Review: Voices of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn

Title: Voices of Dragons
Author: Carrie Vaughn
Genre: Young Adult
Release Date: 03/16/10
Summary:

On one side of the border lies the modern world: the internet, homecoming dances, cell phones. On the other side dwell the ancient monsters who spark humanity's deepest fears: dragons.

Seventeen-year-old Kay Wyatt knows she's breaking the law by rock climbing near the border, but she'd rather have an adventure than follow the rules. When the dragon Artegal unexpectedly saves her life, the rules are abruptly shattered, and a secret friendship grows between them.

But suspicion and terror are the legacy of human and dragon inter­actions, and the fragile truce that has maintained peace between the species is unraveling. As tensions mount and battles begin, Kay and Artegal are caught in the middle. Can their friendship change the course of a war?

Plot: 5 Stars
I absolutely love the world that Vaughn created in this novel. A cold war between dragons and people, complete with a border that is watched over by both sides. What more could you ask for? Each side finds the other mysterious, which has led to some fear. As much as I didn't think the government would play such a role in the novel, it really worked and made it feel real, which is tough considering the dragons.

Pace: 5 Stars
This is one of those rare books that I just couldn't put down. The action never takes a break, and the twists and turns kept me guessing until the very end. Kay didn't dwell on minor details, and kept her eye on the big picture. Plus, there was a real sense of time passing, which was great because I find some novels squish too much action into a week or less.

Characters: 4 Stars
Kay felt like a very real teenager to me. I really enjoyed that she didn't know exactly what she wanted in regards to boys (she reminded me of myself at sixteen). Her friends were nice compliments and her parents were strict enough without being overbearing (considering her father's a sheriff). There were certain military characters that you loved to hate. And the dragons were mysterious in a way that definitely has me begging for a sequel.

Cover: 4 Stars
Although I enjoyed getting a visual of Kay, I wish the dragons could've played a bigger part in the cover. The silhouette of the dragon behind the title is nice, but not enough. The dragons played too big of a part in the story to have such a small part on the cover. I do think the cover model represented Kay quite well. And the colors were very eye catching.

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Disclosure: I bought this book for my own enjoyment.