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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 books1,667 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 124 reviews
April 20, 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
༊*·˚ 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
༊*·˚ 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.
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.
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 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 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...
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.
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.
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!
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
When Pearl and her aunt Hath set out on their latest smuggling run, they never expected to find themselves stranded on a deserted island with an unusual group of survivors: their fellow airship passengers, the ship's remaining crew, and a platoon of guards transporting an infamous wizard named Marken as their prisoner. Just finding resources and waiting for rescue feels like enough of a challenge, but when the mysterious cargo Pearl and her aunt were smuggling escapes, it also starts hunting, and the weary survivors now find themselves the prey. As they search for any way to get back home, their only hope may lie with the wizard and his magic. Which is more dangerous, a wizard with a deadly reputation or a mythical beast set on destroying them all?
I've read almost everything Reintgen has published, and I've enjoyed each one. With each of his other works, each time he creates a world for his story, it is unique. Each storyline he has brought to life has its own magical system and social terms that are used by those characters, and this is no exception. The way these characters are connected to their magic and the interactions they have with their environment as a whole as magicians is special, but so is this specific guild system as it guides the social conventions of the use of magic in this world. This is written with dual narrators, which aids in discovering the motivations and following the action from multiple perspectives.
This story has plenty of action and keeps the plot moving along, but there are quite a few side characters to keep track of, many of which tended to blend together as the story progresses. I would have liked a little more emotional depth to the character responses in a few particular scenes that deal with a character's death or betrayal, and there were a couple of sections that seemed a little rushed and needed a few more lines of explanation of actions etc. to add more clarity, but overall this fast-paced narrative makes for a enjoyable read and one that can appeal to a variety of readers.
Recommended for fans of dragons, magic, and a good adventure story. As an added benefit, this looks like it will be a standalone novel, so a great intro to Reintgen's work without committing to a full series.
I received a DRC from the publisher via Edelweiss.
S-L, V-H, L-L
I've read almost everything Reintgen has published, and I've enjoyed each one. With each of his other works, each time he creates a world for his story, it is unique. Each storyline he has brought to life has its own magical system and social terms that are used by those characters, and this is no exception. The way these characters are connected to their magic and the interactions they have with their environment as a whole as magicians is special, but so is this specific guild system as it guides the social conventions of the use of magic in this world. This is written with dual narrators, which aids in discovering the motivations and following the action from multiple perspectives.
This story has plenty of action and keeps the plot moving along, but there are quite a few side characters to keep track of, many of which tended to blend together as the story progresses. I would have liked a little more emotional depth to the character responses in a few particular scenes that deal with a character's death or betrayal, and there were a couple of sections that seemed a little rushed and needed a few more lines of explanation of actions etc. to add more clarity, but overall this fast-paced narrative makes for a enjoyable read and one that can appeal to a variety of readers.
Recommended for fans of dragons, magic, and a good adventure story. As an added benefit, this looks like it will be a standalone novel, so a great intro to Reintgen's work without committing to a full series.
I received a DRC from the publisher via Edelweiss.
S-L, V-H, L-L
March 18, 2026
I really teetered between two and three stars for the majority of Devious Prey. While entertaining, with a fast-paced plot that never slows down, but in a good way, there were quite a few things that held me back from really enjoying the story.
If you’ve taken a gander at pretty much any of my other reviews, you’ll know that I’m a sucker for world-building, and unfortunately, this was a story that left me with far more questions than answers. There were bits and pieces about this complex political system that saw Marken as a traitor, the horrible stuff with the Wardens, and the ruling body relying on magic while constantly looking down on it. I’m not saying that I needed to know everything because, being trapped on an island the way we were, it wouldn’t have made sense to know everything. However, I don’t think I ever really understood why some of the stuff mattered. This led to quite a few moments where, after reading something, I would wonder why I should care about it. I just didn’t have enough to go on. Why did it matter that the dragoness was being smuggled? Why were they smuggling it in the first place? Were they not already being used, so unless it's going somewhere it wasn’t supposed to go, who cares? There were more, but those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. Again, does it really matter in the long run? No, probably not, but for the plot point that causes 99% of the book’s trouble, I was hoping for a bit more.
The characters were fine. I found Pearl a bit odd; it felt like she had a drastic shift in personality about halfway through, when a specific thing happened, which I suppose kind of makes sense, but it really felt like she turned into a whole different person, which did not make sense. Marken was Marken. Honestly, for being our two POV characters, I really don’t know much about them. We only learn about Marken’s past in one of the very last chapters, and one of Pearl’s secrets comes to light not long before that, so it’s really hard to make connections with characters when you know next to nothing about them.
