ARC Review: “Love in The Age of Dragons” by Fatima R. Henderson

“Love in The Age of Dragons” by Fatima R. Henderson

Publication Date: November 1, 2022

Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, YA

Page Length: 256 pages

Synopsis:

Two years ago, a wormhole opened and ushered vicious dragons into the world. The dragons burned Earth’s cities to the ground and sent its inhabitants scattering for cover–and since then, Ayanna Grace, a seventeen-year-old Black girl, has been scratching out a life in an abandoned subway system, part of an extensive underground community.

Underground, medicine runs short and outbreaks of disease spread uncontrollably. The water supply is low, uprisings occur frequently, and dragon attacks are imminent. But those aren’t the only challenges Ayanna is facing: she’s also busy wrestling with her feelings, torn between Richard, who she’s known all her life, and Jackson, a mysterious newcomer. Worse, her mentor, the community’s only doctor, is dying from a failing heart. With no hope of rescue from aboveground, will Ayanna be able to save him before it’s too late?

Review:

Love in The Age of Dragons is a nice blend of fantasy and dystopian fiction. As a reader who loves stories about dragons since childhood, this novel piqued my interest especially since a Black main character is at the forefront. In this post-apocalyptic world the people of Terra live underground and try to survive with very limited resources. Ayana is a powerful heroine who struggles to do her best with all the knowledge she’s learned from her mentor. But can she save the day when imminent danger is around the corner?

This overall novel is action-packed and tense with drama as the characters try to navigate their lives. Ayana is a heroine who is kind, and vulnerable, and puts on a brave face when others need support. She is so skilled in times of danger and quickly puts together plans in order to evade tricky situations. She’s the main character that people can root for. I admired her growth and as well as her ability to move forward even though times get incredibly difficult.

Though there is a bit of romance within the plot I appreciated that it takes a back seat to the main plot. This novel is more about a story of survival and fighting against dragons. I will admit though that even after reading the novel I have a lot of unanswered questions about the dragons themselves. The focus is more on the people and I wanted to see more of the dragons. There’s a bit of a cliffhanger so hopefully, there will be a book two to continue the rest of the story.

Final Verdict: