Joan Reardon does a fantastic job in writing this book, it had that fantastical element that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall feel of this storyline. The concept was fantastic and worked with what I was looking for. The characters were so well written and had that charm that I was expecting. I thought the overall experience worked well and was engaged from the start and didn't let go until the end. I hope to read more from Joan Reardon as this was really well done.

A more punk rock version of Valentina Salazar Is Not a Monster Hunter or Fablehaven if you wanna go back further. 12 year old Zadie ends up on a camping trip with her older sister, super chill dad, and her mom's lame boyfriend which turns into a road trip when the family secret comes out: both of her parents are "gamewardens" (humans who can bond with an animal companion and wield their magic) which also makes her and her sister gamewardens. Unfortunately, she learns this by watching her dad's animal companion (a dragon named Maverick) get kidnapped by poachers. Cue the rescue mission! This book was just a ton of fun. The magic system is very cool. Having a responsible adult on the mission in a MG book is such a novelty. And watching Zadie's relationship with both her dad and her mom's boyfriend change throughout the book was great. Also, it's just plain funny. I highly recommend this one!