Black-presenting Silke's an entirely believable character; supporting characters are equally well-drawn, and Burgis' world is a robustly diverse one. As with the first book, the fantasy hijinks are tempered with depth for a story that's sweet but not saccharine.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON HEART
“Full of secrets and supernatural beings and topped with chocolate, the book hooks fans of fantasy with a fast-paced adventure that gradually reveals its mysteries.” —BCCB on THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON HEART
“Chocolate and dragons, together at last! Like sipping hot cocoa on a cold day, reading this book was an absolute delight. And by the end I felt like a dragon sitting on a pile of gold, knowing I'd found a treasure. Readers of all ages will love this deliciously charming adventure and its feisty dragon-transformed-into-a-girl main character, Aventurine!” —Sheila Grau, author of the Dr. Critchlore's School for Minions series on THE DRAGON WITH A CHOCOLATE HEART
“In The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart, Aventurine is turned into a girl, but inside she remains ALL dragon, every fierce, lovable inch of her. This story is a delightfully delicious blend of magic spiced with adventure and a heart as sweet and warm as molten chocolate. I completely adored this book!” —Sarah Prineas, author of THE MAGIC THIEF and Winterling series on THE DRAGON WITH A CHOCOLATE HEART
“The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart is a perfect confection: rich, satisfying, and remarkably delicious.” —Caroline Carlson, author of the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates series on THE DRAGON WITH A CHOCOLATE HEART
“A gloriously fresh story to be read with a steaming cup of chocolate at hand.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on THE DRAGON WITH A CHOCOLATE HEART
“Aventurine's fiery spirit is immediately endearing, and a diverse cast of fully realized supporting characters fill out a fantasy world that readers will love to inhabit. Pair with chocolate for maximum enjoyment . . . will satisfy readers who hunger for feel-good tales that pack a girl-power punch, like Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted or the movie Moana.” —School Library Journal on THE DRAGON WITH A CHOCOLATE HEART
“Burgis creates a feisty protagonist with a temper that suits her dragon heritage. . . . Readers will be rooting for Adventurine throughout this well-paced, colorful narrative. An appealing chapter book for young fantasy fans.” —Booklist on THE DRAGON WITH A CHOCOLATE HEART
11/01/2019
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
2019-07-24
Princess Sofia flies off on her own adventures.
Six months after the close of The Girl With the Dragon Heart (2018), Princess Sofia of Drachenheim (a secondary character in Burgis' previous books set in Drachenheim) is forced to attend the Diamond Exhibition in far off Villenne. The bad: leaving the safety and comfort of home, a two-day flight in a dragon-lofted carriage, and playing the polite princess upon arrival. The good: Sofia immediately offends the king and queen of Villene, leading to unexpected freedom to disguise herself as a university student, attend a lecture by her favorite philosopher, and explore the city. First-person narration makes Sofia's privilege obvious, just as it does her journey of growth through self-reflection and friendship with goblin and kobold immigrants. When the ice giants of the north feel threatened by the weapons and intentions on display at the exhibition, it's up to hot-tempered Sofia and friends to save the day, and Sofia finds her un-princess-y characteristics can be an asset. 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. (Fantasy. 10-14)
