City of Speed (Battle Dragons #2)

Battle Dragons #2

by Alex London

In a modern mega-city built around dragons, one boy gets caught up in the world of underground dragon battles and a high-stakes gang war that could tear his family apart. In the city of Drakopolis, dragons and humans have co-existed for centuries. Dragons burn the city's garbage, taxi its busy citizens from place to place, and even compete in vicious underground battles for ganglike kins. But the dragons also compete in legal sports, like the spectacular aerial races that draw in cheering crowds by the tens of thousands. Abel is at just such a race when he witnesses the unthinkable. A long-shot competitor pulls off an impossible win -- then flies into a destructive rage! Someone in the city is experimenting on hacking their DNA, rebuilding their bodies, and breaking their minds. Who could be driving the dragons berserk? Abel must find out who's behind the experiments and put a stop to them, and to do so he’ll infiltrate the kins’ underground street races on a long-shot dragon of his own. But with his sister working for a kin, his brother serving the city's secret police, and a bully at school racing for Abel's worst enemies, will Abel find any safety past the finish line?

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Queer

272 pages, Hardcover

First published August 2, 2022

About the author

The Short Version:

Alex London writes books for adults (One Day The Soldiers Came: Voices of Children in War), children (Dog Tags series; An Accidental Adventure series) and teens (Proxy). At one time a journalist reporting from conflict zones and refugee camps, he is now a full time novelist living in Brooklyn, NY, where he can be found wandering the streets talking to his dog, who is the real brains of the operation.

The Long Version:

C. Alexander London grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. He's an author of nonfiction for grown-ups (under a slightly different not very secret name), books for teens (as Alex London...see above), and, younger readers. He once won a 12-gauge skeet-shooting tournament because no one else had signed up in his age group. He's a Master SCUBA diver who hasn't been diving in way too long, and, most excitingly, a fully licensed librarian. He used to know the Dewey Decimal System from memory.

He doesn't anymore.

While traveling as a journalist, he watched television in 23 countries (Burmese soap operas were the most confusing; Cuban news reports were the most dull), survived an erupting volcano in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a hurricane on small island in the Caribbean, 4 civil wars (one of them was over by the time he got there, thankfully), and a mysterious bite on his little toe in the jungles of Thailand. The bite got infected and swollen and gross and gave him a deep mistrust of lizards, even though it probably wasn't a lizard that bit him.

Although he has had many adventures, he really does prefer curling up on the couch and watching some good television or reading a book. He enjoys danger and intrigue far more when it's happening to somebody else.

He lives in Brooklyn, NY.

See also C. Alexander London and Charles London

Reviews

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 4 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

