Voices of Dragons

Voices of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn is a great story that includes international politics, friendship, adventure, dragons and more.

Kay Wyatt lives in northern Montana in the town of Silver River. The town is famous for the treaty signed there - bringing peace between the US and the country to the north, Dragon.

Sure everyone thought that dragons were mythological creatures or maybe they were real but extinct. But during World War II the atom bomb shook the Earth enough to bring them back to the surface. They had been living underground for generations.

When they first returned, there was war and misunderstanding between humans and dragons. Eventually lands were carved out to create a nation for the dragons. Kay has lived on the edge of the border with Dragon her whole life. Her mother is in charge of border control in the area. But Kay is also an adventurer. And since no one has seen a dragon up close in years, she decided to go rock climbing near the border.

Her climb is great, but when she is returning to her jeep, she stops at the river -the physical border between the two nations - to soak her sore hands. That is when she falls in the water. A dragon pulls her out. She is shocked to hear that he can speak English.

Thus begins the friendship between Kay and Artegal. But when the political and military climate starts to change, their friendship will be put to the test.

Voices of Dragons is Carrie Vaughn's YA debut. It is an instantly engaging read that will pull readers along to the very end. Her characters are real and compelling. Her story of a cold war between nations will feel familiar to any readers over 40 but will not be missed by those too young to remember our own Cold War history. A must-read for fans of politics, rock climbing, dragons, and more.

Vaughn, Carrie. (2010). Voices of Dragons. New York: Harper Teen.