City of Secrets (Battle Dragons #3)

by Alex London

Overview

In a modern mega-city built around dragons, one boy gets caught up in the world of underground dragon battles and a high-stakes gang war that could tear his family apart.

Banished from Drakopolis to the desolate frontier town of Glassblower's Gulch, Abel and his family must face a harsh new reality: life without dragons.

Far from the lights and lizards of the megacity, Abel's new home effectively bans the great beasts. Anyone caught smuggling dragons is hauled away by the ruthless sheriff and her fearsome deputies. They have the only dragons in town, and they run the dreaded dragon rodeo, which pits those who fall afoul of the sheriff's "justice" against a wild dragon in a competition for their freedom. It's dragon versus human and only one can win.

Cut off from his friends and desperate to keep his fractious family together, Abel is determined not to break a single rule, even though the sheriff has it out for him. He's going to be a model citizen.

Then he discovers the baby wyvern.

It's a tiny, defenseless thing-and it definitely won't survive without his help. Abel has made it his mission to aid any dragon that needs him. But what is he willing to risk for a baby wyvern in a town without mercy?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338716696
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	03/07/2023
Series:	Battle Dragons
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	69,924
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Alex London is the author of over 25 books for children, teens, and adults with over 2 million copies sold. He’s the author of the middle grade Dog Tags, Tides of War, Wild Ones, and Accidental Adventures series, as well as two titles in The 39 Clues. For young adults, he’s the author of the acclaimed cyberpunk duology Proxy, and the epic fantasy trilogy, The Skybound Saga. A former journalist covering refugee camps and conflict zones, he can now be found somewhere in Philadelphia, where he lives with his husband and daughter or online at www.calexanderlondon.com.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for City of Thieves

"This series starter's straightforward language, intriguing worldbuilding, and thoughtful, gutsy protagonist make it widely appealing." -Kirkus Reviews

"Battle Dragons is the riproaring opener to a surefire hit series. Alex London has envisioned a world as enthralling as it is dangerous-a society much like our own if it was built on the backs of giant fire-breathing dragons. Readers are sure to burn through the pages as they follow Abel through the shadowy underbelly of Drakopolis, dodging dragon-rider street gangs and a ruthless secret police to save his family. Abel is an endearing and relatable hero struggling under expectations as the youngest of three siblings, and his journey in building self-confidence is sure to ring true with young readers. Above all, cutting through the action is a moving tale of friendship and family, which is at the heart of this thrilling fantasy."

-Soman Chainani, author of The School for Good and Evil series

"A rip-roaring loop-de-loop of action and adventure, Battle Dragons will keep readers at the edge of their seat as they cheer on Abel and his friends."

-Kwame Mbalia, author of the Tristan Strong series

From the Publisher

2023-01-12
The exile of young dragon rider Abel from Drakopolis leads to the launch of a dragon liberation movement in this third series entry.

Freshly arrived in the isolated town of Glassblower’s Gulch with his parents and squabbling older sibs, Abel is quick to learn that local sheriff Bina Skint and her brutal deputy, Manchi, are not only on the take, but run a regular rodeo in which troublemakers are forced to fight deadly dragons. Since Abel soon finds himself struggling to secretly harbor and train an illegal baby wyvern foisted on him by new friend Kayda and her moms, it’s only a matter of time before he’s in the arena himself—and on the road to startling discoveries about the supposedly feral and nonsentient monsters. London continues to weave nuanced explorations of family relationships into his action-packed plots and also to wheel in crowd-pleasing flocks of fire-, glass-, acid-, or lethal-loogie–spitting dragons of many types and temperaments as he reassembles both the draconian and White-presenting and gender diverse human cast from previous episodes for a lengthy climactic aerial battle that shows every sign of extending back to Drakopolis in the next outing. Stay tuned.

More than enough mayhem, mischief, and awesome aerial exploits to send young dracophiles soaring and roaring. (Fantasy. 9-13)

Kirkus Reviews