New Dragon City
by Mari MancusiAlso by this author: Dragon Ops, Frozen 2: Dangerous Secrets: The Story of Iduna and Agnarr
on October 4, 2022
Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Dystopia
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Set off on a high-stakes, action-packed adventure in this story about friendship, survival, and fighting for ones you love, perfect for fans of Wings of Fire and How to Train Your Dragon.
No one predicted the dragon apocalypse. The dragons came suddenly and decimated the world as we knew it, including New York City. Now, three years later, Noah, his hardcore survivalist father, and a ragtag group of survivors are barely scraping by in this new reality. Kids scavenge not only for materials in abandoned homes but also for leftover books at the library. Adults spend their time establishing a make-shift society and defending their shelter... with any means available. At least for the few months the dragons are hibernating, until it’s no longer safe aboveground.
Noah has seen the damage these creatures can do firsthand. When it comes to dragons: It's kill or be killed. But a chance encounter between Noah and a young dragon forces him to question everything he thought he knew. With rumors spreading that there’s a group of survivors living in harmony with dragons instead of hiding underground, Noah teams up with his fire-breathing ally to find out if peace between humans and dragons is really possible. But the division runs deeper than scales versus skin because trying to follow his heart might just cost Noah his family too. If Noah and his father can’t see eye to eye, can he really get humans and dragons to?
Content Tags:
Perfect for readers who want:
- Dystopian middle grade novels . . . with a twist
- Dragons! Duh. (Because who doesn’t want dragons?!)
- Commentary against “othering” different groups
- Super tense atmosphere focused on survival
- Humans struggling to survive in different ways
Many thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and TBR & Beyond Tours for an eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
There are two reasons that I was always going to read this book: one, DRAGONS (duh!) and, two, I really enjoyed the author’s previous middle grade dragon book, Dragon Ops, and was fully sold on reading another dragon book from her. So obviously I was excited when this one was announced! Plus, I absolutely love apocalypses, and honestly, I know it’s supposed to be a scary thing, but I 100% support the dragon apocalypse. Not all of us will survive, but that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.
New Dragon City is a middle grade dystopian book featuring the most unique apocalypse of all: the dragon apocalypse! It’s filled with family bonds, coming of age, heartwarming realizations, and, best of all, DRAGONS.
This book was every bit what I had expected, and that’s a good thing! As I said, I enjoyed the last several books of Mancusi’s that I’ve read. While I think the overall plot is somewhat predictable (you can pretty much surmise it from the blurb), the execution is really enjoyable, and the danger and tension had me hooked and turning pages. Plus, I’m such a big baby that the emotional ending really hit me in the heart!
Welcome to the endtimes. While poets were arguing about whether the world would end by fire or by ice, the dragons swooped in and answered that question pretty decisively.
Hint: fire. Definitely fire. Mancusi establishes a world that’s been at least partially burnt to the ground, abandoned, and left to fend for itself, as humans scrabble to find whatever few safe spaces they can.
Dystopia isn’t hugely prevalent in middle grade (unfortunately), so I’m always excited when I find some. Especially ones that include dragons. I mean, the dragon apocalypse is pretty unique. The main character, Noah, lives with a group of survivors that live underground while the dragons reign above, only coming out during the winter when the dragons are in hibernation. It’s not a particularly inspiring life, but it is a life. Until the dragons wake up early from hibernation.
While the focus of this book isn’t really on the dystopian element, there are some bits and snatches of how this group survives that’ll likely interest dystopian fans. The way they need to find a way to scavenge supplies, make do with what they have, and many times get creative about how they use things. It’s a really interesting backdrop for a story.
Sure, we’d all been warned by Hollywood about all sorts of potential doomsdays looming on the horizon. Zombies? Seemed legit. Plague? Been there, done that. Giant meteors crashing into the earth and throwing the planet off its axis, bringing about spectacular and certainly Oscar-winning special effects? About as American as the Fourth of July.
But massive, fire-breathing beasts of legend swooping down on the earth and decimating everything in their wake? No one had that on their bingo card. And when it happened, no one was prepared.
Mancusi establishes a very tense atmosphere, focused on struggle and survival, with unconceivable beasts roaming free and threatening humanity.
In my nightmares, this always takes the form of dinosaurs, but you know what? Dragons works too. As much as I love dragons, Mancusi has convinced me of this with some of the more tense scenes, dripping with the characters’ stifling, overwhelming fears. I don’t think I’d enjoy being hunted by a dragon any more than a dinosaur, now that I think about it.
As much as I love dragons, Mancusi really sells the terror of having to scrape and scavenge and fear for your life around these giant creatures that can easily roast you if you cross them. The idea alone is rather terrifying. It’s easy to understand Noah’s fear and tension when it comes to dragons. Or his father’s desire to slay these monsters that are hunting them. Buuuut . . . is that really the whole story, hmmm?
But if we moved—even a muscle—it would see. It would come.
We would die.
New Dragon City is told from two very different, yet very similar perspectives: one a boy, one a dragon, but both just struggling for their families to survive.
Because nothing is as simple as it seems, right? Noah is the main human protagonist, and it’s rather easy to identify with this tiny, squishy human whose world has been turned upside down with the arrival of these giant fire-breathing beasts that have ruined humanity. But from the second perspective, one of a young dragon, it becomes a little harder to tell exactly who the real monsters are. Because humans aren’t exactly innocent in this whole situation. (And when are we ever?!)
This idea that both groups and neither group can simultaneously be monsters is one I really enjoyed throughout this book. Anyone can be a monster, regardless of their species. Sometimes the monsters are hiding in plain sight, even, hiding their real intentions. It’s such a compelling narrative, one I thoroughly enjoyed.
What Mancusi does particularly well in regards to this is the parallels between Noah and his dragon counterpart. They’re so similar, including their situations, that it’s hard not to feel for both of them. And it’s hard not to be convinced that they’re both right, even if they have contradicting opinions. It definitely gives middle grade readers a lot to think about.
“A what?” His eyes widened. “What did you just call me?”
“A . . . monster?” Asha felt her cheeks heat up. Maybe she shouldn’t have said that. He might think it rude.
Instead, he burst out laughing. “A monster,” he repeated. “That’s kind of funny.”
Asha frowned. “Why is that funny?”
“Because . . .” He stopped laughing. “That’s exactly what we call you.”
There’s an underlying commentary about the dangers of “othering” groups that may be different, and a narrative of empathy and understanding.
As far as lessons go, this is such an important one, especially given the current atmosphere (in this country, at least). Removing it from the real world and establishing it in a fantasy setting only makes the wrongness of it more poignant.
What Mancusi does so well in this book is to establish this narrative of monsters in the sky and mindless beasts before walloping the reader with the truth, one the reader likely hadn’t considered: that dragons, in fact, have their own feelings and social structures and struggles. Struggles that sound and feel all too familiar, because they’re the same things the humans are going through. It’s such a powerful realization, and such a crucial empathy-building element.
Just as we humans did.
About Mari Mancusi
Mari Mancusi is a former Emmy award-winning TV news producer, as well as an award winning YA author. She has published more than two dozen sci-fi/fantasy novels for kids, teens, and adults including The Camelot Code, Scorched, and Dragon Ops. Her series have been chosen as featured selections in the Scholastic Book Fairs and clubs and have been selected by the American Library Association as “Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers” and “Popular Paperbacks.” In addition to writing, Mari is an avid cosplayer, traveller, and gamer. She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and their young daughter. She can be found online at www.marimancusi.com.
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That dragon on the cover is very cool, and the story sounds very cool too!
Wendy recently posted…Stacking the Shelves #60!
I’m so glad you liked this book because I reaaaaaaally wanna read this so bad! And it’s a dragon apocalypse! What’s not to like about that?!?
Hasini @ Bibliosini recently posted…Cover Reveal & Q&A: ‘City of Vicious Night’ by Claire Winn
The best of all the possible apocalypses. 😀 Is it bad that I’m sort of voting for dragon apocalypse, out of all possible scenarios?
Cool, I’ll have to look into this book, or one of her other MG! I haven’t read anything by Mancusi since Moongazer (a YA published under Marianne Mancusi back in 2007) but I really liked that one so I’m curious to return to her work.
Nicole @ BookWyrm Knits recently posted…101 in 1001 ~ Q3 2022 Update
I think you’d really like Dragon Ops! It’s gloriously nerdy. 😀 Good for gamers.