Isle of Dragons
L. A. Thompson
Independently Published (2020)
ISBN: 9798571926171
Reviewed by Chelsy Scherba for Reader Views (03/2021)
In “Isle of Dragons,” author L.A. Thompson introduces readers to a world full of fantastical realms, creatures, and characters.
Sixteen-year-old Jade of House Sol is the daughter of a disgraced nobleman. After her father’s arrest and sentencing, Jade must conceal her magical powers and go on the run. Determined to save him, Jade learns her father was sent to the Isle of Dragons. In the midst of finding herself stranded in the snowy wilderness, Jade meets a mysterious “witch.” Miria, a girl about Jade’s age and of similar magic ability, rescues Jade from her pursuers. Jade soon realizes her new friend has more in common with her than she originally thought. Miria’s parents left her and Miria’s siblings with their grandparents and went to the Isle of Dragons years before; they haven’t been seen or heard from since. Luckily, Miria has a magic stone that can tame dragons and a resourceful brother, Dan. Together, they hope to help Jade find the Isle of Dragons.
If you have a teen who loves dragons (or maybe that’s you) then this is the perfect book for you. This story provides readers with plenty of dragons, unicorns, griffons, and all manner of magical creatures to satisfy your imagination. The mechanical pods the characters travel around in and even the electrified spears reminded me of a galaxy far, far away. I really liked that the author included these elements of innovation because it updated the story and made it more fantastical than just the standard fantasy of ancient castles and dragons.
I also really liked the locations and the realistic world the author created. Vansh is currently suffering an extended winter and droughts, while other nations are made up of deserts or tropical places. I liked that the story didn’t feel rushed and I thoroughly enjoyed all the action scenes and the flashbacks that were sprinkled throughout to maintain interest. It didn’t feel like anything was included just to include it, either. Every scene explained something deeper and gave more context to the overall story.
If I have one suggestion to improve the book, it would be to review the editing. I did notice there were typos and sentences that had missing words. This detracted from the overall impression of the finished product, but it did not affect my overall positive view of the actual content.
In particular, I really enjoyed how layered and well-developed the characters are. Jade is a likable protagonist, and I enjoyed seeing her friendship with Miria grow. Because Dan is in the mix, I thought he might become a potential love interest. I’m not opposed to that by any means, but I did like that this first book in the series focused more on the relationship between the girls. There were so many supporting characters I also enjoyed; in particular, Miria’s grandparents and her little sister Elisa were standouts. I also liked the shapeshifter, Drey. He was fun and unexpected.
There’s really nothing about this book that disappoints. It might be a little slower than some may like due to the author taking the time to establish the world, characters, and situations. However, the flashbacks were great additions to the story and I enjoyed getting to know the people and places I was introduced to. As a fantasy, “Isle of Dragons” by L.A. Thompson satisfies every need of the genre: great locations, magical creatures, realistic worlds, and likable characters you’ll want to return to in the sequels.
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