Book Review ~ Voices of Dragons

Voices of  Dragons
By Carrie Vaughn
Published By Harper Teen

Summary (Goodreads): On one side of the border lies the modern world: the internet, homecoming dances, cell phones. On the other side dwell the ancient monsters who spark humanity's deepest fears: dragons.

Seventeen-year-old Kay Wyatt knows she's breaking the law by rock climbing near the border, but she'd rather have an adventure than follow the rules. When the dragon Artegal unexpectedly saves her life, the rules are abruptly shattered, and a secret friendship grows between them. 

But suspicion and terror are the legacy of human and dragon interactions, and the fragile truce that has maintained peace between the species is unraveling. As tensions mount and battles begin, Kay and Artegal are caught in the middle. Can their friendship change the course of a war? 

In her young-adult debut, New York Times bestselling author Carrie Vaughn presents a distinctly twenty-first-century tale of myths and machines, and an alliance that crosses a seemingly unbridgeable divide.

Likes/Dislikes: While I enjoyed the overall story, this book started off really slow for me. I found myself more interested in the past (human and dragon interaction and then war) than in what was taking place in the present. Once things started to heat up between the two sides, and the prejudices of both started to dictate their actions, the story flowed right until the end. I really liked Kay, she was a strong female who wasn't afraid to make her own choices even if they did not follow what everyone else was doing. I also liked the fact that this wasn't a dysfunctional family so the baggage and excuses that usually come with them weren't in this book. I'm a believer in getting both side of a story before making judgments so I kind of wish there had been more explanation for why General Branigan was the way he was, it just seemed like there was more to his story. 

Overall: I enjoyed the world that Ms. Vaughn created. I have not read a lot of books with dragons as the main characters so it was easy to envision and get lost in her world. The message, not judging others just because they are different than you, came across without being too much. The story seemed to end right when they were getting to a good part so I'm hoping there is a follow up to this book.

Rating: 3