Storm the Earth

August 7, 2020

Gr 8 Up-Picking up where Shatter the Sky left off, Maren ben Gao continues to flee in an attempt to free the dragons and reunite with Kaia who was abducted by the Aurati. Maren faces even more challenges in this sequel. Naava, the mother of all dragons, is in hiding making it difficult to free the dragons, Kaia, her girlfriend, is distant upon being released, and Maren's good friend and helper, Sev, has been captured by the emporer's Talons. Plenty of action and battles ensue as Maren hopes to be triumphant among the politics involving Sev's situation. With time running out Maren must find the courage to step outside her comfort zone to save Sev and free the dragons in a powerful empire. The plot moves at a satisfying pace and the dragon's play an important role with the author making it clear when the dragons are communicating. Maren continues to be a strong female character who learns plenty along the way. Kaia and Maren's romance is not as pronounced in this novel as the first as Maren has her mind on Sev as well. The ending gives the reader closure but leaves the romance open-ended. VERDICT Readers will want to have read the first book in order to appreciate this finale; a good purchase for book collections looking for LGBTQ romance.-Karen Alexander, Lake Fenton H.S., Linden, MI

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