A fantastic debut! BLAZEWRATH GAMES tells the story of Lana Torres, a teen girl living in the Puerto Rican diaspora, who gets to realize her dream of representing Puerto Rico in its first appearance at the Blazewrath World Cup. Competing against the world's best athletes (and their dragons!) without her parents' approval would be hard enough if she didn't have to deal with saving the world from a dragon gone rogue. Full of heart and humor, BLAZEWRATH GAMES is impossible to put down until the world and its dragons are safe.

Blazewrath Games was a delightful read. It incorporates magic and fantasy into a contemporary world similar to Harry Potter. The twist here is that while the Wizarding World of the Potter-verse remains secret to Muggles, the Regulars (equivalent to Muggles in Ortiz's world) are aware of the existence of magic, and, more importantly, the dragons. Witch and wizard individuals and Regulars coexist in a relatively peaceful world.

Ortiz created a wonderful, beautifully crafted heroine in Lana Torres. She was real enough to me that I would find myself both rooting for her in her most empowered moments and feeling frustrated with her for not standing up to a teammate berating her or her dreadful cousin. She is not the "Chosen One" trope, but rather a strong individual who loves dragons and the Blazewrath Games. She feels pride for her Puerto Rican heritage yet still struggles with her distance from her island and wondering if she has the right to claim that identity. Her inner struggles are beautifully illustrated and add a layer of depth to her character that boosts the narrative. While I enjoyed Lana's character, I do have to admit that I found the other characters on the flat side. Occasional sparks of development were found in Victoria and Andrew, but aside from them, I found Lana's team and other magical characters to be far less interesting and one-dimensional. Even though Lana's mother was also under-developed, I found myself overjoyed with how she and Lana reconnect in the final pages of the novel.

In addition to Lana's strength as a character, something that made this novel so enjoyable was the inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters. Queer identity is not a struggle for the characters in this novel; these characters are fully accepted and not demonized. As a queer woman myself, I found this to be a wonderful aspect of this novel. Latinx characters make up the primary cast, making this an essential addition to a library wishing to provide their readers with inclusive fantasy novels.

One thing I wish had been incorporated more was a world-building aspect. The chapters all conclude with excerpts from magical texts that are part of Lana's world, but it was a little difficult to keep track of elements of the world. I was desperate for a more solid structure. It did not get in the way of the narrative, but as a fantasy reader, it is something I crave in my books.

Something that frustrated me immensely while reading, though, was the dragons. The book is touted by publishers as a "How to Train Your Dragon" meets "Quidditch." Such a description is what drew me to this novel in the first place. It certainly meets the "Quidditch" mark. However, "How to Train Your Dragon" is not the feeling I experienced, and that is probably what disappointed me most. I was expecting far more connection with dragons than was presented. Yes, dragons are throughout the novel. But when I think "How to Train Your Dragon," I expect a strong connection between the protagonist and dragon, as that is essential for Hiccup and Toothless' story. Dragons do not play a role in Lana's development. She tells us she loves them, and the games, but I wished she would have spent more time with dragons. I did not necessarily desire Lana to be a rider, but if she'd spent more time with the dragons on her team or even included memories of her and her father that involve the love of dragons, I would have been much more satisfied.

Overall, Lana's story is a satisfying page-turner that will delight readers looking for a magical, inclusive novel desiring to read about a heroine representative of the everything we need in this current period of the world: a resilient, strong, Latinx girl fighting against injustice and to represent her country in a noble way. It's absolutely wonderful.

Blazewrath Games is an epic read. A fantastically vivid world with a protagonist you cannot help but become attached to, This book has it all, gutwrenching in parts, funny in others, it doesn't shy away from tough subjects. It's a YA book you need to add to your to read list.

3.5 stars

This is very exciting and fast-paced, but some aspects of the world-building left me confused. RTC near release date.

I'll be honest. I didn't have high hopes for this book, and it's nothing against this book itself but against the YA genre itself. I once again have hope that YA isn't completely dull.

