What do you think?
Rate this book
Red Dragon Academy #1
Dreamwalker
Seven children. Seven special powers. One enemy.
Addy is a typical California surfer girl until her mother dies and she is sent to a strange boarding school in Wales, where one hallway leads not to another part of the school but to another universe. Addy has always had vivid dreams. Now it seems this power to dream has made her the enemy of the powerful ruler of Gallia.
How can Addy and her new friends be any match for the powerful Grymur who calls himself The One in a world where nothing makes sense.
If you loved Harry Potter, this is for you.
By New York Times bestselling author and her daughter.
Addy is a typical California surfer girl until her mother dies and she is sent to a strange boarding school in Wales, where one hallway leads not to another part of the school but to another universe. Addy has always had vivid dreams. Now it seems this power to dream has made her the enemy of the powerful ruler of Gallia.
How can Addy and her new friends be any match for the powerful Grymur who calls himself The One in a world where nothing makes sense.
If you loved Harry Potter, this is for you.
By New York Times bestselling author and her daughter.
284 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 10, 2014
45 people are currently reading
691 people want to read
About the author
Rhys Bowen
116 books9,630 followersI'm a New York Times bestselling mystery author, winner of both Agatha and Anthony awards for my Molly Murphy mysteries, set in 1902 New York City.
I have recently published four internationally bestselling WWII novels, one of them a #1 Kindle bestseller, and the Tuscan Child selling almost a million copies to date. In Farleigh Field won three major awards and was nominated for an Edgar. My other stand-alone novels are The Victory Garden, about land girls in WWI and Above the Bay of Angels, featuring a young woman who becomes chef for Queen Victoria.
April 2021 will mark the publication of THE VENICE SKETCHBOOK--another sweeping historical novel of love, loss and intrigue.
My books are currently translated into 29 languages and I have fans worldwide.
I also write the Agatha-winning Royal Spyness series, about the British royal family in the 1930s. It's lighter, sexier, funnier, wicked satire. It was voted by readers as best mystery series one year.
I am also known for my Constable Evans books, set in North Wales, and for my award-winning short stories.
I was born and raised in England but currently divide my time between California and Arizona where I go to escape from the harsh California winters
When I am not writing I love to travel, sing, hike, play my Celtic harp.
Series:
* Constable Evan Mystery
* Molly Murphy Mysteries
* Her Royal Spyness Mysteries
Awards:
Agatha Award
◊ Best Novel (2001): Murphy's Law
Reviewer's Choice Award
◊ Historical Mystery (2001): Murphy's Law
I have recently published four internationally bestselling WWII novels, one of them a #1 Kindle bestseller, and the Tuscan Child selling almost a million copies to date. In Farleigh Field won three major awards and was nominated for an Edgar. My other stand-alone novels are The Victory Garden, about land girls in WWI and Above the Bay of Angels, featuring a young woman who becomes chef for Queen Victoria.
April 2021 will mark the publication of THE VENICE SKETCHBOOK--another sweeping historical novel of love, loss and intrigue.
My books are currently translated into 29 languages and I have fans worldwide.
I also write the Agatha-winning Royal Spyness series, about the British royal family in the 1930s. It's lighter, sexier, funnier, wicked satire. It was voted by readers as best mystery series one year.
I am also known for my Constable Evans books, set in North Wales, and for my award-winning short stories.
I was born and raised in England but currently divide my time between California and Arizona where I go to escape from the harsh California winters
When I am not writing I love to travel, sing, hike, play my Celtic harp.
Series:
* Constable Evan Mystery
* Molly Murphy Mysteries
* Her Royal Spyness Mysteries
Awards:
Agatha Award
◊ Best Novel (2001): Murphy's Law
Reviewer's Choice Award
◊ Historical Mystery (2001): Murphy's Law
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
July 10, 2015
A mysterious boarding school in Wales draws seven young teenagers from different countries, who all seem to have some unusual magical talents. Our main character is Addison, a 7th grader from California who is packed off to the U.K. by her British aunt when Addy's mother dies. As Addy is about to leave, she has a strange dream or vision involving a wild ride on a red dragon.
The vision also involves whales circling around Addy and singing their whale song to her.
So when she gets to London, and her aunt decides to send her off to a boarding school called The Red Dragon Academy, and it's inWhales Wales, maybe it's Meant To Be!
So Addy, despite feeling resentful and resistant, is deposited by her too-busy aunt at the Red Dragon Academy . . . where, of course, strange things start to happen. Mysterious portals. More strange dreams. Other children with odd talents.
Addy's middle grade-ish antics got a little tiresome for me, and the writing is fairly simple, also on a middle grade level. There's a lot of exposition at the beginning of the novel that wasn't particularly interesting to me. Also, the characters tend to be one-dimensional and stereotypical, like the British girl who loves horse riding, the French girl who loves fashion, the Cockney kid from the streets, the weasel-faced (of course) girl who kisses up to authority and tattles on everyone, etc., though on the plus side at least it's a diverse international group. I almost DNF'd this at 40%, then more interesting (magical!) things started happening and I finished in a rush.
The blurb for this book says: "If you loved Harry Potter, this is for you," but I think it would be more apt to say, "If you loved Charlie Bone, this is for you." It's not world-shaking fiction, but it's a decent, fun read for those who like the idea of magical boarding schools and ordinary kids who turn out to have strange powers. I think this one will appeal mostly to young readers, ages 10-15.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!
The vision also involves whales circling around Addy and singing their whale song to her.
So when she gets to London, and her aunt decides to send her off to a boarding school called The Red Dragon Academy, and it's in
So Addy, despite feeling resentful and resistant, is deposited by her too-busy aunt at the Red Dragon Academy . . . where, of course, strange things start to happen. Mysterious portals. More strange dreams. Other children with odd talents.
