Power of the Fire Dragon: A Branches Book (Dragon Masters #4): Volume 4

Dragon Masters #4

by Tracey West, Tracey West

It's time for the Dragon Masters to battle the dark wizard!

This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line called Branches, which is aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!

The Dragon Masters are going to visit Queen Rose's kingdom. But Rori and Drake must stay behind. Then a four-headed dragon attacks the castle--and Maldred is riding it! How is Maldred controlling this giant dragon? Will Rori and Drake have to battle the dark wizard on their own?

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Chapter Books, Dragons, Fiction, Middle Grade, Adventure

96 pages, Paperback

First published July 28, 2015

About the author

Tracey West is the New York Times bestselling author of Dragon Masters, a series in the Scholastic Branches line. She has written more than 400 books for kids, including the Pixie Tricks series and the Underdogs series with Kyla May.

Some readers also know Tracey for writing books based on animation such as Pokémon and LEGO Ninjago.

She currently lives in the western Catskills of New York with her husband, Bill; their adopted dogs; and a whole mess of chickens.

Reviews

[♡ Sonja Rosa Lisa ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich mag Drachengeschichten! Diese Kinderbuchreihe hätte ich als Kind daher sehr geliebt, aber auch jetzt als Erwachsene machen mir die Bücher immer noch Spaß.
Dieses ist bereits der vierte Band und er ist sehr abenteuerlich!
Drake und Rori befinden sich mit ihren Drachen alleine auf der Burg, als diese angegriffen wird. Es wird also spannend! :)
Es ist aber alles kindgerecht für Grundschulleser; nicht gruselig oder zu schaurig.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 STARS
Review by C. 9-years-old:
I think this will be scary for anyone under 7 years old because there is a four-headed dragon that sprays poison. I think that the book is fun and that it will be good for kids who like action and kids who like dragons.

[Katlyn Boes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Averys says 5 stars. "Vulcan has fire."

[LEO · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maldred came, they defeated him, and Maldred's dragon is the next dragon master book! Great adventure!

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know a series of books is good when the kids ask almost every day when the next one is coming out. That is what has happened to us and this series. After finishing this 4th book in the Dragon Masters series, every day for 2 weeks now they are asking and we have about three weeks to go. But back to this volume. As mentioned this is the 4 book in a series. The Dragon Masters are young children who the dragon stone indicates will be able to establish a connection with a dragon.

King Roland appears while the children and their Dragons are training. He has plans to King Roland wants to take his Dragons and show them to Queen Rose of the Kingdom of Arkwood. But during the demonstrations things go awry. The king gets mad and decides that Drake and Worm, and Rori and Vulcan must stay behind. The wizard Griffith will need to travel so his friend Diego will come stay with those left behind. Soon the castle is under attack, Maldred and he has his own dragon who has 4 heads. A battle ensues and Drake and Rori are desperate for back up. But to find out what happens you will need to read the book.

Again the illustrations by Graham Howells are awesome. My three children ages 5-9 love going over them again and again to see the details. Every page has embellishments to enhance the look and feel of the book. Wonderful illustrations and a great story combine for a winning combination.

This is a great little series. From my youngest to my oldest who can read them to us the whole family enjoys these books. We cannot wait for the 5th book to come out and desperately hope there will be more after that. The characters are fun to watch as they grow into a team and learn to work together and with their dragons. The dragons have surprises that always add for interesting twists. And the kids just love them. What more could you want. These are books that after we finished them the kids asked to read them again, which now that we are on chapter books does not happen as often. That is the best praise we can give them. These are great books for kids and those who read with and to them!

Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by West and Howells.

[Cami Kubie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book my boys were absolutely obsessed with. Happy to be introducing them to dragons. It’s so cute to listen to Leo predict what will happen next and his reactions to the “bad guy.”

[Corinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack says 4 the reveal/battle of Maldred was pretty cool.

[Krysanne Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favourite book so far in the dragon master series. The book is energetic. Finnley, age 7.

[Angela (Angel's Book Nook)]

My kid really likes the Dragon Masters series. It's great for 1st-3rd graders.

[Isaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. All I can say about it is amazing. With new plots, humor, and creative story telling.

[Aubrey Leger · Rating 5 out of 5]

the fire dragon is vulcan

[Jack Kawata · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think the book was a 5 star book because Rori was trying to be connected with her dragon and she tried and tried and she finally got to connect to her dragon.

[Aneesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite so far... but I have dozens to go!

[Bronwyn]

Oops. Galen read sometime between August 7-13, 2024.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of my random selections out of the library. It is something I do to first off all get back into reading for pleasure, and secondly to be more current with books out there for young readers. Dragon Master was a very light and enjoyable read. I however found the character of Rori a bit weak. I was not sure of Rori's gender, which was a bit annoying. Moving along - it's about 4 young dragon masters and their dragons and how they defend the castle against an evil sorcerer Maldred. It is age appropriate and readers with an interest in castles and dragons will enjoy it.

[Christina (Confessions of a Book Addict) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a fun series for children! My son and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it together. This book is action-packed and ends with a cliffhanger of sorts. We are looking forward to the next book in the series!

[Priya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fourth installment of the dragon master's series with focus on Rori and her dragon Vulcan.

The story starts with all the dragon masters practicing with their dragons. Rori and Vulcan have not yet connected and thus were continuing to have some mishaps due to the communication gap.

It was the day King Roland had finally decided to pay his prized possessions i.e. dragons a visit. His intent was to assess their capability and ensure they are ready to visit Queen Roses' event. During the show off, he was impressed by what Bo's Shu and Ana's Kepri could do, but was not satisfied with Drake's worm or Rori's Vulcan. So he decided that the former two should accompany him leaving the latter behind.

Once the dragons and Griffith were gone, Drake and Rori was with wizard Diego and didn't anticipate any threat. But worm felt something negative but was not able to put a finger on it. When Rori and Drake were at the tower with Vulcan, they saw the 4 headed hydra with Maldred. It was the same creature from Diego'd dream. The eyes of the hydra were glowing red indicating they were under the dark wizards influence. Immediately drake communicated with Worm for help. But in the meantime, Rori was trying to fight Maldred herself with help from Vulcan but in vain. Worm came to the rescue but was captured by Maldred and he was put under a spell.

Diego rushed back to get help. In the nick of time, he was back with the other dragons and Griffith and they were able to fight off Maldred and send him to the magic council prison.

With the help of Worm all of them got back to the event and there finally Rori was able to connect with Vulcan. King Roland and Queen Rose and all the people were very happy to see all the dragons. Later the king also thanked the Dragon masters for handling the battle and winning it.

Once they were back, the dragon Hydra came back asking for asylum and he was immediately welcome. Griffith said he will get his quarters and a new dragon master will be required to work with hydra. This brought excitement to all.

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

The great thing about this series is that it presents situations and scenarios that are not black and white. Which is true for life, and something that our children are learning as well. The fourth installment of the series features Rori and her Fire Dragon, Vulcan. Rori has been shown to be fiery, stubborn, brave, and one that questions authority and throws caution to the wind, so I was excited to see what challenges she and Vulcan would come across. I don't want Rori to have a 180 and have the same personalities as the other Dragon Masters. I like who she is.

My daughter devoured this book. Whether or not she agreed with Rori's actions, there is no denying that this book had suspense and action! We both loved the fearlessness that Rori showed, even if it was on the side of recklessness! My daughter is so much more like Drake than Rori in terms of personality and temperament, but she loves all the Dragon Masters and their dragons.

Vulcan did not disappoint! While also impulsive, he is fierce!

[Ariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a thrilling adventure about the Dragon Masters defending their castle from an evil dark wizard and a giant four-headed dragon. One of my favorite parts of the book is when Drake's dragon transports them, which is a really cool concept. I also loved the funny moment when Vulcan snorts, and Rory's bread turns into toast because of the fire that comes out of his nostrils. This book teaches us that we can always prove ourselves and it's important never to give up.

I highly recommend this book, and I'm sure you'll love it too. If you're interested in reading it for yourself, be sure to click the link to purchase your own copy. It's an incredible story that you won't want to miss.

Power of the Fire Dragon
https://amzn.to/40QPbEd

This book is amazing, and I can't wait for you to see my full review on my YouTube channel:
https://youtu.be/Hq75AhLvjLE

[zapkode · Rating 5 out of 5]

{My thoughts} – Rori finally gets to show us what her dragon Vulcan is made of. Rori and Vulcan are the only two they have yet to connect. Throughout the book, they are put to the ultimate test and are forced to work harder at communicating. It appears that most of it is misunderstanding of direction, but that does change, eventually.

In this book, the castle is under attack by the evil wizard. He shows up with his dragon Hydra and there is much damage that occurs. Vulcan ends up hurt and Worm’s life gets threatened. However, in the end it all comes together nicely. I really enjoyed how well put together this story was in this particular book. It helped to show so many different emotions throughout the characters.

I look forward to reading the next book soon.

[Christine Rains · Rating 4 out of 5]

The young Dragon Masters continue to train with their dragons and also help attend to the kingdom. While Ana and Bo go off to visit Queen Rose, Rori and Drake stay behind. That's when an evil wizard attacks the castle riding a four-headed dragon that spits poison. Will they survive the battle?

This is the fourth book in this children's fantasy series. My seven-year-old son loves them, and he was happy to see this book focused on Rori and her fire dragon, Vulcan. Rori is as impulsive and fiery as her dragon, and that can be immensely dangerous. The plot is thick with tension and fast moving. Lots of fun!

[Lorelai Didur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of spoilers in this review. Don't look at the spoilers if you haven't read book 4.

I would give this a million stars if I could. I like EVERYTHING that happened except one thing I will put in the spoiler part.

The reason why I didn't like one part is because one of the characters didn't listen to the commands of the adults, and she nearly fell to the ground from her dragon because of it. I love that there is a new dragon. Maldred is a really good villain. The way he looks is not that scary, but the way he acts at a point in the book is ANGRY FACE, because he makes Worm evil for a couple of minutes.

[Raven Black · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read these books in order (this is book four). Though as an adult I could pick things up, I am not sure the six to nine age range would be able to. The story is simple, four children (two boys, two girls) are Dragon Masters. Each person has their own story, and we focus on the Rori and her fire dragon, Vulcan in this one. But Drake and Worm are (back) also featured as they fight the dark wizard. The other two people, Bo and Ana are an attempt at diverseness (Bo is Asian looking and Ana has Egyptian overtones). Things feel dated, cliched, and stiff. Book five is set up as we find a new dragon to take into the fold at the end. The illustrations are decent, but not overwhelming. It is a what it is, an easy, fun, fantasy series for young readers/listeners.

[Susan]

Easy to read early chapter book series, which we hadn't read in over a year, but we were able to pick this one up and still enjoy it. Dragons are fun, and I love seeing how the authors bridge the gap between a small picture book story and a full length kids' novel.

I also appreciate that so far this book has had FAR FEWER gender stereotypes than some others out there. (NB: I don't actually remember there being anything that stands out in these. I just come across them in others all too often.)

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miss 7 doesn't reach for these first as a bedtime story but she is enjoying them enough to want to keep going with the series. In book 4, Rory and Vulcan are up. Defending the castle not only has them finally forge a connection but it also helps them set a new dragon free from Maldren's mind control spell.

Miss 7 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rori is having trouble connecting to her dragon, and as usual everyone is totally underestimating Worm. Because of this the two dragons and their riders are left alone at home while the others go to a parade and festival. Of course evil attacks.

I'm liking how others are starting to see Worm's value. But also Rori is working hard to connect with her dragon too. She might even be becoming more likeable...finally? I can't wait to see where the story goes from here though. There's a surprise ending and another dragon?

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rori is easily the most difficult of the four dragon masters. I'm glad her journey to communicating was last.

Because of Rori's stubbornness, an accident happens and she and Drake get left behind. Thankfully a new wizard named Diego is there as well, because trouble comes to the castle while everyone is away.

At the story's end, the dragons have a new friend, and the masters are awaiting a new friend as well.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun series for early readers who love fantasy and dragons! In this particular story, Rori and Drake know their dragons are magnificent, but they can’t get anyone else to see that, especially the king.

But when the evil wizard, Maldred comes to take the dragon stone, Rori seizes the chance to not only stop the evil wizard, but to also show the king what her dragon can do! Will Rori be able to control her dragon to stop Maldred or will Vulcan be blasting out of control?!

[Wayne D Kramer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book brought us to a villain that has been built up since early in the series. The encounter was rather anticlimactic in my opinion. I realize these are kids fantasy books, but to me the title implies something much more epic and developed than what we tend to get. I haven't been deeply impressed...although my daughters (ages 8, 5, and 3) really enjoy these. We've been reading them together at bedtime, and they suit that purpose nicely.

[Laurie Moreland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read aloud to a grandson (age 4) who has read the series multiple times. He enjoyed it just as much with this reading. I found it to be an engaging series about dragons and their child-trainers, well enough written to keep me entertained while my young listener lived the adventure in his mind. Just enough pictures to keep him following at my side, but enough words that his second grade sister would feel accomplished having read it herself. Great discovery.