Lance Lo, a 12-year-old British boy living in New London, seeks his dream of forming a heart bond with a dragon.
Ever since the Great Collapse five years ago, “when the Dragon Realm fell into the Human Realm,” dragons and people have coexisted in the New World. Lance, who’s Chinese and white, has been invited to attend Camp Claw, a prestigious training center for Dragon Force, an elite unit of humans and dragons who keep the world safe. Surprisingly, his sister, Zoe, who’s only 10, is invited, too. The Dragon Force dragons have heart-bonded with humans, awakening their special powers. Because Zoe already bonded with a dragon, whom she names Violet, before camp began, Lance is left feeling even more anxious about whether he’ll find his own dragon. The siblings quickly make new friends, including Bea Garcia, who’s from Argentina. On the other hand, campmate Arthur Royden, whose family owns a major technology company, is less friendly and appears to be hiding something. While Lance does eventually find a heart bond with a dragon, Infinity, the pair’s special abilities are slow to surface. Threatening monster attacks are also on the rise, straining Dragon Force’s resources and hinting at a larger evil force at play. While the worldbuilding is intriguing and the plot moves quickly, the writing is a bit flat, and the villain is revealed suddenly, undermining the chance to build suspense.
A solid dragon-filled series opener.
(map) (Fantasy. 8-12)