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Devious Prey
A young woman must survive the deadly mythical creature she smuggled aboard an airship after a crash landing on a deserted island frees it to begin hunting the survivors in this thrilling fantasy adventure from New York Times bestselling author Scott Reintgen.
When an airship’s windmaster dies mid-flight, the crew and its passengers are swept out to sea by a violent storm. They crash on a desolate island, but they’re not alone. A dragoness had been stashed in the hold. After escaping a damaged cage, it begins preying on the surviving travelers in the hopes of remaining free.
The stranded group’s best chance of making it home alive is the young woman who smuggled the dragoness on board in the first place—and the mysterious teen boy who was led onto the ship in chains before takeoff. Both have secrets that could help them survive on the island…but those same secrets could deliver a death sentence if they ever make it home.
When an airship’s windmaster dies mid-flight, the crew and its passengers are swept out to sea by a violent storm. They crash on a desolate island, but they’re not alone. A dragoness had been stashed in the hold. After escaping a damaged cage, it begins preying on the surviving travelers in the hopes of remaining free.
The stranded group’s best chance of making it home alive is the young woman who smuggled the dragoness on board in the first place—and the mysterious teen boy who was led onto the ship in chains before takeoff. Both have secrets that could help them survive on the island…but those same secrets could deliver a death sentence if they ever make it home.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published March 31, 2026
About the author
Scott Reintgen
24 books1,672 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 153 reviews
April 23, 2026
4.25 ⭐
༊*·˚ As an airship flies to its destination, the windmaster dies, leaving the crew and passengers at the mercy of a violent storm that sweeps them out to sea. Crashing on a desolate island, the stranded travelers are hopeful that they will be rescued, but when a dragoness begins to hunt the survivors, they are all fearful for their lives. And the only two people who can help them are Pearl, a young woman who smuggled the dragoness on the ship, and Marken, a mysterious wizard who is bound in chains for a serious crime. Both Pearl and Marken have secrets, but those secrets could not only bring death to them if they are rescued, but also save them and the other survivors.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚
ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ: Viva la Vida by Coldplay
0:41 ───ㅇ───── 2:23
༊*·˚ TL;DR: A fun and exciting fantasy read that is now a new favorite.
༊*·˚ Okay, wow! This was literally so fun and so damn good! 🤭
I was hooked right from the start. So much so that I was up late at night reading, telling myself, “Oh, I can do one more chapter.” One chapter led to two, and then three, and then four, and–yeah, you get the picture. 😏 And it was super easy to just get lost in the story because not only are the chapters short and right to the point, but I was genuinely invested in the well-being of the surviving passengers because it’s going to be hard to survive on a desolate island when there’s a literal freaking dragoness lurking in the shadows, hunting them!
Pearl and Marken were such interesting characters, especially with the secrets they were hiding. I just had to know what they were hiding, and once I found what was going on, I was gobsmacked, to say the least. 😂 I’m sure other people saw it coming, but I didn’t, and I’m glad of that because my jaw actually dropped. But not only were their secrets interesting, but Pearl and Marken had problems they were dealing with (both internally and externally), and they acted how anyone would with the lot in life they were given and grew as characters accordingly. And I can’t forget the little romance they had going on, too. It’s only a subplot in the story (which I really liked), so if you are looking for a romantasy, this isn’t it.
I did think it was funny, though, how Pearl thought she was plain and that someone as gorgeous as Marken wouldn’t like someone like her, yet Marken thinks she’s the most beautiful girl he’s seen, so I’m like, who do I believe? Is Pearl one of those girls who downplays her looks that guys find amusingly attractive, and I find annoyingly ridiculous? In this case, no. It didn’t bother me, and the romance was hardly developed enough for them to compliment each other on their looks, and it’s not like they had the time or opportunity to say so, with their lives in danger and all. 😏
Anyways, moving on.
I haven’t been the biggest fan of fantasy because I’m slow and I can’t catch onto the lore, magical systems, and world-building as quickly as I should in order to understand what’s going on, but thankfully, this was easy for me to follow along and understand. It wasn’t complicated or so elaborate as to the point of confusing me. Everything was simple, straightforward, and right to the point, which I greatly appreciate because I understood who was who and what was happening.
Good gracious, the magic system was so cool. The whole dragoness situation kept me glued to my seat, and Marken’s spell-casting and fighting experience really elevated the story. Doctor Strange came to mind in those scenes. But just because he’s a damn good wizard, it doesn’t mean he’s the solution to their problems–he’s only a part of it, and that right there made this book so much more intriguing. Ugh, this was so good!
And the ending? I’m not mad about it. It wasn’t what I was expecting, but I think it makes sense and fits the story well. 👍🏼
All in all, I definitely recommend it if you think this tickles your fancy. Just know that all the good things said about this book are coming from someone who struggles with reading fantasy. So take that as you will. ☺
⚝ Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing | Margaret K. McElderry Books and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own. ⚝
❗Content Warnings❗
Death, blood, and violence.
Swearing: A little.
Spice: No–only a kiss. (🌶/5)
༊*·˚ As an airship flies to its destination, the windmaster dies, leaving the crew and passengers at the mercy of a violent storm that sweeps them out to sea. Crashing on a desolate island, the stranded travelers are hopeful that they will be rescued, but when a dragoness begins to hunt the survivors, they are all fearful for their lives. And the only two people who can help them are Pearl, a young woman who smuggled the dragoness on the ship, and Marken, a mysterious wizard who is bound in chains for a serious crime. Both Pearl and Marken have secrets, but those secrets could not only bring death to them if they are rescued, but also save them and the other survivors.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚
ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ: Viva la Vida by Coldplay
0:41 ───ㅇ───── 2:23
༊*·˚ TL;DR: A fun and exciting fantasy read that is now a new favorite.
༊*·˚ Okay, wow! This was literally so fun and so damn good! 🤭
I was hooked right from the start. So much so that I was up late at night reading, telling myself, “Oh, I can do one more chapter.” One chapter led to two, and then three, and then four, and–yeah, you get the picture. 😏 And it was super easy to just get lost in the story because not only are the chapters short and right to the point, but I was genuinely invested in the well-being of the surviving passengers because it’s going to be hard to survive on a desolate island when there’s a literal freaking dragoness lurking in the shadows, hunting them!
Pearl and Marken were such interesting characters, especially with the secrets they were hiding. I just had to know what they were hiding, and once I found what was going on, I was gobsmacked, to say the least. 😂 I’m sure other people saw it coming, but I didn’t, and I’m glad of that because my jaw actually dropped. But not only were their secrets interesting, but Pearl and Marken had problems they were dealing with (both internally and externally), and they acted how anyone would with the lot in life they were given and grew as characters accordingly. And I can’t forget the little romance they had going on, too. It’s only a subplot in the story (which I really liked), so if you are looking for a romantasy, this isn’t it.
I did think it was funny, though, how Pearl thought she was plain and that someone as gorgeous as Marken wouldn’t like someone like her, yet Marken thinks she’s the most beautiful girl he’s seen, so I’m like, who do I believe? Is Pearl one of those girls who downplays her looks that guys find amusingly attractive, and I find annoyingly ridiculous? In this case, no. It didn’t bother me, and the romance was hardly developed enough for them to compliment each other on their looks, and it’s not like they had the time or opportunity to say so, with their lives in danger and all. 😏
Anyways, moving on.
I haven’t been the biggest fan of fantasy because I’m slow and I can’t catch onto the lore, magical systems, and world-building as quickly as I should in order to understand what’s going on, but thankfully, this was easy for me to follow along and understand. It wasn’t complicated or so elaborate as to the point of confusing me. Everything was simple, straightforward, and right to the point, which I greatly appreciate because I understood who was who and what was happening.
Good gracious, the magic system was so cool. The whole dragoness situation kept me glued to my seat, and Marken’s spell-casting and fighting experience really elevated the story. Doctor Strange came to mind in those scenes. But just because he’s a damn good wizard, it doesn’t mean he’s the solution to their problems–he’s only a part of it, and that right there made this book so much more intriguing. Ugh, this was so good!
And the ending? I’m not mad about it. It wasn’t what I was expecting, but I think it makes sense and fits the story well. 👍🏼
All in all, I definitely recommend it if you think this tickles your fancy. Just know that all the good things said about this book are coming from someone who struggles with reading fantasy. So take that as you will. ☺
⚝ Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing | Margaret K. McElderry Books and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own. ⚝
❗Content Warnings❗
Death, blood, and violence.
Swearing: A little.
Spice: No–only a kiss. (🌶/5)
December 4, 2025
Devious Prey is absolutely amazing! I always keep an eye out for Scott Reintgen Having read I believe his debut YA novel a few years back he also has several children’s books out so he is a very talented author able to navigate multiple genre’s. This book was very exciting for me as a book targeting a more adult audience but still easily a YA book so it guts the spot perfectly for a wider audience. The world building and magic system blew me away it was richly layered with great characters that are vulnerable, intelligent and cunning. With multiple enemy’s in the fray to keep you guessing if our hero’s will survive. The backstory of these characters is raw and heartfelt and you feel very drawn into this world m. I also have to say the Dragoness wow breathtakingly cunning with skills unlike any dragon in any book I have ever read m. Absolutely unique and that is incredibly hard to do in this day and age so total props for an original enemy I actually truly enjoyed reading about. The prefect apex predator with powerful and deadly foes in their own right. Also a completely unique twist on magic sources. Truly a great read I highly suggest it!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
At the start of this book, I was ready for the adventure. The way it opened hooked my attention and the characters were interesting. I really, REALLY, liked this book. This is the first book I've tried from Scott Reintgen and I have plans to try reading more of his books. That being said, I'm still wondering about some things. Is this going to be a series? Will there be more books set in this world? Inquiring minds need to know.
Devious Prey starts with the death of an airship's windmaster, who helps control the course the ship takes as it travels. With the death, the airship is overtaken in a storm and crash lands on an island that according to the maps, should not be there. The survivors of the crew and passengers try to come to terms with their crash and what they need to do to survive until rescue arrives, except that a dragoness is also on the island with them. The dragoness was in the hold of the ship and escaped during the crash. Now it has decided to hunt the survivors to ensure its freedom. The only hope the survivors have lie with a young woman, Pearl, who helped smuggle the dragoness onto the ship and a young man, Marken, with a military escort on his way to answer for dangerous crimes. The pair of them have to learn to trust each other with the truths about their pasts in the hopes of having a future.
The story starts off fast, with everyone on the ship on their way to the next destination. Pearl and Marken are both in the midst of the turmoil on the ship. Marken is a chained up wizard who is unable to use his power to help save the ship from the crash. Pearl is on edge because of what she and her aunt have hidden in the hold of the ship. When the windmaster starts struggling, Pearl tries her best to step in and help when no one else makes a move. This is where the deviation between the characters start to take place. Pearl doesn't know what she is doing but she tries to help anyways and she is just a kid compared to the captain, the crew members and some of the passengers. Marken wants to help with the safety of the ship now that they are at the mercy of the storm but at the same time believes he can take control of the ship so he can get away from the warden and the guards who are in charge of his capture.
I liked Pearl and Marken, they stood out from the rest of the cast of characters with their actions. I did like Marken more than Pearl though because Marken had more of a tendency to be transparent with his thoughts compared to Pearl. I could understand Pearl's motivations but only to a certain extent. However, the rest of the cast just seem to be there. I've just finished this book and I can only recall a handful of character names because they all only did so much with the story. I know the name of Pearl's aunt, who was partnered with Pearl in the smuggling business. I know the name of some of Marken's guards and a couple of the crew. That's the extent of it though. There was even a joke in the book where Pearl was unable to remember some of the crew member's names and I thought, yeah, that's the long and the short of it.
I thought the ideas behind the dragoness was one of the most interesting parts of the story. The reasons for why they were smuggling the dragoness and what it's purpose was now that it was on the island were very interesting. The powers the dragoness had were also very unique. That being said, readers don't get to see enough of her threat to the survivors as she spends a lot of her time in hiding to "study" her prey. I wanted to know more about the dragoness and what she knew of herself and where there were others like her. For such an interesting threat, she did not spend enough time on the page.
Which brings me to the rest of the threats on the island. Marken's guards are military and determined to be in charge but they are making foolish decisions. The crew is led by a young woman and her sister who don't like the guards but we don't get much more information than that about their motivations, what led them to be on the ship, what role they had when they still worked on the airship or even how is it that the rest of the crew is so quick to defer to them in this quest for survival. In the end, because of the lack of information about the other survivors, the story felt a little cut and dry. The threats are there but they are dealt with quickly and then the story moves on. I think the best way to describe it is there was almost a lack of tension. Events happen and then the story just continues on.
Also, there were little asides about characters that felt like they'd lead to interesting developments but nothing happened with these things. Pearl's aunt needs medication but it was lost in the crash and she called Pearl by a different name. I think it was supposed to be linked to health issues that the aunt and Pearl's mother both have but I wanted to know more about what this was concerning and it gets lost in the background of the story. Was it actually a serious head injury making her mix things up, like Pearl thought, or was it the lack of medicine? It seemed to be meant to add to the concerns that Pearl had to contend with but the story moves on without more focus on it. I guess it wasn't THAT important but it's still rumbling around in my head so there you go. Then there was Marken who is at odds with the warden who has captured him and there are conversations that make it sound like the warden has more information about Marken than he should be able to know and AGAIN, it's left to the side. The book had a few of these things that seemed to be meant to create more problems for the leads but as intriguing as they are, there's no resolution to these things. It left me feeling a little bereft as a result. I also wanted to understand the magic system better. How do they find the people who have magic to train them? What kind of importance do they have to the country? What responsibilities do they have? How many of them are there, how do they govern themselves? And so on with my questions, you see what I mean.
The resolution was very imaginative with how the survivors manage to deal with the dragoness. That's a big plus for this book and the reason why I'm interested in finding Reintgen's other books. Still, as much as I liked this book, I was expecting more with everything after the big opening with the storm and then the crash. As a result, I LIKED this book but I didn't end up loving it as much as I hoped I would.
Rating on my scale: 7.5 Stars. This is a great adventure story and as I was reading it, the book kept my attention riveted. At the same time, I feel like there was room for more to make me truly care about how this group was going to survive. Very respectable and I hope to read more from Reintgen in the future.
