 🤷🏻♀️🤣
Josh- 5 stars
Abby- 5 stars
Aiden- 10 stars 🤷🏻♀️🤣
September 11, 2020
A dragon-filled adventure and the first book in an exciting new series by Katie and Kevin Tsang, co-authors of the popular Sam Wu books.
12-year-old Billy Chan has been sent from his home in California - where he’d much rather be surfing - to a Chinese Summer Camp deep in the shadows of a mysterious mountain in China. In between learning Mandarin, martial arts and cooking, there are to be team challenges, the first of which takes Billy and his new friends (Charlotte, Ling Fei and Dylan) into an area that is out of bounds. Ling Fei loses her necklace and they are forced to return to the area. When his new friends disappear, Billy bravely enters the mountain to find them, but comes face to face with four dragons! As each of the children forms an unbreakable bond with a dragon, they discover that Ling Fei’s necklace is more than it appears to be and with the power it bestows, along with other magical pearls, the four small humans are tasked to save the whole dragon and human realms!
This was an amazing start to the Dragon Realm series and I was quickly hooked. Filled with legend, magic and, of course, dragons, this would sate any young fantasy lover’s reading appetite. There's excitement around each corner - from magical objects to out-of-bounds adventuring. I also loved that each of the children was so different, but managed to form a loyal team, exemplifying how you don’t have to be friends with only people who are similar to you.
This is a beguiling start to a promising adventure series, filled with humour, warmth, action and magic.
Many thanks to the publisher for our review copy. This features on our Autumn 2020 Ones to Watch list.
12-year-old Billy Chan has been sent from his home in California - where he’d much rather be surfing - to a Chinese Summer Camp deep in the shadows of a mysterious mountain in China. In between learning Mandarin, martial arts and cooking, there are to be team challenges, the first of which takes Billy and his new friends (Charlotte, Ling Fei and Dylan) into an area that is out of bounds. Ling Fei loses her necklace and they are forced to return to the area. When his new friends disappear, Billy bravely enters the mountain to find them, but comes face to face with four dragons! As each of the children forms an unbreakable bond with a dragon, they discover that Ling Fei’s necklace is more than it appears to be and with the power it bestows, along with other magical pearls, the four small humans are tasked to save the whole dragon and human realms!
This was an amazing start to the Dragon Realm series and I was quickly hooked. Filled with legend, magic and, of course, dragons, this would sate any young fantasy lover’s reading appetite. There's excitement around each corner - from magical objects to out-of-bounds adventuring. I also loved that each of the children was so different, but managed to form a loyal team, exemplifying how you don’t have to be friends with only people who are similar to you.
This is a beguiling start to a promising adventure series, filled with humour, warmth, action and magic.
Many thanks to the publisher for our review copy. This features on our Autumn 2020 Ones to Watch list.
June 20, 2024
This book had an interesting premise, and I like that it featured four heroes instead of the usual Golden Trio. The dragons are delightful and I generally liked the characters.
On the downside, I would have definitely liked this story to have a few moments of character introspection, reflection, and/or the characters just interacting without having to talk about the situation (plot). The pace moves so fast once the main plot kicks in that we don't get a chance to have a lot of emotional connection to what's happening.
I was also a bit disturbed by
Young kids might enjoy this story, though it reads more like an older elementary-school chapter book than a full-on middle grade. The book also ends in a way that makes you want to pick up the second book, so I may be checking that out at some point.
On the downside, I would have definitely liked this story to have a few moments of character introspection, reflection, and/or the characters just interacting without having to talk about the situation (plot). The pace moves so fast once the main plot kicks in that we don't get a chance to have a lot of emotional connection to what's happening.
I was also a bit disturbed by
Young kids might enjoy this story, though it reads more like an older elementary-school chapter book than a full-on middle grade. The book also ends in a way that makes you want to pick up the second book, so I may be checking that out at some point.
August 25, 2020
Billy is shipped off to language camp in China by his parents, in a bid to teach him about his half Chinese heritage, and he thinks it's going to be boring without his friends and away from the sea his favourite pastime, surfing. He never imagines that legends will come to life and he'll find himself in a battle to save both the dragon world and his own from the Dragon of Death.
All the talk of delicious Chinese food made me feel extremely hungry throughout the book.
I would have preferred a slightly more satisfying ending, I wasn't expecting to be left with such a cliffhanger, however it does say this is part of a series. I liked the narrator and all his different accents for the various characters.
