The Candlestone, Volume 2 (Dragons in Our Midst, #2)

by Bryan Davis

[ladygrey]

If I were rating this based on my enjoyment or how well I thought it was written (all the way around - from plot to characters and prose) I’d give it two stars.

Its really not a great book. Its less overwritten than Raising Dragons. But there’s precious little character development. And there’s a fusion of relationships that seems unsubstantiated. And several of the characters (mostly the adults) seem largely unrealistic (especially Billy’s mom, oh and Bonnie - she was overtly naive). One large plot point was thoroughly obvious from the outset.

Here’s where the third star came from: if I was at 10 year old boy, I’d probably love this book. It’d seem adventurous and dangerous. The characters wouldn’t feel convenient and one dimensional, which would allow them to be noble or at the least to become noble. I would enjoy Billy and Walter’s banter. I’d like that Bully’s mim is so easily accommodating (if I even noticed she’s only in the story when she needs to be and disappears as conveniently). I’d like the dragons and the way the kids fight the adults and the way everything works itself out in the end.

So, I rated this book not as I read it today. But as if I were someone this book was intended for. Even then, its nowhere near 4 or 5 stars. But it’d probably be fun, even if it isn’t great.