Flying Blind (Dragon Diaries Series #1)

The next generation of the Pyr come into their own!

To be completely honest, I didn't like the beginning of the book all that much. It starts with Zoë dreaming of a hot guy (nothing wrong with that), then she goes into a little about the Covenant (information is good, especially for those who haven't read the Dragonfire series). But what really bothered me was how much Zoë complained about her non-existent boobs and period. It's a bit immature for a fifteen-year-old. I was hoping the "Puberty Show" would get on the road, too, just so she would stop complaining about it even five seconds. Now when it comes to her Wyvern powers, I'd probably be doubting myself too if they hadn't manifested yet. I have to admit that I did admire Zoë's readiness to protect her best friend when she was being bullied. It shows us a glimpse of her inner strength that we don't see much of until later in the book. Zoë's anger at these mean girls is what triggers her first semi-transformation. But because she's being ruled by anger she doesn't have any control over her dragon. In the end, she ends up suspended from school (when she didn't even do anything wrong, she didn't even touched anyone), she broke the Covenant twice, and is headed for boot camp. I found Zoë's jealousy over Nick and Isabelle's obvious feelings for each other kind of annoying. (And in her jealous fits her immaturity shines bright). Having grown up with the Pyr she should have realized a lot sooner than she did that two Pyr cannot be mated. Sure, she was being influenced by a spell to feel that much jealousy, but I thought it was a little too much. Especially when there's Jared showing interest in her. Where can you go wrong with a guy who believes in you even when you don't believe in youself, and offers you support when you need it? I love the atmosphere that the setting of boot camp creates. What could be more foreboding that being stuck in a cabin in the middle of nowhere during a Minnesota blizzard? I love books that take place in my state where I live and grew up. I felt the Minnesota winter setting fit pretty well with the events happening at boot camp. Winter, in any place, but mostly those places where it's known to be really cold and snowy, like Minnesota or Maine, always gives off that "Oh no, what's going to happen next?" feeling. And the plot and storytelling help give it that foreboding, dangerous feel. I liked how throughout the book we were given small doses of Pyr history without it all being dumped on us at once. That's really helpful when you haven't read the parent series that the Dragon Diaries is spun-off from. There's isn't a lot of romance in Flying Blind, but where it does show up it's very swoon-worthy. Finally, you have this younger generation coming into their own. It's a heart-warming moment when all their father's show such pride in them. Zoë's connection to the other Pyr being blocked somehow is only the beginning as tempers flare, friendships are tested, and jealousy rages.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

IF YOU LIKE DRAGONS - THEN CHECK THIS OUT!

I read her adult series first and thought it might be interesting to see what the kids are like later in life. The writing style and the humor was great - even if Zoe was kinda immature at times.

Highly Recommended - you must check it out!!

I really had fun with this one. As this was the first book of Cooke's I'd read I didn't really have any expectations. I'm not sure it would have mattered in the long run because Cooke won me over right from the start. While her world involves dragons, mages and all kinds of magic, she's centered it in a modern day world which grounded everything for me. And as Zoe and her friends are still just coming into their dragon powers, readers got to learn right along with them.

Cooke avoided lecturing her readers or boring them with minor details because Zoe was still learning as well. It was all relevant and very fun to imagine. The characters were fun and kept thing light along the way. Her dragon counterparts were unique in their own ways and brought a little something different to the table. Adrian was mysterious, Jared was drool worthy, and had me laughing on more than one occasion.

I'm thrilled Cooke has created this series and can't wait for her to share more with her second installment, Winging It, scheduled to hit the shelves in December 2011. I'm looking forward to seeing what new trouble Zoe and her friends find next and whether or not she's got another ride on the ducati in her future...

We'reallmadhere. Review by me.

Book is okay had hard time udersanding. By the way in seven.

Is this a good read for someone who reads alot?

I am not completely sure if this is going to be my kind of book. In the past I have read many teen fantasy series. Some include Twilight, Eragon, Vampire Acadamy, Night World, Vampire Kisses, Harry Potter, The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, and even Song of the Lioness. Would this series be good for someone like me? If you could please give me some answers, leave a review with KK in the title. Thanks.

Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo

Zoe's been told of her future, according to the legend of her people. She is a Wyvern - a shapeshifter who can see into the past and present via dreams. There's only one Wyvern born to a generation of the Pyr. Zoe is the one for her generation. However, she can't use her powers to perform any of the Wyvern's duties. Since the past Wyvern is dead, there's no one to train her. She's also not very forthcoming about not understanding her powers or even her failed attempts to use them. When an incident occurs at her school, she's packed up and sent to boot camp. Boot camp is where the other Pyr boys her age use their powers to train. They work together to make themselves stronger and to enhance their abilities. Once at camp, Zoe's dreams go up in smoke. Nothing turns out the way she imagines: not the boy she's dreamed about for the past few years, not the camaraderie with the other Pyr, and certainly not the introduction of a new girl. Zoe doesn't know what's happening, but something feels very strange. Can she figure out what's bothering her while at the same time kicking her training into overdrive? Lots of action and danger help create a fast-paced plot for the first book in this new series about dragons. Friendship drama and romance add to the fires, making FLYING BLIND an emotional story. The action and the emotions combine for an amazing first read in THE DRAGON DIARIES series.

Live To Read

This book starts out by introducing the reader to the main character, Zoe. Zoe is a little impulsive, caring, and funny to read about. She is the only female Pyr...a wyvern. She doesn't have a big head at all in the story; however, she cares way too much about a character, Nick, that she believes she should be with.


Nick is rude, very impulsive, and generally not a character the reader will care too much about. He isn't horrible, but he just doesn't have that likable vibe. Many readers are not a fan of love triangles (YOU ARE WARNED), this book contains several in small doses. The little love spats seem silly next to the good plot-someone is trying to damage the relationships between the dragons and succeeding. The ending is surprising, the love triangles are resolved; however, the reader may be left with that unsettled feeling.


Overall, this book was a good one; the focus was dragons and the author made is seem as realistic as possible...there were even pretty good fights and the reader is able to picture the dragons manifesting. The plot was interesting, the characters could get a tad annoying, and the events were a little slow at times. This book would be recommended for young adults/teens who enjoy fantasy.

Good book, could have been better

I read this book pretty quickly, because the story line grabbed me, and also I was kind of waiting for something to happen, which really didn't until the end.

The book was interesting, but at times I did feel a bit lost. I didn't fully understand the world, and things were not explained very well. At the beginning all the main character does is focus on her "crush" Nick. Then we shifts to another guy for about two hours, then to another guy. It was a little annoying actually.

I think the series has promise, but it would have been nice to have a bit more information about the history of the Pyr and the Wyvern. Let us know about their rituals and powers. Also, it seemed like these "all powerful beings" were trapped pretty easily, which sucked.

I did like when Zoe finally came into her powers and let herself shine. She really needs to have more self confidence. But it was the first book in the series, so it is a start! I will read the next book which comes out December 6, 2011. 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

The Next Generation of Pyr is Here!

