This is a great installment for the series and wraps up this part of the story really well! Definitely worth picking up!

5.0

Another brilliant adventure with our favourite dragons and brave bunch of kids! This one had me on the edge of my seat and I gasped at THAT bit near the end. I must pick up book 3 very soon! 🐉🐲

The Second instalment in the wonderful Dragon Realm Saga.
I loved how the story took off straight from the cliff-hanger ending of book 1.
Dylan has been kidnapped by Old Gold and the Dragon of Death and that can only mean 1 thing - Billy and the team must enter the Dragon Realm at great personal risk. Do they do it? Of course - that's what friends do. And that is one to of the many things I love about this book - the development and strengthening of the bonds and friendships between Billy, his friends and their dragons.

A bit darker and more perilous than book 1 I love this book and the clever mix of modern day and mythology.
A wonderful book for ages 9 and up.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this copy of Dragon Legend.

As with the previous book this was action packed and kept the reader on th edge of their seats.

I enjoyed the book so much I have since purchased a finished copy to read to my class.

I really enjoyed this next installment in the series.

I loved the character growth throughout. The friendship group really grew into a found family.

Whilst I did guess what was coming near the end it still broke my heart.

I cannot wait for the next installment and I already have mine preorderd.

I read this book with my 9 year old son S and wrote a joint review:

S's Review

Dragon Legend is a continuation from Dragon Mountain that starts with them all trying to find Dylan. They successfully finding him in a tree and then JJ gets stuck in the tree and only he can get himself out of it again. They have to collect all the power pearls and then see the dragon of death and have an epic battle. What I liked about it was that they were able to defeat the dragon of death and what I didn't like about it was that Spark turned bad, and the the dragon of death has got them all landed in a future that they tried to avoid. My favourite character is Billy because he's like the leader and is very encouraging to his friends. My prediction is in the next book (I'm only judging this because of the covers) is that Spark will get made into a good dragon again because I think I've seen Billy on the blue dragon which will be Spark and I think they will defeat the dragon of death forever. I would give this book 1, 005,064 stars out of 10 and I have already got the next one pre-ordered.

My Review:

S jumped at the change to read Dragon Legend a little early when we were approved on Netgalley. He loved the first book and was really excited to dive back into this world (as was I). This book is darker than the first: Spark has to open a portal to the other world where Billy is trapped, but doing so exposes her to dark magic and she wrestles with this throughout the book. JJ was an interesting new addition and taught Billy a lot about friendship. They have to rely strongly on their friendship and working together (sometimes without their Dragons) to collect all the magic pearls needed to save Billy and defeat the Dragon of Death. S was absolutely broken by the ending (he's already given the big twist away so it will be no surprise what I'm talking about); for the last few chapters of the book he was half hiding behind a blanket Baby's first "traumatising book ending" milestone well and truly achieved. Well done, and thank you, Katie and Kevin!

. This is a big, sweeping adventure - full of peril, problems to solve and huge consequences - and, even better, it has dragons! It also lets the children explore the friendships, rivalries and, sometimes, enmities between them; to develop the qualities they need to defeat the forces they face. Strength, intelligence or courage will not be enough...

Speaking as one who devoured the Anne McCaffrey Pern books this was an excellent read and one where the dragons were as well-developed as the human characters. And, given where this episode ends, I will certainly need to continue on to the next book to discover how they complete their quest.

Wow, I thought book 1 was exciting but this one completely blew it away. Adventure, betrayal, more dragons than you can shake a stick at, this series is fast shaping up to be something very special. Thank goodness book 3 is out in September so there isn't long to wait!

didn't think this series could get any more exciting after the first book, but boy was I wrong!

Dragon Legend picks up right after the shocking events at the end of 'Dragon Mountain', and I am so glad we wasted no time getting back into the action. We follow Billy, Ling-Fei, Charlotte and Dylan as they continue their adventures with their bonded dragons, hoping to stop impending doom that the Dragon of Death promises.

What I love about this book more than anything else is the exploration of the Dragon Realm. Katie & Kevin Tsang introduce us to a whole new world that is so richly described, it made me crave a piece of it despite it only existing in pure imagination - and what imagination the authors have! There are wonderful characters to meet along the way, both good and bad, and it feels as though the world the Tsangs are building is becoming more vibrant and real.

I will always love the friendship the main characters have with one another, as well as the bonds they have with their dragons. Exploring their powers and learning a bit more about each character is such a treat in such an action-packed and adventurous sequel. There were moments where I was so unsure of how the characters would get out of the seemingly-impossible situation, and I was always pleasantly surprised by the outcomes.