Addy's middle grade-ish antics got a little tiresome for me, and the writing is fairly simple, also on a middle grade level. There's a lot of exposition at the beginning of the novel that wasn't particularly interesting to me. Also, the characters tend to be one-dimensional and stereotypical, like the British girl who loves horse riding, the French girl who loves fashion, the Cockney kid from the streets, the weasel-faced (of course) girl who kisses up to authority and tattles on everyone, etc., though on the plus side at least it's a diverse international group. I almost DNF'd this at 40%, then more interesting (magical!) things started happening and I finished in a rush.
The blurb for this book says: "If you loved Harry Potter, this is for you," but I think it would be more apt to say, "If you loved Charlie Bone, this is for you." It's not world-shaking fiction, but it's a decent, fun read for those who like the idea of magical boarding schools and ordinary kids who turn out to have strange powers. I think this one will appeal mostly to young readers, ages 10-15.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!
Read
April 13, 2015Received fro, NetGalley.
The blurb promises seven kids, seven powers, and we get there--but this story (maybe just this book, as it appears to be a series) is Addy's story.
It opens when Addy's mother has just died, and her prim, business-like aunt takes her to England and finds her a boarding school ASAP as she is as hapless at dealing as Addy is.
The Red Dragon Academy lies in Wales, and one of the best parts of the book concerns Wales' history, geography, language, people. The academy is in an old, spooky building with a history, and Addy slowly begins to meet the other kids. But all along she keeps having these weird dreams that seem so real, and even scarier, she doesn't always end up in the place she was when she went to sleep. And the dreams can overtake her while she's awake!
The Headmistress, Miss Neves, seems like Addy's aunt, but has unexpected qualities, and Addy is fascinated by the unusual art teacher, Miss Rorrim, and not only because art is her favorite subject. The art teacher sends Addy and six of her classmates on a kind of scavenger hunt, which finally begins to bind the magical world with the real--and then Addy finds herself pulled into the parallel world, which is in deep trouble.
This series ought to be a hit with the fourth-sixth grade readers who want magical stories and boarding school stories with plenty of kid politics. For the adult reader, the plot is pretty predictable, and the world building a bit on the whimsical side, the other kids a bit stereotypical (the French girl is obsessed with fashion, the Cockney kid is a thief, the Indian kid is a science geek, etc), and the adults conveniently don't notice the school bully being exceptionally cruel, but the pacing is sprightly, the dialogue fun, the villain sinister, and the magic full of delightful images.
I hope the sequels will offer different points of view.
The blurb promises seven kids, seven powers, and we get there--but this story (maybe just this book, as it appears to be a series) is Addy's story.
It opens when Addy's mother has just died, and her prim, business-like aunt takes her to England and finds her a boarding school ASAP as she is as hapless at dealing as Addy is.
The Red Dragon Academy lies in Wales, and one of the best parts of the book concerns Wales' history, geography, language, people. The academy is in an old, spooky building with a history, and Addy slowly begins to meet the other kids. But all along she keeps having these weird dreams that seem so real, and even scarier, she doesn't always end up in the place she was when she went to sleep. And the dreams can overtake her while she's awake!
The Headmistress, Miss Neves, seems like Addy's aunt, but has unexpected qualities, and Addy is fascinated by the unusual art teacher, Miss Rorrim, and not only because art is her favorite subject. The art teacher sends Addy and six of her classmates on a kind of scavenger hunt, which finally begins to bind the magical world with the real--and then Addy finds herself pulled into the parallel world, which is in deep trouble.
This series ought to be a hit with the fourth-sixth grade readers who want magical stories and boarding school stories with plenty of kid politics. For the adult reader, the plot is pretty predictable, and the world building a bit on the whimsical side, the other kids a bit stereotypical (the French girl is obsessed with fashion, the Cockney kid is a thief, the Indian kid is a science geek, etc), and the adults conveniently don't notice the school bully being exceptionally cruel, but the pacing is sprightly, the dialogue fun, the villain sinister, and the magic full of delightful images.
I hope the sequels will offer different points of view.
April 15, 2015
Read on the WondrousBooks blog.
Dreamwalker is the first book of the Red Dragon Academy series. I want to stress on the fact that it's a children's book and it should be treated as such.
Just in my generation we have witnessed many books stamped as children's, which have in them enough of well... everything, to make them a favourite read for not only children, but also grown-ups of all ages. Harry Potter is the first series that comes to mind and it very well speaks on its own.
Since "Harry Potter", it has been hard reading books about magic and especially schools with magical children, without thinking of "Harry Potter" and making unfortunate comparisons. Same goes with reading fantasy and not comparing with Lord of the Rings. It's hard! But in order to give this book a proper review, I'll have to push myself to my limits in not comparing.
What happens in Dreamwalker is that we have a strange school with very unusual methods and eventually we find out that some of the pupils are in fact magicians of sorts. They don't all possess the same abilities, but instead have set roles: Dreamwalker, Traveler, Whisperer and so on.
The seven main characters, among which the narrator is a girl called Addy, are as cliched as they come. Addy is ~special~ and immensely powerful, though we still don't know the extent of her powers. Raj is a brainiac, who always relies on logic. Pippa is a spoiled brat who wants attention. Celeste: a French princess-wannabe who's rude and demanding and has no other dreams than to be by her mother's side and wear her Prada shoes. Gwylum: the lunch lady's kid, who's grown up on the school grounds and is shy and closed up. And Sam is a poor kid who's been in the system for too long, going from one home to another and is not above stealing and begging on the streets. Kobi is from Africa, and everyone assumes that he's going to be weird. So he speaks weirdly to justify expectations. Not much more is seen from him.
Wow, having written this down, I realized that it's not only that we have certain personas represented, but also a certain view of countries and what their citizens are like, which is kind of chauvinistic and very rude. The horse-riding rich girl from team UK, the French snob, the Indian math genius, Gwylum(who is not English but Welsh, therefore a provincial character) goes for the cliche of a servant boy(only a hundred years after it became distasteful to call them that), and of course, Addy: a clueless American, who doesn't even know that you drive in the opposite lanes in the UK. I'm a bit afraid to leave this here, it casts a bad light on a book which has many minuses, but is honestly NOT THAT BAD.
