The futuristic but dystopian city of Drakopolis was built by humans aided by domesticated dragons. Thirteen-year-old Abel failed his dragon rider’s exam, though, and knows he’ll never ride one, until his older sister shows up secretly one night revealing that she’s part of a kin, or illegal gang, battling for control of Drakopolis’ streets. Their brother, however, is making a career in law enforcement. Then Abel becomes the accidental rider of a stolen dragon and finds himself caught up in a kin, expected to fight for them and keep their secrets. Turns out his best friend Roa, who wants to be a veterinarian, is also a kinner, and pulls Abel further into their world. Can Abel balance his obligations to friends and family and find where his real loyalties lie?
The book has a cyberpunk, Pokémon-meets-Game-of-Thrones vibe, geared to middle-grade readers, and the constant action should delight those who love fast-paced books. Roa is nonbinary, and fully accepted by parents and friends. Kudos to author Alex London for that. Some readers, however, may balk at London’s (one-time) use of the term “preferred pronouns.” It’s not the worst offense, but it’s not the best way to phrase things—as GLSEN explains, “There has been a shift away from the term ‘preferred gender pronoun’ or ‘PGP’ to just using ‘pronoun.’ This change was made because a person’s pronouns are not just preferred; they’re the pronouns that must be used.” Let’s hope the term is changed in future editions and volumes in this series and that we see even more queer characters as part of this compelling world.