And AGAIN we have a killer ending!! I didn't think we would possibly get more cliffhangers after the previous book, but the final few chapters felt like being stood on by Tank or something. It builds to what promises to be an extremely exciting third book in the series and I'm more impatient than ever to see what happens next

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of this book - I also purchased a physical copy for myself.

Unfortunately, something about this book just didn't work for me, which is a shame because I absolutely loved Dragon Mountain.

The further into the book I got, the less I cared about the characters and I found the decision making process to be tedious as each character had to voice their opinion so it was just the same thing repeated 4-5 times every time there was a decision.

I'm really sad that this book didn't work out for me, I may re-read both Dragon Mountain and Dragon Legend in the future to see whether reading them closer together would affect my enjoyment of the sequel or not.

Thankyou to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me a copy of this book. This was such a good sequel to Dragon Mountain,the characters, the adventure, the betrayal. I enjoyed this from start to finish and i cannot wait to read more from these authors.

Dragon Legend is the second book in the Dragon Realm series and follows on from the explosive ending of the first book, Dragon Mountain. This is a scintillating return to this world: a gripping, fast-paced and exciting adventure that kept me captivated throughout.
Billy Chan and his friends, Charlotte and Ling-Fei are determined to follow the terrifying, power-hungry Dragon of Death through time to the Dragon Realm in order to save their friend Dylan, who has been taken there after a betrayal by someone they thought they could trust. They are also intent on defeating the fiendish Dragon of Death before she can unleash her reign of terror on the Human Realm. Fortunately, they have their dragons with them with whom they have formed a unique and close bond. After creating a portal that takes them to the same time period as Dylan and the Dragon of Death, they begin their epic quest …
And what an electrifying, action-packed adventure ensues, an adventure brimming with terrifying danger, incredible revelations and heart-pounding twists as the children and their dragons race to collect the eight magical pearls needed if they are to defeat the Dragon of Death and her followers. Who will reach Dylan and his kidnapper first? Can the Dragon of Death be stopped, or will her dark magic prove too powerful to be resisted, and impossible to defeat?
The world-building is fantastic as the children venture through the wonders and dangers of the Dragon Realm and the Human Realm, from the Frozen Wasteland where they meet terrifying giant worms to the imperial palaces of Ancient China. The non-stop action, coupled with the tension, danger and sometimes scary moments, makes it compulsive reading that kept me on tenterhooks as I turned page after page. THAT ENDING! That’s all I’m saying except: I NEED the next book now!
As with Dragon Mountain, I adored the heart bond between the dragons and the children. They gain strength, comfort and courage through their friendship and bond. The children and dragons form a formidable team as they resolve to use all their incredible talents and skills in their quest to defeat the Dragon of Death. The personalities of both dragons and children are wonderfully portrayed, and I especially liked the honesty that Billy shows as he battles with his conscience.
Dragon Legend is a perfect continuation of this exhilarating, action-packed adventure series. Be prepared to be amazed, astounded and excitedly anticipating what happens next as this daring team attempt to save both Realms from a terrifying, relentless and powerful foe. I REALLY can’t wait to read the next one.

A great sequel, in a fantastic series!

After the events of the last book, Billy, Charlotte, Ling-Fei and their dragons travel back in time to try and rescue their friend Dylan and stop the Dragon of Death from regaining power and plunging the Human and Dragon Realms into darkness by finding the Pearls of Power before she does. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to any of the others, Spark, Billy's dragon, used dark magic to save him at the end of the last book, and that decision is going to have dire consequences.

Overall, this book was a thrill to read! The new areas of the Dragon Realm felt powerful, awe-inspiring, and dangerous in turns, and completely different from what we'd seen before, The Power Ranger/Magical Girls-esque powers were still really fun and very interesting to see develop, and the actions scenes felt truly epic, particularly the final fight in the Forbidden City. You could really feel the power of those involved, and the weight of the consequences should our heroes fail. The allusions to the 'Journey to the West', or for younger readers more likely to 'Dragon Ball', were plenty and fun to try and spot, with Old Gold sitting on his cloud like Sun Wukong, and the use of eight 'balls' to summon a mythycal creature in order to, essentially, make a wish (although in this case it's a dragon calling on a turtle in a fun twist to it).

