Novice Dragoneer by EE Knight – Review & Giveaway

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Description:
Fourteen-year-old Ileth grew up in an orphanage, and thanks to her stutter was never thought to be destined for much beyond kitchen work and cleaning. But she’s dreamed of serving with the dragons ever since a childhood meeting with a glittering silver dragon and its female dragoneer. For years she waits, and as soon as she is old enough to join, Ileth runs away to become a novice dragoneer at the ancient human-dragon fortress of the Serpentine.

While most of her fellow apprentices are from rich and influential families, Ileth must fight for her place in the world, even if it includes a duel with her boss at the fish-gutting table. She’s then sent off to the dragon-dancers after a foolish kiss with a famously named boy and given charge of a sickly old dragon with a mysterious past. But she finds those trials were nothing when she has to take the place of a dead dragoneer and care for his imprisoned dragon in enemy lands. . . .

Review:

Novice Dragoneer by E.E. Knight is the first book in his Dragoneer Academy series. We meet our young 14 year old orphaned heroine, Ileth at the start, as she travels to Serpentine to fulfill her dream of becoming a dragoneer. Years before, Ileth met an apprentice to Dragons, as well as meeting a Dragon; since then that is all she dreams about.  But when she arrives at the gate, she is turned away as being late, but she persevered for days, before the ‘charge’ gives her a chance to become a novice.

Novice Dragoneer is an intriguing story that follows Ileth’s journey into this magical world of dragons. With most of the novices and apprentices coming from wealthy families, Ileth herself is from a poor village, orphaned and stutters; but it is wonderful to watch Ileth slowly learn to talk the dragon language and help the dragons. The majority of the story revolves around Vale and the Galantine Lands, with Ileth at center stage.  In Vale (Serpentine), Ileth is sent to become a dancer with a group of females that dance for the dragons, that help keep them calm and happy.  She is then assigned to an old Dragon, who is slowly dying; Ileth will learn the language and become close to that dragon until his death.  She is then sent with another experienced apprentice to the Galantine Lands to help an imprisoned older dragon, in exchange for allowing another apprentice who was sick go home. War is possibly on the horizon and Ileth is in danger of never going home to Vale.  

Ileth was a wonderful heroine, always willing to go beyond, as well as being loyal and honor bound; she was someone we rooted for throughout.  It was great to follow her journey, whether it be in school, meeting new friends and especially working well with dragons, as well as getting to ride a dragon.   Knight created some very good secondary characters that we got to like, as well as some villians (including a dragon). 

Novice Dragoneer was an excellent story line, with a wonderful heroine, very good secondary characters, dragons, exciting and some very good action.  I will add that some parts of the book had a bit too much detail or descriptions that slowed down the story a bit.  With that being said, I did enjoy the book and look forward to finding out where EE Knight is going to take us in this series.  If you enjoy fantasy, dragons, training, and a wonderful young heroine, I suggest you read this book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

EE Knight’s publisher is  offering a paper copy of NOVICE DRAGONEER  to ONE (1) commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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