Lana is probably the best protagonist I've read in a while. She's not a chosen one because of mystical abilities or superb skills. It's not even a matter of "whoops this just happened" without making any sense. Lana's character arc throughout this story is believable and real--as real as can be in a story with dragons. I loved her from the beginning, and felt her to be a down-to-earth, relatable character. She's also incredibly smart and spends a lot of time thinking and pondering over the actions of the villain and other characters. She doesn't blindly rush into situations without planning ahead and figuring things out.

Samira is the best friend anyone could ever have, and even though she's more of a secondary character (kinda? She takes a big role later in the book, but this is definitely Lana's story), she's got lots of spunk and sass and is a great asset to Lana's journey. But even then she has her own journey and grows in this. She's basically the best, OK. I love her.

I really don't dislike a single character in this. Everyone was well-written with unique voices and personalities. I loved how the author interwove their culture into this story, so it's not just "another" fantasy. It's a Puerto Rican-centric fantasy, something I've never seen before. It takes place in our world, but the culture, language, and majority of the characters are Puerto Rican, and it's super refreshing to see something new in this genre. I've rarely seen Latinex books, so this gives me hope we will see more in the future.

The plot is fastpaced and easy to follow. I wouldn't say it's the most mysterious of books, but it's definitely got some great plot twists, and the story is solid enough that it doesn't need a shock-and-awe factor. The sport of Blazewrath is super fleshed out, as is the world as a whole, and it makes sooooo much sense. I would very happily watch a TV series based on this book and the sport simply because it's that fascinating.

This book doesn't shy away from tough plot points, and has some great gut wrenching moments.

Also, just the icing on the cake, again this is a POC Own Voices novel with ample LGBT+ rep, so there ya go.

What an epic story!!!!!! What can I say about this story? The characters are amazing! Dynamic. Realistic. And relatable. The plot was absolutely amazing! My attention was held the entire time. Twists. Turns. Suspense. I love the entire story!!!! I was sad when I finished. Amparo has an amazing story!!!!

"Dragons are better company than people. Not that I hate people."

Amparo Ortiz's dragon fantasy is complex, with textured world building, authentic relationships and a killer plot. Themes of death, loyalty, bravery, impossible choices, friendship, competition, patriotism and secrets make this book compelling and fun to read.

If you're looking for all the energy of Harry Potter's Quidditch World Cup, but set in an inclusive world with spellbinding dragons and an MC who grabs hold of her life with both hands and shapes it for herself, this is the book for you!

🐉LATINX DRAGONS🐉
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I grew up dreaming of unicorns and dragons. They were hands down my two favorite magical creatures, and though I never found books in Spanish about them when I was growing up in Puerto Rico, I was lucky to discover The Enchanted Forest Chronicles in my local volunteer-run library, Bucapla. It quickly became one of my favorite sets of books, and I still own copies at age 31.
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And they *are* good books. But how sad is it that they were my only option?
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All this to say that Amparo gave me something I never even dared hope for. A book (possibly a series? 😉) that not only described the most amazingly complex dragons I've ever read about, but was driven by a team of athletes who looked and sounded and dreamed like me.
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I know I am just rambling over here and not giving a proper review, but I feel so seen I could cry. I loved The Enchanted Forest Chronicles as a kid and I still do. But Blazewrath Games has cemented itself as my new favorite dragon book not just because it's a great story, but because it's one brimming with love for the island that I have spent the majority of my life in.
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Please pre-order this book, because all things aside it has:
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🏆 A Very Competitive Dangerous Sport
🏆 Dragons With Extremely Cool Abilities
🏆 Epic Battle Scenes
🏆 Blurry Morals/Ethics
🏆 Loving Friendships
🏆 Deep Patrotism
🏆 Magical Law & Order (!!!!!!!!!)
🏆 Latinx & Queer Rep
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¡Gracias, Amparo! No sabes el regalo que le has dado a mi pequeño corazón. Te quiero mucho. Is that weird? Ese es el poder de tus palabras.