Cover Image: Wrath of the Dragon King

Wrath of the Dragon King

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Must read for fans of the series. Don't start with this one though, it's the second book in the second series. Recommended to fantasy fans, grades 4 & up.

Was this review helpful?

Brandon Mull is one of my favorite authors. And my daughters love his books as well. His books are a must read at our house. In fact, this book has been fought over. You know it’s good when that happens!

This book picks up where the first Dragonwatch left off. If you haven’t read that one, you really need to read it. Before you read any more of this review or before you read this one.

I love how Brandon Mull has kept Seth and Kendra consistent throughout both the Fablehaven series and this one. The reader knows the characters well enough to know how they will respond to things. Both Seth and Kendra are great characters. I love that you get to see things through their perspectives.

Another fun thing about this one is that we get to see things through a newer characters perspective as well. Knox is Seth and Kendra’s cousin. He and Seth seem to be cut from a similar cloth. They are both more curious than they should be about everything. And they both get into trouble because of it.

I loved the fantasy of this one. The way the author describes things like things like the feast with the dragons made it easy for me to picture it in my mind. And there are so many fun and clever things in this one.

If you’re a lover of middle grade books, fantasy stories, or dragons, you will love this book and the whole series.

Was this review helpful?

It is always fun to revisit the Fablehaven world. This title added some interesting new characters and creatures and ended with an intense cliffhanger! I look forward to reading the next installment!

Was this review helpful?

SALT LAKE CITY — If you ask Utah resident Brandon Mull, the New York Times best-selling author of the “Fablehaven” series and more, his job boils down to one thing: daydreaming.
“I’m basically a professional daydreamer,” Mull said in a recent interview. “That’s where a lot of innovation comes from, the thinking and imagining what’s possible and what could be. That’s where we get new things and it’s very useful for making up stories.”
Mull released the last "Fablehaven" book, "Keys to the Demon Prison," in 2010 and for years afterward, the author's daydreaming took him in different directions, writing the “The Beyonders” and “The Five Kingdoms” series among other books. While Mull loved working on these other well-received series, his daydreaming — and fan requests — eventually brought him back to the "Fablehaven" world.
“'Fablehaven' was my favorite cast of characters I’ve created and a wild life preserve of magical creatures is an environment that has so much potential,” Mull said. “Some of my favorite parts of the story were held in the dragon sanctuary and we were only there for one book so as I thought about that, I thought I had more stories to tell. I missed those 'Fablehaven' characters and thought it would be fun to do more with them.”

The result of Mull's missing is the “Dragonwatch” series, set in the 'Fablehaven' world and following the same characters. "Dragonwatch: A Fablehaven Adventure" came out in 2017 and was an immediate best-seller, reuniting readers with "Fablehaven's" main characters, siblings Kendra and Seth, who had to work together to gain the dragon training skills necessary to stop a total dragon takeover.
In Mull’s latest book in the series, “Dragonwatch: The Wrath of the Dragon King,” (Shadow Mountain, 416 pages) Celebrant, the king of dragons, is angry his original plan from the previous installment failed and has a new plan to use the Wizenstone to take over his native preserve of Wyrmroost. Unfortunately for him, the stone is protected by a cursed castle and Kendra and Seth are there to keep him from getting access to it.
“I think part of what makes 'Fablehaven' fun is we explore and bring to life all sorts of different creatures and elements from myths and legends," Mull said. "Whether that’s magical swords or creatures, one of the places I haven’t gone is the trope of the cursed castle. I’ve always found it alluring, Wyrmroost is a big place, and a cursed castle was a cool thing that had a lot of possibilities.”
Part of those possibilities for Mull is stretching his characters in ways they haven’t been before and telling their stories in ways he wouldn’t have been able to if he hadn’t returned to his beloved world. Whether his characters are human or creature, Mull believes that the way their best story is told is to make it difficult for them to get what they want.
“I try to put my characters into tough situations and I let them make interesting choices and see what unfolds," Mull said. "I have bad guys in mind and good guys in mind and as they work against each other, I let them guide what happens. I let bad guys have smart strategies and the good guys, too, and that leads to twists and turns.”

