Icefire

The Last Dragon Chronicles #2

by Chris d'Lacey

Secrets will be revealed when fire and ice collide...

In the exciting sequel to The Fire Within, David must uncover the truth behind the mysterious clay dragons. David's quest is to discover the link between the fire of the last known dragon on Earth and the icy regions of the Arctic. It's a journey that will change his life forever, a journey that will bring him to the very heart of the legend of dragons and the mysterious, ancient secret of the icefire...

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade, Childrens, Magic

421 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2003

About the author

He was born in Valetta, Malta, but as a child moved first to Leicester and then to Bolton. After gaining a degree in biology from the University of York, he returned to Leicester and got a job at the University of Leicester in their Pre-Clinical Sciences department.
Originally his writing was confined to songs and he didn't turn to fiction until he was 32. His first piece of work was a 250,000 word story about polar bears for his wife, Jay, to accompany a stuffed polar bear he had bought her as a Christmas present.
He didn't write another story for seven years, until he heard about a competition to write a story for young children with a prize of £2,000. The resulting book, A Hole at the Pole, also about polar bears, didn't win - but he sent it off to a publisher, who accepted it.
His first children's novel, Fly, Cherokee, Fly, was published in 1998 and subsequently shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. It was inspired by the time he found an injured pigeon in Victoria Park and nursed it back to health at home. It became a family pet and lived for 14 years in a birdbox attached to the back of the house. All of its offspring were given the names of different Native American tribes, which is where the title of the book comes from.)
He has since written over twenty children's books, including Pawnee Warrior (a sequel to Fly, Cherokee, Fly), a collaborative novel with fellow children's author Linda Newbery (From E To You), and the best-selling, award-winning The Last Dragon Chronicles. His books often contain environmental themes, and events based on things that have happened to him.
In July 2002 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Leicester for his contributions to children's literature. Although writing is now his main source of income, he still works at the university as the operator of the confocal microscope.
His favourite children's books are the Paddington Bear series and The Hobbit, and his favourite children's authors are Allan Ahlberg and Roald Dahl. Chris D'Lacey has written many books like Ice Fire and Fire Star, but his most famous book was Dark Fire, the fifth book in The Last Dragon Chronicles.

Reviews

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 9 year old daughter brought this book home for me to read. She told the school Librarian that she was checking it out for me, and the Librarian let her check it out as her 3rd book (they are only allowed 2 books) since it was for me.

I loved this book! It was so well written. I loved the characters, even Aunty Gwyneth, who was soooo creepy. I loved the clay dragons, and wish that I could have a few of my own!! Who wouldn't want a wishing dragon, a listening dragon (you could really spy on people ;) ), or a writing dragon? I also love the way that the dragons talk, and could picture the sounds that they were making!

My favorite character would have to be Zanna. She reminds me so much of Abby on NCIS! She is so quirky and lovable, and really tries to keep David in line.

I don't know why it has taken me so long to find these books, and it looks like this one is #2 in the series. Now I have to find the other ones and read them!!

[Kerri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book at least ten years ago. Now that I'm finally undertaking the series in its entirety I'm pleased to say I enjoyed it just as much as I remembered -- perhaps a little more because I know had the information from the first book, so understand more about the characters, the squirrels and the magical Pennykettle dragons. I love Zanna especially. I'd felt like there had been something missing in the first book and as soon as she appeared I realised it was her, my favourite character!

The adventure here is great and really steps things up from the first book. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this entire series comes together.

[Ty Crisp · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stunning ingenuity of Chris D'Lacy expresses itself once again in the second installment of the Last Dragon Chronicles. In this continuation of the plot, David finally discovers the secrets of the Pennykettle Dragons, along with the uncovering of a link between polar bears and and dragons of ancient times. Icefire is indeed a step up on the maturity level compared to The Fire Within, yet the childish innocence of the first book manages to carry over as well.

One aspect of the book that really impacted me was the description of "auma" or someones inner fire. Auma can be compared to the breath of God, or universal consciousness. It is the animating force of the Pennykettle Dragons, and it is a major part of the plot. I'm guessing (but not entirely for sure) that "auma" is the author's personalization of the Hindu and Buddhist "Aum" or "Om." It is often referred to as the sound of the Earth… Creation... The heart of existence. This idea is very inspiring. ;-)

All in all, Icefire is definitely a good read. If you enjoyed The Fire Within, you will be satisfied by it's sequel. I will give some warning though, this book seems to open the door to the more cosmic aspects of the series, which may be confusing to some. I am looking forward to reviewing the later books in the series, including the recently released Fire World. Until then, read on! ;-)

[Lauren Wiseman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars

Icefire was definitely a step up from The Fire Within. Going from squirrels to polar bears was a smart move on d'Lacey's part.

Zanna started out being my least, least favorite character. I could not freaking stand her. But then she lost what made her aggravating and she became worlds better and I now support her relationship with David.
Lucy has a Luna-on-caffeine angle to her, which I just now realized. While she's not my favorite character, I still think she improved in this book.

What didn't work about this book was the fact most of the characters were on the brink of breaking free and becoming the most awesome characters ever. But David hogged it all, no joking. I think had we seen a bit more of Liz, Luce, and Dr. Bergstrom, it would have been worlds better. It would have earned a full out five, instead of a 3.5.

I'll probably end up reading the others we have, because they have a nice new angle on dragons, giving them special jobs to do and making them small parrot-like friends that help out people. And I'm a sucker for fantasy meets the real world.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book of 'The Last Dragon' chronicles, Icefire is a worthy successor to The Fire Within and a great book. It continues from where the first book ends, with Liz, Lucy, and David and the cast of dragons in the Pennykettle household. D'Lacey does a great job expanding the lore and history of this world, with more dragon lore and Pennykettle backstory, as well as the introduction of the mystical polar bears. Add to that a great villain in the shape of the ancient crone Gwilanna, and its a really good tale. There are points where the pacing seems a bit strange, seemingly building to a climax only to stall and simmer down again, and at points it can be tricky to follow the lore: until the end you only get bits and pieces, and as the plot is contingent on the whole thing you can perhaps feel a bit lost, as there is a lot going on. But, as with 'Fire', this ambiton and willingness to take on a larger story is why i think this series is so great. Mystical dragons and bears, witchcraft, time travel and ancient gods, not to mention some good, believable and heartwarming characters, as well as the interplay between them. A great book to follow the first.

[Alyson Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book: Icefire
Author: Chris D’Lacey
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I’ve been reading these books off and on since I was in middle school. There is just something charming about these books that make me really enjoy them. I know they aren’t prefect, but they are actually a pretty strong children’s fantasy series.

I like the myths and dragonlore that this series brings to the table. It is a very different take on dragons and what they are supposed to be. I like the idea of there being different kinds of dragons and each of them having certain abilities. The idea of them being able to be made is great as well. I have always liked this element of the books. It is what makes these books stand out and makes them special. We get to see something that we don’t get to see everyday in fantasy and I really enjoy it. Fantasy is a board genre, but we do have cliches. By adding this little bit to it, we get to see something different and I think that this is what makes me keep coming back to these books.

The writing is really simple and easy to get through. I think a lot of people do forget that this is a children’s series, so it is going to be written a little bit of simpler fashion. We are going to see shorten sentences and easier words used. It’s okay. You, as the reader, just have to remember what age group this is written for. I don’t know why people want to give this book a lot of flak for the way that it is written. It’s a children’s book and you just have to remember that.

What really makes this book stand out to me is the unique plot and magic system. This book has one unlike any that I have ever read before. A lot of people want to brush off children’s literature, but it does a certain amount of uniqueness and charm to it. It reminds you of what childhood used to be.

Anyway, I have just really enjoyed reading this books throughout the years and cannot wait to revisit some of them.

[Anthony · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is an okay book. That is my hook. This book is not a very good one, because it is very boring, and can lead to spontaneous sleeping spells. Chris D'Lacy wrote this series of dragon books, without the dragons. There are dragons, just not as a person would think a dragon is.
This book is about a man named David living in a house with his landlord and her daughter. The landlord creates clay dragons that David soon realizes come to life, and have a purpose. David goes to find the origin of the dragons, and must travel to the arctic in order to find the last dragon on earth, which is ironic, since fire does not usually thrive in extrememly cold weather.
I recommend this book to readers who do not like a lot of action or suspense in their books, but like calm books about relationships and dragon fantasies. In reality, this book does not do dragons, who are supposed to be ferocious, giant creatures justice, since they are as small as clay dolls.

[Lilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well I definitely didn’t get to this book in “a couple days” but nevertheless I finally found time to read it.
Likes:
Again the plot had threw my for a very unexpected wild ride! Had me absolutely hooked. I still love Lucy so much she’s such a sweetheart. The dragons really come to life ;p in this book. I absolutely love their character and big hearts. Mr. Bacon is simply splendid. And Bonnington, that stupid and lovable cat that just cracks you up.
The mythology for this book’s world was -though very weird and mystical as I expected in a magical book with dragons- very well thought out.
Dislikes:
There was one instance of swearing.
I still had trouble with David’s character as well. He’s acting more mature in this book, but now the way he handles his relationships is what makes me dislike him.

[Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

This supernatural-fantasy,mystery-thriller series has amazed me farther than i would've thought.Though it is an old book in the ongoing series i am very excited as the author shows more and more mysteries and more to come. These books/series has changed my perspective by how I view other characters and their actions. Also I can relate to the main character,David,by how he is very stressed and overwhelmed with school/college and on top of that he is trying to find someone to publish books that he writes to get money. This book in particular out of the series so far has made me feel very eager to read more, also it made me feel very inspiring on how David doesn't want to become a writer necessarily but he is good at it. Overall my favorite thing in the book is the mystery of the dragons and the dragon tear.My least favorite thing about this book is they always wanted to keep David in the dark about the dragon/supernatural world they live in. Also one thing I would like to change about the book entirely would be how David has to find out about the dragons mostly by himself, also how he doesn't really believe in the dragons at first. Last, i feel a deep connection with this book and the main character because I seem to understand what is going on better than most of the other books iv'e read. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves any type of fantasy or thriller book.

[David H.]

Why I didn't finish this: My son really wanted me to read this series, not because he's read it, but because it has dragons and he thinks I'd like it (he won't read it himself because there are no pictures inside). I read the first book which was okay, but the issue here was that I just didn't care about the main character all that much (especially with how reluctant he was to accept any kind of fantastical element). It's also a bit annoying because the author is British and the story is so clearly British, but has also clearly had an American-localization attempt, so despite his college working like a British one and hedgehogs in the yard (there are no wild hedgehogs in the US), he also uses American money. Anyway, it's also written like an MG/YA book, but the character is a 20-year-old college student, and the new focus on his dating life here is annoying and I just couldn't be bothered anymore with this.

[15andrewsb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heart warming and then heart breaking book

[Ryan]

The icefire by Chris ‘D'lacey was a great sequel to the series i would recommend this book to anyone who like action and loves myths. This book helps portray good myths of it own with dragons and wismy. If u pick this book up off the shelf you will enjoy this wonder of a world full of action and regret and wismy.

As we see a few weeks after the end of the first book we see david countuine his study and his girlfriend gone and now a new threat has appeared and he’s companplating cheating on his girlfriend but that not all he has to fight for the dragons and his and their home hope u enjoy.

[Niranjan Joshi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Icefire, by Chris d'Lacey, is a 426 page long children's fantasy novel. The book is about a boy named David. He is renting a room from Elizabeth Pennykettle, her daughter Lucy, and their mysterious clay dragons. In the epic second installment of the Last Dragon Chronicles, David must find the link between the dragons and the Arctic, and the secret of the icefire.
I personally loved Icefire. It was an extremely captivating book. The author’s fast paced writing style kept me turning the pages. For example, here is a passage from the book: “The boards beneath the tenant had quickly given away, sending him crashing to the soil below- a fall of a couple of feet, no more, but the rubble that had followed him through the hole, sucked by a vortex of Gwilanna’s hate, had piled in on top, encasing his body and squeezing the air fully out of his lungs. One pitiful hand had poked through the mound, twitched just once, then fallen flat.”
The plot twists and turns and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The way you view a certain character can change in a moment. While on the topic of characters, Chris d'Lacey’s characters are also well described. This is a quote from Icefire describing a character: “Suzanna- Zanna- Martindale was a girl in his department. She was a Goth. She had a face as white as a hard- boiled egg and she dressed from head to toe in black; black tiered skirts full of tassels and fringes that danced across the laces of her black boots; black T-shirts, usually sporting some mystic picture…” The author goes on describing the girl for about a page. Don’t get me wrong; this isn’t too much detail. Instead, Chris d'Lacey writes just enough to create a vivid mental picture in your head but keep you interested in the story and not sinking in a sea of detail.
Another plus about this book is that it’s plot is original. When I picked up this book, I expected a generic plot about a hero boy riding a dragon to defeat an evil witch or sorcerer. What I got though, was something I had never seen before. I had never heard of, or seen, the concept of clay dragons. I think the originality of the plot is one of the main reasons I kept reading.
Chris d'Lacey is a well qualified children’s author. he has won many medals for his books. This is a list of his awards: In 1998, Fly, Cherokee, Fly was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, in 2002, The Fire Within won the Rotherham Children's Book Award, also in 2002, Chris d'Lacey won an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Leicester, in 2005, Horace was shortlisted for the Bolton Children's Book Award and the Hampshire Book Award, in 2006, Icefire was shortlisted for the Angus Book Award, and in 2010, Gruffen won the Books Factor Award. Icefire( The Last Dragon Chronicles, # 2) is worth $6.53 (paperback) on Amazon.com. Icefire was published on July 1st 2007 by Scholastic Paperbacks (first published November 25th 1985).

[Julia B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

My experience reading the last book was not great because of Scholastic's odd marketing choices (it was more about squirrels than dragons). With that first one out of the way, I thought I would be less bewildered by this one. Unfortunately, I was wrong about that.

While the focus is more on dragons than the first, and polar bears make for significantly more interesting subject matter than squirrels, the character balance in this one is way off. What was charming about the first book was the cozy found family vibe between the Pennykettles, their new tenant David, his girlfriend Sophie, and their various pets and neighbors. But this one from the beginning focused far too much on David, whose character took a rapid nosedive. David was very curmudgeonly, unlikable, and uninteresting. Lucy has completely lost her place as second-in-command—she spends the entire book crying and being ignored. Liz spends half the book in a coma. Sophie gets a job in Africa and abruptly leaves. This is a problem because David's relationship with these characters was what made him likable in the first place. He also suddenly decides that the whole dragon thing is dumb even though he saw they were real at the end of the last book. (Yes, because David's life at college is so much more interesting than anything to do with dragons. I'm on the edge of my seat here.)

Enter Zanna. Easily the best character in this book, I enjoyed her immensely. (Although one of these days I really am going to have to sit down and have a conversation with myself: "Do you really like this character, Julia? Or do you just like that she's a witch?") I did not enjoy that she was immediately and inexplicably enamored with David from the moment she was introduced. Like, whoa, okay! Shouldn't you at least give that some time to steep, D'Lacey?

Of course, this leads to a love triangle of sorts between David, Zanna, and Sophie (who David was absolutely cheating on btw, I don't know what you're smoking here Chris). A love triangle? In my dragon book?? Is nothing sacred???

Moving past all the hooing and haaing over who's going to get with whom, David is a much more obnoxious self-insert in this second book. He goes through a whole storyline to get his children's book published, which at one point leads him to ogling all the women who work at the publishing company and thinking to himself, "Now I have to get into children's books!" Charming.

There are still parts of this series that have potential; stuff unrelated to David. But unfortunately he smothers everything in his death-grip. I cannot take any more David Rain. I must move on.

[Seanh2012 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sequal to the first book, "The Fire Within", "Ice Fire" can only be described as a great improvement. I liked all the same things but i think what is best in this book was the suspence, the new characters and the conflicts. Those are the things i didnt realy find in the first book.
The first thing i like is the suspence in the story. The first story was realy setup for the next ones and in the firt book the suspence and climax doesnt come until the end and Ice Fire keeps the suspence going. The story stays suspeceful untill the very end and also gives a hint of what is to come in the next book.
I also liked the new characters that came in Ice Fire.
The new characters bring their own new stories and also reaveal a little bit more about the older and main characters pasts. The new characters also add more mystery in the story wich only makes it more interesting.
Finally the last think i like was the conflicts. The new characters bring new characters in whole new situations and that makes everything better. The conflicts in the story make the resolutions and climaxes in the story more exciting and interesting.
The Fire Within and Ice Fire are just the begining and are not the best in the series but they set up the base for the rest of the series. The book is definately one of the best ive ever read and i would recomend it to any other fictional book reader. So dont just stop at the fire within, keep reading and get to the other books in the series because it only gets better.

[Mike Benliyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Icefire by Chris d'Lacey is one of the best books I have ever read. The book always had you thinking about how each piece of information effects the present and the future. In the book the main character, David, went through battles, polar bears, and special dragon magic. In the last book David thought that the clay dragons were inanimate objects but now he finally realized that they were more than that. He discovered that each dragon was half alive: meaning that each dragon had their own part they played in which they came to life to do. It was worth reading every page of Icefire. If there wasn't action, there were some internal problems. I would recommend this book to people that like to think of the Earth in a different way and also like myths

[Everet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Icefire, by Chris d'Lacey, is about David trying to find the fire tear of Gawain, the dragon. The story begins with David talking to Dr. Bergstrom who is the polar bear, Loral. David, with the tooth of Rengar, tries to find Gawain's tear before Gwilliana, the Sybel, steals it to make a new, real dragon. With the help of Greth, the wishing dragon, Grace, the listening dragon, Grettel, the potions dragon, and Gadzooks, the writing dragon, David sets out to the arctic to the Island of the Tooth of Rengar. David does not find the fire tear yet, but encounters nine polar bears that rule the arctic.
I really liked this book because it was exciting and I really thought David was going to find the fire tear, but he doesn't. It was suspenseful and really awesome!

[Siobhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

In all honesty, these are books that are fun at the time of reading them but as you get older they quickly lose their allure.

I’ve always enjoyed dragons books and because of that I think it took me longer to realise it is a rather repetitive read. Not that such a thing really matters all that much with children’s books, so long as the child is engaged with the story, but as I worked my way through the series they seemed to lose their fun somewhat because of this.

By the time I reached the fourth book I was old enough and wise enough to realise I wanted something more from my reading. Nevertheless, it was fun at the time.

[Dayna Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this sequel to The Fire Within, David must uncover the secret of the clay dragons to save Liz and Lucy from the evil clutches of the sibyl Gwilanna. He must discover the link between the Arctic polar bears and the fire of the last dragon Gawain. He must also deal with two girlfriends, a strange visiting college professor, a white hedgehog, a pushy publisher, and Mr. Bacon next door. An enticing sequel, sure to make you want to read more of this series. It's a very fun read even with the global warming, save the polar bears political correctness. A little more intense than the first book.

[Daniela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, this book was very disappointing. I expected so much more. When I was younger and reading this series, it was so much better. Maybe it's because I've grown older. But I honestly hated this book. I don't see me reading the rest of the series in the future.

The romance did not make sense and the plot was just too boring. As people say it was cringeworthy. I'm so sad that these books don't excites me anymore.

[✨ Gramy ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

.
I found this series fascinating, magical, and entertaining.

[LadyMuffinchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Band zwei schließt fast nahtlos an Band eins an und erzählt von David und den Pennykettles. Diese haben ein Faible für ihre Drachenwesen aus Ton, die mehr oder weniger leben und ihrer jeweiligen Zuordnung alle Ehre machen. David erhält von seinem Gastdozent die Aufgabe einen Aufsatz über Drachen zu schreiben, sollte der Aufsatz gefallen und den ersten Platz machen, gewinnt er eine Forschungsreise in die Arktis. Doch eigentlich will er das Geheimnis um die Drachen bewahren, aber er stößt bei seinen Recherchen auf unglaubliches und dabei ruft er leider böse Kräfte auf den Plan...

David ist ein recht angenehmer Protagonist. Er ist ein typischer fauler Student, der jedoch bei Themen, die ihn interessieren doch für die Sache brennt. Seine Gedanken und Handlungen sind stringend und klar. Es ist einfach mitzukommen, hier fehlt es eventuell etwas an Tiefgründigkeit. Auch seine Gefühle zu Zanna kann ich zwar nachvollziehen, aber der Funke ist nicht auf mich übergesprungen.

Zanna ist als Figur ziemlich cool und dazu hat sie Feuer. Gerne hätte ich mehr über sie erfahren, da es noch recht oberflächlich gehalten war, aber ich gehe davon aus, dass Band 3 hier mehr verraten wird.

Die weiteren Chataktere wie Liz und Lucy haben mir ganz gut gefallen, auch, wenn mich Lucy manchmal doch etwas genervt hat. Dr. Bergstrom ist geheimnisvoll und mystisch, auch hier hoffe ich auf etwas mehr.

Highlight sind in jedem Fall die Drachen, die auf ihre Art und Weise alle für sich besonders sind. Sie haben durch ihre verschiedenen Aufgabenbereiche auch unterschiedliche Charakterzüge, die mal lustig, mal traurig oder erzürnend sind. Definitiv im Zweifel aber auch chaotisch.

Die Geschichte ist ganz schön erzählt und der Schreibstil ist dazu angenehm. Bin sehr gespannt, welche Richtung die Geschichte noch einschlägt, die Idee mit der Vergangenheit und den Bären gefällt mir zwar, scheint mir jedoch bisher noch keinen erkenntlich roten Faden zu haben.

Insgesamt finde ich das Buch ganz in Ordnung. Es beinhaltet Fantasy, etwas Humor und Gefühle und eine niedliche Prise Drachen. 🧊

[Bea Maclaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well that escalated quickly. I forgot this was a bit of a soft reset for the series (after one book yes - I’m fairly certain the first book wasn’t meant to be the start of a series). The shift from light fantasy/even a bit of magical realism to full blown fantasy was ultimately the right choice I feel if this was going to be a series - there’s only so many stories to be told about little clay dragons that are secretly alive in a mysterious, somewhat non-literal sense. The characters are still sweet and increasingly complex for a kids book (albeit David having to learn the same lesson of “the dragons are real” was a bit of a bore but this time it paid off since the dragons are unambiguously real now and all the characters that need to know are initiated).

Having Sophie be written out of the story in favor of Zanna is a double edged sword- I really like Sophie but she’s not the right character for a fantasy series that is increasingly untethered from anything resembling reality and whose magic system is really being fleshed out. Zanna is great so having her be David’s new love interest helps lesson the blow even if she’s a bit cliche at first (oh boy never seen the goth girl unknowingly be a sybil before!). The cliffhanger ending was so ominous too, I love it - I can’t remember what they do with Gwillana as a villain going forward but I’m sure it’ll be fun to find out.

Not much else to say - cute book with fun characters and a world that feels actually lived in and dynamic with rich lore for its target audience. Looking forward to the next one!

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Icefire is a awesome continuation from the previous book taking the story into a totally different direction! :D The story feels like it is made on the fly and this suits it perfectly because you as the reader as well as the characters really have no idea where the story is going! :D New plot points are thrown in all the time which really keeps you on your toes giving the book its frenetic pace! :D David meets Zanna in this one and Sophia is out the window in Africa which leads to some awkward moments which with the burgeoning personalities of the dragons leads to humour throughout the book this of course keeps the feeling of the book light! :D This works brilliantly and you will find yourself staying up late to find out what happens! Gadzooks and Bonnington attempt throughout to steal the show and Aunt Gwyneth is pure evil and really hams it up through really reminiscent of a certain Arch Chancellor in Discworld! :D

The plot breezes along at a cracking pace introducing hedgehogs, dragons and bears with abundance and reads like a story that whatever your age you can really enjoy! :D Excellent plotting, hard to anticipate plot twists and serious world building! :D

Icefire really expands the world is full of action, adventure, humour ('Going to save Henry's bacon!' Lol) and at the same time vast, a roller-coaster ride and action packed! :D Brilliant And highly recommended! :D

[Felicity Wishes · Rating 3 out of 5]

So the previous book in this series gave almost nothing away, but right from the beginning Icefire was very different. There was a lot of mysteries placed and we got the majority of our answers. I thought that the beginning was very strong, it got a little bit messy and confusing somewhere along the way, but everything managed to sort itself out.

As I have said, there are some elements of the plot that I found confusing and a bit weird, and I still can't decide whether I actually liked that or not. I really like the mystery that we have going with this series.

I liked all our new characters, Zanna, Dr. Bergstrom and Gwillana. I think they added more magic to the series that had previously been quite realistic. There was a lot of more acting, and a lot more about dragons- definitely a good thing.

In conclusion: bears is a step up from squirrels. I'll be back for book three

[Robert Duval]

the ice fire is a really good book where David now must find out about the location of the last fire tear but gwilanna is making plans to steal it and use the tear to make the dragon that Elizabeth will be incubating. but they thwart her plans and she disperses. 100/10 recommended

[Kyla Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much better than the 1st, the lore is very well conceived. Still some weird writing here and there but feels like a real story when compared to the first book.

[Izzy]

So reading the second books of a series first really started early for me

[Winter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally, a book about dragons. And hedgehogs? And polar bears? And house cats? Honestly, this series is off its rocker. This book was interesting, and the characters where written WAY better this time around (except for Liz who was out for most of the book and when she wasn't she was completely one dimensional, thanks for wasting my favourite character), but all these elements just felt awkwardly mixed together. I still feel like this series is very misleading, less than the first book, but still not exactly a story about dragons. It's weird because while reading this book I felt the desire to stop reading and go read a book about Polar Bears instead, since this book was mainly about them but then not really either. I really hope that in the future installments in this series, if I do read them, the others will just focus on main one topic, one theme, and not try and bring in elements that don't seem to mix together well (like randomly chosen animals for the cool factor, no pun intended). But I have to give it points for fixing some of what was wrong with the first book. Still giving it a 3.5 stars rating, here's hoping I don't regret it.

[Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

once more, you're sleeping behind me while I finish this. I adore you. let me read to you!