What do you think?
Rate this book
The Dragon's Apprentice #2
Revenants Return
The fate of magic rests in the hands (and claws) of a cranky dragon, a feisty apprentice...and a prince who may not be all he seems? Get ready for the sequel to the New York Times bestselling hilarious fantasy adventure in the new series from the author of the Story Thieves.
You were warned to stay away from THE DRAGON’S APPRENTICE. It was forbidden for a good reason, as it told the story of a village girl named Ciara finding her own book of magic and learning spells from a dragon of all things. These are dangerous ideas, and no one should be allowed to see them.
Fortunately, Ciara’s story didn’t end there, or she might have doomed us all. No, thankfully, a true hero to the Draconic Empire, Prince Aiden, has come to Ciara’s village to stop her and her teacher, Scorch the dragon. The prince, like his father the Emperor, is a powerful magic-user. And Aiden uses his power to keep us safe from strange, forbidden books. If anyone can stop Ciara from teaching others magic and therefore summoning the horrible Revenants that once defeated the Dragon Mage herself, it’s the Empire’s beloved prince.
Let’s just hope that Ciara can’t spread her knowledge of magic before the prince can find her and put an end to her evil deeds once and for all…
You were warned to stay away from THE DRAGON’S APPRENTICE. It was forbidden for a good reason, as it told the story of a village girl named Ciara finding her own book of magic and learning spells from a dragon of all things. These are dangerous ideas, and no one should be allowed to see them.
Fortunately, Ciara’s story didn’t end there, or she might have doomed us all. No, thankfully, a true hero to the Draconic Empire, Prince Aiden, has come to Ciara’s village to stop her and her teacher, Scorch the dragon. The prince, like his father the Emperor, is a powerful magic-user. And Aiden uses his power to keep us safe from strange, forbidden books. If anyone can stop Ciara from teaching others magic and therefore summoning the horrible Revenants that once defeated the Dragon Mage herself, it’s the Empire’s beloved prince.
Let’s just hope that Ciara can’t spread her knowledge of magic before the prince can find her and put an end to her evil deeds once and for all…
235 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 3, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
February 21, 2026
Um...what? How can a book be so good despite barely anything happening in it. The characters have been in the same village for two books and somehow it still manages to be good?
Every mistake in Book 1, was fixed in the sequel. The characters became more fleshed out. The story became more interesting. And even the magic system was more complex.
A character that I didn't like much in the first book (Ciara), has now become one of my favorite James Riley characters. What???? And now there's the new character Aiden. He was very different from what I expected. And not in a bad way. Scorch is still funny and Meg...well, she's not my favorite.
I don't know how to talk about the story or magic system without spoiling, so I'll just skip that part.
11/10 stars. You can't miss this. I'll be impatiently waiting for book three.
Every mistake in Book 1, was fixed in the sequel. The characters became more fleshed out. The story became more interesting. And even the magic system was more complex.
A character that I didn't like much in the first book (Ciara), has now become one of my favorite James Riley characters. What???? And now there's the new character Aiden. He was very different from what I expected. And not in a bad way. Scorch is still funny and Meg...well, she's not my favorite.
I don't know how to talk about the story or magic system without spoiling, so I'll just skip that part.
11/10 stars. You can't miss this. I'll be impatiently waiting for book three.
March 2, 2026
This is AMAZING!!! And very well written!
From the moment I read the forestry page I was hooked!
The entire book had me on the edge of my seat(literally)
Just a warning there is a cliffhanger at the end, so be prepared to wait.
I don’t know how I’m supposed to survive till book three, but I’ll try!👍
Definitely recommend to every reader(especially if you love fiction!)
From the moment I read the forestry page I was hooked!
The entire book had me on the edge of my seat(literally)
Just a warning there is a cliffhanger at the end, so be prepared to wait.
I don’t know how I’m supposed to survive till book three, but I’ll try!👍
Definitely recommend to every reader(especially if you love fiction!)
