Fire & Heist

Gr 7–10—The author set out to write a stand-alone fantasy that combines elements of Ocean's Eleven with were-dragons, and she delivers. Sky is from a prominent were-dragon family. She recruits a group of accepting human friends to help her raid another were-dragon family's vault and solve her mother's disappearance along the way. The plot is so richly described that readers will be engaged in this world populated by shape-shifting dragons living among humans. Weaved into the fast-paced story is a rich history of lore to relay the deeper connections were-dragons have with gold and one another. The book swiftly moves into action from the opening scene as Sky realizes that she must use her deft skills to retrieve an item that holds the answer to two potential mysteries. Readers get fun insight into her dual life as a teenage girl attending school and her role within her shape-shifting family. The requisite romantic conundrum further complicates Sky's quest. The weak characterization might disappoint some but doesn't detract from this action adventure.