The Princess Who Flew with Dragons

by Stephanie Burgis (Author)

The Princess Who Flew with Dragons
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

Perfect for fans of Shannon Hale, this girl-powered fantasy follows a smart young princess determined to save her kingdom. Princess Sofia of Drachenburg is sick of being used for her older sister's political gains. At twelve years old, she's already been a hostage to invading dragons and promised to marry a wicked fairy. Now she's being sent to far-off Villene to play the part of a charming, diplomatic princess. Her only comfort lies in writing letters to her pen pal and best friend--Jasper, a young dragon she's never even met.

But when an accident leads to her exile from Villene, Sofia is free to wander as she pleases for the first time in her life. And when Jasper's magical sister Aventurine turns him into a human boy, Sofia thinks life can't get any better. Until . . . the legendary ice giants of the north attack, trying to reclaim the territory that was theirs centuries ago. With the dragons and royals frozen in ice, can Sofia and Jasper save their families and kingdom? 

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Sofia’s lively first-person narrative is full of dramatic twists as this dragon-loving heroine undertakes a dangerous rescue mission, experiences a terrifying setback, and discovers an unexpected ally. Here's a rousing adventure story with convincing characters and a colorful setting.

Kirkus Reviews

Starred Review

As in the other books in the series, Burgis deals with issues as serious as privilege, immigration, and identity in a manner that is both honest and free of didacticism. Characters are a range of skin tones, from pale to brown to green to white; Sofia herself has brown skin. Anti-princess Sofia, her friends, and their adventures will amuse and delight readers. 

School Library Journal

Gr 4 Up--Picking up where The Girl with a Dragon Heart left off, we meet Princess Sofia, the erstwhile younger sister of Queen Katrin who was rescued from a disastrous betrothal to an evil fairy by Silke and Aventurine. Sofi would love nothing more than to be left alone with her philosophy books and letters with her best friend and pen pal, Jasper, who happens to be the younger brother of Aventurine. Katrin, always devising ways to get Sofi to do her bidding for the "greater good," has concocted a plan to get Sofia out of her shell. Villene, the largest and most famous city in all of the kingdoms, is hosting its renowned Diamond Exhibition and Katrin wants Sofi to attend in her place. Luckily, Villene is home to the University and her favorite philosopher, so Sofi agrees with her sister's scheme. A reluctant princess at the best of times, Sofi manages to offend the local royals and have herself exiled for the duration of her trip. Tired of being cooped up under house arrest, Sofi ventures out disguised as a student of the University and triggers a series of events that will change her perspective on life. To fully appreciate how the different characters intertwine it is best to have read the other books, but new readers can still enjoy and follow the story at hand. As in the other novels of the series, the characters are diverse in appearance. Readers will also get to explore other races of humanoids. There are more dragons, of course, as well as goblins and kobolds who are immigrants from a distant, northern land. VERDICT Compelling female characters and an emphasis on self-reliance make this, and the other books in the series, a good choice for those seeking middle grade fantasy with a feminist message.--Sara Brunkhorst, Glenview Public Library, IL

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes


Stephanie Burgis

Stephanie Burgis grew up in East Lansing, Michigan, but now lives in Wales with her husband and two sons, surrounded by mountains, castles and coffee shops. She is the author of the tween fantasy trilogy, Kat, Incorrigible and the forthcoming historical fantasy adult title, Masks and Shadows.
www.stephanieburgis.com
@stephanieburgis

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781547602070
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Publication date
November 20, 2019
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV014000 - Juvenile Fiction | Girls & Women
JUV034000 - Juvenile Fiction | Royalty (kings queens princes princesses knights etc.)
JUV002270 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Dragons, Unicorns & Mythical
Library of Congress categories
Magic
Dragons
Sisters
Fantasy
Fantasy fiction
Princesses
Giants

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