The Dragon of Never-Was

Hatching Magic #2

by Ann Downer-Hazell

Ever since she was caught up in a magical whirlwind of dragons, spells, and wizards, Theodora Oglethorpe has been doing her best to put the Events of Last Summer behind her and go back to her life as a normal twelve-year-old girl. But no matter how hard she tries to forget about magic, it always seems to find her -- even when she's on vacation! When Theodora's biologist-dad is called to the Scottish island of Scornsay to study a scale believed to be from a previously unknown species, Theodora is thrilled to be invited along. A nice vacation is just what she needs to forget all about wyverns, demons, and magical tunnels through time.But as soon as Theodora sees the scale, she knows it's not from a fish, a reptile, or anything known to science. It's from a dragon, and as Theodora knows all too well, wherever there are dragons, there are wizards, and then there's sure to be trouble. Before she can solve the mystery of the dragon's scale, Theodora will have to confront her own magical heritage and make a perilous journey to the wizard's limbo known as Never-Was.

"The Dragon of Never-Was, " the sequel to "Hatching Magic, " is just as funny, witty, and richly imagined as its predecessor. Filled with eccentric characters, crafty dragons, dazzling spells, good friends, and a feisty heroine that readers will root for, this is a middle-grade fantasy to be savored.

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

320 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2006

Reviews

[Grace]

WHAT, THERE'S ANOTHER ONE?
I've reread the first like three times...how did I not know this?!

[Kat Heckenbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must start by saying I had no idea this was the second book in a series when I picked it up at the library. Nowhere on the cover does it indicate it's part of a series at all. But I had no problem figuring out characters, and the references to previous incidents weren't bothersome, and actually made me curious enough to reserve the first book :).

I never summarize plot in reviews, so let's just say in this well-written middle grade novel you'll find magic, dragons, a mystery, quirky characters, and humor but not over-the-top silliness.


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[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Theodora and her father have gone to Scotland. Her father is a famous scientist and will be studying a mysterious scale from an unknown animal. While out adventuring, Theodora discovers a ghost dog and she calls him William. Electra comes along later to brighten the way.

Reasons why I liked this book-

Reason 1- There is adventure and magic.

Reason 2- There is the ghost dog William.

Reason 3- I could imagine what was happening.

[Dena · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first few pages of The Dragon of Never-Was were so engaging I got the first, Hatching Magic, from the library and read it before returning to this one. Book 1 was ok, the ending felt rushed. This book was better. Afterward, I was left with questions about the climax... the details weren't fleshed out, the why/how of it all wasn't clear. I don't see others have the same complaint, so perhaps I'm overthinking it... or missed some key information. I'm also not the target audience, being several decades past middle school.
But I enjoyed the characters and wish there was a third book to learn about the mysterious nanny Mikko.

[Hunter Hartel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, I may not of finished it but I got through a decent chunk of it. I liked how it switched character to character throughout the story, to show you more of whats going on. I mainly liked it because it was the first sequel I have read. I have seen many sequels to movies and well they aren't as good as the first. In this book though it was as good, if not better than the first one. This is my review on this book, to an extent of knowledge.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me ages to actually start this book because I got it when I was about 9 but didn't start properly reading it until I was 13. I don't know exactly why I was deterred for 4 years but I found that it was a bit of a slow start with many twists and turns at the very start that could have scared a young primary school child away. Having said that, once I got into it and was a bit older, I found that this book was not at all frighteningly (if that's a word...) complex and it was actually a fun and enjoyable read. The whole story was based a lot over a mystery and little clues and hints are planted throughout the book and I was always thinking about what could it all mean, what is the missing link. That demonstrated fantastic writing from Ann Downer. However, as well as the mystery element, there was also lots of humour in Theodora's adventures while in Scornsay (where most of the book is set). I was fascinated by Theodora because she had a really interesting character and I found that I was always silently "cheering her on". Not necessarily in a literal way, I was sitting there with pom-poms shouting out "GIVE ME A T! GIVE ME A H!" But rather I would feel more sympathetic for her, especially when Mikko left and I was really hoping for her not to leave and change her mind and stay. I really enjoyed Merlin's character as well and I found him really funny and he added a certain comic element to the book in a way, with his "little problems" with his little wyvern. In Scornsay, I found that I was beginning to get a little frustrated with how down in the dumps Theodora was becoming. I mean, I get why, there was heaps going on for her and that but, you're on holiday! Lighten up! Probably, my two favourite characters that she met in Scornsay were Mad John and Uilleam the dog. I just found that Uilleam was Theodora's life-line, the thing that kept her going, and then when Electra came along it was like her life was taking a turn for the better. Mad John, on the other hand was just such an interesting character in my oppinion. I would always wait for e next time they would meet him with anticipation, however, I was somewhat disappointed when they met at the waterfall and I was hoping that so much more could have come from that encounter. However, that also did show that Mad John was not just a savage and he had emotions and was just separated from society. To be honest, I found the ending to be a bit too much in a way, and everything suddenly happened to tie it all up...except for the dragon scale mystery...that was amazing and it was a very satisfying ending in that respect. Overall a brilliant read with lots of entertainment and humour, as well as emotion and mystery!