All the talk of delicious Chinese food made me feel extremely hungry throughout the book.
I would have preferred a slightly more satisfying ending, I wasn't expecting to be left with such a cliffhanger, however it does say this is part of a series. I liked the narrator and all his different accents for the various characters.
October 3, 2020
Okay, I figured I'd been a bit harsh giving this 3 stars, so it's getting 4.
Dragon Mountain follows a group of young teenagers as they go to a summer camp in China, and then discover dragons.
The first in the Dragon Realms system, this was an entertaining, fun tale that sets up an interesting concept and four very different kids. I got a little bit Five Children and It vibes from it, the way that we quickly got to the dragons and some of the dragon lore explained, and there's a thing I can't spoil for you, but I should have guessed that would happen.
Easy to read, I did this in just over two 40 min bus journeys. It rattles along nicely and I think I'd like to see where this goes.
I'd say this is a solid 8-10 year old story with lots of dragons and fun moments.
Dragon Mountain follows a group of young teenagers as they go to a summer camp in China, and then discover dragons.
The first in the Dragon Realms system, this was an entertaining, fun tale that sets up an interesting concept and four very different kids. I got a little bit Five Children and It vibes from it, the way that we quickly got to the dragons and some of the dragon lore explained, and there's a thing I can't spoil for you, but I should have guessed that would happen.
Easy to read, I did this in just over two 40 min bus journeys. It rattles along nicely and I think I'd like to see where this goes.
I'd say this is a solid 8-10 year old story with lots of dragons and fun moments.
October 10, 2021
Expected rating - 4stars
Actual rating - 3.5stars
New words learnt - 1
MILD SPOILERS HERE AND THERE, READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
You got dragons? Then I'm in. And when I saw this book in a Waterstones email, I knew I had to get it, and it held up well for the most part. Took a bit to get going, but that was understandable, and once the dragons come into play then the story really starts. As far as the story goes, it felt like a mixture of Eragon and Avengers: infinity war. These comparisons were noticeable, though they were mostly forgiven. And I did appreciate the darker tone and higher stakes.
Characters were again, mostly likeable. We have our main four children protagonists: Billy, Charlotte, Ling-Fei, and Dylan. Billy is the main character, and he experiences way too many mood swings, even for a twelve-year old. Apart from that he's sound. Charlotte is the confident one in the group, a perfectionist that isn't afraid to speak her mind, or throw a punch. Ling-Fei is the calm, optimistic child that believes in the best of outcomes and is always cheerful or looking on the bright side. Dylan is the skeptical, pessimistic, nerdy child and to be honest, it was with his character that I had my biggest issue. I don't really like these sort of characters, because a) their pessimism most often is their main trait, b) the story uses them as a wacky comedy-relief side-character (mostly at their expense as well [what, do you expect us to laugh at his misery?]) and c) they barely offer anything to the story. And he fell in all three categories. Not gonna say much beyond these four, because there aren't many other human characters that we focus on.
For the dragons, I will go in a bit more depth with each one in our Dragon-o-meter, but a quick review is that the main four were varied in both personality and shape type. And I think the 4 of them collectively brought more to this book than the 4 humans.
Writing wise the book was light and simple. I think 7+ ages will all enjoy it, with plenty of flowery prose to sparkle the imagination, especially with the Dragon Realm.
Not much else to say right now, I shall definitely pick up the next one whenever I can, and am intrigued on where the adventures leads next.
DRAGON-O-METER:
In this edition of Dragon-o-meter, we will take a detailed look at the four main dragons of the story: Xing, Buttons, Tank, and of course, Spark. I'd also like to take this moment to say that this is in no way criticising the authors of their work, they did great and should be proud. It is just my opinion on the dragons and should as always, be taken with a grain of salt.
Size: Starting with Xing, she is basically a Chinese/East Asian dragon, long and snake-like with long whiskers. It does say early on that she managed to wrap around the children a few times with enough length to chase after and wrap Billy, so she has decent length. Buttons is described to have a sort of dinosaur appearance, like a T-rex, with short arms and strong thick legs and tail. The fact he can give hugs means he isn't THAT big. I believe Tank and Spark are bigger, but where Tank is built like, well a tank, Spark is more elegant looking and her wings also serve as the front limbs (basically she's a wyvern). (4/10), (3/10), (7/10), (6/10).