On a more positive note, despite the significant number of characters, Reintgen did a great job of keeping them all distinct. Not once did I get confused about who was who, as each character stood on their own. I also really enjoyed the constant underlying fear of when the dragoness would show up next. That fear really pervaded the story, and I was on the edge of my seat waiting for her to come out of nowhere. It really gave the story urgency and kept the pace moving. The magic was interesting, but, like the world-building, I wish there had been more to answer some lingering questions.
Truly, up until the ending, I think I was leaning more towards three stars. The story was enjoyable and quick enough that I breezed through it. The ending, though. It really wasn’t that bad. Honest. But there was something that just didn’t jive right with me. It wasn't that it felt abrupt or anything like that, but there was a significant lack of consequences and accountability that kind of bothered me. It was extremely open-ended, which I am not opposed to, but it didn’t feel quite right for the circumstances. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a second book coming, but that didn’t seem to be the direction it was taking. I don’t know. I guess I don’t really know what I’m trying to say beyond that I wasn’t a super big fan of the ending.
Overall, Devious Prey was an entertaining read. It kind of gave off Lord of the Flies vibes, so if that’s something you’re looking for, this would be a good pick.
I received an advanced copy of Devious Prey from NetGalley and the publisher and am leaving this review voluntarily.
If you’ve taken a gander at pretty much any of my other reviews, you’ll know that I’m a sucker for world-building, and unfortunately, this was a story that left me with far more questions than answers. There were bits and pieces about this complex political system that saw Marken as a traitor, the horrible stuff with the Wardens, and the ruling body relying on magic while constantly looking down on it. I’m not saying that I needed to know everything because, being trapped on an island the way we were, it wouldn’t have made sense to know everything. However, I don’t think I ever really understood why some of the stuff mattered. This led to quite a few moments where, after reading something, I would wonder why I should care about it. I just didn’t have enough to go on. Why did it matter that the dragoness was being smuggled? Why were they smuggling it in the first place? Were they not already being used, so unless it's going somewhere it wasn’t supposed to go, who cares? There were more, but those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. Again, does it really matter in the long run? No, probably not, but for the plot point that causes 99% of the book’s trouble, I was hoping for a bit more.
The characters were fine. I found Pearl a bit odd; it felt like she had a drastic shift in personality about halfway through, when a specific thing happened, which I suppose kind of makes sense, but it really felt like she turned into a whole different person, which did not make sense. Marken was Marken. Honestly, for being our two POV characters, I really don’t know much about them. We only learn about Marken’s past in one of the very last chapters, and one of Pearl’s secrets comes to light not long before that, so it’s really hard to make connections with characters when you know next to nothing about them.
On a more positive note, despite the significant number of characters, Reintgen did a great job of keeping them all distinct. Not once did I get confused about who was who, as each character stood on their own. I also really enjoyed the constant underlying fear of when the dragoness would show up next. That fear really pervaded the story, and I was on the edge of my seat waiting for her to come out of nowhere. It really gave the story urgency and kept the pace moving. The magic was interesting, but, like the world-building, I wish there had been more to answer some lingering questions.
Truly, up until the ending, I think I was leaning more towards three stars. The story was enjoyable and quick enough that I breezed through it. The ending, though. It really wasn’t that bad. Honest. But there was something that just didn’t jive right with me. It wasn't that it felt abrupt or anything like that, but there was a significant lack of consequences and accountability that kind of bothered me. It was extremely open-ended, which I am not opposed to, but it didn’t feel quite right for the circumstances. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a second book coming, but that didn’t seem to be the direction it was taking. I don’t know. I guess I don’t really know what I’m trying to say beyond that I wasn’t a super big fan of the ending.
Overall, Devious Prey was an entertaining read. It kind of gave off Lord of the Flies vibes, so if that’s something you’re looking for, this would be a good pick.
I received an advanced copy of Devious Prey from NetGalley and the publisher and am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 5, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I love the way this author writes. It was such a unique and compelling writing style. I was hooked right away. Something about it was so refreshing. It jumped right into the story with barely any introduction, but it worked so well because the author was such a good writer.
The magic system was also very unique and I thought it was so cool! I would love to explore more of this world, even with different characters.
This could be a movie or a tv show. I could picture everything vividly!
Not so much the plotline, but the vibes of the beginning of the book reminded me of “Treasure Planet”which I really enjoyed because I love that movie.
It was dual POV and I thought they were both good characters. They felt very human. Pearl wasn’t as fleshed out as Marken, but I didn’t dislike her by any means. I was more invested in Marken because he was fascinating to me. I loved how funny and self assured he was, but he also was complex in a way too.
This book was filled with unreliable narrators and untrustworthy people, which I love that in a novel. It makes it so much more fun to read and keeps you guessing. You can’t help but like the characters though, which makes it that much better. Even Kell, who wasn’t so much of a big scary bad guy, had a big presence in the book and I couldn’t help but be wary and scared of him. He was interesting to read about even though you weren’t supposed to like him.
Something happened that I should have guessed and I was so close to having a thought about it, but it was in such the wrong direction. It was a super cool moment.
I thought it wrapped up a little too cleanly, but also there wasn’t really another way it could go. I personally feel like the journey of getting there and all the back and forth of what was going to happen was the main point, so I wasn’t too mad at the ending. I could have used a little more to the romance as well, but again, that wasn’t the main point of the book, so I can forgive it for being a little flat. I still rooted for them to get together.
It kind of had an open ending, but I was satisfied enough that if there aren’t any more books I am okay. I would love to see more characters in this world though like I mentioned, because I think there is so much more to explore!
I love the way this author writes. It was such a unique and compelling writing style. I was hooked right away. Something about it was so refreshing. It jumped right into the story with barely any introduction, but it worked so well because the author was such a good writer.
The magic system was also very unique and I thought it was so cool! I would love to explore more of this world, even with different characters.
This could be a movie or a tv show. I could picture everything vividly!
Not so much the plotline, but the vibes of the beginning of the book reminded me of “Treasure Planet”which I really enjoyed because I love that movie.
It was dual POV and I thought they were both good characters. They felt very human. Pearl wasn’t as fleshed out as Marken, but I didn’t dislike her by any means. I was more invested in Marken because he was fascinating to me. I loved how funny and self assured he was, but he also was complex in a way too.
This book was filled with unreliable narrators and untrustworthy people, which I love that in a novel. It makes it so much more fun to read and keeps you guessing. You can’t help but like the characters though, which makes it that much better. Even Kell, who wasn’t so much of a big scary bad guy, had a big presence in the book and I couldn’t help but be wary and scared of him. He was interesting to read about even though you weren’t supposed to like him.
Something happened that I should have guessed and I was so close to having a thought about it, but it was in such the wrong direction. It was a super cool moment.
I thought it wrapped up a little too cleanly, but also there wasn’t really another way it could go. I personally feel like the journey of getting there and all the back and forth of what was going to happen was the main point, so I wasn’t too mad at the ending. I could have used a little more to the romance as well, but again, that wasn’t the main point of the book, so I can forgive it for being a little flat. I still rooted for them to get together.
It kind of had an open ending, but I was satisfied enough that if there aren’t any more books I am okay. I would love to see more characters in this world though like I mentioned, because I think there is so much more to explore!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
3.5
Devious Prey starts off with our two main characters boarding the same ship- Pearl, a smuggler hiding a dragoness aboard and Marken, a captured wizard accused of committing murder. As the windmaster of their ship assigned with protecting its passengers is found dead, everything descends into chaos. The airship soon crashes into an abandoned island. The remaining survivors start planning their escape from the island, only they find themselves facing an even bigger challenge when they discover the dragoness escaped her cage and is now hunting them down. Both hiding secrets of their own, Pearl and Marken have to survive and get home, no matter what.
The most interesting part of this story to me was the magic system, especially regarding the dragoness. She’s not presented as a simple creature, but rather given this air of mystery as you start to realize she can communicate with the humans and change forms. I do wish we were given her backstory, but regardless, she was written well. I also enjoyed the rest of the magic system too. At first, it seemed as though it was the same concept added to most modern fantasy books, but it turned out to be unique in a refreshing way. What was most appreciated by me was the explanation of the world. We were given enough information to understand the plot and characters, but not an amount that was disorienting and irrelevant. I also liked that the romance wasn’t rushed or focused on over the development of the protagonists. (Slow burn always hits different).
One of the things I couldn’t connect to were the other characters. They were given depth, but didn’t come to life the way I had hoped. I also felt as though some of the turning plot points were almost anticlimactic. They were set up in an exciting way, but when the characters were actually faced with dangerous encounters, they were barely touched upon, leaving me little bored. On top of that, I was also expecting more from the actual island itself. I thought our characters would be facing danger left and right, but the only real threats were the dragoness and themselves. Despite that, this was still a quick read, and kept me engaged.
Thank you to Simon Teen for the review copy!
Devious Prey starts off with our two main characters boarding the same ship- Pearl, a smuggler hiding a dragoness aboard and Marken, a captured wizard accused of committing murder. As the windmaster of their ship assigned with protecting its passengers is found dead, everything descends into chaos. The airship soon crashes into an abandoned island. The remaining survivors start planning their escape from the island, only they find themselves facing an even bigger challenge when they discover the dragoness escaped her cage and is now hunting them down. Both hiding secrets of their own, Pearl and Marken have to survive and get home, no matter what.
The most interesting part of this story to me was the magic system, especially regarding the dragoness. She’s not presented as a simple creature, but rather given this air of mystery as you start to realize she can communicate with the humans and change forms. I do wish we were given her backstory, but regardless, she was written well. I also enjoyed the rest of the magic system too. At first, it seemed as though it was the same concept added to most modern fantasy books, but it turned out to be unique in a refreshing way. What was most appreciated by me was the explanation of the world. We were given enough information to understand the plot and characters, but not an amount that was disorienting and irrelevant. I also liked that the romance wasn’t rushed or focused on over the development of the protagonists. (Slow burn always hits different).
One of the things I couldn’t connect to were the other characters. They were given depth, but didn’t come to life the way I had hoped. I also felt as though some of the turning plot points were almost anticlimactic. They were set up in an exciting way, but when the characters were actually faced with dangerous encounters, they were barely touched upon, leaving me little bored. On top of that, I was also expecting more from the actual island itself. I thought our characters would be facing danger left and right, but the only real threats were the dragoness and themselves. Despite that, this was still a quick read, and kept me engaged.
Thank you to Simon Teen for the review copy!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ebook in exchange for an honest review!
4.5/5 stars, rounded up to 5
When I saw that Scott Reintgen had a new YA book coming out, I knew I wanted to read it. I enjoyed his Nyxia series, as well as his Door in the Dark series, so I was excited to see what else he would come up with. I was not disappointed!
The concept of the story was quite simple, and the big twist, I guessed the very first time . But that doesn’t mean that I wasn’t drawn in by the adventure or the worldbuilding.
One of the things I love about fantasy is that there are so many different ways to interpret tropes or archetypes. Sure, dragons may be in a large percentage of fantasy media, but each author (generally) puts their own spin on them. I adored this interpretation. The way the dragoness shifts her shape to different materials at will was awesome, and I liked the way female dragons decided to “purpose” themselves to a single cause. It was a unique take on a classic idea.
I also liked how magic was handled. I believe that magic should have a cost in fiction to make the stakes seem higher, and this was a really cool way to enforce that. Having each spell cost living things to power it, and each wizard tethering themselves to a specific group of things? The fact that when all the living things were gone, the wizard was just out of magic forever? So. Freaking. Cool.
The only thing I wish was different was for the dragoness to feel like more of a threat. When she’s present in the scene, she’s terrifying, but it felt like she was out of the picture more than really felt logical if she is purposed to kill all the humans. Extremely minor comment, though. I enjoyed this read immensely.
4.5/5 stars, rounded up to 5
When I saw that Scott Reintgen had a new YA book coming out, I knew I wanted to read it. I enjoyed his Nyxia series, as well as his Door in the Dark series, so I was excited to see what else he would come up with. I was not disappointed!
The concept of the story was quite simple, and the big twist, I guessed the very first time . But that doesn’t mean that I wasn’t drawn in by the adventure or the worldbuilding.
One of the things I love about fantasy is that there are so many different ways to interpret tropes or archetypes. Sure, dragons may be in a large percentage of fantasy media, but each author (generally) puts their own spin on them. I adored this interpretation. The way the dragoness shifts her shape to different materials at will was awesome, and I liked the way female dragons decided to “purpose” themselves to a single cause. It was a unique take on a classic idea.
I also liked how magic was handled. I believe that magic should have a cost in fiction to make the stakes seem higher, and this was a really cool way to enforce that. Having each spell cost living things to power it, and each wizard tethering themselves to a specific group of things? The fact that when all the living things were gone, the wizard was just out of magic forever? So. Freaking. Cool.
The only thing I wish was different was for the dragoness to feel like more of a threat. When she’s present in the scene, she’s terrifying, but it felt like she was out of the picture more than really felt logical if she is purposed to kill all the humans. Extremely minor comment, though. I enjoyed this read immensely.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book was a new experience for me, blending YA fantasy, sci-fi, and thriller elements into one fast-paced story. It’s told through a dual POV, with occasional snippets from the creature’s perspective, which added an extra layer of tension and intrigue. I really enjoyed how those shifts built suspense and gave the story a slightly darker edge.
It was a quick and easy read. I finished it in a single day. The pacing kept me turning pages, and I was never bored. That being said, I found myself wishing there had been more depth overall. More development, more exploration, just… more.
I’ve read several books by Scott Reintgen at this point, and I genuinely enjoy his writing style. He has a way of crafting compelling concepts, and that definitely shows here. The magic system was one of my favorite parts. It felt unique and intriguing, and I would have loved to see it explored in greater detail. The world itself also seemed rich with potential, and I honestly hope we get more stories set in this universe.
Where the book fell a bit short for me was in the character connections. I struggled to fully connect with the characters, and some of their relationships didn’t feel as realistic or fully developed as I would have liked. Because of that, some emotional moments didn’t hit as hard as they could have.
Overall, this was an enjoyable, fast-paced YA fantasy sci-fi thriller with a fascinating magic system and a world full of promise. While I wanted more depth and stronger character dynamics, I’d still be interested in returning to this world in future books.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing an early digital copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.
It was a quick and easy read. I finished it in a single day. The pacing kept me turning pages, and I was never bored. That being said, I found myself wishing there had been more depth overall. More development, more exploration, just… more.
I’ve read several books by Scott Reintgen at this point, and I genuinely enjoy his writing style. He has a way of crafting compelling concepts, and that definitely shows here. The magic system was one of my favorite parts. It felt unique and intriguing, and I would have loved to see it explored in greater detail. The world itself also seemed rich with potential, and I honestly hope we get more stories set in this universe.
Where the book fell a bit short for me was in the character connections. I struggled to fully connect with the characters, and some of their relationships didn’t feel as realistic or fully developed as I would have liked. Because of that, some emotional moments didn’t hit as hard as they could have.
Overall, this was an enjoyable, fast-paced YA fantasy sci-fi thriller with a fascinating magic system and a world full of promise. While I wanted more depth and stronger character dynamics, I’d still be interested in returning to this world in future books.
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 Netgalley
Thank you Netgalley and publisher for let me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is my first Scott Reintgen's book and I thought it was a cute YA book.
Pearl and her Aunt were smugglers of exotic creatures and other things. They were on an aircraft with precious cargo, when they had an Unexpected guest board the aircraft. Marken (a teen boy) was a prisoner awaiting trial with the crimes he has committed. Marken was also a wizard that has his hands bound so he can't do magic. The windmaster ended up dying while in route to their destination and they had an unexpected crash on the island. After the crash, Pearl and he aunt Hath realized the Dragoness escaped it's cage and is somewhere on the island.
After reading the synopsis, I was excited to see what this story brings with how magic/spells are used and what the Dragoness would do. I was fascinated how the dragoness can shapeshift into it's surroundings and even humanlike form. Reading all the twists and turns with the magic realm and where they pinpoint their magic was fun to read. Even the twist 3/4 of the way through of finding out what Pearl can really do was shocking.
This story was a fast and easy read. I did wish the battle scenes with the Dragoness was a little longer because it seems like defeating it was a simple task. Also I did like the writing, but I'm not a fan of 3rd person. Sometimes I got confused on who was talking at the beginning. Overall, this was a good book and can't wait to read the next adventure of the escape.
This is my first Scott Reintgen's book and I thought it was a cute YA book.
Pearl and her Aunt were smugglers of exotic creatures and other things. They were on an aircraft with precious cargo, when they had an Unexpected guest board the aircraft. Marken (a teen boy) was a prisoner awaiting trial with the crimes he has committed. Marken was also a wizard that has his hands bound so he can't do magic. The windmaster ended up dying while in route to their destination and they had an unexpected crash on the island. After the crash, Pearl and he aunt Hath realized the Dragoness escaped it's cage and is somewhere on the island.
After reading the synopsis, I was excited to see what this story brings with how magic/spells are used and what the Dragoness would do. I was fascinated how the dragoness can shapeshift into it's surroundings and even humanlike form. Reading all the twists and turns with the magic realm and where they pinpoint their magic was fun to read. Even the twist 3/4 of the way through of finding out what Pearl can really do was shocking.
This story was a fast and easy read. I did wish the battle scenes with the Dragoness was a little longer because it seems like defeating it was a simple task. Also I did like the writing, but I'm not a fan of 3rd person. Sometimes I got confused on who was talking at the beginning. Overall, this was a good book and can't wait to read the next adventure of the escape.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I received a free physical and audio copy of this book for review and switched back and forth between the two.
The audiobook had two narrators for the two perspectives which I appreciate. I didn't think the narration stood out as anything too special but it also didn't bother or distract me at all so I have no complaints.
This was an intriguing young adult fantasy thriller! It sort of gave me the vibes of the TV show Lost with a dragon fantasy spin. It follows a smuggler secretly transporting a dragoness in the cargo and a wizard who is being held captive for his crimes. When their flying ship crash lands all plans are off and everyone is suddenly trying to figure out the best way to survive.