Deborah Cooke had me at Pyr. Being a fan of her adult paranormal series, The Dragonfire Series, I could only expect more great things from her new crossover into the young adult world. Flying Blind takes place in the year 2024, the very near yet far future, where Zoe Sorensson is finally coming into her Wyvern capabilties. There can only be one Wyvern at a time for her species, the only female, and she is considered a treasure and a prophetess. With the last Wyvern, Sophie, long dead before her birth and no "Wyvern manual" in sight, Zoe finds herself lost and confused. Readers of the Dragonfire series were first introduced to three month old Zoe in "Winter Kiss", where she was surprisingly displaying extraordinary Wyvern capabilities. Now in Flying Blind, we learn that Zoe lost her abilities after she spoke her first words, her family and the other Pyr worried that they'd never return. However, after much hard work and help from her best friend Megan, who's unaware of her ability, Zoe finally comes into her powers but in the most unlikely of ways-saving her friend from the catty popular clique in the girls change room after gym. I really enjoyed Zoe's character. Zoe's a strong protagonist, one of the few of my favorites that I've read, who knows who she is and what she wants and isn't afraid to let others know about it. Living in a world where the rest of her species are all male, she's learned to give herself a stronger identity that aside of being their precious Wyvern. A strong protagonist like Zoe also needs a less stronger but exceptionally smart best friend like Megan, who I absolutely loved. Their friendship was realistic and very laid back, very refreshing to read. There, of course, were the equally gorgeous and strong charactered male pyr; Nick, Garret and Liam. Nick's the hot jock with girls pining for him left and right, including Zoe. Garret is like his father, smart, kind and wise and Liam quiet but quick to defend his friends. Other non-Pyr characters include Alex, Isabelle, and Jared. Alex is Nick's mother, the wonderfully intelligent and eco-friendly scientist. Isabelle, Rafferty's adopted daughter, who displays incredible psychic ability. I had a hard time enjoying Isabelle's character, I felt like she was shallow, mostly because of Zoe's perspective of her, but I found myself understanding and loving her towards the end of the novel. Jared, who Dragonfire readers will recognize from Kiss of Fury, is a drop dead gorgeous biker rebel(in Zoe's own words) with a very special and interesting role in the story. It was also very pleasant to read that the other Pyr from Cooke's adult series played a strong part in the story, such as; Erik, Donovan, Quinn, Delaney, Rafferty, Thorolf and a few others. Deborah visibly changed her writing style in Flying Blind, an essential transition moving from adult novels to young adult, which instantly grabbed my attention and enhanced my view of Zoe's perspective. Flying Blind was an exciting young adult novel that involved the wonderful dragon's we know as Pyr, a cast of deep and interesting characters, an exciting chain of events, swoon worthy romance, great mystery and action I wish would never end.

Recommended for readers who love dragon lore, teenage drama, a character who visibly grows, shape-shifting baddies and romance that will make you wish the sequel came out earlier.

A new YA spin off series staring Deborah Cooke's Pyr - A definite must read

Zoe Sorensson is well aware of magic and myth so well aware in fact that she's part of it. Zoe is the prophesied Wyvern, the only female Pyr, a dragon shape shifting species created to protect the earth. But being aware and becoming the Wyvern seems to be escaping this otherwise typical 15 year old, you see these so called powers of the Wyvern and the Pyr appear with the onset of puberty, something that seems to be taking it's own sweet time for Zoe. Her father Erick the Pyr's leader decides it's time for Zoe to attend Pyr boot camp, a week long session run by the older Pyr to help the younger generation come of age and into their gifts. When she arrives things really take on a very different face as there's dissention among the guys she's known all her life plus a newcomer. Have they become complacent, is there something evil here or is it just teenaged hormones and angst at work. Zoe will have to work it all out if she wants to stop "Flying Blind".
Deborah Cooke fans who love her paranormal romance Pyr series, with her yummy dragon heros always coming to the earth's and human rescue will adore this new spin off staring the children of the Pyr we know and love, in this new Dragon Diaries YA series, Deborah will not only keep her adult fans but will gain quite a following from her target audience as well. She introduces us to her cast of youngsters with dialogue that will fit right in with the social media savvy teen and yet will appeal to her older audience as we experience the coming of age of her new and exciting Pyr generation, characters that we her Pyr series followers have met as wee ones. She gives us wonderful picturesque and descriptive narrative that takes us into her amazing and imaginative paranormal world. She does this with a plot that's definitely outside the ordinary box and yet makes believers of her readers. Her characters will wow us in their enormity and their normality as she tells us their story in glowing Technicolor quality. Her heroine Zoe is likeable and an enigma at the same time and will worm her way into the hearts of readers as we can't turn pages fast enough to learn what happens next. Her other characters are equally magical and majestic both in their human and dragon forms along with a cast of others who will keep us enthralled as well.
So whether your young or just young at heart you will equally enjoy this brand new series by Ms. Cooke. Come join me in experiencing her newest foray into the world of the Pyr from the younger point of view in this new coming of age for dragons tales. It's entertaining, it's exciting and it's adventurous and it will fill the gap for her adult fans and bring new younger fans to the table as well.
Thanks Ms. Cooke for an out of this world novel and the start to a wonderful new series.

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