After his somewhat Phyrric victory in City of Dragons, Abel is looking forward to a new school year, where hopefully his battle dragon fame will make him more popular. Sadly, on the ride to school, he is approached by classmate, Lu, who gives him a snapdragon wedgie and challenges him to a dragon race, on behalf of Jazinda Balk and the Red Talon kin. Not exactly how he wanted the year to start, especially since his sister got herself arrested after an incident with a dragon crashing into a crowd of spectators while she was busy hacking into people's phones and making bets on behalf of the Sky Knights, insuring that a large pot of money was distributed to the crowd, causes dissention among the kin. Silas, who is in trainging to be part of the Dragon's Eye secret police, wants to know more information about the betting on the dragon races, and also about their sister, and offers Abel a job-- arrange for a dragon race, buy a dragon, and see what happens. Along with Roa and Topher, Abel ventures into the seedy and dangerous Burning Market and buys a dragon, Brazza, from a vendor named Otto who owes Silas a favor. It's a chore to smuggle the dragon out, but the boys manage, and hide her in an abandoned building, ordering take out to feed her! When they come back, Brazza is gone, but Arvin Balk, son of the Red Talon leader, is there. He wants to help, but says that it is vital that Abel lose the race. Brazza has to be trained, which is a tricky proposition, but Abel is surprised at how fast she can travel. The race against Lu goes well, but Abel loses by one second on a technicality. Lu's dragon is immediately stolen, and it's up to the group to find out what's going on. It's nothing good, and Silas, Lina, and Abel must work together with Arvin to thwart the evil plot against the dragons and try to save each other.
Strengths: Like the previous book, this has scene after scene of suspense and intrigue, as well as awesome dragon action. The thing that stood out to me, however, is how concerned Abel was with who he wanted to be, and how he could keep his family together even though they were following different paths. The fact that he is able to come home to his parents and ask them for help when he gets in a sticky situation is awesome, and I wish we would see this dynamic at play in more middle grade literature. The other thing that was a bit surprising was how FUNNY this was! Sure, the We Are Not Eaten By Yaks series was humorous, but in (to quote myself) a "goofiness-I-don't-understand" way. The throwaway phrases like "Peanut Butter and Pickle Wyvern Wafers", "If hopes were halos, we'd all be angels" and "{heard it from} my trainer's cousin's best friend's manicurist's ex-boyfriend's landlord" made me wish that the next project on Mr. London'd plate would be a realistic fiction novel set in a middle school.
Weaknesses: At one point, Arrvin is revealed to be singing at a big concert in drag, but nothing is ever mentioned further about this. I'm still uncertain about how Drakopolis came to be, but no longer really cared. I personally had some trouble keeping all of the kin straight, and still couldn't read "Wind Breaker" kin without smirking, but younger readers will not have this trouble. I also can't keep the Warriors clans straight.
What I really think: I thoroughly enjoyed everything and there's definitely more adventure in the offing, but I don't want to spoil any of the details. Definitely purchasing, and can't wait to be back at school to recommend this series to students.

[Stacy]

My 6 year old son came back from the school book fair with several books for himself, along with this book, which was a surprise gift for me ("it has lots of words and no pictures!"). I'm definitely not the intended audience, and the premise of a 17 year old secret law enforcement agent recruiting his 14 year old brother to work undercover for him was decidedly not my cup of tea. However, this being the first book my son bought as a gift for me is undoubtedly one of the sweetest and cutest things that's ever happened to me.

[eve.lyn._.reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

🌇⭐🐉City of Speed🐉⭐🌇
3.75 stars
In the city of Drakopolis, there are several kins that rule the underworld. They also participate in aerial races, but during one, Abel notices something wrong. Sky Knights steal viewers' phones and control them, managing to guess who the winner is as though it was rigged. Someone in the city is experimenting with dragon DNA, manipulating their powers and controlling them. Tension arose within his family. Silas wanted to find whoever was responsible, and Lina might be involved. Abel struggles between choosing his brother and the government, or Lina and her kin. A dare from a girl named Lu to race her is accepted, but during the race things go awry. With the help of a new friend, Arvin, Roa, Topher, and his dragon Brazza, he must uncover the secrets that hold a lot of power.

Battle Dragons has proven to be a series that I really like, and gets better with each book. World-building is at it's finest, the genre a mixture of fantasy and a stroke of dystopian. I love political and detailed worlds with a dark/underworld side to them. The four different gangs, and the government, and the several different sides were not distinct, good and evil, and I liked that about this series.

Alex London had a way of structuring this world and series, and despite being away from it for a while, I managed to instantly be sucked into the atmosphere. I love dragons, and so it was easy to fall in love with all the different dragon species. I like that world-building is strong, in the sense that not everything is heavily explained, but I know that a structure and rules exist within it. Abel is the perfect protagonist, with several flaws, several strengths, and relatable. I find that the characters who are not the chosen-ones, or super special and smooth, tend to be the ones that feel the most real.

The story gets more and more complex with this book. I enjoyed Brazza, Arvin, Topher, and Roa, Lina, Abel, and Silas. They are all a great cast. I love how Abel's parents trust him so much, but also talk to him about morals. I love that Abel is able to cry (haha....I see what I did there). A character who allows himself to cry is something that shows emotion but also really gets me invested in the character. Abel deals with a lot of moral struggle, because nothing seems inherently right or wrong.

The family dynamic is one of my favorites. The siblings specifically, are on different sides and its a struggle between family vs passion/what you believe in. I love tension, (not in real life tho...but actually I kind of do at the same time)? it makes a story more rich and heightens the stakes. This world is chaotic, with heartfelt characters at the core. Perfect for fans of How to Train You Dragon, and Wings of Fire.
☑️PLOT
☑️PLOT TWIST
☑️CHARACTERS

[kaylina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 / 5: Some people thought dragons were just dumb animals, the best of whom could follow commands and fight like demons, but Abel knew they were so much more than that. They had complicated ideas and emotions and desires--and they all had a lot of pride.

....It was hard to hold all those feelings at the same time. He felt like one of these experimental dragons himself, packed full of too many different things, all the emotions clawing at each other inside. It was hard to feel like you were a hundred different dragons at the same time.

in short, this was book was just as epic as the last, just as much of a wonder in how the city of dragons, Drakopolis, glows with such vibrancy--and it packed an even more heavy punch that made this sequel feel very emotional. there's high-stakes battle races, and quite a few new characters who make the story really intriguing--but there's also a tear within abel's family dynamic that's breaking them apart, dragons who are being experimented on for the benefit of a mysterious figure, all suffering and thrashing around as a result. abel's sense of morality is tested a lot in some places because he has to battle with the exhilaration that comes with riding a dragon--first karak, and then brazza--while also knowing that that doesn't make them any more free than if they were riding on the streets below stuck to lug around civilians through traffic. this kid has to confront the feelings of shame & anger that comes with being belittled, witnessing those who are in power use that power for their own gain so as to grasp for even more; he has to grapple with what that shame & anger can do, and how addicting it is to envision these people suffer even though that means losing a piece of himself--and so he must not let that vision sweep over him.

i was really attached to the bond that had formed between abel & karak in the first book, and so was very wary about how it will feel like to see him bond with another dragon here. but brazza just...completely took center stage of the story and made it all her own, and for a dragon who had been left to fester & grow old in a suffocating stall, it was so thrilling to watch as she tore through the story with her terrifying speed and cunning personality. her eventual bond with abel was part of what made this story much more emotional to me because she had never been trained to be a racing dragon, she didn't know nor did even care for the rules that these criminal kins and the law enforces on these dragons for their own sake. she taught abel how that freedom he wants to grant so much to dragons must align with the trust he gives to her to go at her own pace, and to dabble in some fun along the way. to see her and abel have that fun together while also breaking past barriers so that abel can save his family when they are being threatened, it contributed to what was a seriously memorable reading experience, one with so much anticipation and genuine engagement all the way through.

In a world where dragons were trained to be obedient and dutiful, he admired her unapologetic refusal to do anything the way she was supposed to.

in relation to abel and his family, i feared a lot that they would break even further apart in this sequel and they do, in a sense. but they do eventually come back together, even if it's on a very shaky foundation. i think the fact that abel, lina, and silas, are all just split so far apart with their own agendas in Drakopolis, with their parents hovering at the sidelines--it made all the moments where they crash into each other feel very sobering because this really isn't the most stable family, and they make a lot of mistakes. with silas it feels really easy in the first book to claim him as a snobbish know-it-all because of his higher position as a secret Dragon Eye agent and just his snippy attitude in general--but in this one, it felt like we got to unravel even more of the depth that he does carry, along with the heavy weight on his shoulders for someone who's only 19 and has to choose between the law or his own family.

lina, the middle child, is one to known for her cleverness & sly nature, but her work with the Sky Knights puts her in a position where her excuse of doing things "for the greater good of Drakopolis" only further cements what's poisoned this city inside out without any of its residents even bothering to care when it came to the dragons they depend on for everything. it was enlightening to see her come to terms with how her morality has shifted, while also having her come back into the fold for her family, even if it's under extenuating circumstances. a majority of these characters are all very young, and so it makes the mistakes they make, and the emotions they display, hit so much harder because none of them really know what they're doing--none of them know what exactly the "right thing" is, but we see abel as the youngest at 13 years old, try to figure that out for himself, and he doesn't have to do it alone.

if it's not just with his family & brakka, it's with his friends--roa and topher--who really are the best. seeing how this pair support abel in their own respective ways--roa with their plentiful knowledge on all things dragons and how best to heal them & topher with his taste for design in special armor and weaponry--it made for a solid team of a bunch of middle school kids who make very funny jokes at even the most inappropriate times, but who make this story feel as bright and hopeful as it is tense. one of the new characters we meet in this sequel is very exciting for me because i was hoping after we first meet them, that they would have a bigger role in the story and they do, which was very epic for me personally. (his name is arvin, and i hope even more we can see him in the finale).

this sequel packed such a strong punch and as i said earlier, was even more epic than the last, while also still packing a heavy emotional weight. abel's on a quest to save these dragons who are being experimented on, while still having to watch his back for all the criminal kins who have put targets on his back--and he learns a lot in that journey, some good and some bad, which he'll get even more in the third book, i reckon. i don't quite know what to make of the ending because i just can't imagine how the author will go about exploring what's eventually been given as an ultimatum, and so it will definitely shift what we've seen from this series so far. it's both very exciting but also a little terrifying because who knows what could happen? i can guarantee it'll still be fun and emotional as hell, but i'm not sure how the execution will go. i really look forward to when the time comes that i'll get to see for myself!!

content warnings:
mild descriptions of violence, and mentions of animal cruelty/experimentation

[Stephanie Augustine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will admit that it took me some time to pick up this book after I finished the first one. In no one's fault except my own commitment issues. However, this book did not disappoint and it was an excellent sequel to the first. New dragons are introduced. New challenges to face. But the same ol' corruption is still the issues. Everything played out very well and kept me engaged the entire time.

I think one of my favorite things about this book was how everyone was reliant on each other. It's such a breath of fresh air that the kids aren't relying solely on themselves to solve the problems. I don't know why but I like it when they get adults involved as well. And that's what happens here. Even though for the majority of the book, Abel tries to keep his parents out of it, he ends up asking for their help in the end. But Abel never relies on just himself. His friends are always there as well. I really enjoyed Abel's dependency on each other while still keeping the confidence in himself. He knows his limits and seeks out aid when he needs it.

Overall, City of Speed by Alex London was a great addition to this series. I was excited to see new dragons and how Abel and company were going to solve the next issue that presented them. The story was engaging and kept just enough detail to get the imagery without it being overwhelming. Abel's character has seem to grow a lot in this book and I enjoyed seeing him become his own self while still relying on others to help him. And that ending - I cannot wait to see what happens next. So if you like middle grade books, dragons, and whole bunch of wedgie jokes - you won't want to skip on this one!

[P.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series has a lot of great characters which makes it a winner for me. It also features dragons which is another bonus. I am hoping that Abel somehow manages to reunite with his dragons since he is now being exiled to the wilds outside the city. I am also hoping the author is working quite quickly on the next installment.

[P.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series has a lot of great characters which makes it a winner for me. It also features dragons which is another bonus. I am hoping that Abel somehow manages to reunite with his dragons since he is now being exiled to the wilds outside the city. I am also hoping the author is working quite quickly on the next installment.

[Katie Logonauts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible! Book two is even better than the first, which is saying a lot as book one was the most checked out book in my classroom library last year. Jam-packed with action, dragons, scientific conspiracies and more. A must read!

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as fun and fast paced as the first one. This time I loved seeing the family come together to work to solve their problems, even if it didn't really work out in the end. Can't wait to see where this goes next!

[Galaxy Lucario · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that this book deserves a 4.75 in rating because this book there is so much action including when Abel, the main character, befriend his enemy's son! I think this book might have a bit too much family drama including when his sister was the real dragon thief that stole dragons and his brother was in the police and arrested Abel

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh….the ending was really rushed.

[Daniel J · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun continuation from book 1. Keeps you guessing and laughing at the same time.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

was gonna give 5 stars but in the end they're banned from the city... NOT COOL!

[Joseph Michael Owens]

read with my [then] 8yo*

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing the fact that he is not only a dragon battler but he also races braza so cool but a nice plot twist

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another thrilling Battle Dragons book!