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The Dragonfly Wish
River Amour has never known freedom, only the cold walls of the orphanage and the weight of watching over her siblings she chose with her heart. Though she’s old enough to leave, she stays behind, unwilling to abandon those still trapped beneath the cruelty of the elders.
But when River encounters a mysterious creature deep in the forest, she’s offered a complete a challenge and her deepest wish will be granted. The task seems simple, deliver an ancient item to the creature. Yet the path leads her directly into the shadow of a king who hasn’t been seen in eighteen years… a ruler cloaked in secrets and silence.
As River steps into a world of hidden magic, dangerous bargains, and unraveling truths, she must decide how far she’s willing to go, and who she’s willing to trust, to give her siblings the freedom they deserve.
But when River encounters a mysterious creature deep in the forest, she’s offered a complete a challenge and her deepest wish will be granted. The task seems simple, deliver an ancient item to the creature. Yet the path leads her directly into the shadow of a king who hasn’t been seen in eighteen years… a ruler cloaked in secrets and silence.
As River steps into a world of hidden magic, dangerous bargains, and unraveling truths, she must decide how far she’s willing to go, and who she’s willing to trust, to give her siblings the freedom they deserve.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 14, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 10, 2026
The Dragonfly Wish, by Leanna Amador, starts off like a very typical coming-of-age fantasy with a likable, headstrong young woman, River, living in an orphanage with her adopted siblings, Asher, Maylyn, and Lemiria. I don't know if I missed early signs, but I assumed at the start that it was a medieval setting, but later scenes introduced more modern technology, so maybe I just need to pay better attention.
The author is young and it shows. Fortunately, River is also young, so the point of view is a good fit.
Some of the writing needed a little clean-up. There are more adverbs than I prefer, and there were a lot of "she exclaimed" and "he muttered" attributions that drew my attention away from the story. It's okay just to say "she said" and "he said" once in a while, I promise.
Along with the modern technology, I was also surprised by the violent turn the story took about the halfway point. I was not expecting that, and it upset me. I cared about the characters and wasn't prepared for the turn. I am not against violence that's earned, but this felt like it came out of nowhere and it wasn't welcome. For a YA book, it is more than I am comfortable with. I'm a grown adult, and it was too much for me. Maybe kids are more resilient than I am. It wouldn't surprise me.
This is a good start to a series and has some fascinating worldbuilding. I am impressed by what this young author has accomplished, and I truly hope she keeps going. I wish I had been as talented as she is at her age. She's very gifted. Let's just stop bumping off the characters I like, though, okay?
4 Wanting-More-Light-Less-Violence Stars
The author is young and it shows. Fortunately, River is also young, so the point of view is a good fit.
Some of the writing needed a little clean-up. There are more adverbs than I prefer, and there were a lot of "she exclaimed" and "he muttered" attributions that drew my attention away from the story. It's okay just to say "she said" and "he said" once in a while, I promise.
Along with the modern technology, I was also surprised by the violent turn the story took about the halfway point. I was not expecting that, and it upset me. I cared about the characters and wasn't prepared for the turn. I am not against violence that's earned, but this felt like it came out of nowhere and it wasn't welcome. For a YA book, it is more than I am comfortable with. I'm a grown adult, and it was too much for me. Maybe kids are more resilient than I am. It wouldn't surprise me.
This is a good start to a series and has some fascinating worldbuilding. I am impressed by what this young author has accomplished, and I truly hope she keeps going. I wish I had been as talented as she is at her age. She's very gifted. Let's just stop bumping off the characters I like, though, okay?
4 Wanting-More-Light-Less-Violence Stars
January 23, 2026
I loved this book, the story line was amazing! The time period setting got a little confusing sometimes during the second half and some thoughts were repeated more than necessary but overall I thought it was great, tho it does get pretty sad at times.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews