Praise for VOICES OF DRAGONS: “Readers...will be swept along by this series starter’s fast pace, appealing characters, and interesting conceptual blend of legend and technology.” — ALA Booklist
“Vaughn creates characters worth visiting time after time.” — ALA Booklist
“Fun, fast-paced adventure” — Locus
“Entertaining…a surprisingly human tale.” — Publishers Weekly
“Vaughn delivers an effortless, fast-paced narrative, with just enough emotional depth to satisfy.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
“Vaughn’s universe is convincing and imaginative.” — Publishers Weekly
Praise for VOICES OF DRAGONS: “Readers...will be swept along by this series starter’s fast pace, appealing characters, and interesting conceptual blend of legend and technology.
Fun, fast-paced adventure
Vaughn delivers an effortless, fast-paced narrative, with just enough emotional depth to satisfy.
Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
What is it about dragons in the western United States (Robin McKinley's Dragonhaven, 2007, and, to a lesser extent, Patricia Wrede's Thirteenth Child, 2009), and when will someone figure out how to make these stories really soar? First in a series, Vaughn's YA debut delivers an interesting premise but doesn't follow through. Kay Wyatt lives in a town that borders Dragon, where the dragons have stayed since their re-emergence, the ensuing war with humanity and the current Cold War-style standoff. Humans and dragons never cross the border. But Kay does, accidentally, and ends up friends with a teen dragon. Meanwhile, she's trying to decide whether she should sleep with her so-nice-he's-boring boyfriend and discussing her virginity ad infinitum with best friend Tam. Once the action gets going-the military is moving in on Dragon, the dragons are gearing up for war, people are getting killed and only Kay and Artegal (the dragon) have any hope of averting disaster-this is a fast-paced read; sadly, it takes way too long to get there and any real payoff is saved for later volumes. (Fantasy. 12 & up)
Ancient myths come into conflict with modern technology in Vaughn's (the KittyNorville series) first YA novel. Although she's always lived in Silver River, Mont., on the border between human territory and the mountains ceded to the dragons after the last war, Kay has never seen a dragon up close. And for good reason: treaties forbid all contact. That changes when Kay meets Artegal, a dragon as curious about humans as Kay is about his species. Mutual interest blossoms into genuine friendship, in defiance of decades of border patrols and saber-rattling. Soon, they go from secret talks to secret flights, reviving long-lost traditions from when dragons and humans were friends, but while Kay and Artegal are bonding, others only want war between the species. Vaughn's story is charming and fast paced with a strong, likable heroine, although the narrative can hopscotch from moment to moment, focusing on Kay and Artegal to the detriment of the supporting characters; the abrupt ending blatantly sets up a sequel. Despite those drawbacks, there's plenty to enjoy in this girl-and-her-dragon twist on the forbidden friendship theme. Ages 12-up. (Mar.)
Gr 8–10—In an alternate 21st century, teens have cell phones and cars, and worry about who will take them to homecoming and whether or not to have sex. They also have dragon drills—just in case the creatures cross the border and attack. After World War II, the dragons, who had been in hiding for centuries, reemerged from myth into real life. Humans, still on edge from the trauma of the war, struck out at them, causing a conflict in which many on both sides died. A truce was reached, a border was created, and a tentative peace was established. Seventeen-year-old Kay lives on the border of Dragon. After a fall during an ill-advised solo climb, she is rescued by Artegal, a dragon who is studying human language. Over the next weeks, a tentative friendship grows into a bond between them. When the border is breached and a conflict begins, they must rely on their friendship to repair the damage before too many lives are lost. The intense climactic action will appeal to reluctant readers, but to get there they will have to get through some slower-paced chapters. Vaughn has grounded this fantastical tale with typical teenage concerns such as relationships, parents, and school; and Kay is a strong, likable heroine. The result is a novel that will appeal to those who like relationship-driven stories as well as those who enjoy fantasies such as Christopher Paolini's Eragon (Knopf, 2003).—Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO
