Flying blind

First off, let it be known that I am dragon obsessed. Second only to zombies, dragons top my list as one of the most interesting and richly described mythological beings of all time. What does this have to do with anything? Well this means that every book I go into with dragons is a treat for me, but also that I'm rather picky about my dragon lore. I want to either be wowed with new developments, or at least have a story that sticks to what has been created in the past. So going into Flying Blind I was really excited! What would the pages hold for me? I opened the book, and dove in.

Let me be the first to say that Deborah Cooke has hit the nail on the head with her dragon lore! I know that this new YA series is a spin off of her original “Dragonfire” series, and so I should have known it would be amazing. Cooke not only paints the reader a gorgeous portrayal of dragon kind with the Pyr, but she also gives them a rich and detailed history about them as well. Add in a few bad guys and some fight scenes, and I was hooked. Learning with Zoë was seriously fantastic. I felt myself frustrated when she was, excited when she was, all the while uncovering history with her. As I read I found myself immersed in the world that revolved around Zoë. Just in terms of setting and back story, I was already in love with this book.

In terms of characters, Flying Blind has quite a few different personality types to offer. First up is Zoë, the main character. She's fiesty and a bit overzealous sometimes. At 15 years old she is supposed to be developing her Wyrven powers. Unfortunately... it's slow going. I loved the original voice that Zoë had, and swooned over the fact that she wasn't a lovesick puppy dog at any point in the book. Jealous yes, angsty and depressed no In fact, as the Wyrven to be, Zoë kicks some behind! Round out her character with a good old fashioned love interest, her best friend/crush, and a few other Pyr, and you have a great cast! Besides Zoë I'd have to say that my favorite character was definitely Liam. He's a sweetheart, and when you're a dragon that is a little tough to pull off sometimes.

The only reason that I am giving this book a slightly lower rating is that it is exhausting to read. I don't mean that the writing is poor, it's truly amazing, and you've seen how much I love the characters. So let me explain. At the beginning of the story I was allowed to meet Zoë and she was truly what dragged me in. Her wit, her inner pondering, it was all great! Things were moving along at a nice pace, and I was throughly enjoying being in her world. Then as the book neared the middle, it got a little slow. I thought it was understandable, since important information was being revealed. However then, towards the end, I felt bombarded with fight scene after fight scene and problem after problem that needed to be solved. It was all a bit overwhelming. Don't get me wrong, I love action. However presented in this fashion, it kind of broke my connection with the book. By the time that I finally got to the end of the book, I was a bit torn as to what to write in my review. Overall I enjoyed the read, but I always strive to be honest with my readers. I've sat back though and I'm ready to give the bottom line.

Flying Blind is a breath of fresh air in an otherwise saturated market. The simple fact that Zoë is so strong and calculating makes her different than a lot of other MC's her age, and that makes her intriguing in my book. Add in some great dragon lore, and you have a series that I can fully get behind. I know that my issue with this book is my own opinion, and honestly I'm sure that it only happened because there was so much important information to fit in this first installment. Therefore I'm extremely excited for the next book! I can't wait to see what happens next.

As it turns out, this first book in a spin-off series of the Dragonfire Novels exceeded my expectations and went beyond.

Zoe knows that she's a failure when it comes to conjuring the makeshift powers of the Almighty Wyvern. Being the only female dragon shape shifter is suffocating, especially when she does not meet expectations. Finally, in a scene at her high school, Zoe discovers this new rage that triggers parts of her Wyvern powers. Along with this new discovery comes a field trip to spend a week with her Pyr friends at boot camp. Despite the obligatory feelings that come when hearing the words “boot camp”, Zoe is thrilled to go because she will finally have a chance to prove herself to her destined mate, Nick.
However, when it's time to leave for this adventurous competition, an obstacle enters Zoe's path in the form of all the bad-boy traits any rock-star fan girl can imagine. Jared has the attitude and persona of all things masculine.
When they all arrive at the boot camp site and find no sign of Donovan, Nick's father, they know something must be amiss but figure it is just another test in the line of competition. Soon, they find out how deeply wrong they assumed.

While I haven't read many fantasy books that involve fire-breathing dragons, I imagine that Cooke really nailed it on the head with Flying Blind. She creates the heroine to be this lost skinny girl who doesn't know white from black when it comes to differing what it is a Wyvern's responsibilities. Hence the titles meaning, Zoe is flying blind in a world where the men around her find it effortless to conjure and control their dragons. This is the part where Jared is introduced, and I have to say that the chemistry between him and Zoe was practically steaming off the pages. There is a lot of male eye candy in this book, and that had to be one of its lovely attributes. The writing style really flavored each character's individual personality in a sense that it complimented their contribution to the novel.

With a more than fascinating background, the Pyr initially had a long history before it's introduced to us in Flying Blind. In its self, that is what makes up the stepping stones that Zoe must follow in order to fulfill her great destiny. A lot of what's holding her back is what makes up a big message in her story, be bold and believe in yourself, and you shall succeed. The plot truly ascends to the climax where secrets are unfurled and the truth and deception of others comes to light. Alongside the creation an admirable heroine, Cooke is able to surmise that confidence needed in the most trifling of battles to save the fellow Pyr. With such vivid and beautifully written settings, the mental movie that plays in one's head as they read Flying Blind is clear and conspicuous.

Unlike Cooke's Dragonfire Novels, I hope that she keeps The Dragon Diaries centered around Zoe's struggles and triumphs in the Pyr world. (If only to see more of the infamous Jared.)

Grade: B+