Shatter the Sky

Gr 8 Up–Maren ben Gao, 17, spends her days quietly in the mountains with her girlfriend, Kaia. Her peaceful days are shattered once Kaia is kidnapped by the Aurati, who force her to join their ranks. The only way that Maren can save Kaia is to find a way into the empire, but first she must capture one of the Emperor’s dragons. Maren becomes an apprentice to the dragon trainer, who reveals secrets surrounding the estate, making Maren feel as though she must continue to help. Her only goal is to free Kaia, but she ends up bonding with the dragon so deeply that her plan becomes upended. Wells has built a mesmerizing world that will draw readers in and has created characters with depth and charisma. Readers will not want Maren to abandon the dragon to complete her mission and will feel just as torn as she does. Those who can’t resist the fire-breathing creatures will enjoy this first installment of a series, which ends on a cliff-hanger, with Maren ready to continue on into another book.