Dragonwatch (Dragonwatch, Book 1)
Wrath of the Dragon King (Dragonwatch, Book 2)
Master of the Phantom Isle (Dragonwatch, Book 3)
Champion of the Titan Games (Dragonwatch, Book 4)
Return of the Dragon Slayer (Dragonwatch, Book 5)
My Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!
Best for: All ages! Independent readers 10 and up
A Very Grand Finale!
The last book in a great series is often bittersweet, and this one absolutely was. Fablehaven fans are going to be particularly sentimental: Return of the Dragon Slayers puts a perfectly tied bow not only on Dragonwatch, but on Fablehaven as well. If you’ve been around for all 10 books, you’re in for a treat.
I’m going to call it Dragonwatch: The Redemption of Seth.
Fablehaven fans (and many who punted the books) know Seth as the main character who kept making terrible decisions over and over (and over) again. Dragonwatch is his redemption. The entire series has more at stake and there’s more character growth by far than in Fablehaven, and that alone makes makes Dragonwatch a better series than Fablehaven ever was.
This series picks up right where Fablehaven left off. Same characters, same world, same chronology. There are new bad guys, a few old bad guys, and a some new characters, but everything feels comfortable and familiar. This time, sister and brother Kendra and Seth fight against an even deadlier foe than the Demons of Fablehaven: the Dragons of Wyrmroost! The dragons the other dragon sanctuaries across the globe that are rising up to revolution. Their goal? Destroy the humans who have imprisoned them for centuries and take their rightful place as the alpha predators of the magical (and non-magical) world.
Kendra and Seth are excellent as teenage heroes. They’re the ying and yang of the magical world–one with powers of light, one with powers of dark. There’s really great contrast in their relationship and outlook, and I loved watching their imperfect, teenage selves scale their figurative mountains and save the day.
The personal stakes are higher for Kendra and Seth in Dragonwatch then they ever were, and that conflict forces the personal growth I kept hoping to see in Fablehaven but never got. There’s a really great twist at the end of book two that changes everything, so get ready to even feel an emotional response that will endear you to the story…eventually. Trust me, when you close the pages on Book 5, you’re going to be smiling and feeling perfectly satisfied.
No content issues. This is some really, really great middle grade that will be perfect to read aloud to kids of all ages or for independent, adventure seeking readers 10 and up.
I give Dragonwatch my highest recommendation.
Happy Reading!
One Man Book Club 