My only nitpick would be that I wish the authors would let the plot or characters' actions speak for themselves a little more often, in the 'show, don't tell' way. I realise that some explanation is necessary in children's books, but Billy's inner monologue sometimes feels a little too much like an unecessary recap of what just happened.

Despite the bleakness of the ending, the characters still have hope, and that left me excited to see what the Destiny Turtle's wink was about, what exactly happened to our main characters' dragons in this new reality, and what plan Billy has come up with to get them out of their chains. I'm also extremely intrigued by this tiny, glow-in-the-dark, flying pig, and can't wait to find out what's going on there!

I didn't think this series could get any more exciting after the first book, but boy was I wrong!

Dragon Legend picks up right after the shocking events at the end of 'Dragon Mountain', and I am so glad we wasted no time getting back into the action. We follow Billy, Ling-Fei, Charlotte and Dylan as they continue their adventures with their bonded dragons, hoping to stop impending doom that the Dragon of Death promises.

What I love about this book more than anything else is the exploration of the Dragon Realm. Katie & Kevin Tsang introduce us to a whole new world that is so richly described, it made me crave a piece of it despite it only existing in pure imagination - and what imagination the authors have! There are wonderful characters to meet along the way, both good and bad, and it feels as though the world the Tsangs are building is becoming more vibrant and real.

I will always love the friendship the main characters have with one another, as well as the bonds they have with their dragons. Exploring their powers and learning a bit more about each character is such a treat in such an action-packed and adventurous sequel. There were moments where I was so unsure of how the characters would get out of the seemingly-impossible situation, and I was always pleasantly surprised by the outcomes.

And AGAIN we have a killer ending!! I didn't think we would possibly get more cliffhangers after the previous book, but the final few chapters felt like being stood on by Tank or something. It builds to what promises to be an extremely exciting third book in the series and I'm more impatient than ever to see what happens next.

An exciting sequel in a superb dragon adventure series.

Billy and his friends must travel back in time within the dragon realm to save Dylan, unite the eight pearls and defeat the Dragon of Death once and for all. But monsters, mayhem and a growing darkness in one of their own threaten not just their own futures, but that of the entire world.

This MG novel is fast paced and full of twists. It is a masterclass in adventure fiction, with plenty of encounters with terrifying monsters to keep readers on the edge of their seats - and turning the page long past bedtime.

All of the characters are well defined and I liked that Billy wasn't perfect - especially in his thoughts about JJ. He's a relatable hero who wants to do what is right, but still succumbs to his own emotions. Through out it all, the friendship and bravery of this team of protagonists shines. It was alos lovely to see the characters grow from where they started in book one.

The dragons themselves are a marvel. They bring the magic of this series to life and will have children throughout the country embarking on their own playground dragon adventures.

I can't wait to see what book three has in store!

I was provided with an advanced copy for review, via NetGalley.

The second book in the <em>Dragon Realm series</em>, DRAGON LEGEND is an action packed ride aimed at children on the lower end of MG.

With a missing friend, a big theme of this book is working as a group and trusting one another. From gaining "power boosts" when working to protect one another, to conversations about wanting to trust the boy, JJ, they've ended up with instead of Dylan.

Unlike the first book, I wasn't expecting it to be set in our world, but in the portal fantasy realm of dragons (hence the series title, shhhh, I don't always cotton on to these things...) I liked that the kids, mainly Billy (as he's the main character and so we get a glimpse into his private thoughts and conversations) were missing their parents and talking about wanting to see them. Often, parents can get forgotten in all age ranges of children's fiction (if they're not dead, because most children's hero/ines seem to be orphans), and so to see these kids longing for their family shows a happy, loving relationship we often don't get to read about.

We go deeper into the world this time, to a frozen land, and transparent sea, and a sea of blood (ick, yuck, I'm squeamish and that setting was *shivers like a big blob of jelly*). It was fun to see the authors stretch their creative muscles to bring a range of new landscapes to life, differentiating this book from the last. PLUS, we go back in time to Ancient China and the Forbidden City!

The promo around this series seems to be saying it's for readers 9+, and yes, every child is different, but the 9+ year olds I know found this series .too young for them. It's a very easy to read story, and with more simplistic story lines and themes than some other books sold as MG. It's the 7-8 year olds who have been enjoying this series more. If you're looking for kids at that younger end of MG, then I highly recommend this series.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Simon and Schuster in exchange for an honest review. In this instalment, we follow the children and their dragons into the Dragon Realm as they search for Dylan and the Dragon of Death. Their search leads them on a quest to collect all 8 of the magic pearls and prevent them from falling into the possession of the Dragon of Death and her followers.

