Critique de School Library Journal
Gr 3--6--In a land made of floating islands, there is a 12-year-old princess, Gem, who flies on a beautiful white dragon and whose silver streak in her black hair marks her as a storm mage. In this same system of islands, floating over the dangerous, scary, unending Maelstrom, lives Remy, a "mud rat" with "mud-colored hair, mud-colored eyes" who has nothing in the world, not even parents, and who dreams of dragons. In alternating chapters, Gem and Remy's stories inch closer together as Remy discovers a baby dragon and Gem realizes that the only way to save her father's kingdom is to embark on a solo quest to find the Ancients. They both need the help of Crusty Bart, former sky knight and the only human alive to have interacted with the True Dragons--sentient dragons who possess infinite magic. Falling in with sky pirates might be a bad move, but Remy must save his dragon and Gem must save the sky knight so they have no choice but to trust Captain Cutlass and her crew as they go after the most dangerous captain and mage in the most dangerous part of their world: the Vortex. This fantasy series debut has everything that readers could want: magic, used for both good and ill; dragons; a quest; a rebellious and brave princess; life-and-death adventure; and a cliffhanger ending. The writing occasionally feels stilted, but is written at an age-appropriate level, and the worldbuilding creates a very clear picture of this land. The plot moves along at an exciting clip and will keep readers turning pages. VERDICT This is a sure hit for fantasy fans, specifically those who love dragons and rollicking adventure. Highly recommended.--Clare A. Dombrowski
Critique du Publishers Weekly
Ever since the Shattering many millennia ago, people have survived traveling by dragons and sky ships between myriad islands magically floating above the all-consuming Maelstrom. Twelve-year-old Remy, a "skinny, mop-haired street urchin," lives on the tiny pirate haven of Cutthroat Wedge, dreaming of but never expecting a chance to leave. During a tempest, he discovers an extraordinarily rare dragon hatchling, which he names Storm. But ruthless pirate captain Jhaeros is looking for the hatchling, placing Remy in great danger. Meanwhile, 12-year-old Princess Gem, a storm-mage-in-training, learns that the magic crystals that keep the islands aloft are failing, heralding certain doom for the kingdom. Against the king's wishes, Gem embarks on a mission to seek out the powerful, rumored-extinct Ancient Ones of legend, who might be able to restore the crystals' power. When the tweens' paths cross, they must work together to protect Storm and save the kingdom. In this invigorating trilogy opener, Kagawa (the Iron Fey series) conjures an atmospheric setting populated by eclectic characters and fanciful creatures and employs Remy and Gem's alternating perspectives to skillfully balance personal and epic stakes, coalescing into a captivating dynamic that is enhanced by their respective dragon companions. Ages 8--12. Agent: Laurie McLean, Fuse Literary. (Apr.)
Critique de Kirkus
Two young people's lives collide as they try to save one baby dragon--and an entire kingdom. Life on the streets of Cutthroat Wedge, an island in the floating kingdom of Gallecia, is hard for orphaned Remy; he must steal to eat, and his only real company is an old man named Bart, who drinks in the tavern and is full of wild stories of adventure and dragons, a luxury that these days only the ultra-wealthy can afford. Meanwhile, Princess Gem is chafing against her school's restrictions of her storm mage powers. She's determined to save Gallecia, which she's just discovered is rapidly sinking into the Maelstrom, the mysterious magic-giving storm holding the islands aloft. After a strange storm, Remy finds a baby dragon who's being hunted by the ruthless pirate Jhaeros. Turning to Bart for help sets him on a collision course with Gem's search for the missing Sir Bartello Axtell, who knows how to find the Ancients that can save their world. This first series entry evenly balances worldbuilding with action and suspense. The comfortably familiar dragons, pirates, and knights exist in an exciting and physically dangerous airborne environment. Both Gem and Remy are steadfast in their convictions and highly sympathetic despite their differences in background, education, and personality. The emotional hook is set with this volume: Readers will feel compelled to seek out the next installment. Characters are minimally described and racially ambiguous. Swashbuckling abounds in this fun-filled series opener. (Fantasy. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Critique de Booklist
In this excellent start to the new Storm Dragons series, Kagawa introduces an unlikely pair of heroes. Remy, a "mud rat" from the fringes of their kingdom of floating islands, is an orphan and a dreamer who wants to go to the main island of the kingdom someday. Gem is a mage in training and feels like nobody really sees her for who she is, rather than just the king's privileged daughter. Their destinies collide when Remy finds a wild dragon hatchling and Gem does a little forbidden research on intelligent, ancient dragons, which could help save their kingdom from destruction. The third-person narrative alternates between Remy's and Gem's perspectives, delivered in short chapters, and it contains all the major elements of a classic fantasy in a fast-paced adventure package. A solid read for any fans who liked dragon fantasies, this makes an easy sell for readers who liked Alex London's Battle Dragons or Anne McCaffrey's Dragonflight. Though there are some resolutions by the end, there's plenty of room for continuing adventures in the next book.
