What if you found a book, one that said dragons were real and that all people could do magic with the right training?
Ciara did what any kid would she summoned a dragon.
This wonderful fantasy adventure story sets up a world where it seems like the bad guys won, rewrote history to restrict magic.
While it is clear that this book is part of a series it is a good first book keeping the readers interest from the first chapter. Kids will love the idea that a magic book could let them do magic even summoning a dragon, adults will appreciate the dragons ability to burn away lies.
My only hang-up is that for the purposes of world building there wasn't enough description, I was looking for a bit more about the dragon (size limbs movement etc.) and about the town/cities/country maybe a map would help?
The intent might have been for us to use our imagination but for all that the dragon did and the journey taken by the warden and Drakes I just wanted more.

Such a fun story for children and I didn't mind reading it out, which is a total win. It's charming and funny with a little suspense but no scares. I would recommend this for any little fantasy lover.

My 8 year old and 10 year old kids really loved this book. We read it a chapter at a time as a bedtime story, and they looked forward to bedtime because of it. (My kids also just really love bedtime, they're weird.). It's written at a level where my 10 year old could have definitely read it on his own.

I enjoyed the mystery aspect of "what happened to Bianca and the others" and "how did the innacurate stories get spread." I did think the book was trying too hard in some cases to be funny or tried to drag a "comedic" bit out for too long and it ended up being annoying. However, I can see kids enjoying it.

This was a strong start to the Dragon's Apprentice series, it had that element that I was wanting from the description. James Riley does a fantastic job in writing fantasy book and this was no exception, I really enjoyed the way the characters and world were presented and developed. It was everything that I wanted in a opening chapter and was glad it was everything that I was looking for and am excited for more in this world. It uses the dragon element perfectly and had that feel that I was looking for and was glad it was so well done.

Female middle grades fantasy with dragons. This is perfect for an 8-12yr old reader with an interest in fantasy. Everything is age appropriate and adventures not scary.

# The Dragon's Apprentice
# 4/14/2025 ~ 4/14/2025
# 5.0 / 5.0

The Dragon's Apprentice is a highly entertaining story about love, loyalty, and learning how to navigate through all of life's challenges. Delightful characters, well written and seamlessly stitched together in a story of challenges with a happy every after ending. Every story has a "bad guy" and this one has a doozy, rich wanting to be richer, and evil. You will root for the dragon in this story for sure. James Riley writes for younger readers but will definitely appeal to older readers and adults who enjoy a happy ending with a bit of a messy story along the way.

What a fantastic book! The character and world building were both excellent. It was well written, thoughtful, and full of magical fun. I enjoyed the entire story and was not even too upset about the cliffhanger ending, thanks to the author's funny comment about cliffhangers. I will definitely be reading the next book!

It's getting hard to write or find a fresh twist on a fairy tale these days. Here is one. Skael is a typical fairy tale village, though there's no mention of a royal family. Dragons are real, though they dislike humans and have been avoiding Skael. Magic is real, though nobody in Skael knows how to use it. People are regularly exhorted to wait for the return--as a magically preserved living person, or an instruction book--of the Dragon Mage, a fearsome warrioress whose teachings are relayed to the people by the Warden. Only young Ciara knows the Warden is corrupt (he's hoarding the magic medicine her mother needs to cure the Skael Cough). She knows that even before she finds an old book and learns that she's the heir to one of the six students the Dragon Mage had persuaded six dragons to teach. When she tries to read the book, she summons the dragon Scorch.

He doesn't want to be her teacher, but, because this is a fantasy aimed at middle school readers, you know how it will end. They will confront the Warden. They will cure Ciara's mother. They will find out what really happened to the Mage, the dragons, and their "apprentices." Scorch will decide he likes Ciara after all. Adults know this has to happen but why spoil the fun of finding out how. The story will make even adults chortle, if not chuckle.

What's not to like? The cover illustration seems to me to invite a younger audience than the story addresses. Adults and older children may be asked to read this book aloud to younger children. How bad is that?

Her city is being taken over by a sinister man. The citizens must work for him and then give him back their pay to live. They are also becoming sick from the Skael cough. Ciara needs to help,to save her money there and her town. Will the book she discovered hold the key? Full of adventure and goodness, this book will delight readers of all ages.

James Riley does such a great job of writing for middle grades. His books are great adventures with characters that learn lessons along the way. I loved this story and really can't wait to read the next in the series and see where the story takes us. Even the synopsis of this story catches and brings in readers.

This book was great! I could really see some middle grade readers getting into this. I am going to reccommend it to my kids and those who appreciate dragons and magic.

A truly adorable read, Ciara's voice is really well done and Scorch is hilarious. It does take a little bit to truly kick off but I think it will be a fun family read or some reluctant reader's first favorite book.

After trying to start this one multiple times and still not being pulled into the story I think I just have to admit it's not for me. I think the multiple layers of timeline just overloaded my brain with information from the get go. I can definitely see a younger reader getting past that and being drawn into the mystery of the magic.