May 18, 2026
*3.75/5 stars
This series has won me back over
This series has won me back over
January 11, 2026
I thought that this book was an awesome book because it had two of my favorite things: dragons and magic. I preferred the second one because it was more exciting than the first one. When I got to the middle of the book, I kept reading because it started getting intriguing. I liked that dragons weren’t that common in this book. Normally, in books when there is one mythical creature, there are a lot of mythical creatures. I think you would like this book if you like: dragons, magic, or fantasy. Bye!
March 13, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a fun continuation of this series. I still love out cranky dragon! He makes me giggle with how grumpy he always is. This was a fun read and so much was revealed throughout this short book. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
This was a fun continuation of this series. I still love out cranky dragon! He makes me giggle with how grumpy he always is. This was a fun read and so much was revealed throughout this short book. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
July 29, 2026
So, when I read the first book of this series, I found it to be pretty average, but decent enough to continue it. So, now I've read the second book, and unfortunately, things went downhill. Hard.
This book continues the story, but fails to make it any more interesting, which is a feat, considering the first book's story was rather plain itself. Yes, this book introduces the bigger threat and makes a few reveals, but it was just so dull that I found myself genuinely not caring. That's one of the big problems with this book, it's so boring.
And being boring is bad, but it's made worse by the fact that there's barely any likable characters here. Meg's a pushover, Aiden's a try-hard, Scorch spends a big chunk of the book moping, Ciara's mother and Meg's father aren't present enough to be even remotely memorable. And Ciara. Lord, where to even begin with Ciara? She was annoying in the first book, in that way you see in cartoons, that one kid who thinks that they know everything and that they're always right, and insist on tagging along when being told to stay away, and just blatantly disobey instructions but never face any consequences for it. I loathe that type of character, always have, always will, and between the two books, Ciara takes all that and runs with it at top speed, especially in this second book. This brat was so intensely annoying! Every page with her in it was a chore, she just got more and more annoying throughout the story, and even when she's going through tough things later on, by this point I just hate her so much that I don't care anymore. This girl is exhausting! And I see why Ciara is a descendant of Bianca, because both of them are so obnoxiously full of themselves.
There's also the fact that the book completely fails at its message. From the start, the message has been how Ciara, and Bianca before her, want for absolutely everybody to learn magic, not just some select few chosen ones. Except that you have Cillian, who did bad things with magic. You have the Emperor, doing bad things with magic. Even then, Cillian was someone who got chosen to learn magic, so they clearly needed a better screening process. Nevertheless, the point is that these dumb girls want for everyone to learn magic, as if absolutely everybody in the world would use magic to do good things, as if nobody other than Cillian or the Emperor exist that would do bad things with magic. They want absolutely everybody to learn magic, yet the thought that there's a lot of bad people out there that would use magic to do bad things never cross their minds. So, the point and message of the story is completely flawed and yet the story and characters fail to realize that.
I went into this book hoping to like it, but the feeling waned as I read along, and I went from being ambivalent, to disliking the book, to outright hating it. I would have hated it even as a kid. It's a shame, because a snarky grumpy dragon teaching magic sounds like a fun premise, and I absolutely adore dragons, but even a snarky grumpy dragon couldn't save this mess of a book.
This book continues the story, but fails to make it any more interesting, which is a feat, considering the first book's story was rather plain itself. Yes, this book introduces the bigger threat and makes a few reveals, but it was just so dull that I found myself genuinely not caring. That's one of the big problems with this book, it's so boring.
And being boring is bad, but it's made worse by the fact that there's barely any likable characters here. Meg's a pushover, Aiden's a try-hard, Scorch spends a big chunk of the book moping, Ciara's mother and Meg's father aren't present enough to be even remotely memorable. And Ciara. Lord, where to even begin with Ciara? She was annoying in the first book, in that way you see in cartoons, that one kid who thinks that they know everything and that they're always right, and insist on tagging along when being told to stay away, and just blatantly disobey instructions but never face any consequences for it. I loathe that type of character, always have, always will, and between the two books, Ciara takes all that and runs with it at top speed, especially in this second book. This brat was so intensely annoying! Every page with her in it was a chore, she just got more and more annoying throughout the story, and even when she's going through tough things later on, by this point I just hate her so much that I don't care anymore. This girl is exhausting! And I see why Ciara is a descendant of Bianca, because both of them are so obnoxiously full of themselves.