Personality: Xing is the more mean-spirited, straight-to-your-face attitude dragon that put a decent amount of respect on appearance, so not too far from certain standards. Buttons is the more cheerful, optimistic dragon that is also quirky and a bit different. Also highly emotional and naïve, which is not common with dragons. Tank is the ferocious one, and the closest to western versions of dragons. Finally, Spark has the calm, wise and patient personality that balances out the other three. (6/10), (4/10), (8/10), (7/10)
Appearance: Ok so I think I went through these in Size, so just gonna be quick with this one. They all are different versions of dragons, and I tend to have a bias towards a certain type (mainly Tank and Spark). I'm not the fondest of the asian dragons, as their main strength is wisdom and not strength, and also they're more vulnerable than western dragons. I'm also not the fondest of the image of a T-rex with small wings. Tank is the real deal, four legs, big bulk of a body, massive wings. Spark is also very nice, though points taken off for no front legs, and the fact she has antlers. No, just no. (5/10), (4/10), (9/10), (7/10).
Intelligence: They can all talk, so great news here. And they can hold deep, emotional conversations with their knowledge and wisdom. Buttons might be a bit lacking in this compartment too compared to the others from the pages that I've read, but I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and rate them all the same. (7/10), (7/10), (7/10), (7/10).
Power: Each have their own unique power, I think. Xing can sense things, and Spark can have visions. Tank has his brute power, while Buttons is... I don't know to be honest. He's a bit like the Dylan of the group. (5/10), (4/10), (8/10), (7/10).
My Approval: Xing has potential, but I feel is the most vulnerable dragon of this four, Buttons should apply to become human, Tank is an OG that the other three should envy, and Spark is basically Saphira with Antlers and a voice box. (5/10), (3/10), (8/10), (6/10).
Overall: 32/60 (5.3/10), 25/60 (4.1/10), 47/60 (7.8/10), 40/60 (6.66/10)
P.S. Sorry Buttons! Concept wise you are actually great, but you seriously need to dragon up otherwise you'll be eaten alive!
Actual rating - 3.5stars
New words learnt - 1
MILD SPOILERS HERE AND THERE, READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
You got dragons? Then I'm in. And when I saw this book in a Waterstones email, I knew I had to get it, and it held up well for the most part. Took a bit to get going, but that was understandable, and once the dragons come into play then the story really starts. As far as the story goes, it felt like a mixture of Eragon and Avengers: infinity war. These comparisons were noticeable, though they were mostly forgiven. And I did appreciate the darker tone and higher stakes.
Characters were again, mostly likeable. We have our main four children protagonists: Billy, Charlotte, Ling-Fei, and Dylan. Billy is the main character, and he experiences way too many mood swings, even for a twelve-year old. Apart from that he's sound. Charlotte is the confident one in the group, a perfectionist that isn't afraid to speak her mind, or throw a punch. Ling-Fei is the calm, optimistic child that believes in the best of outcomes and is always cheerful or looking on the bright side. Dylan is the skeptical, pessimistic, nerdy child and to be honest, it was with his character that I had my biggest issue. I don't really like these sort of characters, because a) their pessimism most often is their main trait, b) the story uses them as a wacky comedy-relief side-character (mostly at their expense as well [what, do you expect us to laugh at his misery?]) and c) they barely offer anything to the story. And he fell in all three categories. Not gonna say much beyond these four, because there aren't many other human characters that we focus on.
For the dragons, I will go in a bit more depth with each one in our Dragon-o-meter, but a quick review is that the main four were varied in both personality and shape type. And I think the 4 of them collectively brought more to this book than the 4 humans.
Writing wise the book was light and simple. I think 7+ ages will all enjoy it, with plenty of flowery prose to sparkle the imagination, especially with the Dragon Realm.
Not much else to say right now, I shall definitely pick up the next one whenever I can, and am intrigued on where the adventures leads next.
DRAGON-O-METER:
In this edition of Dragon-o-meter, we will take a detailed look at the four main dragons of the story: Xing, Buttons, Tank, and of course, Spark. I'd also like to take this moment to say that this is in no way criticising the authors of their work, they did great and should be proud. It is just my opinion on the dragons and should as always, be taken with a grain of salt.
Size: Starting with Xing, she is basically a Chinese/East Asian dragon, long and snake-like with long whiskers. It does say early on that she managed to wrap around the children a few times with enough length to chase after and wrap Billy, so she has decent length. Buttons is described to have a sort of dinosaur appearance, like a T-rex, with short arms and strong thick legs and tail. The fact he can give hugs means he isn't THAT big. I believe Tank and Spark are bigger, but where Tank is built like, well a tank, Spark is more elegant looking and her wings also serve as the front limbs (basically she's a wyvern). (4/10), (3/10), (7/10), (6/10).
Personality: Xing is the more mean-spirited, straight-to-your-face attitude dragon that put a decent amount of respect on appearance, so not too far from certain standards. Buttons is the more cheerful, optimistic dragon that is also quirky and a bit different. Also highly emotional and naïve, which is not common with dragons. Tank is the ferocious one, and the closest to western versions of dragons. Finally, Spark has the calm, wise and patient personality that balances out the other three. (6/10), (4/10), (8/10), (7/10)
Appearance: Ok so I think I went through these in Size, so just gonna be quick with this one. They all are different versions of dragons, and I tend to have a bias towards a certain type (mainly Tank and Spark). I'm not the fondest of the asian dragons, as their main strength is wisdom and not strength, and also they're more vulnerable than western dragons. I'm also not the fondest of the image of a T-rex with small wings. Tank is the real deal, four legs, big bulk of a body, massive wings. Spark is also very nice, though points taken off for no front legs, and the fact she has antlers. No, just no. (5/10), (4/10), (9/10), (7/10).
Intelligence: They can all talk, so great news here. And they can hold deep, emotional conversations with their knowledge and wisdom. Buttons might be a bit lacking in this compartment too compared to the others from the pages that I've read, but I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and rate them all the same. (7/10), (7/10), (7/10), (7/10).
Power: Each have their own unique power, I think. Xing can sense things, and Spark can have visions. Tank has his brute power, while Buttons is... I don't know to be honest. He's a bit like the Dylan of the group. (5/10), (4/10), (8/10), (7/10).
My Approval: Xing has potential, but I feel is the most vulnerable dragon of this four, Buttons should apply to become human, Tank is an OG that the other three should envy, and Spark is basically Saphira with Antlers and a voice box. (5/10), (3/10), (8/10), (6/10).
Overall: 32/60 (5.3/10), 25/60 (4.1/10), 47/60 (7.8/10), 40/60 (6.66/10)
P.S. Sorry Buttons! Concept wise you are actually great, but you seriously need to dragon up otherwise you'll be eaten alive!
November 16, 2021
This book was a lot of fun. I absolutely loved how magical the adventure was. So easy to read with a lot of action, hard to put down. The characters are all likeable. I like that the dragons match their human so perfectly. This is a great start to a new series for me. This book ended in a way that makes you want to read the next one the find out what happens to a character. I can’t wait to pick up Dragon Legend.
July 21, 2020
Promising start to a new adventure series. Dragons! Quests! Monsters! Magic powers! Hurray. No sterotyping whilst still sticking to questy style tropes. Four new friends learning much about friendship, courage, empathy, all good things. Both happy there will be more adventures, but disappointed you can't feel satisfied just reading this on its own, really.
August 20, 2020
This is a great adventure for younger readers. I liked the children in the book and found them to be well written and interesting. The Dragons are really cool and it was fun to see all the different types of dragons. The plot was adventurous with a great twist ending. The book ends on a pretty big cliffhanger that is sure to leave readers wanting more.
March 28, 2022
Really did enjoy the first book in this series and found it to be a great start.
Liked the group of characters that we followed mainly in the book.
The one thing I will say that confused me was the disappearance of the camp that was introduced in the beginning. Did really like it though and I can see already how the characters will hopefully develop throughout the rest of the series.
The dragons I found absolutely great and how they came across them was good and really exciting. Am looking forward to the progression in this series but am chuffed how it started out
Liked the group of characters that we followed mainly in the book.
The one thing I will say that confused me was the disappearance of the camp that was introduced in the beginning. Did really like it though and I can see already how the characters will hopefully develop throughout the rest of the series.
The dragons I found absolutely great and how they came across them was good and really exciting. Am looking forward to the progression in this series but am chuffed how it started out
May 19, 2020
An action-packed adventure story filled with magic and dragons. The Tsangs have struck gold again with another brilliantly pitched series for children- I think I love it just as much as Sam Wu!
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