What do you think?
Rate this book
Indigo's Dragon
Some families keep monstrous secrets ...
When Indigo’s grandfather vanishes in the Polish mountains Indigo is plunged into an adventure in which he encounters astonishing creatures in need of help, and discovers the amazing truth about dragons – and himself.
‘Filled with beautiful, vivid characters and language that will transport you to a world you cannot even begin to imagine.’ Delightful Book Reviews
‘Invites you to walk the tight rope of magical adventures which will captivate the wild imagination and the spirit of being young.’ Mr. Ripley’s Enchanted Books
‘A stunning tale with an ingenious twist.’ Heather Reviews
‘I was surprised at how emotionally invested in the characters I became, as towards the end I laughed and caught my breath at some of the best of moments.’ Creativity and Crazy
‘My favourite part of the story has to be the mind-bending twist near the end.’ The Bookbag
When Indigo’s grandfather vanishes in the Polish mountains Indigo is plunged into an adventure in which he encounters astonishing creatures in need of help, and discovers the amazing truth about dragons – and himself.
‘Filled with beautiful, vivid characters and language that will transport you to a world you cannot even begin to imagine.’ Delightful Book Reviews
‘Invites you to walk the tight rope of magical adventures which will captivate the wild imagination and the spirit of being young.’ Mr. Ripley’s Enchanted Books
‘A stunning tale with an ingenious twist.’ Heather Reviews
‘I was surprised at how emotionally invested in the characters I became, as towards the end I laughed and caught my breath at some of the best of moments.’ Creativity and Crazy
‘My favourite part of the story has to be the mind-bending twist near the end.’ The Bookbag
- GenresFantasy
208 pages, Paperback
Published June 23, 2016
2 people are currently reading
592 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 19 reviews
July 7, 2016
I received an ARC of Indigo's Dragon from the author!
For anyone who likes reading How To Train Your Dragon, Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, Indigo's Dragon is the perfect read for you! Its adventurous thrills and gorgeous settings in both the Lake District, England and the Polish mountains, the main character Indigo starts to experience some strange going-ons and when a parcel turns up on his doorstep, Indigo finds himself discovering hidden secrets of his grandfather. Until his grandfather goes missing.
Dragons are my secret weakness in books, Alice loves her dragons making appearances. The cover for the ARC is great as it focuses in on a dragon's eye. It was a really quick read and very enjoyable, I would read the rest of the series when the books are released in Dec 2016 and Jun 2017.
I would also like to thank Sofi (the author) for allowing me to review her novel, and for sending me a lovely postcard as well!
For anyone who likes reading How To Train Your Dragon, Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, Indigo's Dragon is the perfect read for you! Its adventurous thrills and gorgeous settings in both the Lake District, England and the Polish mountains, the main character Indigo starts to experience some strange going-ons and when a parcel turns up on his doorstep, Indigo finds himself discovering hidden secrets of his grandfather. Until his grandfather goes missing.
Dragons are my secret weakness in books, Alice loves her dragons making appearances. The cover for the ARC is great as it focuses in on a dragon's eye. It was a really quick read and very enjoyable, I would read the rest of the series when the books are released in Dec 2016 and Jun 2017.
I would also like to thank Sofi (the author) for allowing me to review her novel, and for sending me a lovely postcard as well!
August 14, 2016
I came across this book at YALC. I am a huge fan of dragons and craved a small book that I could finish relatively quickly. This book was also signed which was an added bonus! Anyway, I really enjoyed Indigo’s Dragon, it was very easy to read an the writing style was beautiful. It was a little too young for me and would be far more suited to a middle grade child but who cares, right? This book had plenty of messages that are well suited to any age.
Indigo is a 13 year old boy who loves to explore. He believes that he would be happy living in the same place for the rest of his life. He has the mountains close by and loves living in a small town but that changes when his grandfather’s satchel mysteriously appears. He is taken aback by the details of all of this mythical creatures. Well, he couldn’t read a lot of it because it was in Polish but he was intrigued nonetheless. Indigo soon discovers that his entire family have been keeping a huge secret from him. Something that will change his life forever.
This tiny book is packed full of mythical creatures. Unicorns, dragons, kraken, creatures from Greek mythology and so much more! Indigo travels to Poland to be with his grandmother as his grandfather has gone missing. He soon discovers that his grandfather built a sanctuary for these mythical creatures to breed. Sofi Croft described everything so beautiful and I was left feeling rather nostalgic but very content. It truly is a heart-warming story of love and loss. The elements of fantasy definitely darken it quite a bit whilst simultaneously creating something rather visually stunning.
If you are still searching for a reason to read this book then I will let you know that Indigo’s Dragon contains none of those annoying trope’s - i.e love triangles or packed full of romance. This book is not a love story but it is a story that does contain love. There are no brooding males or strong females that show no vulnerability whatsoever. Indigo is both heroic but also timid and scared. Croft has created something truly enjoyable for anyone. Thank you, Sofi, thank you.
This tiny book is packed full of mythical creatures. Unicorns, dragons, kraken, creatures from Greek mythology and so much more! Indigo travels to Poland to be with his grandmother as his grandfather has gone missing. He soon discovers that his grandfather built a sanctuary for these mythical creatures to breed. Sofi Croft described everything so beautiful and I was left feeling rather nostalgic but very content. It truly is a heart-warming story of love and loss. The elements of fantasy definitely darken it quite a bit whilst simultaneously creating something rather visually stunning.
If you are still searching for a reason to read this book then I will let you know that Indigo’s Dragon contains none of those annoying trope’s - i.e love triangles or packed full of romance. This book is not a love story but it is a story that does contain love. There are no brooding males or strong females that show no vulnerability whatsoever. Indigo is both heroic but also timid and scared. Croft has created something truly enjoyable for anyone. Thank you, Sofi, thank you.
April 3, 2016
A beautifully written mesmerizing tale of a small boy who befriends monsters while searching for his missing grandfather in the Polish mountains. Every child, boy or girl, will identify with Indigo and his problems, small and monstrous. A story about family, friendship, love and finding out the truth about yourself. My grandchildren adored this book and eagerly waited for bedtime so they could hear the "next episode.".
February 18, 2017
Indigo's Dragon is a very interesting tale. It is a quick read, but very entertaining. I actually want to recommended to all my good read friends. If you love Dragon's then you will love this story. I first thought it was a UK version of Eragon. However, I was wrong in a good way. Please read this book!
October 8, 2016
A beautiful story of mythical animals living in our world. In an adventure from the Lake District to Poland, Indigo is in search of his grandfather. As in all great stories, he finds much more than he had expected along the way. I read this with my 11-year-old daughter and we both loved how natural and wonderful these incredible creatures became part of the story. They seemed so real, but still maintained their sense of awe. The truly mesmerising end left us both open-mouthed and wanting more. Luckily there is more from Indigo coming soon. Hooray! We can’t wait.
March 27, 2016
I received this book free from the publisher, however that does not directly affect my opinion of the novel and/or skew it in any way. All opinions are my own and this review is honest.
I have an interview with the author premiering on creativityandcrazy.blogspot.com in Early April.
Indigo's Dragon by Sofi Croft is a fantastic novel about a boy called Indigo (named after his unusual Indigo eyes) who embarks on an adventure after mysteriously receiving his Grandfather's satchel in the post one day to later find him missing.
I really enjoyed the plot, I liked the characters and it was a fun read. I thought that the plot was really well thought out, with some really enjoyable areas in it.
For such a short book, I was surprised at how emotionally invested in the characters I became, as towards the end I laughed and caught my breath at some of the best of moments.
What I thought was cool was that this novella is set in the Polish mountains, I have never read a novel set in such a place and I think that it is so cool! It definitely added to the uniqueness of the story and was great in general.
There are two main reasons that I didn't think that this was a five star novel. I felt like the novel was a little bit out of my age range, which stopped me from enjoying it slightly. This was quite disappointing, because although it isn't the fault of the book, it just wasn't suited to my taste at that moment. However, in you were 13 or under or so, and/or you were just getting into reading, or the summary of the book appeals to you a lot. then you may have found a winner! Unfortunately as much as I enjoyed the novel, it wasn't for me.
I also thought the novel was too short. Again, this may have been due to the targeted age range. It really did double as a quick read though, so that didn't bother me as such. I just wish for maybe another 30 pages on the top of it.
Overall, I thought that this book would be brilliant for someone who was looking for a quick read to take their mind off of something (like an exam), need an in between read or you are young and you want to try out a cool adventure novel set in a different place, definitely try out Indigo's Dragon because it will probably be straight up your street. Also if you are quite young (I want to say under 12 or 13) because you would definitely find the writing style quite simple or easy. (or if you are simply looking for a simple writing style, check out the novella)
I have an interview with the author premiering on creativityandcrazy.blogspot.com in Early April.
Indigo's Dragon by Sofi Croft is a fantastic novel about a boy called Indigo (named after his unusual Indigo eyes) who embarks on an adventure after mysteriously receiving his Grandfather's satchel in the post one day to later find him missing.
I really enjoyed the plot, I liked the characters and it was a fun read. I thought that the plot was really well thought out, with some really enjoyable areas in it.
For such a short book, I was surprised at how emotionally invested in the characters I became, as towards the end I laughed and caught my breath at some of the best of moments.
What I thought was cool was that this novella is set in the Polish mountains, I have never read a novel set in such a place and I think that it is so cool! It definitely added to the uniqueness of the story and was great in general.
There are two main reasons that I didn't think that this was a five star novel. I felt like the novel was a little bit out of my age range, which stopped me from enjoying it slightly. This was quite disappointing, because although it isn't the fault of the book, it just wasn't suited to my taste at that moment. However, in you were 13 or under or so, and/or you were just getting into reading, or the summary of the book appeals to you a lot. then you may have found a winner! Unfortunately as much as I enjoyed the novel, it wasn't for me.
I also thought the novel was too short. Again, this may have been due to the targeted age range. It really did double as a quick read though, so that didn't bother me as such. I just wish for maybe another 30 pages on the top of it.
Overall, I thought that this book would be brilliant for someone who was looking for a quick read to take their mind off of something (like an exam), need an in between read or you are young and you want to try out a cool adventure novel set in a different place, definitely try out Indigo's Dragon because it will probably be straight up your street. Also if you are quite young (I want to say under 12 or 13) because you would definitely find the writing style quite simple or easy. (or if you are simply looking for a simple writing style, check out the novella)
June 25, 2016
Originally posted here: https://heatherreviews.wordpress.com/...
__________________
I was really excited when I first heard about this book. I love a good dragon story and when it’s set in our world and not a high fantasy, all the better. Adding magic to the every day isn’t easy, but when it’s done right – like this – it’s a wonderful thing.
Indigo lives with his family in the Lake District, enjoying the scenery and his every day life, until one day he receives his beloved Opi’s bag. His grandfather was never without the bag and so naturally Indigo is worried. When mysterious creatures he always thought existed only in his Opi’s tales appear on his doorstep, Indigo finds himself on an adventure that takes him to the beautiful country of Poland to learn the secrets that his family has kept.
First of all, as cheesy as it sounds, I’m going to say it anyway: this book is magical. Whisking readers away from the ordinary almost immediately, with Indigo finding a mythical magpie-cat in his garden, Croft does an excellent job of weaving our world in with the fantastic.
As Indigo meets the delightfully blunt and mysterious Rue at the library while looking for answers, events are set in motion that find them both in Kraków, Poland. Indigo is there to learn about his heritage and find Opi but he doesn’t speak the language and so both he and the reader find it difficult to understand just exactly what his grandmother, Omi, is trying to tell him. I loved the way that you could see the loving relationship between them despite the language barrier.
While Indigo explores the sanctuary that his grandfather set up and filled with fantastical creatures, Omi seems to become older and more frail with each passing day, and Indigo is running out of time as the delicate balance of the sanctuary tips in his grandfather’s absence.
A truly imaginative and exciting tale, with beautiful descriptions of both the Lake District and Kraków with the sanctuary of mythical creatures. Croft has created a stunning tale with an ingenious twist.
A wonderful story for young and old readers alike. I only wish it could have been longer, I didn’t want to leave the world within the pages.
__________________
I was really excited when I first heard about this book. I love a good dragon story and when it’s set in our world and not a high fantasy, all the better. Adding magic to the every day isn’t easy, but when it’s done right – like this – it’s a wonderful thing.
Indigo lives with his family in the Lake District, enjoying the scenery and his every day life, until one day he receives his beloved Opi’s bag. His grandfather was never without the bag and so naturally Indigo is worried. When mysterious creatures he always thought existed only in his Opi’s tales appear on his doorstep, Indigo finds himself on an adventure that takes him to the beautiful country of Poland to learn the secrets that his family has kept.
First of all, as cheesy as it sounds, I’m going to say it anyway: this book is magical. Whisking readers away from the ordinary almost immediately, with Indigo finding a mythical magpie-cat in his garden, Croft does an excellent job of weaving our world in with the fantastic.
As Indigo meets the delightfully blunt and mysterious Rue at the library while looking for answers, events are set in motion that find them both in Kraków, Poland. Indigo is there to learn about his heritage and find Opi but he doesn’t speak the language and so both he and the reader find it difficult to understand just exactly what his grandmother, Omi, is trying to tell him. I loved the way that you could see the loving relationship between them despite the language barrier.
While Indigo explores the sanctuary that his grandfather set up and filled with fantastical creatures, Omi seems to become older and more frail with each passing day, and Indigo is running out of time as the delicate balance of the sanctuary tips in his grandfather’s absence.
A truly imaginative and exciting tale, with beautiful descriptions of both the Lake District and Kraków with the sanctuary of mythical creatures. Croft has created a stunning tale with an ingenious twist.
A wonderful story for young and old readers alike. I only wish it could have been longer, I didn’t want to leave the world within the pages.
June 16, 2016
I haven't read a book on the Middle Grade spectrum of YA for a very long time, and Indigo's Dragon was a delightful read to remind me of the books I used to read when I was younger.
I really enjoyed the way the story was told and the descriptions of the setting were so realistic and beautiful. The images were so vivid in my mind and I began to love the mysterious peaks of the Lake District and the mystical Polish mountains that Croft so beautifully described. This book introduced me to a world I am unfamiliar with, and the descriptions of this world were intricately detailed and well illustrated.
The plot was very well thought-out and I loved every twist and turn - the mystery of Opi's satchel in the first couple of chapters of the book kept me intrigued throughout the whole story. There were no obvious plot holes and the story really worked as a whole - including all the twists and turns.
My favourite part of the book was undoubtedly the characters. I thought Indigo was such an interesting, brave, endlessly inquisitive protagonist and he definitely drove the action of the story. My other favourite character has to be Omi - who was so vivid in my mind (it was as if she was sitting next to me cackling with laughter!) and her relationship with Indigo was wonderful.
The descriptions of the otherworldly creatures was also a strong point of the book and the way Croft described them, it seemed that they were just like normal animals, which was an interesting way to go about it, and it meant that I felt like I could visualise them better. They were so well portrayed that they were definitely characters in their own right!
The only reason why this is a 4* review is because the book was slightly out of my age range - I don't doubt that this would have been a 5* review if I was reviewing this book ten years ago! Fans of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson would love Indigo's Dragon, it is filled with beautiful, vivid characters and language that will transport you to a world you cannot even begin to imagine.
I really enjoyed the way the story was told and the descriptions of the setting were so realistic and beautiful. The images were so vivid in my mind and I began to love the mysterious peaks of the Lake District and the mystical Polish mountains that Croft so beautifully described. This book introduced me to a world I am unfamiliar with, and the descriptions of this world were intricately detailed and well illustrated.
The plot was very well thought-out and I loved every twist and turn - the mystery of Opi's satchel in the first couple of chapters of the book kept me intrigued throughout the whole story. There were no obvious plot holes and the story really worked as a whole - including all the twists and turns.
My favourite part of the book was undoubtedly the characters. I thought Indigo was such an interesting, brave, endlessly inquisitive protagonist and he definitely drove the action of the story. My other favourite character has to be Omi - who was so vivid in my mind (it was as if she was sitting next to me cackling with laughter!) and her relationship with Indigo was wonderful.
The descriptions of the otherworldly creatures was also a strong point of the book and the way Croft described them, it seemed that they were just like normal animals, which was an interesting way to go about it, and it meant that I felt like I could visualise them better. They were so well portrayed that they were definitely characters in their own right!
The only reason why this is a 4* review is because the book was slightly out of my age range - I don't doubt that this would have been a 5* review if I was reviewing this book ten years ago! Fans of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson would love Indigo's Dragon, it is filled with beautiful, vivid characters and language that will transport you to a world you cannot even begin to imagine.
June 29, 2016
Book review is here: http://www.mrripleysenchantedbooks.co...
April 15, 2018
A short and sweet plot making it a quick read. Lacks details and writing doesn’t feel very fleshed out.
Full review over on my blog: https://bookslifeotheroddities.wordpr...
Full review over on my blog: https://bookslifeotheroddities.wordpr...
December 31, 2019
Super short, but Croft managed to put quite a lot in there. Indigo's journey is well-crafted, with many unexpected bits, which added depth. I would happily learn more about Indigo, his family, and his world.
November 13, 2023
charming <3
March 14, 2017
This book had such fantastic world building. If only the plot hadn't gotten lost along the way.
The telling part was when I got near the grand reveal, I told my wife, "Oh, he's [removed due to spoiler]," my wife said, "Oh, what? I haven't really been paying attention."
My kids didn't ask a single question about it either. Not a great sign.
It's really too bad, because it had the makings of an interesting story, but then it turned into a travelogue. Things happened, but they are more like isolated events than part of a bigger plot. Which, in turn, made everything smaller than it should have been.
The telling part was when I got near the grand reveal, I told my wife, "Oh, he's [removed due to spoiler]," my wife said, "Oh, what? I haven't really been paying attention."
My kids didn't ask a single question about it either. Not a great sign.
It's really too bad, because it had the makings of an interesting story, but then it turned into a travelogue. Things happened, but they are more like isolated events than part of a bigger plot. Which, in turn, made everything smaller than it should have been.
June 25, 2015
Indigo's Dragon is a fantasy book for readers from around the age of 9 years old and upwards. It is set in the Lake District of England and the Polish mountains. Indigo is 13 years old. He gets an unusual parcel from his Grandfather Opi. It contains a book with tales of mystical beasts and a medicine chest, but it is soon stolen by a strange creature.
When a large bat drops the gift of an egg for Indigo he discovers it is a cockatrice with a deadly death stare. In the hills Indigo's Mum is helping a Dragon called Graphite which is waking after a 20 year sleep. When they get news of his Grandfather's disappearance Indigo must travel to Poland to help his Grandmother. High in the mountains Indigo finds many creatures living in a sanctuary created by Opi, but with his disappearance trouble is brewing.
This is the first book in a planned series and would suit readers who like Unicorns, dragons and mystical beasts.
When a large bat drops the gift of an egg for Indigo he discovers it is a cockatrice with a deadly death stare. In the hills Indigo's Mum is helping a Dragon called Graphite which is waking after a 20 year sleep. When they get news of his Grandfather's disappearance Indigo must travel to Poland to help his Grandmother. High in the mountains Indigo finds many creatures living in a sanctuary created by Opi, but with his disappearance trouble is brewing.
This is the first book in a planned series and would suit readers who like Unicorns, dragons and mystical beasts.
August 6, 2015
Every bit as good as Harry Potter and How to Train Your Dragon.
I read this to my 7 year old who was absolutely captivated by the fine collection of mythical monsters that protagonist Indigo meets on his journey from the English Lake District to Polish mountains - his mission? To find out what happened to his grandfather, and discover the secret of his monsterous family heritage.
As an adult I enjoyed S.Croft's vision of monsters as animals - they have their habitats, their niches, and only become a problem when human intervention (though kindly meant) takes them away from those places.
I read this to my 7 year old who was absolutely captivated by the fine collection of mythical monsters that protagonist Indigo meets on his journey from the English Lake District to Polish mountains - his mission? To find out what happened to his grandfather, and discover the secret of his monsterous family heritage.
As an adult I enjoyed S.Croft's vision of monsters as animals - they have their habitats, their niches, and only become a problem when human intervention (though kindly meant) takes them away from those places.
November 2, 2016
This would be a lovely read for children, with a pretty setting and lovely creatures. Sadly I'm not used to reading childrens fiction like this, and I got quite bored - even though I had 30 pages left, I couldn't make myself do it! I'd definitely recommend this for young children, but if you're not used to simple children's fiction I'd maybe give this one a miss.
July 19, 2016
An entertaining story, with a fascinating and magical background, that unfortunately suffers from being very short and ending abruptly just as things are getting REALLY interesting. It'll be interesting to see how the story progresses in future volumes.
April 17, 2017
This story follows Indigo as he discovers his links to dragons and mystical creatures through his grandfather who all need help as his grandfather disappears.
I enjoyed reading this book though I was disappointed as I felt that the scene could've been set better, the characters and storyline could have been developed more.
I enjoyed reading this book though I was disappointed as I felt that the scene could've been set better, the characters and storyline could have been developed more.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 19 reviews