Another great book from Murray. Great characters, a likeable main character, and some amazing story twists! I liked the unusual take on dragons, where they can take human forms, but some don't ever realise they are a dragon. There's so much excitement in this book and saying too much would spoil it, so just read it while I desperately wait for book 2!

Alex Evans lives with her SUPER overprotective mother who smothers her, controls every moment of her time, and never wants to talk about her dad. But Alex wants to talk about her dad, how much she misses him, what really happened to him; she wants to talk about the time they spent together in the woods... which is the one place she is ABSOLUTELY forbidden to go to. One day, everything just becomes too much, and it spills out of Alex: she wants to scream and... out comes fire. Because it turns out Alex is a dragon. Events happen fast and furiously from here; she is taken to an island called Skralla, hidden in the in-between parts of the world, where she finds there are lots of others like her, both human and dragon. It's... weird and the other children are fierce and frightening, and they all know so much more about this world than Alex. To become part of this awe-inspiring (though pretty terrifying, honestly!) world, Alex needs to overcome her fears and fully transform... which turns out to be harder than she thought. Even with Oliphos, an amazing mentor, and some pretty cool friends, Alex can't do what's "she's supposed to do" - and when she finds out about the evil Drak Midna, a legendary dragon rising to fight a war, her specific gifts are needed. Will she always feel like an outsider? Struan Murray has created a fantastic world here, with lots of fun and fabulous details, including other mythical creatures, and it was such a lot of fun to read! Alex is an interesting and nuanced character, who you can't help but root for as she grows apart from her mother, as she deals with the grief of her father's death, and the overwhelming world that she's propelled into. There are some other great side characters who are emotionally interesting too (often a problem with secondary characters), like Erik, Dr Archibald Puppinsworth and the other young dragons - Murray has written a story with a lot of heart. This fun and fast middle grade will definitely appeal to young readers; the dragons are quite 'traditional' in terms of dragonlore, but sometimes the old ways are the best! We don't need the wheel reinvented with every new fantasy book, as Murray has proved; dragons are amazing, right?! I look forward to the next instalment... Thanks to NetGalley and Puffin for the copy to review!

Alex Evans lives with her SUPER overprotective mother who smothers her, controls every moment of her time, and never wants to talk about her dad. But Alex wants to talk about her dad, how much she misses him, what really happened to him; she wants to talk about the time they spent together in the woods... which is the one place she is ABSOLUTELY forbidden to go to. One day, everything just becomes too much, and it spills out of Alex: she wants to scream and... out comes fire. Because it turns out Alex is a dragon. Events happen fast and furiously from here; she is taken to an island called Skralla, hidden in the in-between parts of the world, where she finds there are lots of others like her, both human and dragon. It's... weird and the other children are fierce and frightening, and they all know so much more about this world than Alex. To become part of this awe-inspiring (though pretty terrifying, honestly!) world, Alex needs to overcome her fears and fully transform... which turns out to be harder than she thought. Even with Oliphos, an amazing mentor, and some pretty cool friends, Alex can't do what's "she's supposed to do" - and when she finds out about the evil Drak Midna, a legendary dragon rising to fight a war, her specific gifts are needed. Will she always feel like an outsider? Struan Murray has created a fantastic world here, with lots of fun and fabulous details, including other mythical creatures, and it was such a lot of fun to read! Alex is an interesting and nuanced character, who you can't help but root for as she grows apart from her mother, as she deals with the grief of her father's death, and the overwhelming world that she's propelled into. There are some other great side characters who are emotionally interesting too (often a problem with secondary characters), like Erik, Dr Archibald Puppinsworth and the other young dragons - Murray has written a story with a lot of heart. This fun and fast middle grade will definitely appeal to young readers; the dragons are quite 'traditional' in terms of dragonlore, but sometimes the old ways are the best! We don't need the wheel reinvented with every new fantasy book, as Murray has proved; dragons are amazing, right?! I look forward to the next instalment... Thanks to NetGalley and Puffin for the copy to review!