[Brian · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the sequel to Hatching Magic, and the author constantly refers to things in that book, so if you've not read it, it's immensely frustrating. It's about finding a dragon in Scotland, and it is excrutiatingly slow to develop. It leaves me feeling rather like a Scottish winter: cold, dead, grey, and wishing for some intensity and fire.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book. My daughter and I both liked it. We are hoping that there will be more books in the series.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an excellent sequel! I enjoy Theodora as a character and I hope we will see more of her development in the future.

[Nare ⚜ · Rating 2 out of 5]

A este libro lo empecé en un bloqueo lector, y por eso en un futuro lo voy a releer para saber si se merecía esa puntuación. La historia fue buena, pero me perdía y tenía que retroceder, no me enganché con el libro ni simparizé con ningún personaje aunque tampoco eran malos. No me gustó que todo el problemas se resolviera en los últimos dos capítulos. Muchos de los conflictos que tuve con el libro fue por mi culpa, pero aún así yo leería otro , y si lo vas a leer, tené en cuenta que no te vuela el bocho, es simplemente es una lectura veraniega.

[Etola · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, solid sequel to the original Hatching Magic. Both of the Hatching Magic series (which seems to hint at a continuation, but so far there appear to be just the two...) would be a good series for someone who likes the Harry Potter books. Kudos to Ms. Downer for also having a strongly multi-cultural cast and a nice gender balance. It's a nice refreshing change to have a character refer to becoming an engineer "like my Aunt Jane."

[Dennis Fischman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely book. The reintroduction of character at the beginning was a little awkward, but if you've read the first in the series, skim past that and get to the heart of the book: a coming-of-age story with dragons, living and ghost dogs, and biddable fire.

If you're giving these books to a child under age twelve, you may want to let her reread #1 a few times and let her get a bit older before going on to #2.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I looked for a third book in the series as this one ended like it would be continued. So sad to find out that the author passed away in 2015 without ever having written the final book.

[Teragon Bearyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story just dragged so much. The first one was so much better in my opinion.

[Doris · Rating 3 out of 5]

With a little not-so-subtle help from some witches, 12-year-old Theodora travels to Cornwall to be with her father, the acknowledged expert on the mysterious scale that fell during the first book. Unfortunately for all concerned, the trip is a trap, and little Theodora has a difficult time ahead of her as she works to make things right.

I enjoyed this story, but it has a darker twist and deeper meanings than most children's books. It can also be confusing and difficult to follow, with too many characters and strange names that in the printed form just look odd to those of use unfamiliar with them.

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

great book that almost instantly got me hooked! Though slightly confusing with what I thought was a slightly rushed ending. I enjoyed the characters and it was truly a fun fantasy tale. I must say that overall it was a goodread. (For any of you thinking of reading this, be aware that this is the sequel to a book called 'Hatching Magic,' so make sure you read that one before this one.)

both book in this series can be located at the Notheast Harbor Library.

[Matisse710 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that if Ann Downer described the vibe that Theodora had when she met the dragon, the ending would have had more tension. I felt that when Theodora save Colin from the dragon she had done it as if she had thought about it before. It was a choice for neither someone he knew or cared about, so I thought that Ann Downer could have sort of collected Theodora's thoughts throughout the story and then explained her sudden reaction.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very compelling read. Is a young teen growing story. It ends without superficial solutions fixing everything at the end of the story nor with a desperate cliff hanger (as if that were the only way to compel readers to stay). Main character is sympathetic and reasonable enough that I don't mind allowing her space in my thoughts.

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another in the ongoing read-a-thon for Dragon Storytime in January. it's the second in what will be a series. Lots of interesting plot twists, but ending came a little too fast. Twelve year old heroine coming of age into strong magical power; enemies seeking to stop her. Really cool character is ghost dog Uilleam who only she can see.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The 2nd in the series but I couldn't follow it well. Either tired or got interrupted too many times. Now that her father is an expert on dragon scales Theodora goes with him to Scotland to look at a possible scale. However, it is a trick to get Theo there to destroy her before she grows into her magic ability. OK, so far. Where I lost it somehow was in the Never-Was.

[Jennifer Heise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not at all bad, despite being one of those 'randomly transplanted to the British Isles' sequels. Not as good as Hatching Magic, but there are strong sympathetic adult characters, traces of mystery, helpful animals and a (mostly) solid plotline. At my advanced age, parts of the plot seemed contrived but there were definitely surprises.

[Sooz Malinoski]

This book helped flesh out the character of DoDo, the teenage protagonist. Although she still complained about her friends being too busy to hang out with her, she seems well adapted to adventure.
I will read more from this author definitely.

[Kami · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it. Great for middle grade readers. Gets a pg rating!

[Betty]

Just started reading it, and it is quite good so far

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

See Hatching Magic review

[Julia Hu · Rating 4 out of 5]

great sequel to hatching magic. luv this series!!!

[Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not know there was another book. I had to read this one. I was glad she saved the dragon.

[gilbert torres · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was simply brillanltny i loved this book because it was magicail and the plot was some mixed and the details it made me fell like i was reading harry potter or harry plotter

[Elise]

I didn't know this even existed! Thanks to Goodreads, I do know.

[Martine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Good for all who enjoy fantasy and magic.