We're going on yet another family outing, again with a dragon, possibly a grumpy gnome, and also grandma is involved now.

No birthday party this time, but a trip to the forbidden section of the library! Sounds like a party to me! A much quieter one, I must say, but a party for a bookworm notheless! (The exclamation marks are only to be heard in your head, be quiet please...)
This time around we don't have a dragon that is obsessed with cake, no, we have a certified bookdragon. One that only wants to read books, not bond with humans in any capacity. Much to the chagrin of our new young protagonist, Camaráin.

We also have:
🐲A not so intelligent High Priest and his not so intelligent minions.
🐲The grand sensory hell of a capital city.
🐲More Fae creatures.
🐲Some seriously funny banter and family chaos.
🐲Lots of weird booktitles (50 Scales of Grey, anyone?)

Are you intruiged now?
Good.
Pick up Upscaled first, and Dragon Along later please.
They are short and very funny.

I really enjoyed Upscaled and so it is fun to see another book coming out about the return of the Dragons of Nóra, this time with Camaráin and the egg that he took. As Camaráin promised to his mother, it is a different story than what happened with his sister. Yes, you still have the Inquisitors but now they are in different jobs, some with better success than others. And of course there may be more foul mouthed gnomes but it was fun to travel down south to visit Camaráin's grandparents. Lots of hijinks there with Camaráin and his dragon, Brian (who loves to read just as much as Camaráin). There are new characters, including a selkie plus a band known as the Fae Smashers to watch out for. It is a fun whimsical silly adventure with a bit of danger, but more puns than danger, a good message about choosing families, even if there is no bond, and a happy ending for all who deserve it, and possible career changes for those who have learned their lesson! I enjoyed this quick fun read and look forward to hopefully seeing more stories about the Dragons of Nóra and the changes needed to make that land a good place again!

This is definitely meant for young readers. It was a cute and cozy fantasy. The humor might be appreciated by a younger audience but it didn’t work for me.
There are some good mythological creatures throughout the book, so kids will have fun discovering them. But the human characters weren’t as good. Camaráin, the 8 year old boy, is adorable but some of his thoughts are better in an older child. His family is sweet and wholesome but not much depth.
I liked okay but not nearly as much as the first book,Upscaled.

Dragon Along is every bit as cozy, whimsical, and clever as its delightful cover suggests. Rather than retreading the chaotic energy of Upscaled, this sequel takes a gentler, more introspective path, following the quiet and book-loving Camaráin as he navigates his own unconventional dragon adventure.

Instead of fiery battles or epic quests, Cam’s journey involves gnomish mischief, banned books, fae-related shenanigans, and one very peculiar dragon who seems more interested in reading than rampaging. It’s a refreshing shift in tone that leans into wit, wordplay, and heartwarming moments over high-stakes action.

While Camaráin doesn’t have his sister Ailís’s flair for drama, his earnestness and love of books make him a lovable lead in his own right. Supporting characters, particularly his sharp-witted mother and formidable grandmother, shine just as brightly, bringing warmth and comic relief to nearly every scene.

The humor is fast and pun-filled, sometimes veering into pure silliness, but always grounded in a genuine affection for its world and characters. Readers who appreciate Terry Pratchett’s whimsy or T. Kingfisher’s middle grade charm will find plenty to love here.

Though it may feel smaller in scale than its predecessor, Dragon Along builds out the world of Nóra with more lore, more laughs, and more personality. It’s a wonderfully offbeat story that embraces its quirks, and while it wraps up the duology, it leaves you hoping this isn’t the last we’ll see of dragons, gnomes, and cake-loving adventurers.

I enjoyed this book so much, I instantly went and bought the first book so I could read it as well. This is incredibly cute and cozy with low-stakes, dragons, and friendship.

Camarain is the younger brother to Ailis, the main character in book #1 Upscaled. I like that we get a glimpse into each of their lives to see how their personalities differ as well as the things they encounter. Ailis's life seems full of adventure with merchants, brigands and others trying to get their hands on her dragon. While Camarain has hatched his egg in secret and his book takes a bit more tamer adventure.

With Ailis, the bond between her and her dragon comes easily. However, Camarain is having a tough time bonding with Brian. I did read thes two out of order, so for me, the pacing was enjoyable. I liked reading the less adventurous book first and then picking up the other after. I identify with a quiet, bookish person, so Cam felt more like my personality. I enjoyed feeling like I was pulling up a chair to read with Cam and Brian, and not having to go on as big of adventures as his sister. we don't always have to do the same things our siblings do nor do we have to do things (like bond with dragons) in the same way.

Just an utterly delightful read which I plan to pick up a physical copy once it hits the shelves. if you like YA middle-grad fantasy with dragons and low-stakes, antics this may be one to add to your TBR

Dragon Along by Joseph John Lee is the second book in the Dragons of Nóra series, following on from the adorable Upscaled, and I do recommend reading that book first, as it sets up a lot of the world building etc for the series - plus it is very good.
In this book we are told the story of Camaráin and his dragon Brían, a pairing that despite Camaráin's best intentions do not share the same bond that his sister found with her dragon. When a trip to visit his grandparents gives him the chance to do some research it seems like a great plan until his dragon unexpectedly seems to bond with the gnome that has taken up residence in his grandparent's bathroom, causing Camaráin to feel quit jealous.
I wanted to love this book as much as I loved its predecessor, and some of the things I really liked about that book were still present in this one, I liked the characters and the mythology and world building. Unfortunately I think the humour sometimes felt a bit more forced here and it did not always land for me, but of course humour is subjective and I am sure plenty of readers will be chuckling away as they read. I also liked the attempt to create a story that could be read to or by a child, but with some jokes that are clearly aimed at the older reader, this can be a tricky thing to pull off and the author did a good job. I also have to acknowledge the beautiful cover, it really is eye catching and fits the story well.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Like the first one in that it was a short but sweet and cosy read!
The premise of this was actually really interesting: what if you hatched a dragon but it didn't show any interest in bonding with you? And it delivered with a fun adventure, a wacky cast of characters and plenty of heart and humour.
The expansion of the world from the first book was also a really nice, and I could really tell the author was having so much fun writing it. The enthusiasm and joy bled through and made this a really lovely reading experience.
That said, I don't think the humour landed with me as much as Upscaled's did. It felt a lot more silly rather than satirical like Upscaled and it just didn't quite hit the same. But I'd still reccommed checking out this book if you liked the first one and/or you're looking for a short, silly dragon adventure!

a hilarious and heartwarming sequel! This is a charming continuation filled with all the delightful humor of the first! There's even sillier logic this time around, enemies who are less evil and more incompetent, and the silly nonsense that made me giggle, cackle, and snort. just as entertaining as the first, we now follow Ailís brother as he deals with the drama of a newborn... only, there's not really that much drama there. no, the dragon is fine. it's the Gnomes that are the problem! time to head into the grand city where sarcasm seams to be a dead art, and Logic seams to be lost forever. this charming book is packed with wild and hilarious characters and of course, we get to see the fascinating way eight year old Camaráin thinks. in a world with little common sense, he seams to have too much, leading to some quite hilarious moments. a must read good for all ages!

thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and Netgalley for this ARC

Dragon Along is the second book in The Dragons of Nóra series. In this book, we follow different characters from the previous book. Camaráin and his dragon, Brían, don’t share the same bond that his sister has with her dragon. When Camaráin’s grandparents invite him to their new home, he and Brían embark on an adventure of their own. This was such a great sequel to Upscaled. The humorous tone remains consistent with the first book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. While it appears that this is the end of this beautiful series for now, I hope the author returns to this world in the future. If you're looking for a light hearted and funny adventure story to read, I highly recommend this series. Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Upscaled. This one’s enjoyable too, but not quite on the same level. If Upscaled was Thor: Ragnarok, Dragon Along is Love and Thunder: heavier on the jokes, but they don’t always land. Lots of random ramblings. Sweet story overall, and I’m sure it’ll find its audience. Turns out, I’m just not one of them.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was cute, and had some fun moments. The funniest moment for me was the gnome chaos, and the grandpa rushing to the bathroom 😂 Unfortunately though, I didn't enjoy this as much as I was hoping to. I love a good dragon book, but I didn't feel like the dragon's presence was as engaging. I haven't read Upscaled, and it sounds like it might have been more eventful.

Considering just the story of this novel, somehow I didn't feel any connect to these characters. The humor didn't always land - sometimes it was a bit too silly for my taste. The plot and pacing were too slow for my liking, and the conversations were really <i> dragon along....</i> 😅

I'm used to reading middle-grade fantasy books, and have read some amazing ones that I love - but maybe this is meant for even younger kids, since Cam was 8?

In any case, taste for humour can be very specific for everyone, so while this wasn't my style of humour, it could be yours! I love the covers of both the books in this series - that is what had attracted me to them, as well as the fun premise of Upscaled.

<i>I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. </i>