Dragon’s Green was the chosen book in May’s Ninja Book Box which had the theme ‘Magical Lands’. The first children’s book from Scarlett Thomas, I was intrigued by its magical theme and the positive reviews I had seen for it. And I finally got round to reading it this month and discovered a new world and a young girl whose life is about to change forever…
This book is the first in the ‘Worldquake’ series. The Worldquake refers to an event in time in which magic becomes real, seeping into an ordinary world. In it we meet Effie Truelove, a new pupil at the interestingly titled Tusitala School for the Gifted, Troubled and Strange. Here she meets new friends in the form of Wolf, Maximilian, Raven and Lexy – a group of misfits who have an air of mystery surrounding them. And in addition to building new relationships she has to tackle a fiendish teacher and a difficult home life with her father and stepmother. Effie is close to her grandfather, Griffin, so when she discovers he has been attacked she is left troubled and with a very important task. She must save his treasured, magical books, and other precious items he has entrusted into Effie’s care. But there are items there that attract the attention of unsavoury characters, and Effie is forced to face sinister book collector Leonard Levar who is determined to get his hands on them. Through the course of the novel Effie embarks on an intriguing, magical adventure in which she ventures into strange new worlds, meeting new friends, and unlocking secrets and mysteries.
I liked the premise of the magical books and of a young girl becoming immersed into an unusual world. As a result I got into the story quickly and was interested to find out more about the book titled Dragons’s Green and the place that shares its name, and how it is so significant. And I did enjoy Effie’s’ visit to this place in which she encounters a dragon who likes to eat princesses, who she is determined to outwit! Effie is an interesting character and heroine and her companions too are fascinating. The plot is entertaining with a few twists and turns along the way with plenty of mystery and adventure to keep younger readers captivated. There was also some good world building here as we see parallel worlds and the presence of magic merging into a regular world. And as Effie and her companions continue on their journey to the Otherworld, they begin to discover who they really are, and how powerful they can be.
Dragon’s Green is an enjoyable read and a promising start to a magical new series. I will be interested to see what will happen next!
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