There's also the fact that the book completely fails at its message. From the start, the message has been how Ciara, and Bianca before her, want for absolutely everybody to learn magic, not just some select few chosen ones. Except that you have Cillian, who did bad things with magic. You have the Emperor, doing bad things with magic. Even then, Cillian was someone who got chosen to learn magic, so they clearly needed a better screening process. Nevertheless, the point is that these dumb girls want for everyone to learn magic, as if absolutely everybody in the world would use magic to do good things, as if nobody other than Cillian or the Emperor exist that would do bad things with magic. They want absolutely everybody to learn magic, yet the thought that there's a lot of bad people out there that would use magic to do bad things never cross their minds. So, the point and message of the story is completely flawed and yet the story and characters fail to realize that.
I went into this book hoping to like it, but the feeling waned as I read along, and I went from being ambivalent, to disliking the book, to outright hating it. I would have hated it even as a kid. It's a shame, because a snarky grumpy dragon teaching magic sounds like a fun premise, and I absolutely adore dragons, but even a snarky grumpy dragon couldn't save this mess of a book.
November 8, 2025
Ciara and the Dragon, Scorch, are still learning but more secretly as they don’t want to bring any attention to Ciara’s town, Skael, and her mom and friends. The Kings men are still looking for Bianca’s spell book which Ciara has. Now Ciara wants to train her friend in magic as well. When the young prince Aiden appears to help Skael get back to normal after the last battle with the empire he comes as a emissary from the king to help convince Scorch and Ciara a memory he shows them of how the revenants first came and how it involved Bianca wanting to train a friend in magic like Ciara is doing is a true memory. But Scorch sees the memory as real, but Ciara can sense something wrong with the memory, Scorch gets mad and tells Ciara off, so she will have to prove it as no one believes her.
Before you start to read this book, you must be prepared and believe in all you are about to witness all the twists and turns and not get distracted on the way. This is a book of true friendship in the time of turbulence and trying times. Ciara is a hardheaded focused tween that doesn’t have a huge number of friends (1) but she is Ciara’s best friend and Ciara will fight fiercely for her. This book has a ton of action and even more suspense. This book and series are fun the characters are great and the plot very interesting and I think even reluctant readers will find interest in this book.
Review copy provided by Netgalley
Before you start to read this book, you must be prepared and believe in all you are about to witness all the twists and turns and not get distracted on the way. This is a book of true friendship in the time of turbulence and trying times. Ciara is a hardheaded focused tween that doesn’t have a huge number of friends (1) but she is Ciara’s best friend and Ciara will fight fiercely for her. This book has a ton of action and even more suspense. This book and series are fun the characters are great and the plot very interesting and I think even reluctant readers will find interest in this book.
Review copy provided by Netgalley
February 12, 2026
I wasn't overly thrilled by the first book in this series. I thought it was somewhat forgettable and didn't really offer anything special, but I was curious about how it would go in future books. This sequel surprised me in all of the best ways. I enjoyed this one much more than the first and found myself thinking about it frequently after I read it.
Ciara is still impulsive and headstrong. Every person in the entire kingdom can tell her not to do a thing and she’s 100% going to still do it anyway. Still, her actions feel less stubborn and reckless in this one than in the first one. She understands more of the risks but is willing to make the decisions she feels are best in difficult situations. I love her subtle growth.
The main theme is hammered in pretty heavily, but I didn't find it as annoying as I usually do. In this case, it keeps coming up because the main character doesn't really believe it and has to come to terms with the idea herself. Instead of feeling like it's being repeated because the author is afraid the readers won't get the message, it feels more like the character is grappling with a concept she doesn't understand until she sees it and lives it. To me, that felt age appropriate and interesting.
