Ember and the Ice Dragons by Heather Fawcett
Published by Balzer + Bray on October 1, 2019
ISBN: 0062854518
Pages: 368
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads

Ember and the Ice Dragons is a fun, quirky, if somewhat predictable junior fiction novel that manages to retain its charm and wit from prologue to epilogue. Set in a version of the Victorian era where both science and magic are studied and practiced, it tells the story of a twelve-year-old girl named Ember who happens to actually be a dragon in human form. When she randomly bursts into flames one too many times at her home in England, her father reluctantly agrees to send her to Antarctica to live with her eccentric Aunt Myra on a scientific base. This all seems to work out quite well in the beginning, but when Ember learns of the yearly hunt for Antarctica’s native ice dragons, her fury and compassion for animals kicks in and she finds herself in the midst of a dangerous adventure meant to stop it. This novel never stops moving, and middle grade readers will likely enjoy the fact that there is something new and interesting on every page. It is a very safe novel – nothing extremely controversial, but with solid meaning hidden within its entertaining and bizzare adventures. The secondary characters are wonderfully written as well (with my particular favorite being the fat cat Puff, who has been altered with magic to speak but only ever screams one-word demands like “FOOD!”).  It is a great pick for any young patron who is just getting into the fantasy genre and who also appreciates a little humor.

Reviewed by Nicole Clark, Goodall Memorial Library, Sanford