Rise of the Dragon Moon

Written by Gabrielle K. Byrne

Narrated by Moira Quirk

The princess of a frozen queendom fights to free her mother from the clutches of terrifying dragons in this middle grade fantasy debut. Princess Toli may be heir to the throne, but she longs to be a fierce hunter and warrior. Alone in a frozen world, her queendom is at the mercy of the dragons that killed her father, and Toli is certain it's only a matter of time before they come back to destroy what's left of her family. When the dragons rise and seize her mother, Toli will do anything to save her- even trust a young dragon who may be the only key to the Queen's release. With her sister and best friend at her side, Toli makes the treacherous journey across the vast ice barrens to Dragon Mountain, where long-held secrets await. Bear-cats are on their trail, and dragons stalk them, but the greatest danger might be a mystery buried in Toli's past.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 6, 2019
• ISBN: 9781980034865

Gabrielle K. Byrne

Gabrielle K. Byrne is the author of Rise of the Dragon Moon and The Edge of Strange Hollow. She lives in the rainy wilds of the Pacific Northwest, where she writes fantasy for kids of all ages. Gabby studied opera in Philadelphia, medieval studies in New York, literature in Scotland, and marine biology in the Pacific Northwest, but writing stories is the common thread that ties all her interests together. When she’s not writing, she can be found fishing spineless beasties out of the Salish Sea with her husband and two daughters. Gabby is a mentor for the Pitch Wars writing contest, and a contributor at The Winged Pen blog.

Reviews for Rise of the Dragon Moon

[ladycato · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received an advance ebook through NetGalley.This charming middle grade adventure explores an icy queendom where the seasonal visits of dragons leave humans wary and fearful. Princess Toli isn't even a teenager yet, but she knows the weight of guilt and loss--the year before, her father was killed by dragons, and Toli knows it was all her fault. She's determined to be a fierce hunter to protect her people, especially her younger sister, Petal. But when her mother the Queen is captured by dragons, Toli discovers that dragons are as complex as human beings--though still far more dangerous.There's so much to love about this book. First of all, the original snow-bound secondary world is great fun, with unique perils (beetles! the cold!) and a fascinating, distinct human culture. Second, DRAGONS. Can't help but love a book with well done dragons, and there's an especially cute one named Ruby who threatens to steal the whole show. Third, Toli. She's a complicated, realistic kid who is dealing with heavy grief and self-hatred. She's trying so hard, and she manages to antagonize the people who really loves best, like her mom, sister, and best friend. I especially enjoyed how her relationship with Petal changed throughout the book. Fourth, the pace. This is a fast read with lots of action, and the emotional growth is perfectly paced throughout.Apparently, this book stands alone for now, but I hope it sells well and the author gets a full series. This world has incredible potential to be explored!