Mull may make his work sound easy — just daydream and then let your characters do the rest — but in reality, the author works hard to tell great stories. Book ideas take years of imagining, then up to six months of first-drafting and on to multiple rounds of revisions after that. But as details emerge and come together, Mull hopes that the reader can finish the second book of "Dragonwatch" and remember something Mull set up back in the first book of "Fablehaven." He said for him, that’s the most gratifying part.
“I try very hard to set up things like clues throughout so the reader can see there’s a grand design to the story," he said. "As a reader myself, it’s very satisfying to see, so I try to give that to my readers.”
Plot clues are just one of the literary devices Mull has down; over the years, he's also gotten very good at the cliffhanger. Mull said he doesn’t like to leave people hanging too badly, but he does believe in giving his readers something to look forward to. And with "Wrath of the Dragon King," this is the most dramatic cliffhanger Mull has attempted.
“I’m a big believer in finishing the story you told but in doing so, you leave the reader with some new trouble that definitely hints at what they’ll deal with in the next book,” Mull teased.
Now that this second "Dragonwatch" book is done, he's looking forward to his favorite part of writing: hearing his reader's reactions to his different story elements. Mull has multiple events coming up, including three in Utah, and meeting readers is what makes the long hours writing worth it.

“It’s a really solitary job, writing a book," Mull said. " … The writer doesn’t get to see the audience reaction. It’s not like a performance on a stage, so the closest I get is interacting with readers on tour and seeing what they like and what they connected with.”
With five books planned in the “Dragonwatch” series, Mull’s strategy is to keep daydreaming, keep planning, keep taking his readers on twists and turns and leaving them clues to follow into the next story.
“There’s more story to be told here. I’ll keep the reader wondering until I’m done.”

Was this review helpful?

This new series by Brandon Mull is perfect for fans of the Fablehaven series! However, if you have not read the original series, Dragonwatch will be difficult to understand.

At first, I thought there was way too much dialogue for my taste. This is why I loved the beginning so much! Wrath of the Dragon King, the second book in the Dragonwatch series, began with a scene in which Seth was just silently doing stuff. There was little dialogue in that opening scene, and it was great. I prefer more descriptions in fantasy books, because setting descriptions are important for world-building and understanding what the scene looks like. However, I found the dialogue-to-narration ratio was about the same as the books in the original series!

Wrath of the Dragon King is a good continuation of the Dragonwatch series. The plot picks up from the beginning, and there is less character summary than the first Dragonwatch book. In this book, we get to learn more about the new characters, while still enjoying adventures with Kendra and Seth! This book also includes a major cliffhanger at the end, which I thought was exciting!

In conclusion, this series is geared more towards a younger crowd. I would recommend ages 8-15. That's how old I was when I loved the Fablehaven universe!

Was this review helpful?

If you're a Fablehaven fan, you definitely need to read this companion series. If you haven't read Fablehaven yet, I'd recommend starting there and building up to this one. It makes it a more enriching reading experience.

I liked this one even better than the first book of this new series. I was so glad that the plot took the characters into the creepy haunted castle. When that place first came up, and they walked past it, it killed me. I just wanted to nudge the characters right into the entrance. They ignored me. *sigh*

But they eventually did get to go inside, which meant I got to go, too. That was my favorite part of this book. And the twist at the end left me with my mouth hanging open. Didn't see that coming...AT ALL.

Now I'm desperate for the next one. Oh, this is going to be good. This is going to be REALLY good.

Was this review helpful?

Fans of the Fablehaven series will not be disappointed in this second title in the Dragon Watch series from bestselling author Mull. Though the story's broad strokes follow a path well worn by previous Fablehaven books (a quest to a mysterious, enchanted place in search of a magical object with great powers that will undoubtedly save our heroes/the world), the plot twist at the conclusion and hints of characters from the original series reentering the narrative in the near future will leave young readers excited for the next installment.

Was this review helpful?

You may remember that back in March 2017 I posted about the newest installment of one of my favorite series, Fablehaven. Dragonwatch is a follow-up to the five book series that I read as a young person around the time of Harry Potter. Brandon Mull has not lost his touch with writing a story that can capture any reader’s attention. This is one of my favorite worlds to visit and share with others, so here’s my review of book 2!


