THE BLOOD OF FAERIES
by Dan Rice
Superpowered teenager Allison Lee returns in this YA fantasy sequel to Dragons Walk Among Us (2021), navigating fame and new threats.
Allison just wants to live the life of an ordinary teenage girl, but being the daughter of a human and a shape-shifting, dragon-hunting skaag is anything but ordinary. Her inherited paranormal power, which she calls “the sleeper,” gives her superstrength among other abilities; her special status is now public knowledge, and Allison is mobbed by both fans and protestors. She even has a security team that watches her every move. When her ex-boyfriend Haji Patel goes missing, she investigates with her friends, including fellow student Dalia; they discover the existence of a mysterious group fronted by a rogue intelligence agent; its stated purpose is to protect humanity from a possible invasion by dragons, who can take human form. But as more information comes to light, Allison finds that the lives of those she loves are in danger, and she confronts her fear of losing control of the sleeper within her. The end leaves things open for another sequel, raising questions about the safety of humanity, and of Allison’s friends and family in particular. Fans of supernatural fiction will find this novel to be a wild, riveting ride. It showcases many vivid fantasy elements, including gleaming dragons (“Its bronze eyes, split by vertical black pupils, meet my gaze. A red forked tongue licks the air and disappears”) and beguiling faeries. It’s primarily a cautionary tale about the corrupting power of fear and the atrocities that people can commit to protect the status quo. In the face of terror, Allison, a young woman at war with herself, is a strong and relatable hero. As she fights against guilt and limiting beliefs, she finds resilience as well as the power to protect others. Although the work ends on a note of suspense, readers will turn the final page confident that Allison, with her friends by her side, will be able to face whatever’s coming her way.
A fun and ferocious adventure.