by Bethany Wiggins
♦publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
♦release date: February 21st, 2017
♦hardcover, 304 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦series: Transference, book 1
♦source: from publisher for honest review
When two warring kingdoms unified against a deadly menace laying waste to both their lands, they had to make a choice: vow to marry their heirs to one another, or forfeit their lives to the dragon.
Centuries later, everyone expects the sheltered princess Sorrowlynn to choose the barbarian prince over the fire-breathing beast—everyone, that is, except Sorrow, who is determined to control her own destiny or die trying.
As she is lowered into the dragon’s chamber, she assumes her life is over until Golmarr, the young prince she just spurned, follows her with the hopes of being her hero and slaying the dragon. But the dragon has a different plan. . . .
If the dragon wins, it will be freed from the spell that has bound it to the cave for centuries. If Sorrow or Golmarr vanquish the dragon, the victor will gain its treasure and escape the cave beneath the mountain. But what exactly is the dragon hiding?
There are no safe havens for Sorrow or Golmarr—not even with each other—and the stakes couldn’t be higher as they risk everything to protect their kingdom.
Centuries later, everyone expects the sheltered princess Sorrowlynn to choose the barbarian prince over the fire-breathing beast—everyone, that is, except Sorrow, who is determined to control her own destiny or die trying.
As she is lowered into the dragon’s chamber, she assumes her life is over until Golmarr, the young prince she just spurned, follows her with the hopes of being her hero and slaying the dragon. But the dragon has a different plan. . . .
If the dragon wins, it will be freed from the spell that has bound it to the cave for centuries. If Sorrow or Golmarr vanquish the dragon, the victor will gain its treasure and escape the cave beneath the mountain. But what exactly is the dragon hiding?
There are no safe havens for Sorrow or Golmarr—not even with each other—and the stakes couldn’t be higher as they risk everything to protect their kingdom.
Review: The Dragon's Price was one I really enjoyed, despite turning out to be a completely different story than I expected! It was pretty fast-paced (though there was a bit of falter in the middle), imaginative, and a fun twist on heroism.
Because of an age-old spell over their two kingdoms, Princess Sorrowlynn must make a choice between an arranged marriage to what she assumes is a barbarian prince or being fed to the fire dragon. After meeting her supposed betrothed (and his first wife) she sets her mind to facing death in the dragon's lair. What she doesn't realize is that the kinder, more charming son, Golmarr, has plans to step in, but by the time he makes it known, it's too late and her choice has been made. So down to the dragon she goes...and down he goes after her.
I really enjoyed these two characters, and how they interacted. They definitely had a funny sort of chemistry going on from the beginning and I loved watching that grow, watching them each dispel misconceptions about each other's kingdoms, and watching as Sorrow hilariously tries to cling to her royal ideals of modesty. I felt so much compassion for Sorrow and how she was treated so poorly by the King and Queen and it was really satisfying to see her go on this journey, growing in confidence and bravery.
There were some great twists. I was initially expecting to see a story where the dragon was more physically involved, but it was an interesting twist and concept that makes the reader realize what the Dragon's Price truly was and what challenges it meant for Sorrow and Golmarr.
While the storytelling was great and the world was vividly crafted, there were times when I found the writing and mostly the dialogue seemed a little off to me...maybe a little too simplified? And some of the descriptives a little too "telling not showing". Hard to explain, but it was almost like the casual style didn't fit the story at times.
Aside from that, I was so enchanted by this wonderful fantasy and it's spin on dragon lore. The ending was so heartbreaking but hopeful, and I will be eager to get book two into my hands so I can find out what happens next!!
•ABOUT THE AUTHOR•
Bethany Wiggins is the author of Stung and Shifting. She started writing on a dare and dove headfirst into the world of writerly madness. She lives in the desert with her husband, four quirky kids, and two very fluffy cats. Wiggins has always been an avid reader, but not an avid student. Seriously! She failed ninth grade English because she read novels instead of doing her homework. In high school, she sat alone at lunch and read massive hardback fantasy novels (Tad Williams and Robert Jordan anyone?). It wasn’t until the end of her senior year that the other students realized she was reading fiction. Since then she has penned SHIFTING (2011), STUNG (2013), and CURED (2014).
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