The problem with all of these, aside from the fact that you can see at least two of them in absolutely every cliche story, is that they don't have many redeeming qualities(in this book at least). The reason for the reader to like them is simply because the authors chose to make them the main characters so you feel like you should find something in them to like.
Since everyone besides Addy is a bit shallowly written, I can mostly comment on her and boy, do I have something to say: She is stupid. I know that it's not right to say that about kids at the age of twelve, but since she was written by two grown women, I assume in their attempt to make her seem normal, they made her stupid. In the first few chapters when she is with her aunt and when she's supposed to be mourning, she is mostly bored. She has no hobbies aside from surfing and can't amuse herself with anything besides her iPod. I remember that at 12 I was reading world classics. She seems to have read just "Alice in Wonderland". She does not know what or where Wales is, or that there is a Wales, and not "whales", at all. She doesn't know what Prada is, which, though not mandatory for kids, is still weird. She goes through a mirror and she still can't figure out she is in another world, EVEN after she speaks with the locals who do everything but spell out for her that this is not her own world.
Aside from that, it's easy to get sucked in the story, it's a typical the-few-good-guys-face-a-terrifying-bad-guy type of thing. For me, the most interesting thing was to find out about the mirror world, about the abilities, about the monsters. Dreamwalker does a good job at explaining those, at least as much as the authors deemed fit for the first book. I honestly loved the world-building, as opposed to the character-building - hence the 3 stars instead of 2. I think I would have loved this if I was still a child, I was not as selective and critical, especially as far as characters go.
While Dreamwalker is not a breakthrough and you shouldn't expect Harry Potter v.2, if you are into this kind of books, you can give it a try. But I am warning you, don't expect a character that will warm up your heart or make you feel as part of the story. Actually I think one of the problems is that there are too many main characters and none of them are as explored as they should be.
Should you get it for your kid? Yes, why not.
Should you, as a grown up and a fan of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the likes read it? If you cannot stop yourself from comparing them, don't. Otherwise, maybe.
P.S. I admit, I'm going to be waiting for book 2.
Dreamwalker is the first book of the Red Dragon Academy series. I want to stress on the fact that it's a children's book and it should be treated as such.
Just in my generation we have witnessed many books stamped as children's, which have in them enough of well... everything, to make them a favourite read for not only children, but also grown-ups of all ages. Harry Potter is the first series that comes to mind and it very well speaks on its own.
Since "Harry Potter", it has been hard reading books about magic and especially schools with magical children, without thinking of "Harry Potter" and making unfortunate comparisons. Same goes with reading fantasy and not comparing with Lord of the Rings. It's hard! But in order to give this book a proper review, I'll have to push myself to my limits in not comparing.
What happens in Dreamwalker is that we have a strange school with very unusual methods and eventually we find out that some of the pupils are in fact magicians of sorts. They don't all possess the same abilities, but instead have set roles: Dreamwalker, Traveler, Whisperer and so on.
The seven main characters, among which the narrator is a girl called Addy, are as cliched as they come. Addy is ~special~ and immensely powerful, though we still don't know the extent of her powers. Raj is a brainiac, who always relies on logic. Pippa is a spoiled brat who wants attention. Celeste: a French princess-wannabe who's rude and demanding and has no other dreams than to be by her mother's side and wear her Prada shoes. Gwylum: the lunch lady's kid, who's grown up on the school grounds and is shy and closed up. And Sam is a poor kid who's been in the system for too long, going from one home to another and is not above stealing and begging on the streets. Kobi is from Africa, and everyone assumes that he's going to be weird. So he speaks weirdly to justify expectations. Not much more is seen from him.
Wow, having written this down, I realized that it's not only that we have certain personas represented, but also a certain view of countries and what their citizens are like, which is kind of chauvinistic and very rude. The horse-riding rich girl from team UK, the French snob, the Indian math genius, Gwylum(who is not English but Welsh, therefore a provincial character) goes for the cliche of a servant boy(only a hundred years after it became distasteful to call them that), and of course, Addy: a clueless American, who doesn't even know that you drive in the opposite lanes in the UK. I'm a bit afraid to leave this here, it casts a bad light on a book which has many minuses, but is honestly NOT THAT BAD.
The problem with all of these, aside from the fact that you can see at least two of them in absolutely every cliche story, is that they don't have many redeeming qualities(in this book at least). The reason for the reader to like them is simply because the authors chose to make them the main characters so you feel like you should find something in them to like.
Since everyone besides Addy is a bit shallowly written, I can mostly comment on her and boy, do I have something to say: She is stupid. I know that it's not right to say that about kids at the age of twelve, but since she was written by two grown women, I assume in their attempt to make her seem normal, they made her stupid. In the first few chapters when she is with her aunt and when she's supposed to be mourning, she is mostly bored. She has no hobbies aside from surfing and can't amuse herself with anything besides her iPod. I remember that at 12 I was reading world classics. She seems to have read just "Alice in Wonderland". She does not know what or where Wales is, or that there is a Wales, and not "whales", at all. She doesn't know what Prada is, which, though not mandatory for kids, is still weird. She goes through a mirror and she still can't figure out she is in another world, EVEN after she speaks with the locals who do everything but spell out for her that this is not her own world.
Aside from that, it's easy to get sucked in the story, it's a typical the-few-good-guys-face-a-terrifying-bad-guy type of thing. For me, the most interesting thing was to find out about the mirror world, about the abilities, about the monsters. Dreamwalker does a good job at explaining those, at least as much as the authors deemed fit for the first book. I honestly loved the world-building, as opposed to the character-building - hence the 3 stars instead of 2. I think I would have loved this if I was still a child, I was not as selective and critical, especially as far as characters go.
