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The Dragonships #2
The Rise of Neptune
Lunar Jones and the Dread Knights have brought hope to Mars. Between Dread’s power and a newly formed alliance with Earth, the once-dying planet is headed for prosperity at last. The only shadow is the one cast by Dav Robinson’s warning: Neptune is coming.
As predicted, Neptune’s ships arrive in Martian space—and they’re not interested in talking. The ships launch an immediate attack. Lunar was prepared for hostilities, but the way the attack happens is unexpected. Neptune’s dragons seem divided, and its ships, while countless in number, are almost too easy to defeat. It’s clear there’s more to Neptune’s story than meets the eye, and Lunar and his Dread Knights must figure out the mystery behind their looming foe quickly…before those secrets doom Mars for good.
As predicted, Neptune’s ships arrive in Martian space—and they’re not interested in talking. The ships launch an immediate attack. Lunar was prepared for hostilities, but the way the attack happens is unexpected. Neptune’s dragons seem divided, and its ships, while countless in number, are almost too easy to defeat. It’s clear there’s more to Neptune’s story than meets the eye, and Lunar and his Dread Knights must figure out the mystery behind their looming foe quickly…before those secrets doom Mars for good.
419 pages, Hardcover
Published October 7, 2025
About the author
Scott Reintgen
24 books1,671 followersScott Reintgen grew up in North Carolina, and took full advantage of the fact that he lived on the same street as fourteen of his cousins. It could be a little crowded, but he threw a few elbows and carved out a space for himself as the family storyteller. He enjoyed the role so much that he decided to spend most of college and graduate school investing in the world of literature. This led to a career teaching English and Creative Writing in the great state of North Carolina, where he currently lives with his wife and family. To his great delight, the demand for stories and storytellers is alive and well. As such, he can often be found at local coffee shops laboring over stories that he hopes his family, and fans, will love.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
November 2, 2025
THIS WAS EPIC. I cannot wait for the 3rd novel to drop!
July 15, 2025
This second instalment was just as good (better?) as the first book! Proteus <333
January 16, 2026
4.5
I said that I preordered this book to get it in October and was going to be insufferable and immediately read it. I lied. It’s now January.
Regardless, I love how fun this series is. Sometimes it’s blaring obvious how middle-grade it is (what is it with the potty humor? Good Lord stop it). I also wanted more Dread and Lunar interactions. Not a lot of development here. And overall, not a lot of character development across this entire book. Majorly plot-focused, which isn’t bad, but for a situation where we have to save a literal planet, I’d like some character flaws to shine. I’m also giving it 4.5 stars rounded up because it feels illegal to not have this be five stars.
But this series is so fresh. It’s unique. And the ENDING has me reeling still.
It’s also often compared that Dread is the War Dragon and is Ares, but he’s different this time around because of Lunar. I want this to be shown. I want flashbacks or something of when Ares just fought and killed all the time. Triton said there was a time when every planet feared him. This is obvious now that it’s clearly not the same. I want it SHOWN, though. Like let’s see it in action, please.
Anyways, idc. I’m sat for book three.😈
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pre-read review:
i am so sat. already preordered. arriving in time for my bday. gonna be insufferable and annotate the whole thing for hours. no one talk to me
When I straighten to look him in the eye, an understanding passes between us.
You will return to me.
I nod. “I swear it on every star in the galaxy.”
I said that I preordered this book to get it in October and was going to be insufferable and immediately read it. I lied. It’s now January.
Regardless, I love how fun this series is. Sometimes it’s blaring obvious how middle-grade it is (what is it with the potty humor? Good Lord stop it). I also wanted more Dread and Lunar interactions. Not a lot of development here. And overall, not a lot of character development across this entire book. Majorly plot-focused, which isn’t bad, but for a situation where we have to save a literal planet, I’d like some character flaws to shine. I’m also giving it 4.5 stars rounded up because it feels illegal to not have this be five stars.
But this series is so fresh. It’s unique. And the ENDING has me reeling still.
It’s also often compared that Dread is the War Dragon and is Ares, but he’s different this time around because of Lunar. I want this to be shown. I want flashbacks or something of when Ares just fought and killed all the time. Triton said there was a time when every planet feared him. This is obvious now that it’s clearly not the same. I want it SHOWN, though. Like let’s see it in action, please.
Anyways, idc. I’m sat for book three.😈
-
pre-read review:
i am so sat. already preordered. arriving in time for my bday. gonna be insufferable and annotate the whole thing for hours. no one talk to me
April 15, 2026
So good, better than the first one which was pretty good! In the words of my youngest, "I love this book", when we sat down to read it each night.
October 16, 2025
Sharing on behalf of my son and I!
After reading The Last Dragon on Mars, I was really excited to read book 2. I liked this book because it had great action scenes, characters, plot twists and more.
The story dives deep into interesting characters, letting you make attachments. There are good dramatic scenes, interesting Greek mythology and great humor. The twist in the epilogue at the end of the book make you excited for what’s to come in book 3.
I highly recommend this book to anyone in this reading age group who has interest in space, dragons, mystery, or all of the above.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
After reading The Last Dragon on Mars, I was really excited to read book 2. I liked this book because it had great action scenes, characters, plot twists and more.
The story dives deep into interesting characters, letting you make attachments. There are good dramatic scenes, interesting Greek mythology and great humor. The twist in the epilogue at the end of the book make you excited for what’s to come in book 3.
I highly recommend this book to anyone in this reading age group who has interest in space, dragons, mystery, or all of the above.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
December 28, 2025
Holy cow!! Just when I said I loved The Last Dragon on Mars! This was amazing!! I’ll say it again I wish this was a Netflix series or a movie. Such a great story that keeps you wanting to read more and more! I feel like it left me on another cliff hanger so I’m super excited to read the 3rd book!! Please Scott get it out soon I’m dying to know what happens next!!
November 24, 2025
THE best!! We (my son and I) can not wait for the 3rd. We’re kind of bummed we have to wait a while, but it will ALL be worth it. I’m sure!
April 14, 2026
In this here second book about a future where dragons are both the caretakers of, and also the soul of, planets and moons, we see our boy Lunar and his dragon, Dread, under attack by the weird-as-heck Neptunians, and well, I shall say no more! Proteus freaks me out, tho, not gonna lie. Also, VERY excited for the next book!
March 25, 2026
that ending was kinda a banger ngl
January 11, 2026
Let’s start this off with an apology. I give out five stars like candy on Halloween, but this one was worthy of it, I promise.
Anyway,
“‘If you think I’m lying, that I’m not real, take the knife,” I say. “Be brave enough to be the one who guts me, Achilles. Let me tell you what will happen. When you stab me in the stomach, I’ll start bleeding out on the floor. When I lose enough blood, I will die—and you will have to witness my death. Every single one of you will have no excuse then. You can’t claim that you didn’t know what was happening or that you didn’t understand the war was real. You’ll know then that Mars is a real place full of real people—my people. We’re not the monsters of the Deepsea, but that’s how history will remember all of you.’”
—Lunar Jones.
So, Achilles ended up stabbing him, and they saved Lunar after they’d realized Triton wasn’t testing them. But my question is, how can someone just willingly stare death in the face like that? Lunar is so brave😭 I literally love him.
This book was so utterly incredible, like I can’t even describe it. When Proctor got her secret stolen and Lunar realized that she had a crush on him like AGHHHHH. Don’t blame Proctor tho, Lunar’s fine asf.
But guys, this book was so good, and the ending was such a MASSIVE cliffhanger, like Scott Reintgen HAS to come out with the third one like NOW. I can’t be dealing with this cliffhanger for like five years bro, he’s gotta hurry uppppp.
But yeah, this book was incredible, five stars from me!!! I absolutely recommend this🫶🏼💅😝🦄
Anyway,
“‘If you think I’m lying, that I’m not real, take the knife,” I say. “Be brave enough to be the one who guts me, Achilles. Let me tell you what will happen. When you stab me in the stomach, I’ll start bleeding out on the floor. When I lose enough blood, I will die—and you will have to witness my death. Every single one of you will have no excuse then. You can’t claim that you didn’t know what was happening or that you didn’t understand the war was real. You’ll know then that Mars is a real place full of real people—my people. We’re not the monsters of the Deepsea, but that’s how history will remember all of you.’”
—Lunar Jones.
So, Achilles ended up stabbing him, and they saved Lunar after they’d realized Triton wasn’t testing them. But my question is, how can someone just willingly stare death in the face like that? Lunar is so brave😭 I literally love him.
This book was so utterly incredible, like I can’t even describe it. When Proctor got her secret stolen and Lunar realized that she had a crush on him like AGHHHHH. Don’t blame Proctor tho, Lunar’s fine asf.
But guys, this book was so good, and the ending was such a MASSIVE cliffhanger, like Scott Reintgen HAS to come out with the third one like NOW. I can’t be dealing with this cliffhanger for like five years bro, he’s gotta hurry uppppp.
But yeah, this book was incredible, five stars from me!!! I absolutely recommend this🫶🏼💅😝🦄
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2026
This was a fantastically exciting book! Take “Ender’s Game”, “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” and throw in dragons that can fly warp speed through space with all kinds of cool tech, and you can imagine how exciting a story it is!
Read
October 28, 2025
Trigger & Content Warnings
Fantasy violence & battles, including combat & stabbings
Fantasy violence & battles, including combat & stabbings
November 4, 2025
"And now look at me! Living my dreams out. Inside a trash can in space." (285)
November 26, 2025
This book was just as fun as the first, maybe more fun. Once again, I'm impressed with this series and I'm looking forward to the next book!
December 23, 2025
4.5 stars
space dragons are my favorite type of dragons
space dragons are my favorite type of dragons
January 2, 2026
This is excellent - first 5 star of 2026. Bring on book 3!
February 11, 2026
Mars has revived since the events of the last book. Dread continues to grow, as do Lunar and the other young leaders. Which is a good thing, because suddenly in the midst of the new arrivals from Earth, comes an attack from Neptune’s moon Triton. But why is Neptune attacking, and how can Lunar, Dread, the other Martian dragons, and the Dread Knights repel their attack when Neptunian tech is not like anything they’ve seen before? Has Mars risen from the ashes only to be defeated by Neptune?
Because of the imbalance in tech, this becomes a battle of tactics and psychology. It also comes to light that there’s a refugee dragon who has snuck on to Mars named Proteus who can see possible futures. Triton was trying to use him as a pawn and he’s escaped to try and help Lunar, but with so many possible futures, he’s playing more of a probability game with the information he feeds the Martian leaders. Lunar and others must also figure out if they can trust him because there was another Neptunian refugee who turned out to be a spy. There’s a mystery about what prompted Triton’s attack and why he’s built up this whole mythology he tells the Neptunians about Martians being horrible monsters who are planning to attack and overthrow Neptune. There’s also mysteries about how some of the tech the Neptunians works and how to combat it. The end of the book reminded me a bit of . I liked the clever twists and turns of the story and the big secret they uncover at the end promises more adventures and future problems to be solved. I like how Dread and Lunar’s relationship is growing, and how this book demonstrates how Lunar has grown as a reader. I started reading the physical book (which is stunningly designed) but I missed the audio narration. So I hunted down an audio copy and finished it with the audiobook which is excellently cast by two male and one female narrator who do an amazing range of voices that fit the characters exceptionally well. Hand this series to readers looking for a new twist on dragon stories, those who enjoy space warfare stories, and clever outthinking of the enemy (while also having a heart for the enemy).
Notes on content:
Language: None that I remember.
Sexual content: None. Dread teases Lunar for his heart rate going up when he meets the Earth’s girl dragonrider in training, and it is revealed Proctor has a crush on Lunar though this is more awkward than mushy.
Violence: There are space battles in which some people die and others are injured (a named character readers know from the first book dies). Others sustain injuries, including potentially serious ones like a knife stabbing to the gut and loss of a limb but are carefully cared for. Nothing is described in gory detail.
Ethnic diversity: Different characters are described as having different shades of skin. Cultures are now more planetary than ethnic.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified.
Other: There’s a brain parasite involved in the story. A culture has been brainwashed with misinformation. Triton can steal people’s memories with a trident he has. Proteus has understandable anxiety issues since he can see all these potential future disasters.
Because of the imbalance in tech, this becomes a battle of tactics and psychology. It also comes to light that there’s a refugee dragon who has snuck on to Mars named Proteus who can see possible futures. Triton was trying to use him as a pawn and he’s escaped to try and help Lunar, but with so many possible futures, he’s playing more of a probability game with the information he feeds the Martian leaders. Lunar and others must also figure out if they can trust him because there was another Neptunian refugee who turned out to be a spy. There’s a mystery about what prompted Triton’s attack and why he’s built up this whole mythology he tells the Neptunians about Martians being horrible monsters who are planning to attack and overthrow Neptune. There’s also mysteries about how some of the tech the Neptunians works and how to combat it. The end of the book reminded me a bit of . I liked the clever twists and turns of the story and the big secret they uncover at the end promises more adventures and future problems to be solved. I like how Dread and Lunar’s relationship is growing, and how this book demonstrates how Lunar has grown as a reader. I started reading the physical book (which is stunningly designed) but I missed the audio narration. So I hunted down an audio copy and finished it with the audiobook which is excellently cast by two male and one female narrator who do an amazing range of voices that fit the characters exceptionally well. Hand this series to readers looking for a new twist on dragon stories, those who enjoy space warfare stories, and clever outthinking of the enemy (while also having a heart for the enemy).
Notes on content:
Language: None that I remember.
Sexual content: None. Dread teases Lunar for his heart rate going up when he meets the Earth’s girl dragonrider in training, and it is revealed Proctor has a crush on Lunar though this is more awkward than mushy.
Violence: There are space battles in which some people die and others are injured (a named character readers know from the first book dies). Others sustain injuries, including potentially serious ones like a knife stabbing to the gut and loss of a limb but are carefully cared for. Nothing is described in gory detail.
Ethnic diversity: Different characters are described as having different shades of skin. Cultures are now more planetary than ethnic.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified.
