Dark wyng

Review by Booklist Review

After a disastrous and short-lived battle between skaler (dragons) and hom (humans), the people of the Kaal settlement have more reason than ever to distrust dragons and want revenge. When a mysterious newcomer, Ty, offers to return to the scene of the battle, supposedly to retrieve a fallen villager's body, some are skeptical of his motives. Ren Whitehair, an ally to some of the dragon factions, faces off against Ty and forges a new connection between the two species, which will likely be unpopular with both groups. This second book in the Erth Dragons series offers readers more of the same high fantasy, rich language, and compelling action scenes. Ren, the main character from the first book (The Wearle, 2017), is offstage for most of this one, and the relatable hero role falls to Rolen. But the key is Ty, whose character and motives are cleverly unveiled bit by bit, and whose connection to the past is hinted at in a prologue. The list of characters and index are helpful, although the latter seems spotty.--Welch, Cindy Copyright 2017 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Horn Book Review

The dragon Wearle holds human boy Ren captive, fearing Ren's new abilities now that he's been gifted with dragon powers. While friendly dragon Gabrial hopes to make peace with Ren's tribe, a stranger's plan to resurrect the dragons' ancient enemy could mean disaster for all. Blending mystery, action, and suspense, this worthy sequel to The Wearle will leave readers eager for more. Glos. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

Dragon Gabrial and white human boy Ren return in this sequel to The Wearle (2017).The book opens with a dramatis personae that primarily defines females by either their beauty (Grendel), weakness (Gayl), or marital status (the majority of the human women). The prologue then introduces the "black dragon" myth that explains that "no dragon can be completely black" because Godith, the female dragon god, doesn't like black dragons. The linkage of blackness with negativity is deeply unfortunate. In the myth, when one of Godith's sons (accidentally) kills the other, Godith's punishment is to crush his heart and leach him of color...but he doesn't turn white, as one would expecthe turns black, thus earning him the name Tywyll, meaning "the darkness." In the present day, a mysterious stranger, Ty, arrives in Ren's town on a unicorn. Though many villagers are initially suspicious, he inexplicably and near instantaneously gains clout. Elsewhere, hotheaded Gabrial and Ren are as reckless as ever, except now they both have a responsibility to two orphan wearlings. Over the 300-plus pages of the book, the plot unfolds predictably, with a twist at the end that guarantees at least one more volume.With problematic tropes and stereotypes, little character development, and a poorly paced plot, this one is for fans of the first book only. (Fantasy. 10-14) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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Gannet knelt and spread a wing low to the ground. Ren was immediately persuaded. A flight on a dragon's back was exhilarating. He hugged both wearlings and told them he would not be away for long. To Goodle, he said, "Guard them with your life." He glanced at Gariffred one last time, then climbed onto Gannet and was lifted away. They had barely crested the hills when Ren knew it was a trap. Two Veng closed in, one on either side of the startled roamer. "Set the boy down," one ordered. Gannet bravely flew on. "My orders were to deliver the boy to Prime Grynt's eyrie." "Your orders have changed," said the Veng. "Gannet, take me back to the cave!" Ren screamed. But the words had barely left his mouth when he felt himself snatched off Gannet's back. The Veng banked swiftly to the right and was gone. As the ground sped by beneath them, Ren could do nothing but tend his anger. But as the Veng pitched sideways again, Ren felt an awareness in his mind that pressed him to look down and not be afraid. Watch. Remember , a voice seemed to say. Her voice. The mother of the wearlings. Grystina. She was often in his mind at moments of danger, trying to encourage him to use his gifts and think like a dragon. Especially so when the Veng changed course and started its swift descent to the ground. They came down over what looked like a quarry, a place dug and burned and scraped and worked, where stones as big as Ren's head and bigger had been tossed aside in giant heaps. A dark spot loomed up. A hole among the rocks with no visible floor. Into this pit the Veng dropped Ren. Excerpted from Dark Wyng by Chris d'Lacey All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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