Paper Dragons is an Asian-inspired middle grade fantasy. The protagonist is a brash and spunky orphan who mainly through persistence is able to gain entrance to a school training immortals. It is sprinkled with some unusual creative elements (i.e. jellyfish floating in bubbles as messengers) that were a little unconventional. Brisk pacing moves the plot along and will keep young readers engaged. There was an exciting climatic scene at the end and a clear set-up for a sequel. At the end is also an author’s note with some fun insight into the meaning and source of names in the book.
For older readers, the book would have been improved by more world building and more definition of the fantasy elements; there were often gaps in the magic system and the narrative that weren’t ever flushed out. The prose and transitions also felt minimalist, particularly in the first part of the book. The narrative and many components felt a little too lock-step parallel to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. However, most young readers will likely not be troubled by all these things and will just enjoy a fun, fantasy in a new setting.
Review of a Digital Advance Reading Copy Provided by the Publisher
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: None
Violence/Gore: Character is attacked by a mythical creature in a brief, frightening scene; character is burnt by sand, leaving marks on her arms; character frightened by an image; characters run away from an angry person; stories about a people disappearing and being taken by a spirit/demon; reference to past event where a location was set on fire by angry people, resulting in destruction of property, injuries, reported deaths; twisted ankle; character gets stuck (due to magic) and another helps her so she doesn’t drown; boat race in which teams jostle with each other using paddles; a student test involves them having to evade a threatening reptile; storyteller relates a legend in which a girl’s eye is turned to glass; characters are pursued by thralls (zombie-like people); character attacks another character by tackling them, minor injury; character is brought to the infirmary after being attacked and they have a dagger sticking out from their side; report that there has been attack on students and they have been taken captive; animal kicked by a person; extended scene involving thralls grabbing person, using poisoned item to extract memories, chasing with intent to harm/enslave, fire, destruction of property; assumed death of an individual after falling from a height.
Sex/Nudity: None
Mature Subject Matter:
Orphans, bullying, death, missing people,
Alcohol/Drug Use:
None