Survival stories are always interesting to me because they reveal new aspects of people's characters and bring up situations none of them have faced before. It is intriguing to see who steps up, who freezes, and who makes it through in the end.
The pacing was pretty fast moving as everything played out and I could see this story appealing to a wide variety of teens. It is also not super romance heavy for teens that prefer that to be less of a focus. There is no explicit content making it much easier for me to recommend more widely as well.
Trigger/content notes: death and violence but not overly gory. There is an in-universe exclamation of "god's body" throughout that could bother some readers. Spice level is mild kissing.
The audiobook had two narrators for the two perspectives which I appreciate. I didn't think the narration stood out as anything too special but it also didn't bother or distract me at all so I have no complaints.
This was an intriguing young adult fantasy thriller! It sort of gave me the vibes of the TV show Lost with a dragon fantasy spin. It follows a smuggler secretly transporting a dragoness in the cargo and a wizard who is being held captive for his crimes. When their flying ship crash lands all plans are off and everyone is suddenly trying to figure out the best way to survive.
Survival stories are always interesting to me because they reveal new aspects of people's characters and bring up situations none of them have faced before. It is intriguing to see who steps up, who freezes, and who makes it through in the end.
The pacing was pretty fast moving as everything played out and I could see this story appealing to a wide variety of teens. It is also not super romance heavy for teens that prefer that to be less of a focus. There is no explicit content making it much easier for me to recommend more widely as well.
Trigger/content notes: death and violence but not overly gory. There is an in-universe exclamation of "god's body" throughout that could bother some readers. Spice level is mild kissing.
March 17, 2026
Thank you @simonkids @simonteen #mcelderrybooks #partner for the gifted copy of this book!
Scott Reintgen...just does not miss! 🔥 Devious Prey completely pulled me in and did NOT let go.
I’ve read several of Scott’s books and have loved them all. In this story he throws us into a survival-driven world where strategy and quick thinking are everything!
What I love most about Scott’s writing is how detailed and immersive he writes. He describes his world so detailed that every time I can envision it perfectly. He has this way of building worlds that feel vivid and alive. In addition, the plot felt very fresh and unique. I don’t really think much of this was predictable which I appreciated!
The characters were another huge win for me. There are a lot of them but they did feel engaging and perfect for the age group this is written for. I was completely invested in what happened to them, especially during those heart-pounding survival moments where everything could go wrong in a split second.
I also think that Scott’s magic’s systems are always done so well. They never feel like a typical “been there done that” kind of magic. It just always feels creative and makes the stakes of the story that much more intense. In this one the rules matter, the limitations matter and the way it impacts the characters and their decisions all have consequences if not
Also…I have to mention this sweet book box because the box itself is just so cool with the eyeball :)😍 and the bookmark is even cooler. Definitely swipe to check it out because it’s such a fun addition to an already amazing read.
Scott Reintgen...just does not miss! 🔥 Devious Prey completely pulled me in and did NOT let go.
I’ve read several of Scott’s books and have loved them all. In this story he throws us into a survival-driven world where strategy and quick thinking are everything!
What I love most about Scott’s writing is how detailed and immersive he writes. He describes his world so detailed that every time I can envision it perfectly. He has this way of building worlds that feel vivid and alive. In addition, the plot felt very fresh and unique. I don’t really think much of this was predictable which I appreciated!
The characters were another huge win for me. There are a lot of them but they did feel engaging and perfect for the age group this is written for. I was completely invested in what happened to them, especially during those heart-pounding survival moments where everything could go wrong in a split second.
I also think that Scott’s magic’s systems are always done so well. They never feel like a typical “been there done that” kind of magic. It just always feels creative and makes the stakes of the story that much more intense. In this one the rules matter, the limitations matter and the way it impacts the characters and their decisions all have consequences if not
Also…I have to mention this sweet book box because the box itself is just so cool with the eyeball :)😍 and the bookmark is even cooler. Definitely swipe to check it out because it’s such a fun addition to an already amazing read.
Review of advance copy
With morally complex characters and suspenseful writing that whispers to keep turning pages, Devious Prey is a fantastic read for fantasy or thriller readers. Even when the narrative is relatively still and calm, suspense teeters on the edge with the promise of more action. The writing is deceptively smart, explanatory with a good balance of show AND tell. Spellcasting and holding power is more advanced than having the ability and knowledge. Reintgen's wizards must earn that magic and use it wisely, and I appreciate magic systems that do not supply spells as givens. He is also a master at details and tying everything together well, but with such high stakes on the line, the reader easily forgets key pieces that feel minor at their onset. The book's title asks its audience to consider who is truly the prey - the people or the dragoness... Or which people? Everyone has their own reasons for fighting to survive and who they ally with, but who is most devious in the end? Pearl and Marken hide secrets that could end others' lives and/or their own, but at what point is being devious paramount to who they are versus who others perceive them as? As a sidenote, the airship and crash landing on an island pushed my mind to crave pirate books.
An immense thanks to my local indie bookstore, Cavalier House Books for access to an ARC to read this early. Reintgen delivers just as strongly as the Waxways trilogy left off.
An immense thanks to my local indie bookstore, Cavalier House Books for access to an ARC to read this early. Reintgen delivers just as strongly as the Waxways trilogy left off.
April 4, 2026
I generally like everything that Scott Reintgen writes. The last series from him that I have read is the Waxways series so I was kind of expecting some huge twists and secrets from this book, but this story was much less complicated. I think it kind of had something to do with the secondary characters not being truly fleshed out. I found that I really didn't care about any of them. We have two main antagonists, the warden (honestly just doing his job) and the dragoness that out FMC smuggled onto the airship that crashed. The being stranded on an island in the middle of nowhere was really more of the problem that needed to be overcome than the antagonists. I really liked the dragoness. Her powers were pretty cool, which is one of the things that I like most about Reintgen's stories. The magic systems that he creates are pretty in depth and have interesting systems in place to demonstrate how they work. While I was sad that the dragoness really didn't play a huge part, we really only had a couple of conversations with her, her presence was really more of the overhanging threat than the one actually doing the damage. Typical humans won that prize. In the end, this story had a good conclusion, but things were definitely left open enough to have a possible sequel. No big cliff hanger here.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I have had my ups and downs with Reintgen, but the ups have been good enough that I requested this ARC immediately. I would count this as an "up" for him. I have my quibbles with the system of magic, particularly the system of anchors - how do people use magic while in training before choosing an anchor? Based on Marken's description of the crime of which he is accused, it seems like you can reach out for another anchor, not just your own. And more - but those quibbles are only after I drilled down into the whole story quite a bit. If I stop my intense analysis of the details, this is a good fantasy with a compelling main character. The dragoness is a very nasty villain, as are the human villains presented to us. The dragon's abilities are a great take on a dangerous magical creature and the way her own powers were used against her was also a nice storytelling twist. The mood on the island was palpable with fear, mistrust, and the fight for power well presented. And Reintgen's descriptions of the sensory aspects of their maroonment - the scent of the dead bodies, in particular - was complete enough to be uncomfortable. A really good YA fantasy with enough of a door open for sequels, but satisfying enough to end here as well.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Devious Prey is a high-stakes blend of survival and adventure! When an airship crashes on a deserted island, the survivors must find a way to survive the lethal dragoness that was freed during the crash.
Whew! I felt as though I had actually stepped into Devious Prey and experienced everything the airship survivors experienced!! What an imagination this author has. I really hope this is the start of a series because I want to know MORE. I loved the good characters and hated the bad. (Not mentioning any names...) The whole magic part of the book fascinated me.
I'd read about a third of the book when I LOST MY KINDLE. How does one lose a Kindle? I have no idea! (I have a terrible feeling my year-old puppy may have dragged it off somewhere.) That's my long-winded way of writing: Even though it looks like it took me ten days to read Devious Prey, it was more like 3 days. Great book for young-adult readers, as well as adults and even older!
Thank you, #MargaretKMcElderryBooks, for providing this book for consideration and review via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Devious Prey has an expected publication date of March 31, 2026.
#ScottReintgen #Crime Mystery #Magic #Suspense #Fantasy
Whew! I felt as though I had actually stepped into Devious Prey and experienced everything the airship survivors experienced!! What an imagination this author has. I really hope this is the start of a series because I want to know MORE. I loved the good characters and hated the bad. (Not mentioning any names...) The whole magic part of the book fascinated me.
I'd read about a third of the book when I LOST MY KINDLE. How does one lose a Kindle? I have no idea! (I have a terrible feeling my year-old puppy may have dragged it off somewhere.) That's my long-winded way of writing: Even though it looks like it took me ten days to read Devious Prey, it was more like 3 days. Great book for young-adult readers, as well as adults and even older!
Thank you, #MargaretKMcElderryBooks, for providing this book for consideration and review via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Devious Prey has an expected publication date of March 31, 2026.
#ScottReintgen #Crime Mystery #Magic #Suspense #Fantasy
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Scott Reintgen does it again with this fantasy/thriller that has a sci-fi/survival twist!
This book gave me Lost vibes with a little bit of Jurassic Park thrown in. Sprinkle in some magic and a dragon? Recipe for a 5 star read.
The Waxways books are one of my top tier trilogies so when I was sent this ARC from the publishers, I was over the moon and couldn’t wait to dive in! And it did NOT disappoint.
An airship crash lands on an island and the survivors soon realize a dragon was onboard. So now they not only have to survive her, but they also might have to survive each other as well! A thrilling read where you’re left at the end of every chapter wondering who is telling the truth and who can be trusted. I absolutely ate this up. When the big plot twist was revealed, my mouth literally dropped and I found myself snapping my fingers. Truly so, so good!
Another 5 stars for an author who has easily become an auto buy author for me. I absolutely love the way Scott Reintgen meshes together genres to create completely unique concepts that deliver every single time.
Thank you so much to Scott and to Margaret K. McElderry Books with Simon & Schuster for sending me this ARC. 10/10 recommend!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book gave me Lost vibes with a little bit of Jurassic Park thrown in. Sprinkle in some magic and a dragon? Recipe for a 5 star read.
The Waxways books are one of my top tier trilogies so when I was sent this ARC from the publishers, I was over the moon and couldn’t wait to dive in! And it did NOT disappoint.
An airship crash lands on an island and the survivors soon realize a dragon was onboard. So now they not only have to survive her, but they also might have to survive each other as well! A thrilling read where you’re left at the end of every chapter wondering who is telling the truth and who can be trusted. I absolutely ate this up. When the big plot twist was revealed, my mouth literally dropped and I found myself snapping my fingers. Truly so, so good!
Another 5 stars for an author who has easily become an auto buy author for me. I absolutely love the way Scott Reintgen meshes together genres to create completely unique concepts that deliver every single time.
Thank you so much to Scott and to Margaret K. McElderry Books with Simon & Schuster for sending me this ARC. 10/10 recommend!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
April 1, 2026
ARC Review: Devious Prey by Scott Reintgen
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.75)
Devious Prey is a fast-paced YA adventure that blends sci-fi, fantasy, and mystery with strong steampunk vibes—and it makes for a really fun, high-stakes ride.
The story kicks off with a murder and the resulting airship crash-landing on a deserted island, leaving a group of passengers and crew scrambling to survive while awaiting rescue. But survival quickly becomes more complicated as secrets begin to surface. Among the survivors is someone smuggling a dangerous magical creature that escapes and begins hunting them, as well as a magician accused of committing mass murder. With tensions rising and trust in short supply, the group must figure out who they can rely on—or risk not making it off the island at all.
I really enjoyed how engaging and tightly paced this story was. The plot moves quickly, with a steady stream of reveals and danger that kept me hooked from start to finish. The mix of genres works well, and the mystery elements add an extra layer of intrigue to the survival storyline.
That said, I would have loved a bit more emotional depth from the characters. While their motivations are clear and feel appropriate for a YA audience, I didn’t always feel fully connected to them on a deeper level.
The ending is somewhat predictable, but still satisfying, and it leaves just enough open for a possible continuation—which I’d definitely be interested in reading.
This was my first book by Scott Reintgen, and it won’t be my last. If you enjoy fast-paced YA with genre-blending elements and a touch of danger and mystery, this is definitely worth picking up.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the opportunity to give my honest feedback.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.75)
Devious Prey is a fast-paced YA adventure that blends sci-fi, fantasy, and mystery with strong steampunk vibes—and it makes for a really fun, high-stakes ride.
The story kicks off with a murder and the resulting airship crash-landing on a deserted island, leaving a group of passengers and crew scrambling to survive while awaiting rescue. But survival quickly becomes more complicated as secrets begin to surface. Among the survivors is someone smuggling a dangerous magical creature that escapes and begins hunting them, as well as a magician accused of committing mass murder. With tensions rising and trust in short supply, the group must figure out who they can rely on—or risk not making it off the island at all.
I really enjoyed how engaging and tightly paced this story was. The plot moves quickly, with a steady stream of reveals and danger that kept me hooked from start to finish. The mix of genres works well, and the mystery elements add an extra layer of intrigue to the survival storyline.
That said, I would have loved a bit more emotional depth from the characters. While their motivations are clear and feel appropriate for a YA audience, I didn’t always feel fully connected to them on a deeper level.
The ending is somewhat predictable, but still satisfying, and it leaves just enough open for a possible continuation—which I’d definitely be interested in reading.
This was my first book by Scott Reintgen, and it won’t be my last. If you enjoy fast-paced YA with genre-blending elements and a touch of danger and mystery, this is definitely worth picking up.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the opportunity to give my honest feedback.
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