Wrath of the Dragon King (Dragonwatch, #2)

Hardcover, 416 pages
Published October 23rd 2018 by Shadow Mountain
Just as marvelous as Dragonwatch! I loved diving back into this world to revisit all the characters that were introduced and brought back. There were plenty of new areas to explore in the preserve and a couple of very intriguing new characters.

There were also some heart-wrenching moments, including the final scene that make me wish the third book was already available! There are so many amazing scenes, and I don’t make to spoil any of them. Trust me when I say that it’s definitely worth reading 🙂

Also, I recently discovered that this series, like the original Fablehaven series, is planned to have five books. Which means we’re not even half-way through yet! Yay!

Have you read this one yet? Let me know what you think in the comments 🙂



SUMMARY:
War has come to the dragon sanctuaries of the world and nowhere is the danger more intense than at Wyrmroost. After a humiliating defeat at the hands of Kendra and Seth, Celebrant, King of Dragons, prepares to unleash his fury and take control of his native preserve. Armed with information from a new ally Ronodin, the dark unicorn Celebrant seeks a legendary talisman the dominion stone.

However, the powerful stone is protected by a cursed castle. Upon entering the castle fortress, an unyielding power strips all magical beings of their power and forces Celebrant to take his human avatar form. Kendra and Seth must enter the cursed castle as well. The race is on. Will the two young caretakers rally enough support from the creatures of Wyrmroost against the greatest threat the magical community has faced in ages? Can they foil Celebrant’s plan and beat him to the mighty dominion stone? Or will all hope be shattered by the wrath of the Dragon King?

Was this review helpful?

I loved the original Fablehaven stories. Brandon Mull has only improved upon the tale. He has continued the story of Kendra and Seth and created many more characters. Without giving anything away, READ THIS BOOK. I am hungry for the next one, so many questions that need answering. Can't wait to see what happens to Seth; Tess and Knox become more interesting with each book. Love all the new characters, and the twists and turns in the story. I promise, no spoilers, but pay attention to Ronodin (he's my favorite new character). Well written, this book will enthrall anyone who loves a good story, and let's be honest, who doesn't love a story with dragons.

Was this review helpful?

First of all, I am a huge Brandon Mull fan. His books are among the first I suggest when parents and children tell me they like fantasy books. My reasoning is always that Mull writes good stories with believable characters while also demonstrating that kids can respect adults and work closely with them, even when they sometimes disagree.

No to Wrath of the Dragon King. This book was amazing! I read it while sick with the flu, and still couldn't put it down, as exhausted as I was. Dragonwatch felt a little slow to me, so I was worried that Wrath of the Dragon King wouldn't live up to Brandon Mull's usual standards. However, I quickly discovered I was wrong. I like how the story does center around Kendra and Seth, but it also incorporates their cousins into their world bit by bit. It feels a little like there will be future series that will center around them, but right now we're seeing how the magic-aware world adapts to the newbies while still facing epic crises. I also like how Patton, although long dead, still reappears to offer sage advice to save the world. Will he run out of ways to help them, I wonder?

Without offering any more clues or spoilers, I will heartily recommend this book to librarians, booksellers, teachers, and children of all ages who enjoy a good fantasy.

Was this review helpful?

If you're a fantasy fan like I am, the first Dragonwatch book left you yelling at the pages, demanding more. That moment has arrived. Wrath of the Dragon King wastes no time in throwing readers right into the action, as Celebrant, King of Dragons, puts a terrible plan into motion that will put Seth and Kendra's lives at risk. Celebrant first invites the siblings to his palace, insinuating that it would be an insult if they didn't attend. Once they arrive, he declares war on Kendra and Seth, and anyone who supports them. Their griffin mounts are slaughtered, and they're left to find their way back to Blackwell Keep alone in a land full of divided loyalties. Meanwhile, cousins Knox and Tessa have stayed behind, but are figuring things out pretty quickly and want to be where the action is - especially when a murderer is suspected among them. The two cousins discover the secret way to travel between preserves and head off in search of Kendra and Seth.