12-year-old Ciara lives in a small mining village in Draconic empire, a place where magic is forbidden. The cruel Warden of the village has been looking for the journal Ciara found 5 years ago. It’s the journal of the dragon mage, Bianca. When her father dies and her mother gets sick, Ciara’s mom sells the farm. But, before they can trade the proceeds for medicine, the warden imprisons her mother. Ciara manages to escape with the journal. Soon, a spell appears that summons Scorch, Bianca’s magister and crotchety dragon. His job: to teach her magic. To save her mother and her village, she’ll need to learn to use her magic. Will she succeed?

The plot is engaging, well written, and fast-paced. The characters are likable, well rounded, and authentic. The world building is well done and draws the readers into the story. Readers who like fantasy, adventure, and dragons will want to pick this one up. Recommended for most library collections. 4 stars, Gr 4 through 8.

What happens when you find a magic book in a land in which magic is banned? Such is the quandary of 12-year-old Ciara, who soon discovers she can perform the spells in this book with a little help from her teacher dragon. The story is entertaining and the relationship between student and teacher is engaging. The story slows a bit with the longish explanation as to what is actually going on in this land without magic. It excels when portraying Ciara's bravery and heart. This book is the first in a series and will answer more questions as it proceeds.

5 years ago, Ciara found a journal written by the dragon mage, Bianca. Now, 12 years Ciara’s life is difficult. The warden of the mining village her family lives in is cruel and determined to find the journal Ciara has. When her father dies from Skael Cough and her mother becomes sick, the two sell the home to pay for her mom’s medicine. Before she can get the cure, however, the warden imprisons Ciara’s mom. Managing to escape with the journal, Ciara unlocks a spell that summons a dragon. Scorch, Bianca’s magister, is a crotchety dragon who is Ciara’s only hope. To save her mother and her village, Ciara must learn how to wield magic from Scorch. Will she succeed? Bianca’s magister and crotchety dragon. His job: to teach her magic. To save her mother and her village, she’ll need to learn to use her magic. Will she succeed?

The plot is magical, well written, and enchanting. The characters are authentic, believable, and easily draw the reader into the story. The world building is well done and brings the world of Ciara to life. Readers who like fantasy, adventure, dragons, and saving the world fiction will want to pick this one up. Recommended for most library collections.

I liked the premise of The Dragon's Apprentice which was well executed and Ciara was the right fit to be the main character. As for Scorch I found him a right grump but he grew on me and his interactions with Ciara were hilarious at time and my least favouite was the Warden as I found them too cliched for my liking..

I have giving The Dragon's Apprentice 4 stars and will be continuing on with the series as I liked where it was leading to.

Another fun, fantasy outing from James Riley. Unlike many of his other books, this one stays rooted firmly in one, magical world--one that's not as magical as it's supposed to be. Magic is restricted to just the ruling class, even though it was supposed to be accessible to everyone. Ciara is a young girl who finds the journal/spellbook of a long-gone magical apprentice and becomes an apprentice magician herself, teaming up with Scorch, her reluctant dragon mentor to help save her town. This book is as fun as all of Riley's others with some good themes about historical revisionism and rising up against tyrant bullies but I wish there had been a bit more depth to the main characters. The epilogue sets up a cliffhanger that will clearly lead into future installments, but the story stands well on it's own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children’s, and Labyrinth Road for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this book for an honest review.

Having read quite a few books by James Riley (including Story Thieves, Half Upon a Time, and Once Upon Another Time), I was excited to dive into the first installment of his new series!

"The Dragon’s Apprentice" follows 12-year-old Ciara as she stumbles upon an ancient journal and accidentally summons a dragon named Scorch. Chaos ensues, but this coming-of-age story is filled with laughter, sarcasm, heartbreak, strong family bonds, and plenty of twists and turns.

The prologue is essential for understanding the backstories of Bianca, Cillian, and the Dragon Mage. It sets the stage for the series and explains the initial magic system – dragons were meant to take on human apprentices to teach them magic, with the goal of spreading it to humanity so that no one would go hungry, there would be no more wars, and everyone could live in peace. Of course, things didn’t go as planned.

Fast forward one thousand years, and Ciara is in a dire situation. Her mother is gravely ill, they’ve had to sell their farm to afford a magical cure, and now Ciara is a wanted criminal for refusing to hand over the ancient journal to the Warden. Things were looking awfully bleak for Ciara until she summoned Scorch, and he decides to take her on as his apprentice in order to save Ciara’s mother and her village from the horrible Warden.

My only major complaint, with this being the first book in the series, is that there’s a lot of information and numerous characters introduced – which felt overwhelming. Some of these details don’t come into play in this book, so it led to confusion. It might have worked better if some of the information had been revealed gradually throughout the series, rather than all at once.

That said, James Riley has a knack for writing from the perspective of a 12-year-old, capturing the voice and thought process of middle schoolers perfectly. It’s spot-on with how my 6th-grade daughter and her friends think and react to situations. This book is an ideal choice for middle-grade readers who love sci-fi, adventure, and fantasy, and I highly recommend it. I’ll definitely be ordering a copy for my daughter!