I was quite disappointed in book 1 of this series, but a lot of other people seemed to enjoy it, so I decided to give this series another go. Unfortunately, I didn't like this book anymore than book 1, so I don't think this series is for me.

To start with the positives, there were some aspects that I thought had potential.
1) Throughout the story, there are hints that Billy is suffering from homesickness, really missing his family and being concerned about what might happen to them if his mission fails. I was looking forward to seeing this explored in more depth and for these feeling to built into something that would lead to actions or consequences in the plot, but so far this has not been the case.

2) There was some intrigue in the plot and the tension the unexpected ended created did make me interested to know what will happen next.

3) I liked getting to see the exploration of more of the characters talents and how these were used to solve challenges that the characters faced.

4) There was more humour between members of the group, which I felt had been missing in book 1. This made them feel more like a genuine group of friends who had history together.

However, there were several things that I didn't like.
1) It still really bugs me that everyone has to have their say on the situation, even if it is just to repeat what the 4 characters before them have already said. This repetition really slowed the pace of the story for me and I found myself getting annoyed with characters as I felt like I already knew what they would say before they said it. About halfway through, I had a realisation that this structure felt similar in tone to picture book stories where each character has a phrase that they repeat so the reader is able to anticipate what will come next. I wondered if the reason for having all the characters repeat the same sentiment one after another was for the enjoyment of younger children, so they could catch on to the rhythms. However, one of my later points contradicts this as I really don’t think this story is for younger children.

2) A similar point to the one above is that everyone agrees/is too nice all of the time. Obviously, the bad/evil characters disagree with and act contrary to the good ones. However, in the group of ‘good’ characters when someone suggests something, they either all agree straight away or someone worries for a moment and then is convinced. I wanted the stakes to be higher, for characters to have conflict in both wanting to do the right thing but in different ways as I think this would have given me more character development. At the moment, the differences I perceive between the characters have more to do with their talents than their personalities. Yes some are louder, some are quieter, some are braver, some are more hesitant, but they all end up acting in the same way so these differing personalities have minimal weight.

3) Now we reach the point I alluded to earlier about being unsure who this book is aimed at. As I stated previously, the simplistic nature of its plot and character development led me to believe it might be intended for a younger audience (thinking 7 – 9 year olds). However, the final battle contained some quite graphic violence that I’m more used to seeing in older MG/younger YA books aimed at 12 – 14 year olds. A man is burned alive and you are not just told that this has happened, the book describes him screaming and the smell of charred skin. Then, another character has their life force sucked out of them and the scene is described as their flesh bubbling like insects crawling around underneath it, them scratching their eyes, writhing in pain and looking like they’re being eaten from the inside out. Another point to note is that these characters are not the bad guys, they are just innocent bystanders which makes the level of violence even more scary.
I know there are some children who enjoy being grossed out and love a bit of horror, so I’m not saying there isn’t an audience for this. However, from the tone set by the first book and the majority of this one, that was not the case here. Prior to these scenes, the books had let me to believe they were fantasy adventures involving dragons, threat of evil taking over and mild peril for the characters but nothing on this scale. Now I’m not sure who I’d recommend them to.

4) Finally, I still want more Chinese culture and mythology from these books. In the finale, we do see some recognisable Chinese locations and I hope there are more scenes like these. However, for much of the book they are just in generic fantasy locations and with creatures that to my knowledge (apart from the dragons) are not specific to Chinese mythology.

Overall, I do want to know what happens next in the plot, but the writing style is definitely not to my taste.

So much fun! This takes up where the first book finishes and the pace is fast. As with the first book, I love the emphasis on friendship and doing the right thing. Being brave even when faced with unimaginable dangers and championing love and hope. Not letting the darkness harden your heart.
Can't wait for the next installment.

Wow! A breathless journey back to China with the dragons we met in Dragon Mountain, yet this time we are already invested in the characters and their bonded dragons, so the stakes are much higher as they encounter danger & double-crossing on their mission to rescue their friend, and save the realm too.

Really well written, with plenty of suspense, twists and turns and another epic cliffhanger ending...can't wait to book 3!

This picked up immediately after the previous one left off and it was pretty much non-stop action from there on. There were a couple of good twists, and while I did see them coming I am much older than the intended target market and I think it will surprise younger children. The chapters are a really good length and encourages you to read more and more. I cannot wait until the next book!