There's more action, more battle, and more intrigue than ever in Wrath of the Dragon King. The stakes are high, and there are new players in the story, the most intriguing of which seems to be Ronodin, a Dark Unicorn that toys with his alliances and has his own agenda. I am thoroughly enjoying this series; it's a more intense pace and story than the Fablehaven books, allowing readers to grow with the series. The Dragonwatch books can stand on their own, but reading them in order is suggested - most of Wrath of the Dragon King won't work for readers who haven't read Dragonwatch.

In short, Wrath of the Dragon King is nonstop fantasy, perfect for your dragon-loving fantasy, sword and sorcery, and magic-loving readers. Author Brandon Mull has an excerpt on his webpage, plus Dragonwatch downloadables that you can use to introduce the series to your readers. I'm already thinking of how to incorporate some of the happenings from Wrath of the Dragon King into my summer reading programming for next year.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0hzRMya2Jk]

Was this review helpful?

What I read of this was fabulous. I ran out of time to finish but am eagerly awaiting the release to get back to it. This book didn’t disappoint. Love the characters and action so far. Fablehaven and Dragonwatch are some of my frequently recommended series for fantasy readers.

Was this review helpful?

War with the dragons is looming and it's up to Kendra and Seth, along with their allies, to save the world. This second installment of Dragonwatch does not disappoint! Adventure, excitement, and danger. What's not to love? And that ending!! My only problem is having to wait for book 3!

Was this review helpful?

I had a great time journeying into Brandon Mull's latest installment in the Dragonwatch series, Wrath of the Dragon King. This book kept up the same tone and elements of fantasy that Brandon Mull voices so well his first series, Fablehaven.
As someone who read every book in the Fablehaven series the moment it came out, I really like how Kendra and Seth are growing as caretakers of all the magical creatures and beings in Wyrmroost. Must say that I love all the fantastic, original beings that Mull creates. So happy to have read this ARC copy!! Already can’t wait for the third book!

Was this review helpful?

I have several Brandon Mull books in my classroom that my 4th graders love to read. This book is no exception and will definitely be in my classroom once it is published in October. What I read was not the entire book, however, a preview of what is to come and I can not wait to read the entire adventure. The book continues Kendra and Seth's adventure, and is still full adventure that will keep the reader intrigued and engaged to the very end. Is it October yet?! :-)

Was this review helpful?

#WrathOfTheDragonKing #NetGalley
Kendra and Seth are back again, Brandon Mull has a way of keeping the story moving. I was given an advanced reading copy of the first nine chapters from NetGalley, I wish I had been given the full book, because I want to know what happens, dragons,faries,unicorns all have a place in this story.

Was this review helpful?

I am sure this book will be as good as the others based on the preview can't wait for the full book.

Was this review helpful?

Brandon Mull continues the Dragon Watch Series with an exciting adventure as Kendra and Seth face old and new challenges in the Wrath of the Dragon King. Kendra and Seth must face new challenges including facing the King of Dragons, Celebrant. Having to accept an invitation from Celebrant, Kendra and Seth must draw on their strengths and courage to face the threats and confrontations from the Dragons and Magic Worlds. The book captivates the imagination of the reader and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. This is a great read and those who follow the series will enjoy this newest title and those readers who have not read the series will want to go and read the entire series.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this preview, although I wish it was the full book! Kendra and Seth find themselves in another impossible situation and I can't wait to see how Brandon Mull gets them out of this one. Filled with all the things that kids love; dragons, adventure, wizards, lost unicorns and more you can't go wrong.
This book would be great for 8 and up. Kids and adults will love this follow-up to Dragonwatch. I do recommend they they read Fablehaven before starting Dragonwatch as it makes the story easier to follow.

Was this review helpful?

This was a great sneak peek at the adventures of Kendra and Seth. It started right where we left off and gave some insight as to what was to come. I liked the continued quirkiness of Seth’s character and Kendra’s patience with him. The story was good and never dragged. I did like the further information given about their cousin, and would have liked to see him more involved in the story as his character was mentioned and then dropped out. This may play a part later on, I suppose. The dragon histories were good and the look inside their castle was wonderful. I’m excited to see where this goes and what will come in the future for our heroes.

Was this review helpful?