I read the first volume a few years ago and was quite pleased to see the second volume appear on Netgalley this Fall.

This installment returns us back to Na'ya and her school. Now that their old principal is officially gone things seem a little better at school. Well, except for the bullies, the nightmares and her plan to become a dragon not quite going according to plan. It is a lot of work to become a dragon and what she needs is not freely given to her. So when she accidentally summons a dragon instead, all hell breaks lose. Sort of.

This installment opens up the world of Weirn a little more. Where first we just had the academy and the woods, we now meet the dragons from another realm. It slowly opens up in a way that is very approachable for middle grade readers and still creates an almost cozy feel.

The relationships between Na'ya, her friends Ailis and Jasper and her family are also a great aspect of this book and series. It just feels very real and realistic. And Na'ya and her friends are just some kids with big dreams that get into all kinds of trouble. Well more so than our kids since the things they can play with are a bit bigger, haha. But it feels realistic. I also enjoyed seeing the relationship between Na'ya and the dragon.

The art also looks great. And it fits great for middle grade readers and it often adds in a cozy feel.

I can't wait for another installment in this series.

This next volume in the series was wonderful - Vol 1 focused on character building and this Vol 2 was more action packed which made for a very fast paced, quick read.

I will be continuing on with the series, and will continue to recommend to everyone in the community

4 stars

It has been a while since I read the first book in this series, and so it took me some time to get adjusted to the characters and their back stories. And I will say that, for Patricia for example, I never truly recalled her link to Na'ya and her friends. Sure, as the bully who kind of befriends them when it's convenient, but as more than that, I couldn't remember and will likely have to take book 1 out in order to refresh the story. So, this definitely isn't a stand alone. You could probably read this without the previous book, but you would be totally lost and take a good half of the story to figure things out. Yes, the story would move and make sense without that information, but it's definitely going to be more challenging.

The artwork is consistent with the previous book, and Chmakova does a good job weaving the story. This isn't Dramacon - my favourite by her - but it does a bridge of sorts between the Berrybrook Middle School and a more fantasy version of those stories. And also as a crossover (of course) with the Nightschool series.

I did find some parts confusing, because I'm still not sure about the dragon parts, and what happens at the end. AND I am probably going to have to also pick up the Nightschool series to get how they will or do crossover more.

All in all, a fun middle school fantasy graphic novel series and I am looking forward to book 3 for sure.

I could not put this book down!! I finished it in one sitting. I love the artwork and the creature designs. The Astrals are so cute and the dragons!!! I love the dragons and hope we get to see more of them in future volumes. The volumes in this series build upon and expand the world from the previous one and I hope this is a trend that will continue. I will eagerly be waiting for the next volume.

Thank you Yen Press, JY for Kids, Svetlana Chmakova, & NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this awesome book! This is the second book in The Weirn book series and it’s just as fantastic as the first on was. Same great characters, another fun, fast-paced adventure, and awesome graphics by the beloved Svetlana Chmakova. Run, do not walk, to read this wonderful book! I can’t wait to share it with my students and am impatiently awaiting the next volume!