While Dreamwalker is not a breakthrough and you shouldn't expect Harry Potter v.2, if you are into this kind of books, you can give it a try. But I am warning you, don't expect a character that will warm up your heart or make you feel as part of the story. Actually I think one of the problems is that there are too many main characters and none of them are as explored as they should be.
Should you get it for your kid? Yes, why not.
Should you, as a grown up and a fan of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the likes read it? If you cannot stop yourself from comparing them, don't. Otherwise, maybe.
P.S. I admit, I'm going to be waiting for book 2.
March 20, 2015
I've read and enjoyed books by Rhys Bowen in her "Molly Murphy" and "Royal Spyness" mystery series. So when I saw this venture by her into Fantasy I was immediately interested.
Dreamwalker is a Middle Grade fantasy that should appeal to fantasy fans in the target age range. I enjoyed it very much, and my younger self would have loved it. I am already looking forward to the next book in the series.
When we first meet Addison, "Addy", her mother has just passed away and her aunt is packing her up to take her from California to England. Her aunt is a busy professional who is unused to children and has no time for Addy, and not much compassion for her either. We quickly learn that Addy has very vivid and unusual dreams. What do these dreams mean? She's placed in a boarding school in Wales that is a bit odd and strange things occur. Is the Haunted Hallway really haunted? Is the headmistress Miss Neves to be trusted? Who is the red-headed girl Addy sees in her dreams? Why does she dream about flying a dragon?
The story moves a bit slow in the beginning, although Addy's dreams and other strange occurrences help maintain interest. The pace does pick up and once it gets going it is full of adventure, mystery, danger and magic.
I liked Addy and her friends and found them fairly realistic kids. I was pleasantly surprised that they are not pressured to involve themselves in assisting against the dark elements (intentionally vague, don't want to give spoilers), but reassured they are free to choose their path.
I'd recommend this to preteen and young teen fantasy readers, particularly those who enjoy stories where the characters are transported to another place.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy through Netgalley in consideration of an honest review.
Dreamwalker is a Middle Grade fantasy that should appeal to fantasy fans in the target age range. I enjoyed it very much, and my younger self would have loved it. I am already looking forward to the next book in the series.
When we first meet Addison, "Addy", her mother has just passed away and her aunt is packing her up to take her from California to England. Her aunt is a busy professional who is unused to children and has no time for Addy, and not much compassion for her either. We quickly learn that Addy has very vivid and unusual dreams. What do these dreams mean? She's placed in a boarding school in Wales that is a bit odd and strange things occur. Is the Haunted Hallway really haunted? Is the headmistress Miss Neves to be trusted? Who is the red-headed girl Addy sees in her dreams? Why does she dream about flying a dragon?
The story moves a bit slow in the beginning, although Addy's dreams and other strange occurrences help maintain interest. The pace does pick up and once it gets going it is full of adventure, mystery, danger and magic.
I liked Addy and her friends and found them fairly realistic kids. I was pleasantly surprised that they are not pressured to involve themselves in assisting against the dark elements (intentionally vague, don't want to give spoilers), but reassured they are free to choose their path.
I'd recommend this to preteen and young teen fantasy readers, particularly those who enjoy stories where the characters are transported to another place.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy through Netgalley in consideration of an honest review.
January 24, 2015
2.5/5 STARS
So I'm always at a loss for how to rate a book when it turns out to be middle grade level. On one hand, it's likely not to be up to my expectations. On the other hand, there have been some amazing books (exceptions)that transcend age groups(Harry Potter).
Addie's mother recently died and her aunt has no time for a child, and unceremoniously dumps her at Red Dragon Academy. Strange and curious things happen and she finds herself between worlds - her own and one with a power hungry villain. Throw in some clique drama, unrecognized powers, dreams with flying dragons and other creatures, and a dash of mysterious teachers.
It was just ok for me, but I bet there is a large group of middle graders and older teenagers that will love this. Heck, I probably would have enjoyed this when I was younger.
Thank you Netgalley for a free digital copy to review.
So I'm always at a loss for how to rate a book when it turns out to be middle grade level. On one hand, it's likely not to be up to my expectations. On the other hand, there have been some amazing books (exceptions)that transcend age groups(Harry Potter).
Addie's mother recently died and her aunt has no time for a child, and unceremoniously dumps her at Red Dragon Academy. Strange and curious things happen and she finds herself between worlds - her own and one with a power hungry villain. Throw in some clique drama, unrecognized powers, dreams with flying dragons and other creatures, and a dash of mysterious teachers.
It was just ok for me, but I bet there is a large group of middle graders and older teenagers that will love this. Heck, I probably would have enjoyed this when I was younger.
Thank you Netgalley for a free digital copy to review.
April 18, 2023
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
1.5 stars.
I was considering ditching this by page 30 but managed to slog my way to page 62. The plain and simple of it was that it read as very childish. It felt like a 12 year old's first draft of a fantasy book with dragons and Welsh boarding schools, complete with a (likely) orphan main character. (Who didn't write a version of this story when they were a tween??) I realize I'm not the target audience for this book, but target audiences shouldn't really matter. I love plenty of "children's" books, but this ain't gonna be one of them.
From what I read, Addy didn't seem like a realistic character. Her mother just died and she's concerned about what her fellow students at RDA will think of her because her mom is dead? She also discovers she was adopted and it gets about 3 sentences of page time. Then nothing. She doesn't even react in any way. I don't get it. She doesn't know that Wales exists, let alone that it is by an ocean. She is literately a "dumb blonde" walking stereotype. I couldn't even feel sympathy for her because she spends too much time whining or worrying about unimportant things.
Her friends at RDA were slightly more interesting, but very stereotypical as well, and honestly, I couldn't be bothered to care about any of them at all.
Big pass from me.
1.5 stars.
I was considering ditching this by page 30 but managed to slog my way to page 62. The plain and simple of it was that it read as very childish. It felt like a 12 year old's first draft of a fantasy book with dragons and Welsh boarding schools, complete with a (likely) orphan main character. (Who didn't write a version of this story when they were a tween??) I realize I'm not the target audience for this book, but target audiences shouldn't really matter. I love plenty of "children's" books, but this ain't gonna be one of them.
