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American Chillers #19
North Dakota Night Dragons
Fire-breathing dragons have invaded Damon's world. Now Damon and his friends Kamryn and Jason find themselves in a fight to save themselves... and the world!
- GenresMiddle GradeChildrens
204 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2006
16 people are currently reading
256 people want to read
About the author
Johnathan Rand
119 books297 followersChristopher Wright is the author of dozens of horror fiction books for children and young adults. He writes under the pseudonyms Johnathan Rand and Christopher Knight. Almost all of Wright's books (save American Chillers) take place in his home state of Michigan.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 30, 2025
A notable feature of the American Chillers series is that it offers numerous genres: horror, action, science fiction, and in North Dakota Night Dragons, a touch of high fantasy. Damon Richards lives on North 23rd Street in Bismarck, North Dakota. In warm weather he usually plays outside with friends until the sun sets, and on one such evening, in the moments after the streetlights snap on but before his mother calls him to come home, he sees a strange, shadowy creature flying above the treetops. Damon follows the sound of beating wings into a neighbor's yard, but when he sees the dragon up close, he wishes he'd run home and locked the door. Kamryn Kurtzner, a girl Damon's age who is visiting her grandparents in the neighborhood, also sees the black, fire-belching monster, and so does her cousin Jason. Before any of them can decide what to do, a dragon of a different color appears. The black and the blue dragon battle until the blue one drops a smooth, black ball on the ground. What is going on? Damon, Kamryn, and Jason will find out soon enough.
Damon picks up the ball to examine it, but doing so transports him and the two neighbor kids to a dimension called the Emerald Realm. The dragons who live here are at war with evil dragons from the Realm of Darkness. Damon and his human companions have landed right in the crossfire, but a blue dragon scoops them up and flies them to safety. The dragon, named Dori—who transforms into a humanoid woman with silvery hair—explains to Damon, Kamryn, and Jason that there are thousands of realms in the universe. They're usually invisible to Earth's inhabitants, but picking up the black ball—the Orb of Shammar—brought Damon and his friends into the Emerald Realm. The blue dragons are on the cusp of all-out war with Dantar, the evil dragon lord of the Realm of Darkness. Dantar has been trapped in his own realm for millennia because he doesn't have the Orb of Shammar, but if his Night Dragons steal it from Dori, Dantar will be able to cross into and conquer every realm there is, including Earth. Damon, Kamryn, and Jason can stop him, however, by traveling undercover to the Realm of Darkness, sneaking into Dantar's cave, and taking back the Sword of Eternal Power, a talisman that Dantar stole long ago. The sword has the power to destroy him, so Dantar guards it obsessively. What chance do three kids have to get it away from him?
Assisted by Dori, our trio of young would-be heroes enter the Realm of Darkness, a land of dim color and mostly nondescript land features. The one outstanding landmark is Shadow Mountain, which would dwarf any mountain on Earth. This is where Dantar makes his home, holding vigil beside the Sword of Eternal Power except for a few moments each day when he patrols the perimeter of his realm. Unfortunately, Dantar and the thousands of other Night Dragons at his command aren't the only threat. The realm is filled with nightmarish predators that Damon and his friends will have to avoid en route to Shadow Mountain. The human race has no idea its fate rests in the hands of three terrified preteens, but will Damon, Kamryn, and Jason have the courage and luck to defeat Dantar and end the ancient dragon war? It will require every ounce of resolve they can muster.
This book's fantasy action and settings are a welcome change for the series. Johnathan Rand's writing isn't exactly evocative, but it's not bad, and the narrative proceeds logically; not all American Chillers can make that claim. Damon, Kamryn, and Jason's experience shows that kids of normal intelligence and ability can be heroes; you'll probably never be asked to save the world, but if you are, who's to say you don't have what it takes? I like the playful reference on page seventeen to Florida Fog Phantoms (book three of the American Chillers series), a little game Johnathan Rand frequently plays in these books. North Dakota Night Dragons isn't great children's literature, but is entertaining enough, and takes its place beside Florida Fog Phantoms, Terrible Tractors of Texas, Poisonous Pythons Paralyze Pennsylvania, Virtual Vampires of Vermont, and Washington Wax Museum as one of the better American Chillers thus far. Up next in our tour of the U.S.? Book twenty, Mutant Mammoths of Montana. See you there.
Damon picks up the ball to examine it, but doing so transports him and the two neighbor kids to a dimension called the Emerald Realm. The dragons who live here are at war with evil dragons from the Realm of Darkness. Damon and his human companions have landed right in the crossfire, but a blue dragon scoops them up and flies them to safety. The dragon, named Dori—who transforms into a humanoid woman with silvery hair—explains to Damon, Kamryn, and Jason that there are thousands of realms in the universe. They're usually invisible to Earth's inhabitants, but picking up the black ball—the Orb of Shammar—brought Damon and his friends into the Emerald Realm. The blue dragons are on the cusp of all-out war with Dantar, the evil dragon lord of the Realm of Darkness. Dantar has been trapped in his own realm for millennia because he doesn't have the Orb of Shammar, but if his Night Dragons steal it from Dori, Dantar will be able to cross into and conquer every realm there is, including Earth. Damon, Kamryn, and Jason can stop him, however, by traveling undercover to the Realm of Darkness, sneaking into Dantar's cave, and taking back the Sword of Eternal Power, a talisman that Dantar stole long ago. The sword has the power to destroy him, so Dantar guards it obsessively. What chance do three kids have to get it away from him?
Assisted by Dori, our trio of young would-be heroes enter the Realm of Darkness, a land of dim color and mostly nondescript land features. The one outstanding landmark is Shadow Mountain, which would dwarf any mountain on Earth. This is where Dantar makes his home, holding vigil beside the Sword of Eternal Power except for a few moments each day when he patrols the perimeter of his realm. Unfortunately, Dantar and the thousands of other Night Dragons at his command aren't the only threat. The realm is filled with nightmarish predators that Damon and his friends will have to avoid en route to Shadow Mountain. The human race has no idea its fate rests in the hands of three terrified preteens, but will Damon, Kamryn, and Jason have the courage and luck to defeat Dantar and end the ancient dragon war? It will require every ounce of resolve they can muster.
This book's fantasy action and settings are a welcome change for the series. Johnathan Rand's writing isn't exactly evocative, but it's not bad, and the narrative proceeds logically; not all American Chillers can make that claim. Damon, Kamryn, and Jason's experience shows that kids of normal intelligence and ability can be heroes; you'll probably never be asked to save the world, but if you are, who's to say you don't have what it takes? I like the playful reference on page seventeen to Florida Fog Phantoms (book three of the American Chillers series), a little game Johnathan Rand frequently plays in these books. North Dakota Night Dragons isn't great children's literature, but is entertaining enough, and takes its place beside Florida Fog Phantoms, Terrible Tractors of Texas, Poisonous Pythons Paralyze Pennsylvania, Virtual Vampires of Vermont, and Washington Wax Museum as one of the better American Chillers thus far. Up next in our tour of the U.S.? Book twenty, Mutant Mammoths of Montana. See you there.
January 18, 2018
north Dakota night dragons by Jonathan rand is an amazing book about three kids that go to a different realm with dragons and they fight bad dragons to save the universe from dantar the two headed night dragon leader of the bad dragons the night dragons to do that they need to get the sword of eternal power. they need the sword eternal power and the orb of shammar to get home. this book i recommend for all people.
January 2, 2022
Such a fun book to pick up as a quick read. These books are still great and charming even as an adult. I loved every page of it and love the great storytelling. Such a fun and creative book series. What an imagination Johnathan Rand has.
October 19, 2021
Not my favorite genre but a good easy read. Exciting end to each chapter with some ending in cliffhangers.
May 11, 2024
Yeah, this was ok. More like a 2.5
March 30, 2025
This book is good so far I'm really enjoying it
May 23, 2016
in this book this kid that his name is damond and he was playing with his friends and when it gets dark he has to go home. but when he's walking home he hears something in the sky something big he looks up but nothings there so he keeps walking and he see's something big go in the back of his naybors so he goes to check it out and he see's a figure like a dragon then something grabs him he thinks its the dragons claws but it was just a girl the girl said she was trying to scare her couisne. what i liked about this book is that it had adventure and alot of exitment and scary parts .
October 5, 2011
9/27/11 i can't wait to get to the middle of the book because it gets really scary.
i picked it out because the front of the cover looked interesting.
i love to read really scary storys because in Jonathan Rand's books because after every chapter something goes wrong and you don't know what is going to happen next.
i know if the book would be scary because i like things really scary like on halloween.
if the creature on the front cover is big it is going to be creepy.
i picked it out because the front of the cover looked interesting.
i love to read really scary storys because in Jonathan Rand's books because after every chapter something goes wrong and you don't know what is going to happen next.
i know if the book would be scary because i like things really scary like on halloween.
if the creature on the front cover is big it is going to be creepy.
September 10, 2021
This the the longest American Chillers book. I sat down with a bag of potato chips and went through a full course meal from McDonald's, two milkshakes, seven cookies, a pizza, and a bowl of ice cream before finishing this one. By the end, I was fat as fuck.
All my weight went to my thighs and I became egg shaped like Squidward after he ate all the Krabby Patties in the vault.
My sister walked up to me, called me a fatass, then poked me with a pencil, and I blew up.
Pretty good book.
All my weight went to my thighs and I became egg shaped like Squidward after he ate all the Krabby Patties in the vault.
My sister walked up to me, called me a fatass, then poked me with a pencil, and I blew up.
Pretty good book.
March 3, 2009
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR-8!
October 28, 2012
BL 4.5 / 4 pts
January 20, 2012
very good book!
September 24, 2013
It was really exciting and entertaining.
May 14, 2015
The book I read was American Chillers: North Dakota Night Dragons. It was a really good book. It is part of a really good series.
June 18, 2015
Great book for upper elementary kids -- short chapters, lots of actions, kids as main characters
Plus, this story leads into the next book in the series, Mammoths of Montana.
Plus, this story leads into the next book in the series, Mammoths of Montana.
January 15, 2016
Crazy! Entertaining and witty. The some of the dialogue is redundant and the solution was predictable and weak.
February 2, 2018
Lol this isn’t a review but does anybody know how to read the book cause I’m new lol
October 25, 2012
My favorite character in this book is Dantar the terrible 2 headed dragon.
October 9, 2013
My daughter and I read this together. She rated it 5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews