HEROES OF HAVENSONG

Four young strangers from different corners of Haven must trust one another in order to save the world.

A magic gold thread presents itself to each of them to follow into an outside world they have been taught to fear. Child soldier Shenli Zhao was forced into service to save his family’s honor. Wren Barrow is a young witch whose Seer grandmother told her to find him. Blue (he has no other name) sacrificed everything for the people he loves and was transformed into a dragon. His rider, River Rowan, was to be the youngest Lead Harvester in the history of her people, until she was tied to Blue. War looms on the horizon, the dragons are asleep, and only the tweens working together can put things right. The novel pulls readers in from the beginning with well-thought-out worldbuilding that offers many surprises. Chapters from rotating perspectives give insight into each child and their different societies. Shenli was raised to hate magic and dragons; Wren’s people have companion Magics. Dragons are a distant concept for Blue, who possesses no magic; River loves her garden of magical plants. Joining forces means lessons in rejecting the lies and mistrust that come from not understanding others’ perspectives and learning to see strengths in those different than you. This emotionally resonant narrative set in a racially diverse world is well paced overall, though the heroes take a while to come together, making the end feel a bit rushed.

Enchanting.