I’m excited for the next book in the series. This was an excellent continuation with good humor and heart, and I think this is a great adventure for younger middle grade readers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I would like to thank James Riley and NetGalley for providing advance copies of this book. I had the pleasure of meeting James Riley in person, where he generously gifted me a physical copy, and I was also approved for the digital edition through NetGalley.
Ciara returns in this installment, continuing her attempts to learn magic while uncovering the true purpose of the emperor. While her methods don’t always align with Scorch’s logic, Ciara still manages to accomplish a surprising amount, often in unexpected ways.
Prince Aiden, however, is the emotional pressure point of this story. You like him, you hate him, and for a long time you genuinely don’t know how to feel about him. I promise that by the end of the book, those feelings settle—though perhaps not in the way you expect—and you may even find yourself reevaluating another character entirely.
As invested as I already was in the series, I thought I knew where this story was heading. I was very wrong, and I loved being wrong. I did not see the ending coming, which makes it all the more painful that this book doesn’t release until February—because that means waiting even longer for the next installment.
I need the next book. Immediately.
Ciara returns in this installment, continuing her attempts to learn magic while uncovering the true purpose of the emperor. While her methods don’t always align with Scorch’s logic, Ciara still manages to accomplish a surprising amount, often in unexpected ways.
Prince Aiden, however, is the emotional pressure point of this story. You like him, you hate him, and for a long time you genuinely don’t know how to feel about him. I promise that by the end of the book, those feelings settle—though perhaps not in the way you expect—and you may even find yourself reevaluating another character entirely.
As invested as I already was in the series, I thought I knew where this story was heading. I was very wrong, and I loved being wrong. I did not see the ending coming, which makes it all the more painful that this book doesn’t release until February—because that means waiting even longer for the next installment.
I need the next book. Immediately.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for allowing me to have an eARC of this book.
I really enjoyed this one! I would still agree with my take on the first book about this being geared more towards the younger age of Middle Grade readers.
Ciara is characterized in a younger way with her actions, at least at the beginning she mimics the same hot-headed, emotionally reactive girl of the first book. In this one, you do get to see her growth when faced with even more serious things. You see her be a great friend, be courageous, quick-witted and slow down to plan before she reacts.
I would say that the first book is very heavy setup for what comes in this book. I wish publishing would have given this author a deal to combine books 1 and 2, but I can see that being daunting for a young reader if they aren't split for the page count.
This book was so much more of a fantastical adventure than the first. Lots of the fantasy world building and lore happen. We still have our lovable magic teacher, Scorch, and mischievous spell book.
Once I got a little bit before the 50% mark I was completely sucked in to this story, even as an adult.
This author is really good at his cliffhangers....now I gotta read book 3.
I really enjoyed this one! I would still agree with my take on the first book about this being geared more towards the younger age of Middle Grade readers.
Ciara is characterized in a younger way with her actions, at least at the beginning she mimics the same hot-headed, emotionally reactive girl of the first book. In this one, you do get to see her growth when faced with even more serious things. You see her be a great friend, be courageous, quick-witted and slow down to plan before she reacts.
I would say that the first book is very heavy setup for what comes in this book. I wish publishing would have given this author a deal to combine books 1 and 2, but I can see that being daunting for a young reader if they aren't split for the page count.
This book was so much more of a fantastical adventure than the first. Lots of the fantasy world building and lore happen. We still have our lovable magic teacher, Scorch, and mischievous spell book.
Once I got a little bit before the 50% mark I was completely sucked in to this story, even as an adult.
This author is really good at his cliffhangers....now I gotta read book 3.
![Profile Image for Kelly {SpaceOnTheBookcase].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1672255572i/4799500._UX200_CR0,0,200,200_.jpg)
February 8, 2026
The second book in The Dragon's Apprentice series, Ciara and her mom are hiding away from the Draconic Empire after learning that Dragon's are real and they have a spell book to prove it. When Prince Aiden comes to town, seemingly bringing peace and understanding, he begins to order his men to fix the town including the land so it can grow crops. Of course Prince Aiden is allowed to use magic and does so to keep the town safe, or so it seems, while Ciara use of magic just bring the magical revenants back and threaten it all. Or, that's how the story goes.
I liked the first book in the series so I was excited to pick up Revenants Return and I loved it so much I finished it in a day. There is a lot of witty and funny dialogue throughout the book and the angst and thrill was perfect for a middle grade fantasy. I loved the story being revealed in layers surrounding the Dragon Mage and the true story behind what happened to encase her in the castle. High intensity from start to finish, I am very excited for the next book in the series.
Thank you Random House Kids for the gifted copy.
I liked the first book in the series so I was excited to pick up Revenants Return and I loved it so much I finished it in a day. There is a lot of witty and funny dialogue throughout the book and the angst and thrill was perfect for a middle grade fantasy. I loved the story being revealed in layers surrounding the Dragon Mage and the true story behind what happened to encase her in the castle. High intensity from start to finish, I am very excited for the next book in the series.
Thank you Random House Kids for the gifted copy.
February 7, 2026
Thank you to Random House Kids for the free book and to PRH Audio for the free audiobook. These opinions are my own.
This is such a fun middle grade book series. Revenants Return is the sequel to Dragon's Apprentice. We continue to follow Ciara and Scorch, now that they have saved her small town. Or have they?
The story picks up right where the action from the previous book ends. And the biggest underlying question remains how power should be used and the extent to which it should be shared.
We get some fascinating new characters. And there are so many questions about who to trust. Everyone seemed suspicious.
I had such a fun time reading this, and I think kids will enjoy it even more. I can't wait for the next book in the series. I highly recommend this as a fantasy adventure that speaks across ages while also raising important questions about morality.
Alana Kerr Collins again narrated the audiobook. She does such a great job bringing all the characters to life. And especially with the various ways magic was used in this book, I found that so impressive. I enjoyed reading immersively with both the audiobook and the gorgeous paperback with sprayed edges.
This is such a fun middle grade book series. Revenants Return is the sequel to Dragon's Apprentice. We continue to follow Ciara and Scorch, now that they have saved her small town. Or have they?
The story picks up right where the action from the previous book ends. And the biggest underlying question remains how power should be used and the extent to which it should be shared.
We get some fascinating new characters. And there are so many questions about who to trust. Everyone seemed suspicious.
I had such a fun time reading this, and I think kids will enjoy it even more. I can't wait for the next book in the series. I highly recommend this as a fantasy adventure that speaks across ages while also raising important questions about morality.
Alana Kerr Collins again narrated the audiobook. She does such a great job bringing all the characters to life. And especially with the various ways magic was used in this book, I found that so impressive. I enjoyed reading immersively with both the audiobook and the gorgeous paperback with sprayed edges.
September 15, 2025
Just when Ciara is finally ready to dive into her magic studies, the prince of the Draconic Empire arrives—flanked by an army and wielding powerful magic of his own.
Prince Aiden brings food for the village and helps with rebuilding efforts, but Ciara isn’t so easily won over. How can she trust the son of the man who sent the Warden after her in the first place? Still, Aiden seems different when no one else is watching—kinder, lonelier. Ciara just wants him gone. Prince Aiden just wants a friend.
His true mission? To bring Ciara and her dragon teacher, Scorch, back to the capital—and to his father, the emperor. But as the emperor’s patience runs thin, long-buried truths begin to surface. Secrets from a thousand years ago, when the Dragon Mage vanished... and Scorch’s family was lost.
Prince Aiden brings food for the village and helps with rebuilding efforts, but Ciara isn’t so easily won over. How can she trust the son of the man who sent the Warden after her in the first place? Still, Aiden seems different when no one else is watching—kinder, lonelier. Ciara just wants him gone. Prince Aiden just wants a friend.
His true mission? To bring Ciara and her dragon teacher, Scorch, back to the capital—and to his father, the emperor. But as the emperor’s patience runs thin, long-buried truths begin to surface. Secrets from a thousand years ago, when the Dragon Mage vanished... and Scorch’s family was lost.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
My kiddo and I devoured book 1, so I was delighted to be selected to read an ARC for book 2 in this series. The impulsive Ciara has decided to take an apprentice, but won’t that make the revenants return? Would she really risk it? And is Prince Aiden there to save the town, like he says, or is he going to destroy everything?
I will admit that parts of the first quarter of the book had me yelling at the main character, but by the end I was back to cheering her on. Prince Aiden turns out to be a pretty well-developed character. You get a bit more backstory for the other characters as well and some of the questions in book 1 were answered.
If you hate cliffhangers, then maybe skip the Epilogue.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books for the ARC. All reviews are my own.
I will admit that parts of the first quarter of the book had me yelling at the main character, but by the end I was back to cheering her on. Prince Aiden turns out to be a pretty well-developed character. You get a bit more backstory for the other characters as well and some of the questions in book 1 were answered.
If you hate cliffhangers, then maybe skip the Epilogue.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books for the ARC. All reviews are my own.
December 2, 2025
Ciara, a twelve-year-old who once discovered her ancestor’s spellbook and awakened the dragon Scorch, continues her journey as a reluctant apprentice of forbidden magic. Hoping to teach her friend Meg, she defies Scorch’s warnings — for in the past, teaching magic outside the apprentice line led to disaster: the rise of the Revenants and a devastating war.
When Prince Aiden, the Emperor’s son, suddenly arrives, Ciara, Scorch, and Meg are forced into hiding. As the Revenants begin to stir once more, Ciara must decide whom to trust and how far she’s willing to go to protect her friends and her world.
When Prince Aiden, the Emperor’s son, suddenly arrives, Ciara, Scorch, and Meg are forced into hiding. As the Revenants begin to stir once more, Ciara must decide whom to trust and how far she’s willing to go to protect her friends and her world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
SO happy to be back in Ciara’s orbit! After loving Dragon’s Apprentice, I couldn’t wait to jump back into this world! And of course i just loved Revenant’s Return! The characters are an absolute blast...you can't help but cheer them on. The humor added some chuckles here and there for me and I just loved how the story was just bursting with magic, adventure and heart! There are themes of found family and true friendship vibes (my weakness), plus… WE'VE GOT DRAGONS PEOPLE. Obviously. 🐉 I love that this feels like a journey that’s only just getting started because I just adore the characters! I’m already anxiously awaiting to see what James writes next! The epilogue is a bit of a cliff hanger but that's ok...I'll just do some magic for now while I wait for what James dreams up next! I think this is perfect for middle grade readers (or adults like me) who will forever love a magical, fast paced, joy filled middle grade adventure. ✨📚
December 1, 2025
Great next story in the series as we follow Ciara and her companions in this journey.
We learn more about the original apprentices and some important details to understand how the situation came to be from where the Dragon Mage originally intended society to interact with magic and dragons.
Excited to carry on with the next book!
Thank you NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy. All opinions are my own.
We learn more about the original apprentices and some important details to understand how the situation came to be from where the Dragon Mage originally intended society to interact with magic and dragons.
Excited to carry on with the next book!
Thank you NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy. All opinions are my own.
December 9, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This is SUCH a good book! The first one was amazing, but this was a masterpiece. It was SO funny and fun. It was also so sweet and has a lot of emotion. The characters are SO good. Ciara is so funny and caring, Meg is fierce and fun, and Aiden is so sweet and oblivious. Definitely give this a read! I could not believe that ending and I can’t wait for the next one!
June 22, 2026
MG Fantasy
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
12yo Ciara (pronounced Kira) was an ordinary village girl who found a magical book of spells that led her to become a dragon’s apprentice.
Now, a powerful prince has come to stop her from teaching anyone else magic or summoning the horrid Revenants that destroyed their beloved Dragon Mage.
The first book in this series was quite humorous & I liked that it broke the fourth wall. This sequel was also a fun read, just with new characters and higher stakes.
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
12yo Ciara (pronounced Kira) was an ordinary village girl who found a magical book of spells that led her to become a dragon’s apprentice.
Now, a powerful prince has come to stop her from teaching anyone else magic or summoning the horrid Revenants that destroyed their beloved Dragon Mage.
The first book in this series was quite humorous & I liked that it broke the fourth wall. This sequel was also a fun read, just with new characters and higher stakes.
April 19, 2026
I listened to this book with my 3 kids. We all loved it and can’t wait for the 3rd one to come out in November.
It has enough intrigue to keep me hooked (gives off G rated Fourth Wing vibes) but was totally appropriate for my 5, 8, and 9 year old kids.
Loved the audiobook version. My kids have never been so quiet in the car.
It has enough intrigue to keep me hooked (gives off G rated Fourth Wing vibes) but was totally appropriate for my 5, 8, and 9 year old kids.
Loved the audiobook version. My kids have never been so quiet in the car.
May 4, 2026
4.5 Love this series. The relationship between the girl and the dragon is still my favorite. Still, now we have a deeper understanding of magic and past characters, with misunderstandings, betrayals, and a major cliffhanger that just makes me excited for book 3. Love the humor in the dialogue between her and her teacher dragon.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This series is a ton of fun. My 7 yo (Advanced reader) daughter absolutely adored this book.. Tons of adventure and camaraderie. This was an excellent second book and my daughter is hopeful for a sprayed edges version to add next to the Dragon's Apprentice.
June 15, 2026
My 11-year-old says “Intense in the last few chapters. This ends on a cliffhanger! You should read the first one first and maybe wait until the third one is out so you can read that next! I found some funny things in the book!”
March 1, 2026
52 Book SideQuest High Seas Challenge Bonus #4: Listen to an audio book
March 18, 2026
Picks up right after the first book, so one should reread the first book before reading this one.
June 12, 2026
Whyd it takes me so long to find this
February 12, 2026
Revenant’s Return is a wildly entertaining sequel that leans even harder into its clever narration, chaotic magic, and wonderfully sharp humor. I loved how the story continues to play with perspective, especially through the Empire’s dramatic warnings about Ciara and Scorch, which only make their rebellion feel more satisfying. Scorch remains delightfully cranky, Ciara’s growth as an apprentice feels earned, and the arrival of Prince Aiden adds a layer of intrigue that keeps the stakes high without losing the series’ signature wit. The looming threat of the Revenants brings genuine tension, balancing the humor with real consequences. While a few twists are easy to anticipate, the charm, fast-paced adventure, and playful subversion of “forbidden magic” tropes make this a strong and thoroughly fun follow-up that leaves you eager for more.
March 25, 2026
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! You can't leave me hanging like that, NOT COOL!!!!!!!! I NEED the next book ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!! Once again James Riley crafted another fantasy adventure that I happily went along with in my head. I just L❤️VE his books. Chef's kiss💋
March 9, 2026
This series gets better and better. I loved returning to this world. The characters felt better developed, more three-dimensional, the stakes are higher and we get some interesting plot twists. Some would say it's predictable, but I didn't mind at all. After all, it's MG. Everything connected in the best possible way and I can't wait for book three.
April 3, 2026
I know this is going to appeal to Middles, especially 8-10 year olds! I haven't been a huge fan of the series just because I don't love the writing. But I think I'm just being picky.
Warnings: there is a scene where a "revenant" "possesses" someone (we learn later it was a false memory and it didn't actually happen). The scene is very quick.
Found in SRC '26 (YT)
Warnings: there is a scene where a "revenant" "possesses" someone (we learn later it was a false memory and it didn't actually happen). The scene is very quick.
Found in SRC '26 (YT)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews