Amazing prequel! I absolutely loved meeting Cinder and Luke during this time when the Dragons are resurfacing from their hibernation. The story begins when rebel dragon tribes are breaking all the rules and taking over peaceful dragons’ land. Cinder, a young three month old dragon and her twin brother Flare, are curious little dragons and stray on adventures at times. One of these adventures leaves Cinder to be lost and trapped alone on the side of a cliff. This is where a young, human boy named Luke rescues Cinder and takes her to his home to give her time to heal from her wounds. That same evening, they become friends in a special way that bonds dragon to human and can hear each other’s thoughts. With Cinder being such a young dragon and unable to tame her fire breathing skills, accidents happen that even she can’t explain, but Luke is left to wonder if she is a friend or an enemy.
This story is about friendship, making mistakes, correcting mistakes and trying to fight for what is right even if it looks to others as the wrong thing. The friendship between Luke and Cinder is confusing and frustrating at times, but they learn that they need each other to help both their families survive in this world of Dragons and humans.
Definitely buying this book for my middle school readers!

Set five years before New Dragon City, this book alternates between the experiences of Lucas, who lives in a small town, and Cinder, a young dragon. Cinder and her brother Flame are being raised by their mother, the queen of their band of dragons, after their father is killed when rogue dragons try to take their territory. When Cinder gets separated in new territory from her family, she is rescued by Lucas. Lucas and his friends Jace and Jacinda Alvarez are interested in dragons, but it isn't until their friend Noah Miller (the main character in New Dragon City, 2022) and his father raise the alarm that the dragons are back that they take the existence of the creatures seriously. Lucas is missing his dog, Max, and his mother, father, and sister think that his grief is manifesting itself in an unhealthy interest in dragons. This isn't the case; Lucas has met Cinder, fed her beef jerky, and even brought her home overnight, since the two could speak telepathically. Sadly, Cinder accidentally sets fire to Lucas' house, which his parents think is suspicious, and they want Lucas to get counseling. When people start to show up in town, buying beef jerky and watching a video of Cinder and Lucas, he's worried that he has caused a problem. For her part, Cinder tries to convince the dragon council that humans are good and want to help. She plans to bring a gift to Lucas' town and explain the help that the dragons need. Unfortunately, Cinder's idea of a gift ends up being a horse, Mr. Bean, who is beloved by the town. Even though Lucas tries to explain, the townspeople are angry, and the event ends with another fire caused by Cinder. When Flare goes down to eat his sister's gift (why should it go to waste?), he is captured. Special agedne Gerda visits Lucas and his family and tells them that they should just stay put, and that things will be okay. When Lucas sees a video of Flare in captivity, he knows this isn't the case. After he and his friends save Flare, they fly to talk to Cinder's mother, and are able to convince the dragons that the humans don't mean them harm. Unfortunately, the rogue dragons are also loose on the world, and humans are scared. They want to attack any dragons that come near. Eventually, Lucas and his family relocate to the new territory of the dragons, and are eventually joined by Noah and his father.
Strengths: Even though this went back and forth from Cinder to Lucas' viewpoint, it wasn't confusing at all, and I am often very confused by fantasy books. Mancusi's writing makes me believe that Cinder showed up, Lucas thought to feed her beef jerky, and the two just hit it off! The fact that there has been talk in the wider society about a dragon uprising is simmering in the background, so it's not too much of a surprise when the "dragon peepers" show up, and are alarmed by Cinder's gift. There's just enough about Lucas' life in his town to make it sad when he has to leave. This is a fast-paced story with some suspense as well as a satisfying "pet dragon" aspect to it. The first book has circulated well, so I will definitely buy a copy of this.
Weaknesses: It's been a while since I read New Dragon City, so I had some trouble figuring out how Noah and his father figured in to the storyline.
What I really think: This is a little more problematic than pet dragon books like Durst's Spark or Downing's Hatching Magic, and has some elements of Martin's The Edge of Extinction. Mancusi's fans will want to take a look, and I enjoyed the fact that you can really read either book in the series first.

My Thoughts
My love for reading Fantasy tales started about four decades ago in between watching cartoons, riding my horse or playing with my friends.

There were more nights than I can count that were spent deeply immersed in the pages of a book when I should have been sleeping, especially on school nights.

As I grew older and discovered my appreciation for more genres somehow Fantasy no longer was my primary focus.

In recent years that has changed and once again I have found myself choosing these types of reads more often.

Stories featuring Dragons have been one of my favorite go to reads for many reasons, not the least of which is their beauty and powerful stature.

Having read her Scorched Trilogy years back I was excited for a chance to see what new characters and adventures she had in store for me.

I was able to feel like a part of the story as it unfolded in New Dragoon City but even more so in Dawn of The Dragons and by the time I read the last page was very happy with its ending!

I also felt that questions posed in the books synopsis/description were answered quite satisfactorily for me.

What the author has managed to convey in her two companion books is a combination of fiction married with realism that worked very well for me, the how she did so you must read for yourself!
[EArc from Netgalley]
On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

I loved this book!! It keeps your attention and you don't want to put it down. The way the author writes the story, you can picture the characters in your head, how they look and the atmosphere they are in. I would recommend this book to my Family, friends and my patrons. This book is good for all ages. The compassion that comes out in some of the humans and some of the dragons is so touching. This is a must read!

We find ourselves immersed in a time when dragons are fighting over territory and the humans don’t know about them yet.

As a prequel to New Dragon City, I was excited to learn about how the dragons and humans got to the point they were at at the opening of that book-with humans “hibernating” underground 6 months of the year and fearing dragons.

Although this book is based around two new characters, Lucas and Cinder, it does a good job at setting a back story. It’s action packed and full of lots of parental advice for a middle-grader (both from Lucas’ parents and Cinders elders).

Both my tween and I loved this book. I feel it’s super relevant for today with the message that misinformation does so much harm, especially when people jump to conclusions and don’t seek out the facts. My tween wanted more connection to the sequel-he wanted the story to keep going to the beginning of New Dragon City. (I think that could be its own book!)

We love this author and can’t wait to see what her next book is.

4.75 stars

Publication date: September 2, 2025

** Thank you Little, Brown and Company for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.**

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC. I read New Dragon City last year because it was a bluebonnet book, so when I heard Mari say that a new prequel was coming out, I jumped on NetGalley pretty fast!

This series is about dragons waking up from hibernation, and now they are faced with humans who have more than just sharp sticks to fight back. But is it all just a big misunderstanding? When Lucas saves a dragon’s life, Lucas the human and Cinder the dragon are on a mission to prove that both species can live in peace.

Both books have an engaging plot line with thrill and action! The characters are relatable and the dialogue rich with themes of acceptance, compassion, and friendship. Mari Mancusi’s writing will suck you right into this enthralling world of dragons where the threat of war is looming!

Dawn of the Dragons takes place before New Dragon City, but it would be best to read it second as to not spoil New Dragon City. Lucas is growing up in rural New York when word that dragons exist becomes a rumor. When Lucas sees something he cannot explain, he goes to investigate and discovers a hurt baby dragon that he assists. A huge misunderstanding occurs when the dragons go to thank the humans which could possibly lead to the dragon apocalypse. Can the dragons and humans get along and will they ever understand each other?

This is a fun fantasy for any dragon lover. It is a wonderful addition to Mancusi's series and will be a first purchase for our library.