My thanks to Netgalley, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and Scott Reintgen for the eARC of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
Devious Prey starts with the death of an airship's windmaster, who helps control the course the ship takes as it travels. With the death, the airship is overtaken in a storm and crash lands on an island that according to the maps, should not be there. The survivors of the crew and passengers try to come to terms with their crash and what they need to do to survive until rescue arrives, except that a dragoness is also on the island with them. The dragoness was in the hold of the ship and escaped during the crash. Now it has decided to hunt the survivors to ensure its freedom. The only hope the survivors have lie with a young woman, Pearl, who helped smuggle the dragoness onto the ship and a young man, Marken, with a military escort on his way to answer for dangerous crimes. The pair of them have to learn to trust each other with the truths about their pasts in the hopes of having a future.
The story starts off fast, with everyone on the ship on their way to the next destination. Pearl and Marken are both in the midst of the turmoil on the ship. Marken is a chained up wizard who is unable to use his power to help save the ship from the crash. Pearl is on edge because of what she and her aunt have hidden in the hold of the ship. When the windmaster starts struggling, Pearl tries her best to step in and help when no one else makes a move. This is where the deviation between the characters start to take place. Pearl doesn't know what she is doing but she tries to help anyways and she is just a kid compared to the captain, the crew members and some of the passengers. Marken wants to help with the safety of the ship now that they are at the mercy of the storm but at the same time believes he can take control of the ship so he can get away from the warden and the guards who are in charge of his capture.
I liked Pearl and Marken, they stood out from the rest of the cast of characters with their actions. I did like Marken more than Pearl though because Marken had more of a tendency to be transparent with his thoughts compared to Pearl. I could understand Pearl's motivations but only to a certain extent. However, the rest of the cast just seem to be there. I've just finished this book and I can only recall a handful of character names because they all only did so much with the story. I know the name of Pearl's aunt, who was partnered with Pearl in the smuggling business. I know the name of some of Marken's guards and a couple of the crew. That's the extent of it though. There was even a joke in the book where Pearl was unable to remember some of the crew member's names and I thought, yeah, that's the long and the short of it.
I thought the ideas behind the dragoness was one of the most interesting parts of the story. The reasons for why they were smuggling the dragoness and what it's purpose was now that it was on the island were very interesting. The powers the dragoness had were also very unique. That being said, readers don't get to see enough of her threat to the survivors as she spends a lot of her time in hiding to "study" her prey. I wanted to know more about the dragoness and what she knew of herself and where there were others like her. For such an interesting threat, she did not spend enough time on the page.
Which brings me to the rest of the threats on the island. Marken's guards are military and determined to be in charge but they are making foolish decisions. The crew is led by a young woman and her sister who don't like the guards but we don't get much more information than that about their motivations, what led them to be on the ship, what role they had when they still worked on the airship or even how is it that the rest of the crew is so quick to defer to them in this quest for survival. In the end, because of the lack of information about the other survivors, the story felt a little cut and dry. The threats are there but they are dealt with quickly and then the story moves on. I think the best way to describe it is there was almost a lack of tension. Events happen and then the story just continues on.
Also, there were little asides about characters that felt like they'd lead to interesting developments but nothing happened with these things. Pearl's aunt needs medication but it was lost in the crash and she called Pearl by a different name. I think it was supposed to be linked to health issues that the aunt and Pearl's mother both have but I wanted to know more about what this was concerning and it gets lost in the background of the story. Was it actually a serious head injury making her mix things up, like Pearl thought, or was it the lack of medicine? It seemed to be meant to add to the concerns that Pearl had to contend with but the story moves on without more focus on it. I guess it wasn't THAT important but it's still rumbling around in my head so there you go. Then there was Marken who is at odds with the warden who has captured him and there are conversations that make it sound like the warden has more information about Marken than he should be able to know and AGAIN, it's left to the side. The book had a few of these things that seemed to be meant to create more problems for the leads but as intriguing as they are, there's no resolution to these things. It left me feeling a little bereft as a result. I also wanted to understand the magic system better. How do they find the people who have magic to train them? What kind of importance do they have to the country? What responsibilities do they have? How many of them are there, how do they govern themselves? And so on with my questions, you see what I mean.
The resolution was very imaginative with how the survivors manage to deal with the dragoness. That's a big plus for this book and the reason why I'm interested in finding Reintgen's other books. Still, as much as I liked this book, I was expecting more with everything after the big opening with the storm and then the crash. As a result, I LIKED this book but I didn't end up loving it as much as I hoped I would.
Rating on my scale: 7.5 Stars. This is a great adventure story and as I was reading it, the book kept my attention riveted. At the same time, I feel like there was room for more to make me truly care about how this group was going to survive. Very respectable and I hope to read more from Reintgen in the future.
My thanks to Netgalley, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and Scott Reintgen for the eARC of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Devious Prey is a YA fantasy/sci fi/thriller that had me absolutely intrigued. The blending of genres was definitely interesting, won't be for everyone, but if you like those genres I think you'll enjoy it. It was definitely out of my comfort zone and not my usual genre, but I ended up enjoying it. The story is fast paced, unique and the plot original. There's a tense atmosphere constantly which makes it impossible to put down, I just needed to know what was going to happen. There are many deaths in the book, none are too descriptive or gory, but keep that in mind if it's not something you enjoy.
The characters were interesting, I loved getting to know them. Getting to know their powers, how they worked and their intentions throughout the story. The story is told in dual POV which was great to see both sides of the story. I loved how the plot unfolded and that at the end we got a resolution. The magic system and world building were good and uncomplicated which I really appreciated.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read that I had a good time reading. I loved stepping out of my comfort zone to give it a shot. If you're looking for something different and a mashup of genres, you should give this one a shot.
✨️ Thank you to @simonteen & @scottreintgen for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review
The characters were interesting, I loved getting to know them. Getting to know their powers, how they worked and their intentions throughout the story. The story is told in dual POV which was great to see both sides of the story. I loved how the plot unfolded and that at the end we got a resolution. The magic system and world building were good and uncomplicated which I really appreciated.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read that I had a good time reading. I loved stepping out of my comfort zone to give it a shot. If you're looking for something different and a mashup of genres, you should give this one a shot.
✨️ Thank you to @simonteen & @scottreintgen for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review
April 1, 2026
Devious Prey by Scott Reintgen
This was a fun read where a smuggler (Pearl) is traveling with her Aunt to smuggle a dragon somewhere. They board an airship and on the airship there's a criminal who is handcuffed on the plane. When the plane crashes, the dragon escapes and causes havoc on the survivors. There's a lot of fights happening because everyone is fighting. Dragoness vs Humans, Humans vs Humans, Shipmates/Guards vs the civilians.
The world building is short and simple, as mentioned it is a YA Fantasy so the story is very easy to follow. There's a little bit of romance but it's very minimal. It's just a girl and a guy crushing on each other. :)
The coolest thing about this story is the secrets, dragoness, and everyone killing each other. LOL
I think this was an entertaining read for a YA fantasy. I definitely recommend this to anyone who loves Magic, a setting similar to Lost, Dragons, and action.
Thank you so much for Simon Teen and Scott Reintgen for the gifted ARC.
This was a fun read where a smuggler (Pearl) is traveling with her Aunt to smuggle a dragon somewhere. They board an airship and on the airship there's a criminal who is handcuffed on the plane. When the plane crashes, the dragon escapes and causes havoc on the survivors. There's a lot of fights happening because everyone is fighting. Dragoness vs Humans, Humans vs Humans, Shipmates/Guards vs the civilians.
The world building is short and simple, as mentioned it is a YA Fantasy so the story is very easy to follow. There's a little bit of romance but it's very minimal. It's just a girl and a guy crushing on each other. :)
The coolest thing about this story is the secrets, dragoness, and everyone killing each other. LOL
I think this was an entertaining read for a YA fantasy. I definitely recommend this to anyone who loves Magic, a setting similar to Lost, Dragons, and action.
Thank you so much for Simon Teen and Scott Reintgen for the gifted ARC.
April 14, 2026
★★★★⯪
This is the 5th book I’ve read by Reintgen and it certainly won’t be my last!
Devious Prey is an action packed story that starts with a bang and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Even during the lulls between action Reintgen maintains the tension and never lets the reader forget the looming threat that is the dragoness.
Perfect for fans of morally grey characters. It is established very early on that both Marken and Pearl, our POV characters, are criminals. The severity of the crimes is information that is introduced much more slowly, but we know from being in their heads that their motives are often selfish. They may regularly help the group at large but it is often as a means to help themselves. We are consistently shown how they consider the ways different actions may affect themselves before choosing whether to help.
Thank you to Margaret K. McElderry Books and NetGalley for the ARC!
This is the 5th book I’ve read by Reintgen and it certainly won’t be my last!
Devious Prey is an action packed story that starts with a bang and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Even during the lulls between action Reintgen maintains the tension and never lets the reader forget the looming threat that is the dragoness.
Perfect for fans of morally grey characters. It is established very early on that both Marken and Pearl, our POV characters, are criminals. The severity of the crimes is information that is introduced much more slowly, but we know from being in their heads that their motives are often selfish. They may regularly help the group at large but it is often as a means to help themselves. We are consistently shown how they consider the ways different actions may affect themselves before choosing whether to help.
Thank you to Margaret K. McElderry Books and NetGalley for the ARC!
April 8, 2026
If Scott Reintgen published his grocery list I would read it !!!!!!!!
This fantasy thriller was everything and more that I wanted out of it. Mystery, magic, death, politics/ power struggles and DRAGONS.
Scott always comes up with such interesting magic systems and this one is no different.
5 stars actually planning a reread soon
This fantasy thriller was everything and more that I wanted out of it. Mystery, magic, death, politics/ power struggles and DRAGONS.
Scott always comes up with such interesting magic systems and this one is no different.
5 stars actually planning a reread soon
April 6, 2026
I love that the magic system is an actual system. My biggest problem when it comes to magic in any fantasy story is when its treated as on-demand limitless power with zero repercussions or consequences. The way magic works in a story can make or break it and in this case, it made it.
April 16, 2026
VERY FUN fantasy read! Exciting! Loved hearing the world building. Would like to see a second book! Very talented author!
April 6, 2026
I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.
This was an interesting concept, a smuggler and a mage both happen to be onboard an airship when it crash lands on a deserted island during a storm. The smuggler happens to have some very dangerous cargo onboard that escapes after the crash. The mage is being escorted to be tried for crimes he claims he didn't commit with his magic bound, but he might be the survivor's only hope to get off the island and back to safety.
I didn't really understand why Pearl and her Aunt were smuggling the dragoness in the first place. I'm not quite sure if that was ever explained. I really liked the concept of the dragoness. She was a unique being with unique abilities. Unfortunately her whole purpose seemed to be to prey on the humans and get defeated. I was hoping her character would be more involved in the plot and explored more. I have so many questions about her kind that didn't get answered and why she was there. I thought the magic system was interesting as well, where mages have to find an anchor to use their magic and sacrifice that thing each time they use their power. I liked that the author tapped into that "there is a cost for using" magic concept.
As for the characters, the book mainly focuses on Marken the mage and Pearl the smuggler. Though there are many other side characters throughout they mainly fade into the background and Pearl and Marken work together to figure out how to get off the island or get back to civilization. There are other twists, turns, and reveals as the story progresses but most of the other characters weren't relevant to the story. Pearl's character gets a bit darker and colder in the second half of the book.
Overall this was a fun YA fantasy. Reintgen is a favorite author, and while this isn't a favorite he has written some of my favorite books in the YA and middle grade ranges.
This was an interesting concept, a smuggler and a mage both happen to be onboard an airship when it crash lands on a deserted island during a storm. The smuggler happens to have some very dangerous cargo onboard that escapes after the crash. The mage is being escorted to be tried for crimes he claims he didn't commit with his magic bound, but he might be the survivor's only hope to get off the island and back to safety.
I didn't really understand why Pearl and her Aunt were smuggling the dragoness in the first place. I'm not quite sure if that was ever explained. I really liked the concept of the dragoness. She was a unique being with unique abilities. Unfortunately her whole purpose seemed to be to prey on the humans and get defeated. I was hoping her character would be more involved in the plot and explored more. I have so many questions about her kind that didn't get answered and why she was there. I thought the magic system was interesting as well, where mages have to find an anchor to use their magic and sacrifice that thing each time they use their power. I liked that the author tapped into that "there is a cost for using" magic concept.
As for the characters, the book mainly focuses on Marken the mage and Pearl the smuggler. Though there are many other side characters throughout they mainly fade into the background and Pearl and Marken work together to figure out how to get off the island or get back to civilization. There are other twists, turns, and reveals as the story progresses but most of the other characters weren't relevant to the story. Pearl's character gets a bit darker and colder in the second half of the book.
Overall this was a fun YA fantasy. Reintgen is a favorite author, and while this isn't a favorite he has written some of my favorite books in the YA and middle grade ranges.
April 6, 2026
It is a great book for readers around 9-16yrs. It has mystery, thrill, magic in a way and kind of like pirates. But it fell like all humans but I know there wasn’t all humans. I want to say thank you for letting me to read it
March 30, 2026
This book absolutely hooked me right from the get go! Smugglers on an airship, some suspicious cargo, joined last minute by the addition of mysterious prisoner, and magic to boot?!? Jam packed in less than 10 pages!! ✨
What followed was full of mystery and adventure as the unexpected occurs and they find themselves marooned on an island that no one can find on the map! 🗺️ A creature is set loose in the crash, tensions run high and a divide begins - will any of them make it off the island alive?! You will have to grab your own copy to find out!!
A huge thank you to Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this ARC!!
What followed was full of mystery and adventure as the unexpected occurs and they find themselves marooned on an island that no one can find on the map! 🗺️ A creature is set loose in the crash, tensions run high and a divide begins - will any of them make it off the island alive?! You will have to grab your own copy to find out!!
A huge thank you to Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this ARC!!