From what I read, Addy didn't seem like a realistic character. Her mother just died and she's concerned about what her fellow students at RDA will think of her because her mom is dead? She also discovers she was adopted and it gets about 3 sentences of page time. Then nothing. She doesn't even react in any way. I don't get it. She doesn't know that Wales exists, let alone that it is by an ocean. She is literately a "dumb blonde" walking stereotype. I couldn't even feel sympathy for her because she spends too much time whining or worrying about unimportant things.
Her friends at RDA were slightly more interesting, but very stereotypical as well, and honestly, I couldn't be bothered to care about any of them at all.
Big pass from me.
February 2, 2015
Thank you to Netgalley for a free copy!
Read my full review here: https://escapingrealitybookreviews.wo...
Okay, I have a major problem with the marketing of this book right off the bat. Did you catch that last sentence in the synopsis? “If you loved Harry Potter, this is for you.” No. Okay. NEVER EVER do that. Major Marketing Mistake #1: Comparing your book to Harry Potter. You immediately set the expectations so high that it is not physically possible to meet them. Also, it's a fantasy boarding school in Europe -- that is literally ALL that it has in common with HP.
I thought that the authors did a really great job with the plot. My absolute favorite element of the writing of this book was the fuzzy line between dream and reality. I absolutely adored it! In fact, this book did a really good job of the slightly controversial “only give your reader as much information as the character has” tactic. A lot of authors can’t pull it off — but these two did! I loved it! It was really great being left in the dark for once, and truly being just as confused and off balance as your characters. And the whole mirror world concept? Very intriguing. I’m looking forward to learning more about it. I found the writing a bit jerky at times, largely due, I expect, to the Writing Duo. But it wasn’t difficult to follow, so it’s all good.
I'm 17, and I enjoyed this book.
Read my full review here: https://escapingrealitybookreviews.wo...
Okay, I have a major problem with the marketing of this book right off the bat. Did you catch that last sentence in the synopsis? “If you loved Harry Potter, this is for you.” No. Okay. NEVER EVER do that. Major Marketing Mistake #1: Comparing your book to Harry Potter. You immediately set the expectations so high that it is not physically possible to meet them. Also, it's a fantasy boarding school in Europe -- that is literally ALL that it has in common with HP.
I thought that the authors did a really great job with the plot. My absolute favorite element of the writing of this book was the fuzzy line between dream and reality. I absolutely adored it! In fact, this book did a really good job of the slightly controversial “only give your reader as much information as the character has” tactic. A lot of authors can’t pull it off — but these two did! I loved it! It was really great being left in the dark for once, and truly being just as confused and off balance as your characters. And the whole mirror world concept? Very intriguing. I’m looking forward to learning more about it. I found the writing a bit jerky at times, largely due, I expect, to the Writing Duo. But it wasn’t difficult to follow, so it’s all good.
I'm 17, and I enjoyed this book.
January 29, 2015
3.5 Stars
This book started out so s l o w for me. The more I read, the more into it I got.
Dreamwalker is set at a boarding school, Red Dragon Academy, in Wales. There are children from all walks of life at this school. But this isn't just any old boarding school, some of these kids have special powers. A couple students find a portal in their school that leads to a different world. What they find there is horrifying. This is where they learn they have powers. They decide they must learn to use them in order to save the people in this other world from "The One".
It was difficult for me to get into this book and didn't keep a strong hold on my attention. However, it did finally pick up towards the end. It did intrigue me enough to want to pick up the next one at some point in time.
This book started out so s l o w for me. The more I read, the more into it I got.
Dreamwalker is set at a boarding school, Red Dragon Academy, in Wales. There are children from all walks of life at this school. But this isn't just any old boarding school, some of these kids have special powers. A couple students find a portal in their school that leads to a different world. What they find there is horrifying. This is where they learn they have powers. They decide they must learn to use them in order to save the people in this other world from "The One".
It was difficult for me to get into this book and didn't keep a strong hold on my attention. However, it did finally pick up towards the end. It did intrigue me enough to want to pick up the next one at some point in time.
July 31, 2015
We are proud to announce that DREAMWALKER by Rhys Bowen is a B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree. This tells a reader that this book is well worth their time and money!
April 5, 2015
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This story is about a girl named Addison who is sent to live with her aunt after her mother dies. This aunt is much too busy to take care of a child, and so immediately researches boarding schools to which she can send Addison. She comes across Red Dragon Academy and that is where she sends her.
I had so many issues with this book that it's hard to know where to start.
First of all, this is not YA. It is aimed at preteens. It's listed under "Children's Fiction, Teens & YA". It should be listed under Children's Fiction in my opinion. Or there could be a Middle Grade/Tweens category on NetGalley and we can put it there. But the main character is 12-13 years old. Not YA.
Next up was the actual writing itself. This felt like a fantasy written by people who have never actually written fantasy before and they weren't sure exactly what to do. The scenes and plot at large aren't set up in a realistic way. I know it's fantasy, but the realistic parts of the fantasy novel even seemed off. The characters don't act or respond to situations in any sort of logical way. The main character thinks nothing much of immediately having to walk across a walkway on the roof of the castle to get to her dormitory because there are repairs happening to the usual entrance. She's 12! The other first years are 12! This seemed ridiculous and silly to me that all of these twelve year olds would get to their dorm this way. And this is just one example of many. Maybe these issues were the result of it being a Middle Grade novel, but they irked me.
Addison was so accepting of everything that went on. A normal child her age would question everything and she questions next to nothing; it's so frustrating. Even finding out that she had been adopted. It's discussed for about two sentences and then that's that. You just found out your dead mother wasn't your biological mother. React!
Maybe I'm just too old for this and that's why I couldn't really suspend my disbelief, but I don't think so. I read a ton of YA and occasionally some Middle Grade and I'm able to enjoy them. So I think my issue was the book. If I could sum it up in two words, those words would be: boring and silly.
This story is about a girl named Addison who is sent to live with her aunt after her mother dies. This aunt is much too busy to take care of a child, and so immediately researches boarding schools to which she can send Addison. She comes across Red Dragon Academy and that is where she sends her.
I had so many issues with this book that it's hard to know where to start.
First of all, this is not YA. It is aimed at preteens. It's listed under "Children's Fiction, Teens & YA". It should be listed under Children's Fiction in my opinion. Or there could be a Middle Grade/Tweens category on NetGalley and we can put it there. But the main character is 12-13 years old. Not YA.
Next up was the actual writing itself. This felt like a fantasy written by people who have never actually written fantasy before and they weren't sure exactly what to do. The scenes and plot at large aren't set up in a realistic way. I know it's fantasy, but the realistic parts of the fantasy novel even seemed off. The characters don't act or respond to situations in any sort of logical way. The main character thinks nothing much of immediately having to walk across a walkway on the roof of the castle to get to her dormitory because there are repairs happening to the usual entrance. She's 12! The other first years are 12! This seemed ridiculous and silly to me that all of these twelve year olds would get to their dorm this way. And this is just one example of many. Maybe these issues were the result of it being a Middle Grade novel, but they irked me.
Addison was so accepting of everything that went on. A normal child her age would question everything and she questions next to nothing; it's so frustrating. Even finding out that she had been adopted. It's discussed for about two sentences and then that's that. You just found out your dead mother wasn't your biological mother. React!
Maybe I'm just too old for this and that's why I couldn't really suspend my disbelief, but I don't think so. I read a ton of YA and occasionally some Middle Grade and I'm able to enjoy them. So I think my issue was the book. If I could sum it up in two words, those words would be: boring and silly.
March 24, 2015
DREAMWALKER is an interesting read. It's a middle grade fantasy, obviously (and admittedly) geared towards Harry Potter fans...and in that lies part of the problem. The Harry Potter similarities are a bit overkill in the introduction of the book. Young orphan taken in by a horrible family member sent to a brand new world in the form of an unusual boarding school for students with special talents.
The students are unusual - but here again lies another problem. The majority of the main characters that we meet - especially the ones we find out to be important - aren't likable. Nor are they complex. The snobby French girl who needs Prada shoes in order to survive a place like this. The rich girl who likes horses and keeps getting thrown out of boarding schools in order to get her dad's attention. The poor Cockney boy who steals. And don't get me started on the (Asian? Indian?) boy whose special talent is math and science. Etc, etc. All of these characters could have been more interesting - if only we ever got more than superficial glimpse at them and slightly racist stereotypes.
I'd solely recommend this for very young readers - I think they'll enjoy the whimsical fantasy, as well as the adventure that occurs during the second half of the book. The older levels of middle grade might find the reading a bit choppy, and perhaps juvenile.
While I'm a big fan of middle grade novels, this one won't be getting read to mini KJ.
The students are unusual - but here again lies another problem. The majority of the main characters that we meet - especially the ones we find out to be important - aren't likable. Nor are they complex. The snobby French girl who needs Prada shoes in order to survive a place like this. The rich girl who likes horses and keeps getting thrown out of boarding schools in order to get her dad's attention. The poor Cockney boy who steals. And don't get me started on the (Asian? Indian?) boy whose special talent is math and science. Etc, etc. All of these characters could have been more interesting - if only we ever got more than superficial glimpse at them and slightly racist stereotypes.
I'd solely recommend this for very young readers - I think they'll enjoy the whimsical fantasy, as well as the adventure that occurs during the second half of the book. The older levels of middle grade might find the reading a bit choppy, and perhaps juvenile.
While I'm a big fan of middle grade novels, this one won't be getting read to mini KJ.
January 31, 2015
I received an advanced reader's copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley. Thank you to Netgalley, and the publishers for giving me a chance to read this.
Addison's life is turned around when her mother dies and she is shipped off to a boarding school in Wales. With no one else to go to, she is forced to get through this horrible change in her life and make the best of a new school. While she faces trouble at Red Dragon Academy, she soon finds a group of friends she can relate to. But what if there is something more to these 7 children than meets the eye? Addison continues to have weird dreams the longer she stays at the school. She knows something is up.
This book started off with a VERY confusing prologue, that I really didn't understand until about 2/3 into the book. The first 25% or so of this book was very boring and somewhat childish. It wasn't until about 1/2 way through that I really got into it. I'm glad I didn't just put this book down like my first instinct. The character development in this was amazing! The idea was unique and creative. I enjoyed the book all the rest of the way through. The ending left me excited to read the second book.
Addison's life is turned around when her mother dies and she is shipped off to a boarding school in Wales. With no one else to go to, she is forced to get through this horrible change in her life and make the best of a new school. While she faces trouble at Red Dragon Academy, she soon finds a group of friends she can relate to. But what if there is something more to these 7 children than meets the eye? Addison continues to have weird dreams the longer she stays at the school. She knows something is up.
This book started off with a VERY confusing prologue, that I really didn't understand until about 2/3 into the book. The first 25% or so of this book was very boring and somewhat childish. It wasn't until about 1/2 way through that I really got into it. I'm glad I didn't just put this book down like my first instinct. The character development in this was amazing! The idea was unique and creative. I enjoyed the book all the rest of the way through. The ending left me excited to read the second book.
March 22, 2015
I received NetGalley copy.
This fantasy series is perfect for 3rd to 7th grade children. It has myth, mysteries, and adventures!
I think it's unfair to judge this novel negatively just because you had expected another Royal Spyness. The target group is completely different!
I switched my mind to 5th grader before I started reading this fantasy, and I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure. Only problem I had was racial stereotypes the authors used. I know there's no bad intention, but it's a bit disappointing.
My Japanese review:
http://watanabeyukari.weblogs.jp/yous...
This fantasy series is perfect for 3rd to 7th grade children. It has myth, mysteries, and adventures!
I think it's unfair to judge this novel negatively just because you had expected another Royal Spyness. The target group is completely different!
I switched my mind to 5th grader before I started reading this fantasy, and I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure. Only problem I had was racial stereotypes the authors used. I know there's no bad intention, but it's a bit disappointing.
My Japanese review:
http://watanabeyukari.weblogs.jp/yous...
December 19, 2014
I don't read a lot of fantasy, but enjoyed this book set in Wales very much! Fast paced with lots of imagination and a set up of great characters that the reader will enjoy following in future installments.
March 29, 2015
Honestly, I received a free copy of this from Netgalley for a fair review but I couldn't get past chapter two. It just wasn't engaging and the writing wasn't fluid. Sorry.
September 8, 2018
MG, FANTASY, MAGIC, WALES, BOARDING SCHOOL, RED DRAGON ACADEMY SERIES (book #1)
Think Hogwarts meets Middle Earth in this high tension fantastical-mystery.
California surfer dudette Addy is sent to live with her prim and proper British aunt after the death of her free-spirited artistic mother. But the aunt has no intention of keeping Addy around! She is sent to a mysterious boarding school in Wales called the Red Dragon Academy - a former insane asylum! Complete with bars on all the windows... Addy has been having premonition dreams, not all of it good. What do the dreams mean? Can she trust her new friends in this strange country and even stranger school? And what of the Head Mistress and Art Teacher?? Addy finds a portal in the Haunted Hallway of the Academy which takes her to a new reality, of horror, an opposite of her new school. She and her friends are being tested, but is it with the intention of sending them into the "horror school" forever?
This was a great read. Hard to put down!!! Can't wait for book #2.
Think Hogwarts meets Middle Earth in this high tension fantastical-mystery.
California surfer dudette Addy is sent to live with her prim and proper British aunt after the death of her free-spirited artistic mother. But the aunt has no intention of keeping Addy around! She is sent to a mysterious boarding school in Wales called the Red Dragon Academy - a former insane asylum! Complete with bars on all the windows... Addy has been having premonition dreams, not all of it good. What do the dreams mean? Can she trust her new friends in this strange country and even stranger school? And what of the Head Mistress and Art Teacher?? Addy finds a portal in the Haunted Hallway of the Academy which takes her to a new reality, of horror, an opposite of her new school. She and her friends are being tested, but is it with the intention of sending them into the "horror school" forever?
This was a great read. Hard to put down!!! Can't wait for book #2.
November 20, 2020
In Dreamwalker, the first book to a new children’s middle grade fantasy, by self published authors Ryhs Bowen and C.M. Broyles, follows a young girl as she attends a magical school where she realizes she has a special ability to walk through dreams. Addison’s world comes crashing down after her mother dies and her distant aunt sends her the strangest school in Wales called The Red Dragon Academy. For as long as she can remember, Addison has these dreams of flying on dragons and a terrifying vision of a man dressed in white robes. Her dreams are both a blessing and a nightmare, a form of escapism and a prison. When she arrives at her new school, it very much resembles the tone similar to Hogwarts. She meets several friends who also in some way seem to possess a form of magic. This novel has the vibes of Harry Potter and Alice in Wonderland, which was a lovely mix.
August 22, 2018
Addy, a typical California surfer girl is sent to a boarding school in Wales after her mother dies.The strange thing about the school is that it’s no ordinary boarding school. One hallways doesn’t lead to another, instead, it leads to a new universe. She’s always had vivid dreams, which now makes her the enemy of the powerful ruler of Gallia.
It’s aimed at preteens so with that in mind, it makes for a good book for them. Great characters and imagination, but the editing and pacing was off. The start was slow to get into, but as the book progressed, it became more interesting.
It’s aimed at preteens so with that in mind, it makes for a good book for them. Great characters and imagination, but the editing and pacing was off. The start was slow to get into, but as the book progressed, it became more interesting.
October 15, 2019
A nice start to a YA series which, I think, will feature each of the seven children's stories. This one was about Addy, an American girl, who reluctantly attends a mysterious boarding school in Wales after her mother dies. At the start she is very unhappy and feels very out of place and unsure of who can be trusted, but as the story progresses she starts to find her place within the school community, and to discover her unique talent. I look forward to further instalments.
September 13, 2024
Here's the takeaway: Don't read this book.
It's not because it's a bad book. It's volume one of a fantasy series that sets up the characters and universe, and there's nothing inherently wrong with how that's done. The issue is that, ten years after it was written, there's no volume two. A first book that sets up the universe and then ... nothing. No story, so no point in reading it.
It's not because it's a bad book. It's volume one of a fantasy series that sets up the characters and universe, and there's nothing inherently wrong with how that's done. The issue is that, ten years after it was written, there's no volume two. A first book that sets up the universe and then ... nothing. No story, so no point in reading it.
February 19, 2017
Interesting premise-- unfortunately with editing and pacing problems.
May 11, 2018
B. fiction, fantasy, YA, Wales, school, series, (Red Dragon Academy, #1)
November 18, 2018
Fun, light read.
This was a fun book to read. I enjoyed the story and am anxious to get to read the next book of the hoped for series.
This was a fun book to read. I enjoyed the story and am anxious to get to read the next book of the hoped for series.
June 17, 2019
A really great book
I have kindle unlimited but would be willing to pay money for this series. I plan to read the rest
I have kindle unlimited but would be willing to pay money for this series. I plan to read the rest
October 12, 2019
Full review to come!
December 14, 2019
Very good read.
Unusual, imaginative, and well paced. Good for those who enjoy Harry Potter., Or have an interest in Wales and dragons.
Unusual, imaginative, and well paced. Good for those who enjoy Harry Potter., Or have an interest in Wales and dragons.
October 1, 2021
Great New Series!
Fantasy at it’s best. Ms. Bowen writes great mystery novels. This is the first of her fantasy I have read.
Fantasy at it’s best. Ms. Bowen writes great mystery novels. This is the first of her fantasy I have read.
November 28, 2022
Dream walkers Are Powerful
Can't wait for the next book. Read this in one sitting.
I want to see where the next book in this series takes me.
Can't wait for the next book. Read this in one sitting.
I want to see where the next book in this series takes me.
January 16, 2023
I received a free copy from NetGalley. Kind of stereotypical in character traits and setting but an interesting start to a new series.
Date made up. I feel behind on reviews.
Date made up. I feel behind on reviews.
March 16, 2015
Dreamwalker
by Rhyse Bowen
(282 pgs), Grades 3-6
I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ok. Here's the thing. I like boarding school books for the school library. I have said multiple times that as a genre, they are fine and while formulaic, generally deal with ideas of personal freedom and self reliance, privilege and power, being true to yourself etc that our kids enjoy. But the main character, our hero, has to be sympathetic for the formula to work. Harry Potter was so successful because Harry was resilient and found two friends who were both remarkable and a friendship that naturally grew as the story went on. This Novel is also about a young group of kids who possess magical powers but don't know their full potential, and is written for the same target audience (9-14 year olds)
Now the setting is fun: a refurbished Welsh castle, insane asylum, now boarding school filled with kids from such diverse backgrounds as the streets of London, African scientists, Parisian opera singers, and a newly orphaned surfer girl from California. ... And here is where I had a hard time sympathizing with the main character. Addy Walker has just lost her Mother. Her aunt who I never get much of an impression of other than school marm in a business suit doesn't want her. So After a _Pop_ up add appears on her Aunt's computer Addy is shipped off to a the Red Dragon Academy in Wales. From funeral to Wales in less than a week... and Addy seems remarkably ok about it all. And she keeps falling asleep and riding dragons or ending up in the boys bathroom. Addy must join forces with six other boarding school children, discover their powers, and fight together to defeat "the One" (no really that is what he is called) in a mirror world where all magic but "the One's" is suppressed and school is closer to German concentration camps.
Sounds ok right? Well, almost. The story is choppy, and essential elements are strung out like a murder mystery of Who Done it for far too long for a middle grade book. It would have read better to just go "holy cow magical powers COOL!" and move from there. Rather than spend half the time discussing how it couldn't have happened, or reasoning out scientific possibilities for it all lets Learn about their powers instead of throwing out expositional dream snippets of "there is a dream walker" and "the seven powers" or "lets not talk about them because you have to learn on our own" nonsense. Middle school books need more of a "golly gee whee look ma I'm flying" element.
This story lacked sparkle and with characters that were predictable (mean girls, the wealthy princess is an expert at riding, and Ally who is amazing at everything she does...) just doesn't offer enough for me to recommend it to some of my older students. And the whole book was one giant set up. I think it all takes place in a matter of a two or three weeks(?). I am not too sure since time works weirdly in this book, but in almost three hundred pages, not much story happens, just a lot of set up.
Parental note... Actually not a whole lot. The alternate world is not nice, and the bad guy is predictably evil, but the whole thing is pretty bloodless. If your child is in-between boarding school books, and like the whole magical in the mundane they will probably like this story. So three stars if your child Really likes the magical boarding school genre.
by Rhyse Bowen
(282 pgs), Grades 3-6
I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ok. Here's the thing. I like boarding school books for the school library. I have said multiple times that as a genre, they are fine and while formulaic, generally deal with ideas of personal freedom and self reliance, privilege and power, being true to yourself etc that our kids enjoy. But the main character, our hero, has to be sympathetic for the formula to work. Harry Potter was so successful because Harry was resilient and found two friends who were both remarkable and a friendship that naturally grew as the story went on. This Novel is also about a young group of kids who possess magical powers but don't know their full potential, and is written for the same target audience (9-14 year olds)
Now the setting is fun: a refurbished Welsh castle, insane asylum, now boarding school filled with kids from such diverse backgrounds as the streets of London, African scientists, Parisian opera singers, and a newly orphaned surfer girl from California. ... And here is where I had a hard time sympathizing with the main character. Addy Walker has just lost her Mother. Her aunt who I never get much of an impression of other than school marm in a business suit doesn't want her. So After a _Pop_ up add appears on her Aunt's computer Addy is shipped off to a the Red Dragon Academy in Wales. From funeral to Wales in less than a week... and Addy seems remarkably ok about it all. And she keeps falling asleep and riding dragons or ending up in the boys bathroom. Addy must join forces with six other boarding school children, discover their powers, and fight together to defeat "the One" (no really that is what he is called) in a mirror world where all magic but "the One's" is suppressed and school is closer to German concentration camps.
Sounds ok right? Well, almost. The story is choppy, and essential elements are strung out like a murder mystery of Who Done it for far too long for a middle grade book. It would have read better to just go "holy cow magical powers COOL!" and move from there. Rather than spend half the time discussing how it couldn't have happened, or reasoning out scientific possibilities for it all lets Learn about their powers instead of throwing out expositional dream snippets of "there is a dream walker" and "the seven powers" or "lets not talk about them because you have to learn on our own" nonsense. Middle school books need more of a "golly gee whee look ma I'm flying" element.
This story lacked sparkle and with characters that were predictable (mean girls, the wealthy princess is an expert at riding, and Ally who is amazing at everything she does...) just doesn't offer enough for me to recommend it to some of my older students. And the whole book was one giant set up. I think it all takes place in a matter of a two or three weeks(?). I am not too sure since time works weirdly in this book, but in almost three hundred pages, not much story happens, just a lot of set up.
Parental note... Actually not a whole lot. The alternate world is not nice, and the bad guy is predictably evil, but the whole thing is pretty bloodless. If your child is in-between boarding school books, and like the whole magical in the mundane they will probably like this story. So three stars if your child Really likes the magical boarding school genre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews