Review by Booklist Review
Alex's world is turned upside down when she finds herself exhibiting strange behaviors that draw the attention of a quirky old man named Oliphos. He reveals that she is a Slumberer, a person who is unknowingly a dragon, but Alex's inner dragon is waking up and causing her to unintentionally transform. Oliphos, a dragon himself, takes Alex to the island of Skralla, where other youths are learning to control and free their dragon sides. She joins the larger cause to heal the rift between dragons and humankind in order to prevent a terrible war. Murray skillfully handles Alex's struggles to become her true self and discover who can be trusted on her journey to dragon formation. The plot is moved along cleverly by the use of a book-within-a-book device, revealing just enough at each juncture to create suspense and keep readers' interest. The secondary characters are individualized and supportive and the antagonist is wonderfully evil. Following a delicious twist at the end, readers will be hooked until book two arrives.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Two years after her father's death, 12-year-old Alex Evans uncovers a secret about her parentage that her overprotective mother has been trying to hide: Alex is a dragon like her dad. As she begins coming into once-dormant powers like fire-breathing, the ancient dragon Oliphos whisks her away to the hidden island of Skralla, one of the last dragon strongholds on Earth, where she will study among other dragonlings and practice controlling her new abilities. Unlike her peers, however, Alex is unable to safely transfigure into dragon form, putting her at risk as her combat training grows too brutal for her human body to handle. Moreover, Drak Midna, a legendary evil dragon who disappeared years ago, resurfaces seeking an artifact that could grant him unspeakable power--and Alex fears she's somehow connected to his search. Murray (Shipwreck Island) presents an introspective, harrowing story in which dragon transformations and quests for mystical objects ferry themes of grief, growth, and accepting change. Using familiar magical school tropes, the author balances wonder-laced, laughter-fueled adventure with fearsome action, resulting in a fanciful and exciting series opener. Alex reads as white. Ages 8--12. Agent: Steph Thwaites, Curtis Brown. (Oct.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A lonely and anxious English girl discovers a family secret in this series opener from acclaimed Scottish author Murray. Twelve-year-old Alex Evans, who presents white, lives a cloistered life with her controlling mother. Her only escape is the nearby forest, which reminds her of her deceased father. There she meets Oliphos, a kind (and oddly dressed) Black man with a Scottish accent, who tells her something surprising about her heritage. Oliphos introduces Alex to Dr. Archibald P. Puppinsworth, a Dragon Scholar who knows all about the Otherworld, the magical dimension where dragons live. Alex realizes that she possesses a special power that might help locate the Phylactery, a long-missing magical object sought by the villainous Drak Midna, a terrifyingly manipulative--and enormous--ancient dragon. Along the way to Skralla, one of the last dragon refuges, with Oliphos, Alex meets Erik, an orphan with "chestnut curls" who understands what it's like to feel like an outsider. Both young people are battling unknowns and deep loneliness, and their complex characterization feels realistic even though fantasy worldbuilding forms the backdrop of their friendship. Coming from a highly sheltered background, Alex may be naïve at first, but she grows in maturity and bravery as the book progresses. The well-executed worldbuilding includes portals called waypaths and dragons with creative features. Murray explores themes of intolerance through the world's history of human-dragon conflict. Come for the dragons but stay for the suspenseful reveals and relatable characters.(Fantasy. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