Other: There’s a brain parasite involved in the story. A culture has been brainwashed with misinformation. Triton can steal people’s memories with a trident he has. Proteus has understandable anxiety issues since he can see all these potential future disasters.
February 23, 2026
I’m OBSESSED With This Series!!!
Another FANTASTIC book in this world!! I’M FREAKING IN LOVE WITH THIS SERIES!!
I love the characters, especially Lunar! He and Dread, the dragon of Mars, are such a great team and I love their rider/dragon bond!!
I’d say book two is as good, or maybe a tad bit better than book one!! This series is AMAZING, you become totally absorbed into this awesome world!! If you enjoy dragons and riders, you’ll love this! If you enjoy action, living on other planets and traveling to others (and their moons) you will love this!! It’s totally a Fantasy/SciFi vibe, but very character driven!! I highly recommend this series, and I am eagerly anticipating book three!!
Another FANTASTIC book in this world!! I’M FREAKING IN LOVE WITH THIS SERIES!!
I love the characters, especially Lunar! He and Dread, the dragon of Mars, are such a great team and I love their rider/dragon bond!!
I’d say book two is as good, or maybe a tad bit better than book one!! This series is AMAZING, you become totally absorbed into this awesome world!! If you enjoy dragons and riders, you’ll love this! If you enjoy action, living on other planets and traveling to others (and their moons) you will love this!! It’s totally a Fantasy/SciFi vibe, but very character driven!! I highly recommend this series, and I am eagerly anticipating book three!!
April 1, 2026
Reintgen is a very clever storyteller. The reader gains knowledge about planets and the solar systems which is useful education. He provides this education while also fully entertaining the reader with a story about dragons. What a clever idea, and he makes it work! The beginning of this story was somewhat slow but it developed into a complex story that made me like the series even more than I did after the first book. I loved Proteus and his powers, adds such a fun twist to the story. The cliffhanger at the end is the perfect amount of suspense to keep readers hooked.
October 12, 2025
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley for this honest review. Lunar Jones and the Dread Knights are back for another adventure as they prepare for an attack on Mars by the moon dragon Titan and his minions. They get the information from two new dragons. One, Proteus, who is a shapeshifter and a seer, tells Lunar and the knights that he sees various scenarios of how the impending battle will turn out Lunar and the knights have to trust what Proteus is telling them. Triton does have his own weapon a trident that can steal one secret from each person or dragon that it penatrates. There are surprises and twists and over all great fun as a high adventure low sci-fi (ignores actual the environmental constraints of Mars and Neptune) that is an entertaining follow up to "The Last Dragon on Mars." Not for hard science fans but for the target audience of 10-14 year-old readers.
May 4, 2026
Again this was a really great read. My kids have been so engaged with this story. When we finished the book my son didn’t even want us to start reading a different book because he was so disappointed that the story was over. We are all excited for book 3, “The Void Dragons” releasing in October.
February 8, 2026
What wild ride! Loved it!!
September 24, 2025
For fans who enjoyed the first book’s battle scenes and fast-moving plot, this sequel delivers. The opening is very action-oriented, and the tension grows as mysteries around Neptune deepen. Incorporating dragons tied to planets and moons in our solar system gives the story a mythic scope. Neptune’s dragons are being split among themselves, the military roles of dragons and dragoons (humans bonded with dragons), and how lunar, planetary, and off-world politics work. Lunar continues to grow into his responsibilities. Being young, facing leadership challenges, and anticipating betrayals and strange alliances force him to mature. The dynamics among the Dread Knights, with supporting characters like Proctor, Doc, Mara (“Wildcard”), Little Will, etc., help flesh out the cast. The Rise of Neptune is a solid and engaging sequel, especially if you’re already invested in Lunar Jones’s journey and the Dragonships universe. It builds well on its predecessor: expanding the scale (moving further into space, involving more planetary stakes), deepening the lore, and upping the tension. While it sometimes leans on genre conventions and some plot conveniences, it delivers for readers who like fast-paced action, dragon mythos, and interplanetary conflict. The Rise of Neptune is for middle-grade / young-adult readers (ages ~10-14, though older fantasy/sci-fi lovers will likely enjoy it too), especially if you liked The Last Dragon on Mars. It leaves you wanting more, wondering what the true motivations behind Neptune are, and eager to see how Lunar will grow further and what challenges lie beyond.
April 20, 2026
Another astonishing book in the series, can't wait to read the next one.
April 20, 2026
Proteus is now my favorite character.
April 6, 2026
very nice I would love a third
April 6, 2026
Once you start you don't want to it to end.
April 3, 2026
Appropriate for: age 11+
Excellent sequel, very fast paced, well done!
Excellent sequel, very fast paced, well done!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews