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Blazewrath Games #2
Dragonblood Ring
After the Sire’s capture, teen athletes Lana Torres and Victoria Peralta travel to Puerto Rico with their former Blazewrath team. While Lana discovers her roots, nothing fills the void Blazewrath’s cancelation has left in Victoria. But it’s up to their team and the Bureau to protect their dragons.
But when reports of burning towns and kidnapped dragons dominate the news, Director Sandhar refuses to answer the girls’ questions. So they follow him into his Transport Charm into Le Parc Du Chasseurs.
In this French theme park, they find dragons forced to fight. When the Blazewrath World Cup ended, people turned to this illegal sport for wealth. So now, not only are the Sire’s followers looking to release him, the leader of this fighting ring wants Puerto Rico’s dragons to fight in Bloodbath too.
But when reports of burning towns and kidnapped dragons dominate the news, Director Sandhar refuses to answer the girls’ questions. So they follow him into his Transport Charm into Le Parc Du Chasseurs.
In this French theme park, they find dragons forced to fight. When the Blazewrath World Cup ended, people turned to this illegal sport for wealth. So now, not only are the Sire’s followers looking to release him, the leader of this fighting ring wants Puerto Rico’s dragons to fight in Bloodbath too.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 12, 2021
7 people are currently reading
2310 people want to read
About the author
Amparo Ortiz
19 books255 followersAmparo Ortiz was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and currently lives on the island’s northeastern coast. Her short story comic, “What Remains in The Dark,” appears in the Eisner Award-winning anthology Puerto Rico Strong (Lion Forge, 2018), and SAVING CHUPIE, her middle grade graphic novel, comes out with HarperCollins in Winter 2022. She holds an M.A. in English and a B.A. in Psychology from the UPR’s Río Piedras campus. When she’s not teaching ESL to her college students, she’s teaching herself Korean, devouring as much young adult fiction as she can, and writing about Latinx characters in worlds both contemporary and fantastical.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
July 27, 2021
I have chest pains
August 28, 2021
CWs:
Death and grief; explorations of trauma and PTSD; animal death; descriptions of blood, violence, and graphic injury; references to alcoholism, domestic abuse, and child abuse.
☆ Need five reasons to read Blazewrath Games? Check out my review video here!
Dragonblood Ring is a worthy successor and companion to Blazewrath Games. While the story continues to build on the characters and the world established in the first book, Dragonblood Ring offers a completely different kind of adventure, and it goes to some really fascinating places that most series enders don't dare to go.
Without spoiling the events of BWG, I will just say that the characters are now having to confront who they are *outside* of the sport of Blazewrath. The big tournament happened in book one, and now that they're past it, they are confronting the question of how they understand their value and their identity when they're removed from that specific context of "athlete." What happens *after* the victory? What happens *after* you've accomplished the goals you set out for yourself—like how Lana achieved her dream of playing Blazewrath for Puerto Rico, or how Victoria challenged herself to become a fierce competitor—or *after* you meet everyone's expectations? What happens when the labels you hold for yourself or the identities you cling to become meaningless?
Without the context of Blazewrath, both Lana and Victoria are struggling to find a sense of purpose beyond it. Now that the roles they've created for themselves no longer have context, they're trying to figure out what they do next and how they use their experience as professional athletes to continue making a difference. Through their dual-narrative, the story is really asking: how do we become more than just our actions, our professions, our accomplishments?
Lana, most notably, is deeply traumatized by the events of book one, and she is trying to figure out how she can move forward while also maintaining this image of “strength” that so many people are projecting onto her now that she’s become a “hero.” Although her teammates are rallying around her and new threats are rising that demand all of their attention, she struggles with allowing herself to feel her emotions, fearing that allowing her sadness and pain to show would only make her "weak." Over the course of the story, she has to learn that being emotional and needing help are not weaknesses; they’re integral parts of humanity. Heroes are just people, and people need help, which is exactly why that's such a powerful message to see play out in this concluding installment.
It was also really great to have Victoria's perspective be in the mix. Not only is she a badass, headstrong character, but she's also brash and outspoken. Her POV is fascinating to read from, because she's in a very different emotional place compared to Lana and she's also on the frontlines of tracking who's behind this newly-formed illegal dragon fighting ring. Even though her storyline seems very different on surface, she's also struggling to find a renewed sense of purpose and figure out who she is beyond the game of Blazewrath. Her ruthless competitive drive, which makes her a threat in the arena, could also be what leads to her demise if she's not careful, and existing outside of the sport is making her re-evaluate her own strengths and shortcomings as well.
The dynamic between Lana and Victoria is also really wonderful. Their relationship as teammates came before their relationship as friends, and it was good to see that connection be further complicated, challenged, and strengthened as they take on these new obstacles. There's almost a begrudging companionship between them that's really endearing to read about, because even though their different personalities can cause them to butt heads, deep down they really care about each other and want to do right by the other person. It's refreshing to have a Latinx fantasy novel that centers and celebrates two female friends who are learning so much about each other and themselves.
Everything you loved about Blazewrath Games is very much present in this follow-up. It's action-forward, community-oriented, wonderfully diverse, aggressively non-Western/U.S. centric, and it's also packed with a heaping serving of found family as well as a ton of humor and heart. The main characters definitely shine, but the supporting characters are also distinctive and get to have their moment in the sun as well, which I always love. There's also the addition of a slow-burn side romance, which I thought was incredibly sweet.
My one "critique" of the story, if it can be called that, is that the plot feels somewhat rushed at times. In keeping the plot moving forwards, sometimes logistical information gets brushed to the side—details that are really interesting or important that I would've loved to read more about, and that would help the reader better get their bearings during some of the climactic moments. I also (selfishly) wanted to see even more scenes between Lana and her crush, but only because I enjoyed them together so much.
But overall, this is a thrilling and exciting conclusion to the Blazewrath duology. It's a story that sends powerful messages about humanity, compassion, and healing that I won't soon forget. I love all the twists and turns of this sequel, and I can say with certainty that Amparo has definitely made her mark as an incredible author who undoubtedly has so many more amazing stories to tell!
☆ Need five reasons to read Blazewrath Games? Check out my review video here!
Dragonblood Ring is a worthy successor and companion to Blazewrath Games. While the story continues to build on the characters and the world established in the first book, Dragonblood Ring offers a completely different kind of adventure, and it goes to some really fascinating places that most series enders don't dare to go.
Without spoiling the events of BWG, I will just say that the characters are now having to confront who they are *outside* of the sport of Blazewrath. The big tournament happened in book one, and now that they're past it, they are confronting the question of how they understand their value and their identity when they're removed from that specific context of "athlete." What happens *after* the victory? What happens *after* you've accomplished the goals you set out for yourself—like how Lana achieved her dream of playing Blazewrath for Puerto Rico, or how Victoria challenged herself to become a fierce competitor—or *after* you meet everyone's expectations? What happens when the labels you hold for yourself or the identities you cling to become meaningless?
Without the context of Blazewrath, both Lana and Victoria are struggling to find a sense of purpose beyond it. Now that the roles they've created for themselves no longer have context, they're trying to figure out what they do next and how they use their experience as professional athletes to continue making a difference. Through their dual-narrative, the story is really asking: how do we become more than just our actions, our professions, our accomplishments?
Lana, most notably, is deeply traumatized by the events of book one, and she is trying to figure out how she can move forward while also maintaining this image of “strength” that so many people are projecting onto her now that she’s become a “hero.” Although her teammates are rallying around her and new threats are rising that demand all of their attention, she struggles with allowing herself to feel her emotions, fearing that allowing her sadness and pain to show would only make her "weak." Over the course of the story, she has to learn that being emotional and needing help are not weaknesses; they’re integral parts of humanity. Heroes are just people, and people need help, which is exactly why that's such a powerful message to see play out in this concluding installment.
It was also really great to have Victoria's perspective be in the mix. Not only is she a badass, headstrong character, but she's also brash and outspoken. Her POV is fascinating to read from, because she's in a very different emotional place compared to Lana and she's also on the frontlines of tracking who's behind this newly-formed illegal dragon fighting ring. Even though her storyline seems very different on surface, she's also struggling to find a renewed sense of purpose and figure out who she is beyond the game of Blazewrath. Her ruthless competitive drive, which makes her a threat in the arena, could also be what leads to her demise if she's not careful, and existing outside of the sport is making her re-evaluate her own strengths and shortcomings as well.
The dynamic between Lana and Victoria is also really wonderful. Their relationship as teammates came before their relationship as friends, and it was good to see that connection be further complicated, challenged, and strengthened as they take on these new obstacles. There's almost a begrudging companionship between them that's really endearing to read about, because even though their different personalities can cause them to butt heads, deep down they really care about each other and want to do right by the other person. It's refreshing to have a Latinx fantasy novel that centers and celebrates two female friends who are learning so much about each other and themselves.
Everything you loved about Blazewrath Games is very much present in this follow-up. It's action-forward, community-oriented, wonderfully diverse, aggressively non-Western/U.S. centric, and it's also packed with a heaping serving of found family as well as a ton of humor and heart. The main characters definitely shine, but the supporting characters are also distinctive and get to have their moment in the sun as well, which I always love. There's also the addition of a slow-burn side romance, which I thought was incredibly sweet.
My one "critique" of the story, if it can be called that, is that the plot feels somewhat rushed at times. In keeping the plot moving forwards, sometimes logistical information gets brushed to the side—details that are really interesting or important that I would've loved to read more about, and that would help the reader better get their bearings during some of the climactic moments. I also (selfishly) wanted to see even more scenes between Lana and her crush, but only because I enjoyed them together so much.
But overall, this is a thrilling and exciting conclusion to the Blazewrath duology. It's a story that sends powerful messages about humanity, compassion, and healing that I won't soon forget. I love all the twists and turns of this sequel, and I can say with certainty that Amparo has definitely made her mark as an incredible author who undoubtedly has so many more amazing stories to tell!
February 6, 2022
... This whole series probably could have been in one book.
A lot of the issues I have stemmed from not having read the first one in a long time, and so it was hard remembering what happened and who the characters were and what was going on.
But, in my opinion, the plot was a little slow and it felt like not much happened even though there were a good 300 pages in this book. It was entertaining, and I loved how each of the dragons had their own personality that didn't require speech to be depicted, and how Ortiz conveyed each dragon and their emotions just by how they acted.
I was hoping for more of a conclusion, for both the two main characters and the world. It had a sufficient ending, but I wanted more. What happened to Todd? And the games and the dragons?
My biggest wish was to see the resolution between Victoria and Lana. They spent over half the book being a little self-absorbed, especially when the other is dealing with issues, and they called each other out on that issues. However, we never see when they put in the effort to fix those mistakes and reconcile. Victoria especially was very self-absorbed, and I was hoping she would learn throughout the book on how to be a better team member (instead of constantly thinking things in terms of the best/the worst and rushing into things without talking to the group) and Lana was clueless to anything outside of her own emotions. Again, it's been a while since I read the first one, but was Lana this oblivious to other people? They all had serious things blocking their attention, but I feel like Lana was a little better at gauging how people feel/at least knowing something was wrong.
Overall, it wasn't bad, and I enjoyed quite a bit of this, but I think I would have enjoyed it more had it been a standalone one book instead of two. I also wanted to note that I was actually able to use my four years of studying Spanish to (mostly) decipher (a lot of) the Spanish throughout the book.
A lot of the issues I have stemmed from not having read the first one in a long time, and so it was hard remembering what happened and who the characters were and what was going on.
But, in my opinion, the plot was a little slow and it felt like not much happened even though there were a good 300 pages in this book. It was entertaining, and I loved how each of the dragons had their own personality that didn't require speech to be depicted, and how Ortiz conveyed each dragon and their emotions just by how they acted.
I was hoping for more of a conclusion, for both the two main characters and the world. It had a sufficient ending, but I wanted more. What happened to Todd? And the games and the dragons?
My biggest wish was to see the resolution between Victoria and Lana. They spent over half the book being a little self-absorbed, especially when the other is dealing with issues, and they called each other out on that issues. However, we never see when they put in the effort to fix those mistakes and reconcile. Victoria especially was very self-absorbed, and I was hoping she would learn throughout the book on how to be a better team member (instead of constantly thinking things in terms of the best/the worst and rushing into things without talking to the group) and Lana was clueless to anything outside of her own emotions. Again, it's been a while since I read the first one, but was Lana this oblivious to other people? They all had serious things blocking their attention, but I feel like Lana was a little better at gauging how people feel/at least knowing something was wrong.
Overall, it wasn't bad, and I enjoyed quite a bit of this, but I think I would have enjoyed it more had it been a standalone one book instead of two. I also wanted to note that I was actually able to use my four years of studying Spanish to (mostly) decipher (a lot of) the Spanish throughout the book.
October 13, 2021
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
TW: panic attack
Dragonblood Ring delivers action from cover to cover. In the wake of Blazewrath Games, Victoria and Lana's entire world has changed. For Victoria, who is she without the games? And for Lana, can she find a place for her with her teammates in this new fight? I was instantly swept up with the current of action and tension that Ortiz delivers. What I loved was that Dragonblood Ring examines the value of teamwork. What we can bring to a team. How we can be the best version of ourselves for our team. To figure out how to accept help and open up. This theme is incredibly important to both Lana and Victoria, especially as Lana is still reeling over the grief and guilt from Blazewrath Games.
full review:https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
TW: panic attack
Dragonblood Ring delivers action from cover to cover. In the wake of Blazewrath Games, Victoria and Lana's entire world has changed. For Victoria, who is she without the games? And for Lana, can she find a place for her with her teammates in this new fight? I was instantly swept up with the current of action and tension that Ortiz delivers. What I loved was that Dragonblood Ring examines the value of teamwork. What we can bring to a team. How we can be the best version of ourselves for our team. To figure out how to accept help and open up. This theme is incredibly important to both Lana and Victoria, especially as Lana is still reeling over the grief and guilt from Blazewrath Games.
full review:https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
July 14, 2021
The characters went through a lot of trauma in book 1, so I'm glad that in this book we see the characters dealing with the aftermath of those events and how trauma affected them differently. I'm so glad we got to see inside Victoria's head this time and explore the complicated friendship between her and Lana, as well as see how her psychic bond with her dragon works. There's lots of fun action and we get to learn more about the magic of the world. I know this is a duology, but I hope this isn't the last we see of the Blazewrath world!
May 30, 2021
A stunning addition to the Blazewrath world, Dragonblood Ring is thrilling, intense, emotional, and so wonderfully voicey in its dual point-of-view. Amparo Ortiz is a powerhouse of young adult fantasy, giving us a wonderful cast of dragons and teens and enemies both new and old in a story that kept me obsessed with needing to know what was going to happen next. I would gladly stay in this world forever.
December 1, 2024
We get a 2nd POV! Victoria's POV gives us the much desired perspective of the dragon rider and their bond with their dragon.
I felt like the some of the plot wrap-up was a bit rushed, especially the reveal regarding the throne. The ending felt realistic and unsatisfying, similar to how Hunger Games ending felt for me. It wasn't bad and it leaves room for another book if the author chooses to keep writing. But for one of our main characters, I was truly hoping for an entirely different outcome. The book felt too hopeful for it to just end like that.
Besides the ending, the story itself was wonderful. And now I'm craving Puerto Rican food!
I felt like the some of the plot wrap-up was a bit rushed, especially the reveal regarding the throne. The ending felt realistic and unsatisfying, similar to how Hunger Games ending felt for me. It wasn't bad and it leaves room for another book if the author chooses to keep writing. But for one of our main characters, I was truly hoping for an entirely different outcome. The book felt too hopeful for it to just end like that.
Besides the ending, the story itself was wonderful. And now I'm craving Puerto Rican food!
April 12, 2025
Compared to how amazing I found book one, this as a follow up is a massive disappointment. Most of this book felt like filler. It wasn't until the last 50 or so pages that things moved and were "wrapped" up. I didn't like the ending either. There were a few loose ends I didn't feel satisfied with. Todd, the dragons, and games? Nothing was said about them. Lana is still awesome. Though immature, it fits her character. I do feel there should have been more growth between Lana and Victoria. They both had issues that were pointed out, but not truly resolved. Still a decent book but book 1 is better.
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July 3, 2024peleas de gallos boricuas but make it dragons
August 30, 2021
The highly anticipated sequel to Blazewrath Games is (almost) here! Dragonblood Ring was a short but fun read filled with magic, action, and of course, dragons.
I didn’t end up enjoying the first one as much as I hoped last year, and sadly, the sequel didn’t fare as well as Blazewrath. However, it was still pretty enjoyable to read, and made for a nice evening!
The dragons were my favourite part of the book, and I love how the author is able to show their individual personalities without dialogue. It’s show, not tell, and makes it more interesting! As for the magic system, I’m still not a hundred percent sure how it works, and there were a few confusing scenes.
My main issue was with the characters. Some seem overly rude, some seem very bland, and it was hard to find a character to like. There was a bit of romance, but nothing too engaging, and sadly I wasn’t a fan. The protagonist became slowly more annoying as the book went on, and I didn’t get along with her at all.
The plot itself was drawn out and slow, so I think the series would’ve done better as one big book. A lot of reading the sequel was trying to figure out who is who and what is what by remembering the first book, so instead of a separate book, it just felt as if I’d stopped in the middle of reading the first one and returned after a year.
As for the pacing, it was okay. It got better near the end, but slowed down after the beginning. I didn’t necessarily feel as if I was dragging myself through the book, but it wasn’t the smoothest ride either.
Overall, I’d rate Dragonblood Ring a 2.5/5. If you enjoyed Blazewrath, you’ll probably love this one too, but it just wasn’t it for me.
Thank you to Manda Group for the ARC! Dragonblood Ring releases in October 12th, 2021.
I didn’t end up enjoying the first one as much as I hoped last year, and sadly, the sequel didn’t fare as well as Blazewrath. However, it was still pretty enjoyable to read, and made for a nice evening!
The dragons were my favourite part of the book, and I love how the author is able to show their individual personalities without dialogue. It’s show, not tell, and makes it more interesting! As for the magic system, I’m still not a hundred percent sure how it works, and there were a few confusing scenes.
My main issue was with the characters. Some seem overly rude, some seem very bland, and it was hard to find a character to like. There was a bit of romance, but nothing too engaging, and sadly I wasn’t a fan. The protagonist became slowly more annoying as the book went on, and I didn’t get along with her at all.
The plot itself was drawn out and slow, so I think the series would’ve done better as one big book. A lot of reading the sequel was trying to figure out who is who and what is what by remembering the first book, so instead of a separate book, it just felt as if I’d stopped in the middle of reading the first one and returned after a year.
As for the pacing, it was okay. It got better near the end, but slowed down after the beginning. I didn’t necessarily feel as if I was dragging myself through the book, but it wasn’t the smoothest ride either.
Overall, I’d rate Dragonblood Ring a 2.5/5. If you enjoyed Blazewrath, you’ll probably love this one too, but it just wasn’t it for me.
Thank you to Manda Group for the ARC! Dragonblood Ring releases in October 12th, 2021.
July 18, 2025
2.5 rounded up!
There's a few reasons that I think contribute to why I disliked this book a lot more than the first:
A) I didn't have it as an audiobook, and I fear audiobook is just the better way to read this series.
B) I didn't read the books in the duology back to back, even though I originally meant to. I forgot a lot of names and things that were going on, and because I put the first book at the tippy top of a shelf I can't reach anymore, I couldn't grab the first one to review.
I overall just don't think this sequel was super necessary. I think the new subplot could have been skipped, and if the first book was slightly longer, it could've been a wonderful standalone. I'm tempted to say many people agree because maybe 10% (based on Goodreads) ended up picking up the sequel, even though they were released relatively close together.
I also think this series has far too many characters to keep track of. Could I have been a better reader and not waited five months between reading the first and second book? Yeah. But even if I read them back to back, I have a feeling it would still be confusing.
I did love the slow-burn romance and how long it took, but I liked it more as a concept than execution because there really wasn't much chemistry. I also was pretty annoyed at both of the main characters because they were both really immature and petty. I know it's a YA novel, so that's bound to happen, but because I was also confused the whole time, I also didn't grasp how they were even being stupid, just that they were.
Still, I am glad I completed this series, and I would recommend the duology to anyone interested in the concept. I think it's just important to read these books back-to-back. I cannot wait to read more of Ortiz's writing in the future to see where she goes!
There's a few reasons that I think contribute to why I disliked this book a lot more than the first:
A) I didn't have it as an audiobook, and I fear audiobook is just the better way to read this series.
B) I didn't read the books in the duology back to back, even though I originally meant to. I forgot a lot of names and things that were going on, and because I put the first book at the tippy top of a shelf I can't reach anymore, I couldn't grab the first one to review.
I overall just don't think this sequel was super necessary. I think the new subplot could have been skipped, and if the first book was slightly longer, it could've been a wonderful standalone. I'm tempted to say many people agree because maybe 10% (based on Goodreads) ended up picking up the sequel, even though they were released relatively close together.
I also think this series has far too many characters to keep track of. Could I have been a better reader and not waited five months between reading the first and second book? Yeah. But even if I read them back to back, I have a feeling it would still be confusing.
I did love the slow-burn romance and how long it took, but I liked it more as a concept than execution because there really wasn't much chemistry. I also was pretty annoyed at both of the main characters because they were both really immature and petty. I know it's a YA novel, so that's bound to happen, but because I was also confused the whole time, I also didn't grasp how they were even being stupid, just that they were.
Still, I am glad I completed this series, and I would recommend the duology to anyone interested in the concept. I think it's just important to read these books back-to-back. I cannot wait to read more of Ortiz's writing in the future to see where she goes!
June 8, 2021
Amparo Ortiz has done it again! Not only is there amazing dragon action as captivating as in BLAZEWRATH GAMES, but the emotional layers are so beautifully done. Amparo totally gives us a realistic journey Lana has to go through after the trauma of the events of the first book. I was clutching my heart the entire time, and so moved by the ending. So much heart, so much magical mystery and action, so much yes!
September 29, 2021
This was very different from Blazewrath Games. IDK if this is weird to say, but it felt like it was written during the pandemic, not in any sort of bad way, just with the themes and stuff.
February 9, 2022
4/5
This was such a good doualogy. I loved the world building and the characters. The ending was very satisfying.
This was such a good doualogy. I loved the world building and the characters. The ending was very satisfying.
July 13, 2022
The only thing that is wrong with this book is there is not more of it, i need more of the world the dragons the way they bond, just give me all and i will read it all. Fave read of the month so far
October 9, 2021
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an arc to review!
I’m still surprised that people are sleeping on this series. It has dragons and magic. What more could you want? And if you do want more, it has great characters and friendship as well.
After the events in book one I figured there was room for another book but I wasn’t sure exactly what the plot would entail. I did like where the author went with it though and how we were able to get back to this unique world for more thrilling moments. It does pretty much start off where the first book ends as Lana and her team deal with the aftermath. It isn’t always easy as they are bombarded by people and the press when they just want everything to be normal once again.
The book is told through dual point-of-views: Lana and Victoria. I liked seeing how both girls dealt with the situations they faced and the trauma that came with it from book one. They also have always had a complicated relationship and I’m glad that they were able to understand each other better in this book. I liked both point-of-views equally.
Just like in the first book, there are great plot twists and I loved the added new villain. The plot still circles around dragons and magic which is one thing I enjoyed from book one as well.
Overall, this was a good edition to the world that this author has created. I’m glad we got to read more about characters from book one as well as meeting new faces. If you like dragons and magic, I’d definitely recommend these books.
I’m still surprised that people are sleeping on this series. It has dragons and magic. What more could you want? And if you do want more, it has great characters and friendship as well.
After the events in book one I figured there was room for another book but I wasn’t sure exactly what the plot would entail. I did like where the author went with it though and how we were able to get back to this unique world for more thrilling moments. It does pretty much start off where the first book ends as Lana and her team deal with the aftermath. It isn’t always easy as they are bombarded by people and the press when they just want everything to be normal once again.
The book is told through dual point-of-views: Lana and Victoria. I liked seeing how both girls dealt with the situations they faced and the trauma that came with it from book one. They also have always had a complicated relationship and I’m glad that they were able to understand each other better in this book. I liked both point-of-views equally.
Just like in the first book, there are great plot twists and I loved the added new villain. The plot still circles around dragons and magic which is one thing I enjoyed from book one as well.
Overall, this was a good edition to the world that this author has created. I’m glad we got to read more about characters from book one as well as meeting new faces. If you like dragons and magic, I’d definitely recommend these books.
October 13, 2021
Content warning: memories of child abuse, animal cruelty, death by fire
Building a world where dragons and humans once competed side by side in Olympic-level worldwide events while also contending with the most uniquely evil dragon of all time is quite the endeavor but one that Amparo Ortiz meets successfully. When you also consider that the world of Blazewrath Games and its sequel, Dragonblood Ring, primarily highlights the voices and experiences of BIPOC characters, the main characters—Lana and Victoria—are Puerto Rican, you’ll find a harmonious duology that hits every note just right.
In Blazewrath Games we’re introduced to Lana Torres, a teenage girl of white and Puerto Rican heritage who has spent a great chunk of her life living with her mother in Florida. Her time away from her dragon-expert father, who basically lives in an isolated dragon sanctuary located in isolation in another country, means that she often dwells on cherished memories of her childhood with him while they lived in Puerto Rico until an unfortunate run-in with a dragon. This incident causes Lana’s mother to distrust dragons and restrict Lana from any dragon-related activities—including being a fan of the Blazewrath Games—the only internationally televised dragon to human interaction there is. In this universe, some dragons can develop bonds with humans who do not have magical abilities. Years before the competition began, a wrathful dragon known as Sire not only bonded with a human with magical abilities—the first time this ever occurred in history—but also killed him before being sentenced to a human body, another first. To counter the impact of Sire’s awful deeds, the Blazewrath Games were created to monitor some of the dragon population as well as provide good PR for their capabilities for working with humans.
Over the course of book one, we see Lana go from being a secretive fan of Blazewrath Games to being chosen to compete on Team Puerto Rico based on a heroic act that goes viral. While she works to become a good athlete and teammate she runs into some clues regarding the mysterious disappearance of one of her favorite former Blazewrath players and how it may be tied to the Sire’s new demands. In book two, Dragonblood Ring, we learn that the solutions Lana, her teammates, and the International Bureau of Magical Matters, undertook in book one were only temporary measures and there are deeper magical mysteries to solve regarding the origin of Sire and the magic-holding humans who aid his destructive cause.
Read more here: https://blackgirlscreate.org/2021/10/...
Building a world where dragons and humans once competed side by side in Olympic-level worldwide events while also contending with the most uniquely evil dragon of all time is quite the endeavor but one that Amparo Ortiz meets successfully. When you also consider that the world of Blazewrath Games and its sequel, Dragonblood Ring, primarily highlights the voices and experiences of BIPOC characters, the main characters—Lana and Victoria—are Puerto Rican, you’ll find a harmonious duology that hits every note just right.
In Blazewrath Games we’re introduced to Lana Torres, a teenage girl of white and Puerto Rican heritage who has spent a great chunk of her life living with her mother in Florida. Her time away from her dragon-expert father, who basically lives in an isolated dragon sanctuary located in isolation in another country, means that she often dwells on cherished memories of her childhood with him while they lived in Puerto Rico until an unfortunate run-in with a dragon. This incident causes Lana’s mother to distrust dragons and restrict Lana from any dragon-related activities—including being a fan of the Blazewrath Games—the only internationally televised dragon to human interaction there is. In this universe, some dragons can develop bonds with humans who do not have magical abilities. Years before the competition began, a wrathful dragon known as Sire not only bonded with a human with magical abilities—the first time this ever occurred in history—but also killed him before being sentenced to a human body, another first. To counter the impact of Sire’s awful deeds, the Blazewrath Games were created to monitor some of the dragon population as well as provide good PR for their capabilities for working with humans.
Over the course of book one, we see Lana go from being a secretive fan of Blazewrath Games to being chosen to compete on Team Puerto Rico based on a heroic act that goes viral. While she works to become a good athlete and teammate she runs into some clues regarding the mysterious disappearance of one of her favorite former Blazewrath players and how it may be tied to the Sire’s new demands. In book two, Dragonblood Ring, we learn that the solutions Lana, her teammates, and the International Bureau of Magical Matters, undertook in book one were only temporary measures and there are deeper magical mysteries to solve regarding the origin of Sire and the magic-holding humans who aid his destructive cause.
Read more here: https://blackgirlscreate.org/2021/10/...
December 8, 2021
I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and were not affected by the free copy.
Team Puerto Rico did it! The Sire has been defeated, everyone has been freed from his contracts and curses, and they all live happily ever after...right? Not quite. Lana and Victoria each struggle from the effects of that horrific day, but they're doing everything they can to protect their dragons. But when they hear that dragons are being kidnapped, they demand answers from the bureau, and find out nothing. So they follow the director and discover that dragons are being forced to fight.
Unfortunately the ARC was basically illegible; there was a severe formatting issue that eliminated all of the spaces between words. However, I borrowed the copy from the library, so I would still like to provide a review.
I love the dragons in this series so very much. I need all of the fan art, author approved art, everything I can get of them, because they are beautiful creatures that deserve everything. The plot was solid, never really felt like it was dragging, but not rushing too much.
I really, really disliked Lana and Victoria for a vast majority of the novel. This book has alternating POV's, so we finally get a glimpse into Victoria's head; sadly, I didn't really like what we saw. Both girls spent a ton of time complaining about how selfish the other was, while being completely selfish themselves. Lana was extremely insensitive to everything Victoria had gone through and was continuing to go through, while Victoria was completely oblivious to Lana's PTSD. Basically, they were both terrible friends to each other. And of course, they were both "too strong" to need each other, or tell each other the truth.
Due to this, I did have to take away a star, I was too annoyed at them. Otherwise, this would have been a 5 star read. However, I did love the book, and I will almost certainly be buying this series for my personal library. Also, if the author wants to write more books in the series, I'll be here. Semi-patiently waiting.
Team Puerto Rico did it! The Sire has been defeated, everyone has been freed from his contracts and curses, and they all live happily ever after...right? Not quite. Lana and Victoria each struggle from the effects of that horrific day, but they're doing everything they can to protect their dragons. But when they hear that dragons are being kidnapped, they demand answers from the bureau, and find out nothing. So they follow the director and discover that dragons are being forced to fight.
Unfortunately the ARC was basically illegible; there was a severe formatting issue that eliminated all of the spaces between words. However, I borrowed the copy from the library, so I would still like to provide a review.
I love the dragons in this series so very much. I need all of the fan art, author approved art, everything I can get of them, because they are beautiful creatures that deserve everything. The plot was solid, never really felt like it was dragging, but not rushing too much.
I really, really disliked Lana and Victoria for a vast majority of the novel. This book has alternating POV's, so we finally get a glimpse into Victoria's head; sadly, I didn't really like what we saw. Both girls spent a ton of time complaining about how selfish the other was, while being completely selfish themselves. Lana was extremely insensitive to everything Victoria had gone through and was continuing to go through, while Victoria was completely oblivious to Lana's PTSD. Basically, they were both terrible friends to each other. And of course, they were both "too strong" to need each other, or tell each other the truth.
Due to this, I did have to take away a star, I was too annoyed at them. Otherwise, this would have been a 5 star read. However, I did love the book, and I will almost certainly be buying this series for my personal library. Also, if the author wants to write more books in the series, I'll be here. Semi-patiently waiting.
April 22, 2024
trigger warning
While I liked book one a lot, I did not care much for book two. Things I'd like about book one were handled differently here - we have two POVs, from different characters, but both behave the same way. Namely impulsively stomping forward and then being hurt when their actions have consequences and people don't trust them in high stakes situations because that is when they like to do their own thing. Lana falls in love out of the blue. It was hinted at, but more in the way of "oh it's YA, you know how the story goes" instead of having chemistry between the two characters in question.
The Puerto Rican dragons kept coming with new abilities beyond what seemed reasonable. It would have felt less jarring if it were handled differently, if a bigger focus had been on the dragons youth and that these beasts can get very, very old so who knows what can happen. Instead, when the reader meets new kinds of dragons, we're spoon-fed their abilities, while our home team gets to have power-up after power-up.
The plot felt messy.
In the afterword, the author says this book was written within two weeks, and not only that, these two weeks happened in 2020 - which honestly explains a lot. So I think if the story sounds great, I'd be interested in seeing what the author will do in the future, as I liked book one a lot.
While I liked book one a lot, I did not care much for book two. Things I'd like about book one were handled differently here - we have two POVs, from different characters, but both behave the same way. Namely impulsively stomping forward and then being hurt when their actions have consequences and people don't trust them in high stakes situations because that is when they like to do their own thing. Lana falls in love out of the blue. It was hinted at, but more in the way of "oh it's YA, you know how the story goes" instead of having chemistry between the two characters in question.
The Puerto Rican dragons kept coming with new abilities beyond what seemed reasonable. It would have felt less jarring if it were handled differently, if a bigger focus had been on the dragons youth and that these beasts can get very, very old so who knows what can happen. Instead, when the reader meets new kinds of dragons, we're spoon-fed their abilities, while our home team gets to have power-up after power-up.
The plot felt messy.
In the afterword, the author says this book was written within two weeks, and not only that, these two weeks happened in 2020 - which honestly explains a lot. So I think if the story sounds great, I'd be interested in seeing what the author will do in the future, as I liked book one a lot.
Read
June 18, 2022Dnf’ed on page 194.
Honestly… I just didn’t connect to the characters like at all. Yes Lana was dealing with PTSD and grief but she just kind of did nothing the entire book. And shes still very self centered. Victoria is just a ball of angry that has to be better than everyone else.
Given the first book was only Lana’s perspective, having Victoria’s in this one was strange. But it was needed because if only focusing on Lana, there’d have hardly been any plot movement.
The Spanish is this book wasn’t as well translated as the last one. By that I mean we don’t get a relative translation at all most time. So I feel like I missed some things that way.
The plot was slow and I didn’t feel connected super well with the last one. The fighting rings just seemed to come out of no where. There wasn’t even a hint of them in the first book.
The diversity both ethnicity and lgbtq wise was good.
Honestly… I just didn’t connect to the characters like at all. Yes Lana was dealing with PTSD and grief but she just kind of did nothing the entire book. And shes still very self centered. Victoria is just a ball of angry that has to be better than everyone else.
Given the first book was only Lana’s perspective, having Victoria’s in this one was strange. But it was needed because if only focusing on Lana, there’d have hardly been any plot movement.
The Spanish is this book wasn’t as well translated as the last one. By that I mean we don’t get a relative translation at all most time. So I feel like I missed some things that way.
The plot was slow and I didn’t feel connected super well with the last one. The fighting rings just seemed to come out of no where. There wasn’t even a hint of them in the first book.
The diversity both ethnicity and lgbtq wise was good.
February 16, 2022
Everything I wrote about the first book from the series applies to the second book as well. Lana is still annoying and selfish and she still paints Victoria in way too harsh light. At least Victoria is the other narrator now, so we get to see a little bit of the story from her point of view. The writing is still not the best and some of the similes and metaphors are just... weird. I won't question Spanish utterances of the Puerto Rican characters (even though they did sometimes sound unnatural to me, but maybe they're okay in Puerto Rican Spanish), but Cecilia, who is Spanish, using the 'vos' form, which isn't a form used in Castellano Spanish, really baffled me. Also, uh... 'gilipollas' doesn't mean 'stupid'.
November 2, 2021
It was a very exciting ride to experience this story through both Lana’s and Victoria’s perspective. These girls disagreed a lot, but they had more in common than they realized. Even though, my ship didn’t happen I’m glad Lana found joy in her relationships specially with her parents. I’m glad the book explored PTSD and trauma using fantasy. It was a bit jarring to see our protagonist show her symptoms it reminded me of Katniss Everdeen and Steven Universe since their stories also showed the consequences one experiences after traumatic events and how they managed to get better. The end feels like a message of hope towards Puerto Ricans who experienced both Hurricane Irma and María and are still working through their problems. Thank you, Amparo! This was message I didn’t know I needed.
October 20, 2022
There is A LOT of trauma here, and the dragon battles are hard to read at times. Still, I absolutely loved this! The author flawlessly weaves in snippets of Spanish, several queer and disabled characters, and a diverse roster of dragons. This book picks up in the aftermath of the last, and we get to see things from Victoria’s perspective as well as Lana’s. Overall, another winner: fantastic character development and world building, and I really love that this is a YA where romance is limited to crushes/kissing rather than taking center stage. It’s all about the relationships among friends and teammates, and between dragons and riders.
Read
February 3, 2025This is the second book in the Blazewrath Games duology. The Blazewrath Games have been cancelled. Lana and Team Puerto Rico have been hidden and sequestered to protect them and their dragons, but Lana just wants to discover more about her Puerto Rican heritage. When their safe house is attacked, Lana and her teammates realize the Sire is not their only problem. They must work with other Blazewrath Game participants to find out who is trying to kidnap the dragons and why. This was a little slow to start, but when the action picked up, it was nonstop until the story's conclusion. Overall I really enjoyed this duology and would recommend to anyone who enjoys contemporary fantasies or dragons.
June 3, 2023
[3.5]
Rispetto al primo libro, la maturazione dei personaggi è evidente: qui c'è tanto dolore, elaborazione del lutto e trauma a seguito di perdite dolorose. Allo stesso tempo, però, Lana e Victoria continuano a trattarsi una merda a vicenda totalmente random.
Devo dire che ho preferito l'ambientazione del primo libro con la competizione di draghi, qui ho trovato la trama meno interessante per me e l'aggiunta della romance inutile non ha aiutato. Sul finale l'autrice poteva anche essere più cattiva!
Rispetto al primo libro, la maturazione dei personaggi è evidente: qui c'è tanto dolore, elaborazione del lutto e trauma a seguito di perdite dolorose. Allo stesso tempo, però, Lana e Victoria continuano a trattarsi una merda a vicenda totalmente random.
Devo dire che ho preferito l'ambientazione del primo libro con la competizione di draghi, qui ho trovato la trama meno interessante per me e l'aggiunta della romance inutile non ha aiutato. Sul finale l'autrice poteva anche essere più cattiva!
November 1, 2021
3.75 stars. i did like this a bit more than the first book. my favourite part about this sequel was that we got chapters from victorias POV bc all i wanted in the first book was to get to read from her so that was wonderful. other than that the story was good, but it still felt a little boring, idk how to explain it. i enjoyed it, but i wasnt screaming with excitement i guess. but im glad the dragons are all gonna be okay. <3
March 19, 2022
Does this sequel was necessary?? Nop!
Do I enjoy it? Yes!
Definitely I can’t wait to read more of Amparo’s work! I think her writing is excellent and she’s a good story teller! Loved the new pov, I liked the characters development and it was a good ride!
Do I enjoy it? Yes!
Definitely I can’t wait to read more of Amparo’s work! I think her writing is excellent and she’s a good story teller! Loved the new pov, I liked the characters development and it was a good ride!
October 27, 2025
Still a 4-star for me because although the conversational lines do improved, as well as the overall writing, it gets a little bit confused towards the end, regarding the throne, the ending with Takeshi, etc. It feels like the plot can be better.
April 11, 2021
this book is so gooood! i read an eARC (because i know Someone, he he he).
Want to read
June 21, 2021OMG OMG OMG YESSSSS
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