April 8, 2026
*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
Scott Reintgen's Devious Prey is a mashup of fantasy and thriller aimed at a Young Adult audience. There are two key players: Pearl Trask and Marken Burke. Pearl, along with her aunt, is a smuggler, while Marken is being sent to face judgment for a crime that will be explained deeper towards the end of the story. The story begins aboard an airship before transitioning to a deadly, magical-wilderness survival story on a mysterious, deserted island, bringing the fantasy genre we know and love to a fresh setting reminiscent of thrillers like Lost and Yellowjackets.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
Scott Reintgen's Devious Prey is a mashup of fantasy and thriller aimed at a Young Adult audience. There are two key players: Pearl Trask and Marken Burke. Pearl, along with her aunt, is a smuggler, while Marken is being sent to face judgment for a crime that will be explained deeper towards the end of the story. The story begins aboard an airship before transitioning to a deadly, magical-wilderness survival story on a mysterious, deserted island, bringing the fantasy genre we know and love to a fresh setting reminiscent of thrillers like Lost and Yellowjackets.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
February 28, 2026
There’s very little that Scott Reintgen writes that I don’t find thoroughly entertaining and engaging. His characters are richly developed and consistent, with backstories that help readers understand not only why they’re so easy to love, but also why they can be deeply flawed. The dragoness, in particular, was written in a way that made her both breathtakingly beautiful and genuinely terrifying. Reintgen also isn’t afraid to tug at the reader’s heartstrings when navigating moments of conflict and tragedy.
While there were a few predictable moments, there were just as many surprises that caught me off guard, culminating in an ending that kept me guessing until the very last pages.
Overall, I highly recommend this book—as well as any novel written by this author. Reintgen is an exceptional storyteller with a true gift for crafting compelling fantasy and science fiction. If you enjoy fast-paced action, strong character and plot development, and a touch of romance woven throughout, this is absolutely a book for you.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing an early digital copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.
While there were a few predictable moments, there were just as many surprises that caught me off guard, culminating in an ending that kept me guessing until the very last pages.
Overall, I highly recommend this book—as well as any novel written by this author. Reintgen is an exceptional storyteller with a true gift for crafting compelling fantasy and science fiction. If you enjoy fast-paced action, strong character and plot development, and a touch of romance woven throughout, this is absolutely a book for you.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing an early digital copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Thank you for the giveaway!
I literally devoured this book. I didn't think I would like it as much as I did, but before I even realized it was around midnight, and I was around halfway done.
I loved the dynamics in this book. I loved the fact that both Pearl and Marken have secrets. Normally, it's just one of the main characters who have a secret, and it tears them apart. Not in this book!!!!! They both were complex, beyond the surface characters. This book was a definite needed break from the slump I have been sucked into with all the books blending and becoming the same. I loved the twists and turns. It was learned early on that they had secrets, but the secrets they had, especially Pearl, were ones I did not see coming. This is a definite must-read, in my opinion.
I literally devoured this book. I didn't think I would like it as much as I did, but before I even realized it was around midnight, and I was around halfway done.
I loved the dynamics in this book. I loved the fact that both Pearl and Marken have secrets. Normally, it's just one of the main characters who have a secret, and it tears them apart. Not in this book!!!!! They both were complex, beyond the surface characters. This book was a definite needed break from the slump I have been sucked into with all the books blending and becoming the same. I loved the twists and turns. It was learned early on that they had secrets, but the secrets they had, especially Pearl, were ones I did not see coming. This is a definite must-read, in my opinion.
February 1, 2026
This is a wonderful YA fantasy novel with steampunk elements. It is an adventure tale with layers of magic and secrets. It also has a high body count. While it is not visceral, this story is not for the squeamish.
The strengths of this novel are three. First, the primary characters are well developed and Interesting. Second, the magical system is carefully constructed. Third, the plot moves forward in a compelling fashion without many side trips. I would recommend this novel for fans of fantasy, steampunk, and YA adventure.
I want to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel.
The strengths of this novel are three. First, the primary characters are well developed and Interesting. Second, the magical system is carefully constructed. Third, the plot moves forward in a compelling fashion without many side trips. I would recommend this novel for fans of fantasy, steampunk, and YA adventure.
I want to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel.
February 17, 2026
I LOVED this. The world is so fascinating, I want more information about it! The magic system is one I havent come across before, exactly. And the character development was well done and made me care about the two main character and want to know MORE about how they think. I sincerely hope we get another set in this world. 💜
February 8, 2026
Overall I liked this book. The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was the very quick 3rd POV from the dragoness. I feel brings it was only 2 pages of the entire book it could have been left out or expanded on more.
April 29, 2026
the concept was interesting, but i so did not jive with this book, which is so strange because i've loved reintgen's waxways and nyxia series. something about the writing style in this one really irked me, and i felt like things were being needlessly repeated (even on a sentence level of saying the same word a bunch of times) which interrupted the flow. i also somehow did not care about any of the characters at all?? the worldbuilding wasn't hitting either. idk, i just couldn't get immersed so everything felt either trope-y or added just for shock value.
April 1, 2026
Scott Reintgen is a go to author for me so I was super excited to get an ARC of Devious Prey. Part thriller and part fantasy with a steady pace and dual POV's, this will keep you engaged until the end. I switched between the audio and physical and while you can’t go wrong either way the narration by Michael Crouch and Kimberly Woods was really well done. It has an interesting magic system, and I loved that while there is magic, ordinary humans could affect outcomes for other characters so it didn't depend solely on the magic. The dragoness might be one of the most interesting interpretations of a dragon I've ever seen. Very complex in her abilities and powers and nothing like a normal dragon. Overall a fun and refreshing take on a thriller/fantasy combo that I'd recommend to anyone that likes either genre! Thank you to Simon Audio and Simon Teen for my gifted copies.
April 24, 2026
Review coming soon... hang tight!
just for the record, this book is so good
just for the record, this book is so good
March 31, 2026
I love Reintgen's cunning female characters
March 5, 2026
3.5 stars
This book was out of my comfort zone. I don’t tend to reach for a ton of fantasy books much less YA fantasy. I do have two almost 14 year old that may enjoy it in the future. There is a lot of violence and death, but not too terribly graphic.
A smuggle run gone as bad as it can get. Shipwreck, mutiny, a monster, and death, death, and more death. It’s like Lord of the flies magic version.
This book was out of my comfort zone. I don’t tend to reach for a ton of fantasy books much less YA fantasy. I do have two almost 14 year old that may enjoy it in the future. There is a lot of violence and death, but not too terribly graphic.
A smuggle run gone as bad as it can get. Shipwreck, mutiny, a monster, and death, death, and more death. It’s like Lord of the flies magic version.
May 14, 2026
Thank you to Simon Teen for the eARC and completed book! All thoughts are my own.
This book was so full of action and adventure as the crew and passengers of an airship try to survive a dragon that was smuggled aboard and become free upon the crash. A powerful mage is also on board and could be able to help with the pesky dragon problem, but is a prisoner. Just an overall fantastic fast-paced fantasy YA thrill-ride of a story.
This book was so full of action and adventure as the crew and passengers of an airship try to survive a dragon that was smuggled aboard and become free upon the crash. A powerful mage is also on board and could be able to help with the pesky dragon problem, but is a prisoner. Just an overall fantastic fast-paced fantasy YA thrill-ride of a story.
January 28, 2026
3.5 ⭐️!
This was my first Scott Reintgen book and it definitely won’t be my last! I loved the darker elements of this story and it really felt eerie with the dragoness causing chaos among the survivors of the crash. This book reminded me of Lord of the Flies combined with the tv show Lost. The book was slow paced but the ending was filled with twists and turns! I also really enjoyed the writing style. I do feel like the main characters were a little boring to me though.
Thank you so much to Simon Teen for an advanced copy! Devious Prey releases on March 31!
This was my first Scott Reintgen book and it definitely won’t be my last! I loved the darker elements of this story and it really felt eerie with the dragoness causing chaos among the survivors of the crash. This book reminded me of Lord of the Flies combined with the tv show Lost. The book was slow paced but the ending was filled with twists and turns! I also really enjoyed the writing style. I do feel like the main characters were a little boring to me though.
Thank you so much to Simon Teen for an advanced copy! Devious Prey releases on March 31!
December 4, 2025
4.5/5 stars
Recommended if you like: magic, survival stories, dragons, dual POV
Big thanks to Margaret K. McElderry Books, Netgalley, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This book was a nice, quick read, but it's also an uncomplicated read. I was a bit influenced by the Waxways trilogy while reading this and definitely wanted a more ruthless, scheming main character. Obviously this book is not those books, but I did come in with the Waxways series in mind and all the deviousness those characters carry, and I was expecting something similar. While the characters are hiding things, sometimes quite big things, I couldn't help but feel as though the leadup to those secrets wasn't that major. By the time they're revealed, I was kind of just like 'okay' and moved on. (also, frankly, Marken's secret isn't really a secret, we're literally told what happens in the first 10 chapters and then he acts like that account was wrong)
Another issue I have is that it didn't really feel like the characters had any particular agency. I mean, Pearl steps in when the windmaster starts dying, but a ship's crash is obviously outside of anyone's control. Then they're on the island and other people make the decision to mutiny and other people decide how to spend the group's energy, and things just sort of happen. The dragoness hunts them, but I never really felt any danger even though she does very much kill a bunch of the group. The warden and Levi are out for blood, which actually did seem like it had more conflict potential, but that problem sort of gets solved. Everything was just so neat and generally seemed likely to occur regardless of whether Pearl and/or Marken did anything for it to happen.
That being said, I'm always a sucker for survival stories, and I did enjoy the early tension between the various factions of survivors. At the start there were three main groups: the warden and guards, the crewmembers, and the passengers. There's an obvious side we're meant to root for, and surprisingly few passengers want to pick the other side. Likewise, there's a tension between desires at the beginning as well, between the people who want to stay on the beach and see if they're discovered quickly, and the people who want to explore the island and see what they have to work with for survival and escape. This phase lasts a surprisingly short time, and I do wish we'd gotten a little more out of it before things came to a head between the crewmembers and warden.
The dragoness poses new challenges to the group, aside from the troubles of surviving on a random island. Reintgen takes an interesting approach to dragons in this book and I was quite intrigued. I wish we got more of a chance to really explore the creatures more, though since Pearl is the only 'expert' I do get why we don't. Considering the dragon is determined to murder all humans, I was expecting her to be a bigger threat, and she did pick off the survivors, but I didn't really feel the threat. The dragoness ended up feeling somewhat like a caricature villain and for a creature that is supposedly extremely intelligent and adaptable, I was expecting something more difficult to overcome.
I liked both Pearl and Marken and they both brought different things to the table. Pearl is pretty grounded and is knowledgeable about a number of different subjects. She's good in a crisis and is able to generalize her knowledge to a range of different circumstances, as we can see when she tries to save the windmaster and in her conversations with Marken re: magic.
Marken is someone vastle knowledgeable about magic but less familiar with things like socialization. He has a good sense of humor though and while he puts on somewhat of an arrogant front, it's clear fairly quickly that Marken has a good head on his shoulders and doesn't mind taking the backseat when needed.
Recommended if you like: magic, survival stories, dragons, dual POV
Big thanks to Margaret K. McElderry Books, Netgalley, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This book was a nice, quick read, but it's also an uncomplicated read. I was a bit influenced by the Waxways trilogy while reading this and definitely wanted a more ruthless, scheming main character. Obviously this book is not those books, but I did come in with the Waxways series in mind and all the deviousness those characters carry, and I was expecting something similar. While the characters are hiding things, sometimes quite big things, I couldn't help but feel as though the leadup to those secrets wasn't that major. By the time they're revealed, I was kind of just like 'okay' and moved on. (also, frankly, Marken's secret isn't really a secret, we're literally told what happens in the first 10 chapters and then he acts like that account was wrong)
Another issue I have is that it didn't really feel like the characters had any particular agency. I mean, Pearl steps in when the windmaster starts dying, but a ship's crash is obviously outside of anyone's control. Then they're on the island and other people make the decision to mutiny and other people decide how to spend the group's energy, and things just sort of happen. The dragoness hunts them, but I never really felt any danger even though she does very much kill a bunch of the group. The warden and Levi are out for blood, which actually did seem like it had more conflict potential, but that problem sort of gets solved. Everything was just so neat and generally seemed likely to occur regardless of whether Pearl and/or Marken did anything for it to happen.
That being said, I'm always a sucker for survival stories, and I did enjoy the early tension between the various factions of survivors. At the start there were three main groups: the warden and guards, the crewmembers, and the passengers. There's an obvious side we're meant to root for, and surprisingly few passengers want to pick the other side. Likewise, there's a tension between desires at the beginning as well, between the people who want to stay on the beach and see if they're discovered quickly, and the people who want to explore the island and see what they have to work with for survival and escape. This phase lasts a surprisingly short time, and I do wish we'd gotten a little more out of it before things came to a head between the crewmembers and warden.
The dragoness poses new challenges to the group, aside from the troubles of surviving on a random island. Reintgen takes an interesting approach to dragons in this book and I was quite intrigued. I wish we got more of a chance to really explore the creatures more, though since Pearl is the only 'expert' I do get why we don't. Considering the dragon is determined to murder all humans, I was expecting her to be a bigger threat, and she did pick off the survivors, but I didn't really feel the threat. The dragoness ended up feeling somewhat like a caricature villain and for a creature that is supposedly extremely intelligent and adaptable, I was expecting something more difficult to overcome.
I liked both Pearl and Marken and they both brought different things to the table. Pearl is pretty grounded and is knowledgeable about a number of different subjects. She's good in a crisis and is able to generalize her knowledge to a range of different circumstances, as we can see when she tries to save the windmaster and in her conversations with Marken re: magic.
Marken is someone vastle knowledgeable about magic but less familiar with things like socialization. He has a good sense of humor though and while he puts on somewhat of an arrogant front, it's clear fairly quickly that Marken has a good head on his shoulders and doesn't mind taking the backseat when needed.
April 1, 2026
⭐ 4 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Margaret K. McElderry Books for the ARC.
📝 Short Summary
When an airship crashes on a deserted island, the survivors quickly realize the wreck was only the beginning of their problems. A dragoness has escaped, danger is everywhere, and the people who might be their best chance of survival are also carrying some very risky secrets.
Review
This book pulled me in so much faster than I expected, and I mean that in the best way. From the beginning, it wastes no time getting things moving, and I was locked in almost immediately. The opening had that strong, fast, adventurous energy that makes you want to keep reading just to see what kind of mess these characters are about to get thrown into next. And trust me, it is a mess.
What really worked for me here was how quickly the story got its claws in. The setup is already wild with the airship, the crash, the island, the dragoness on the loose, and a group of survivors trying not to become dinner, but it never felt gimmicky to me. It felt fun, tense, and very readable. This had that kind of pacing where even when a lot is happening, you still want more.
I really enjoyed Pearl and Marken the most. They were the characters I connected with, and they gave the story its emotional center for me. I liked their personalities, their presence on the page, and the way they helped carry the tension and momentum of the story. They stood out in a very crowded cast, which says a lot because there are definitely a lot of characters in this book. That was probably one of my only real issues with it. There were so many people involved that I honestly did not remember most of them. Some of the characters blended together for me, especially once the danger really kicked up and the story kept moving. So while I was enjoying the ride, I was not equally invested in every single person.
Still, the overall reading experience was strong. I had a really good time with this one. The adventure element was probably my favorite part because it kept everything feeling active and exciting. There is danger, movement, secrets, survival, and that constant sense that things could go wrong at any second. It gave the story a lot of energy, and that made it very easy to stay engaged.
I also liked that this felt accessible without feeling flat. Sometimes with fast paced fantasy, the worldbuilding or character work can get sacrificed just to keep the action going, but this one still managed to build interest and make me care, especially about the main players. It had enough going on emotionally and plot wise to keep me invested, while still giving me the kind of adventure I wanted.
Overall, I thought this was a great read. It was exciting, fast, and entertaining, and I was honestly impressed by how quickly it pulled me in. If you like YA fantasy with survival elements, dangerous creatures, secrets, and a strong sense of adventure, this one is definitely worth picking up.
✅ Would I Recommend It?
Yes, absolutely. I would recommend this to readers who want a fast paced YA fantasy adventure with danger, secrets, and a very cool survival setup. Just know going in that the cast is pretty big, so you may not latch onto everyone equally.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Margaret K. McElderry Books for the ARC.
📝 Short Summary
When an airship crashes on a deserted island, the survivors quickly realize the wreck was only the beginning of their problems. A dragoness has escaped, danger is everywhere, and the people who might be their best chance of survival are also carrying some very risky secrets.
Review
This book pulled me in so much faster than I expected, and I mean that in the best way. From the beginning, it wastes no time getting things moving, and I was locked in almost immediately. The opening had that strong, fast, adventurous energy that makes you want to keep reading just to see what kind of mess these characters are about to get thrown into next. And trust me, it is a mess.
What really worked for me here was how quickly the story got its claws in. The setup is already wild with the airship, the crash, the island, the dragoness on the loose, and a group of survivors trying not to become dinner, but it never felt gimmicky to me. It felt fun, tense, and very readable. This had that kind of pacing where even when a lot is happening, you still want more.
I really enjoyed Pearl and Marken the most. They were the characters I connected with, and they gave the story its emotional center for me. I liked their personalities, their presence on the page, and the way they helped carry the tension and momentum of the story. They stood out in a very crowded cast, which says a lot because there are definitely a lot of characters in this book. That was probably one of my only real issues with it. There were so many people involved that I honestly did not remember most of them. Some of the characters blended together for me, especially once the danger really kicked up and the story kept moving. So while I was enjoying the ride, I was not equally invested in every single person.
Still, the overall reading experience was strong. I had a really good time with this one. The adventure element was probably my favorite part because it kept everything feeling active and exciting. There is danger, movement, secrets, survival, and that constant sense that things could go wrong at any second. It gave the story a lot of energy, and that made it very easy to stay engaged.
I also liked that this felt accessible without feeling flat. Sometimes with fast paced fantasy, the worldbuilding or character work can get sacrificed just to keep the action going, but this one still managed to build interest and make me care, especially about the main players. It had enough going on emotionally and plot wise to keep me invested, while still giving me the kind of adventure I wanted.
Overall, I thought this was a great read. It was exciting, fast, and entertaining, and I was honestly impressed by how quickly it pulled me in. If you like YA fantasy with survival elements, dangerous creatures, secrets, and a strong sense of adventure, this one is definitely worth picking up.
✅ Would I Recommend It?
Yes, absolutely. I would recommend this to readers who want a fast paced YA fantasy adventure with danger, secrets, and a very cool survival setup. Just know going in that the cast is pretty big, so you may not latch onto everyone equally.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thanks to the Simon Teen and Margaret K. McElderry Books for this Physical ARC
I rarely read fantasy. A lot of it has started to feel the same to me, extremely young but brave (read: reckless) protagonists, overly sexualized writing, less story and more filler, and endless series that never seem to end. I’m also not a big fan of dragon, they’re often used as a flashy tool to make the protagonist look cooler. So naturally, I was a bit reluctant to pick this one up. It’s also my first book by Scott Reintgen, so I didn't know what to expect.
The story begins with what seems like a normal group of passengers traveling on an airship. But when the ship’s windmaster dies mysteriously, mid-flight. The airship crash-lands on a mysterious island, and the survivors are suddenly in full survival mode. But that’s not the only problem, dragoness that had been hidden in the cargo hold escapes during the crash, and now she’s free.
Pearl, who helped smuggle the dragoness aboard, carries a heavy sense of guilt. She’s an interesting protagonist: clear-headed, resourceful, and surprisingly level-headed in the middle of chaos. Then there’s Marken, a chained wizard with a dangerous reputation and snarky attitude. Their partnership begins out of necessity, but as the story unfolds, both slowly reveal pieces of their secrets. Their dynamic was one of the best parts of the book. It never felt forced or overdone, the author doesn’t rely on excessive dialogue or dramatic moments to make readers believe in their connection. Instead, their actions and character development make it easy to root for them.
The concept of the dragoness was unlike anything I've read before. She isn’t just flying around breathing fire. She is intelligent, calculating, and terrifyingly patient. She observes her prey, studies them, and strikes when they least expect it. At times, she’s even willing to speak with them. She truly feels like a predator, and her presence adds a constant layer of suspense throughout the story.
The worldbuilding is fantastic. The magic system in particular stood out to me, it feels unique and grounded, with real consequences. Every spell carries weight, and magic isn’t treated like an endless resource. What I appreciated even more is that while magic plays an important role, the story doesn’t revolve entirely around it. Ordinary people also have meaningful roles to play in the fight for survival.
The pacing is fast and engaging without being overwhelming. There’s always something happening: survival attempts, power struggles among the survivors, shifting alliances, hidden agendas, and the looming threat of the dragoness. Yet the story still takes time to explore the emotional weight the characters carry, making their fight to survive feel personal and meaningful. The characters are well-developed and easy to connect with.
Overall, this was an exciting fantasy with a unique world and deeply human characters you can’t help but root for. Even as someone who rarely picks up fantasy, I genuinely enjoyed it. It is my first 5-star read of the year.
I rarely read fantasy. A lot of it has started to feel the same to me, extremely young but brave (read: reckless) protagonists, overly sexualized writing, less story and more filler, and endless series that never seem to end. I’m also not a big fan of dragon, they’re often used as a flashy tool to make the protagonist look cooler. So naturally, I was a bit reluctant to pick this one up. It’s also my first book by Scott Reintgen, so I didn't know what to expect.
The story begins with what seems like a normal group of passengers traveling on an airship. But when the ship’s windmaster dies mysteriously, mid-flight. The airship crash-lands on a mysterious island, and the survivors are suddenly in full survival mode. But that’s not the only problem, dragoness that had been hidden in the cargo hold escapes during the crash, and now she’s free.
Pearl, who helped smuggle the dragoness aboard, carries a heavy sense of guilt. She’s an interesting protagonist: clear-headed, resourceful, and surprisingly level-headed in the middle of chaos. Then there’s Marken, a chained wizard with a dangerous reputation and snarky attitude. Their partnership begins out of necessity, but as the story unfolds, both slowly reveal pieces of their secrets. Their dynamic was one of the best parts of the book. It never felt forced or overdone, the author doesn’t rely on excessive dialogue or dramatic moments to make readers believe in their connection. Instead, their actions and character development make it easy to root for them.
The concept of the dragoness was unlike anything I've read before. She isn’t just flying around breathing fire. She is intelligent, calculating, and terrifyingly patient. She observes her prey, studies them, and strikes when they least expect it. At times, she’s even willing to speak with them. She truly feels like a predator, and her presence adds a constant layer of suspense throughout the story.
The worldbuilding is fantastic. The magic system in particular stood out to me, it feels unique and grounded, with real consequences. Every spell carries weight, and magic isn’t treated like an endless resource. What I appreciated even more is that while magic plays an important role, the story doesn’t revolve entirely around it. Ordinary people also have meaningful roles to play in the fight for survival.
The pacing is fast and engaging without being overwhelming. There’s always something happening: survival attempts, power struggles among the survivors, shifting alliances, hidden agendas, and the looming threat of the dragoness. Yet the story still takes time to explore the emotional weight the characters carry, making their fight to survive feel personal and meaningful. The characters are well-developed and easy to connect with.
Overall, this was an exciting fantasy with a unique world and deeply human characters you can’t help but root for. Even as someone who rarely picks up fantasy, I genuinely enjoyed it. It is my first 5-star read of the year.
Review of advance copy
The premise of Devious Prey was interesting, and laid the groundwork for some juicy drama amongst the survivors of the airship crash. Reintgen handles a large ensemble very well, making the various characters distinct and memorable so that each death appreciably impacts the dynamic. The romance subplot within all this drama, though, falls incredibly flat, because Pearl and Marken have zero chemistry together. Switching between their POV chapters did the romance more of a disservice than the actual plot, I think.
The magic system in Devious Prey is unlike anything I've read so far and really fascinating! It is explained to a satisfactory extent and makes the world feel bigger than the extremely limited setting in which the story takes place. The dragoness herself has a really unique set of powers, completely different from your stereotypical dragon, and I liked her a lot as a villain. I really hated, though, the two short dragoness POV chapters near the start of the book. They are, for lack of a better word, cringe. They add nothing to the story, and the fact that there are no more dragoness POV chapters later on in her hunt makes them stick out as even more unnecessary. Had they continued on, they could have been extremely useful for building suspense! I don't understand the choice to abandon them at all. Either stick with them or don't include them.
I wish that the villains would have been utilized more. More dragoness encounters would have been cool, but the secondary villain, the warden, was especially a let-down. Instead of being truly menacing or scary, he mostly whined and acted completely oblivious to everything around him. It's a huge bummer, because he could have been an incredible threat had he figured out Pearl's secret(s) and tried to leverage them for power.
The ending of the story felt anticlimactic for me. The survivors largely never discover that Pearl smuggled the dragoness, and her real secret doesn't result in any major danger or confrontation by the ending. And that real secret, her true secret, was just so... ugh. I audibly groaned at the reveal, and how it immediately made her character far less interesting to me. I will admit that the longer I sat with the book, the more I appreciated how well done the foreshadowing of that reveal was. But even if I liked the execution of it, I still think the idea itself was lame.
I thought Devious Prey was just okay. Clearly there were many things I liked about it, and many things I didn't. Teen readers, the target audience, will probably enjoy it more than I. Thank you to McElderry Books and Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for supplying my previous employer with this ARC!
The magic system in Devious Prey is unlike anything I've read so far and really fascinating! It is explained to a satisfactory extent and makes the world feel bigger than the extremely limited setting in which the story takes place. The dragoness herself has a really unique set of powers, completely different from your stereotypical dragon, and I liked her a lot as a villain. I really hated, though, the two short dragoness POV chapters near the start of the book. They are, for lack of a better word, cringe. They add nothing to the story, and the fact that there are no more dragoness POV chapters later on in her hunt makes them stick out as even more unnecessary. Had they continued on, they could have been extremely useful for building suspense! I don't understand the choice to abandon them at all. Either stick with them or don't include them.
I wish that the villains would have been utilized more. More dragoness encounters would have been cool, but the secondary villain, the warden, was especially a let-down. Instead of being truly menacing or scary, he mostly whined and acted completely oblivious to everything around him. It's a huge bummer, because he could have been an incredible threat had he figured out Pearl's secret(s) and tried to leverage them for power.
The ending of the story felt anticlimactic for me. The survivors largely never discover that Pearl smuggled the dragoness, and her real secret doesn't result in any major danger or confrontation by the ending. And that real secret, her true secret, was just so... ugh. I audibly groaned at the reveal, and how it immediately made her character far less interesting to me. I will admit that the longer I sat with the book, the more I appreciated how well done the foreshadowing of that reveal was. But even if I liked the execution of it, I still think the idea itself was lame.
I thought Devious Prey was just okay. Clearly there were many things I liked about it, and many things I didn't. Teen readers, the target audience, will probably enjoy it more than I. Thank you to McElderry Books and Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for supplying my previous employer with this ARC!
April 22, 2026
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
As with Reintgen's previous works, this is a YA that skews to the younger teen audience rather than older. We have teens in peril, a survival story, authority figures that are untrustworthy, and an entity that is foreign but could pretty much be a random American from how it talks. With this novel, I found I really disliked both main characters and didn't want to read their story. This is probably the strength and weakness of Reintgen's work: his characters are very flawed and you either appreciate the flaws or just find them stupid and annoying.Story: Teen Pearl has stealthily smuggled an illegal item on an airship: A very dangerous dragoness. Marken is a prisoner on the ship, framed for a crime he did not commit. Pearl has a secret magic and Marken is a sorcerer scorned for his magic. When the ship crashes on a deserted island, freeing the dangerous dragoness in the process, Pearl and Marken will have to learn to trust each other if they want to survive the malevolent intelligent dragoness.
I had the same problems here as I did with his Nyxia series - the dragoness doesn't come across as a foreign creature and instead just sounds like a person. Similarly, Pearl and Marken come off as unpleasant and selfish. Not really characters I want to root for and honestly at times I wished the dragon would just eat them.
There is a solid reason the dragoness does what she does but it speaks of an intelligence on par with the humans. Supposedly she evolves on the island but it is strange that so few people know much about dragons considering they are hardly a new species and the possibilities that would occur. She was pretty much an intelligent velociraptor and I kind of wished more for the dinosaur than a dragon. I've read enough anthropomorphic dragons now.
The entire plot is on the island and it was just a matter of watching people get picked off (typically through stupidity) or the usual betrayals. There are some good moments in the survival but I didn't care enough about any of the characters to care, if I am to be honest.
So while this is a decent read, it does skew to a younger audience, even with the violence and gore. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
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