Tigerpetal Press : Book Review: Fire World

The Last Dragon Chronicles Book 6: Fire World by Chris D’Lacey

I liked it; it was good

One of the two books in this series I have not yet read. Diving into this new text will be a delight, I’m sure!

Read: December 11 – December 15, 2023

Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction
Audience: Children
Book contains: character death, fire

Delightful Science Fiction Adventure

After the confrontation with the Ix, Earth is left in a state of limbo, and a new story arises in the world between Earth and Ki:mera, a place called Co:pern:ica, where a young boy named David is sent away to live in a librarium with a girl his age named Rosanna; the old curator, Mr. Henry; and the flock of firebirds which live there. There, he and Rosa uncover a peculiar secret about the librarium, and find themselves on a dangerous new adventure.

I was surprised to find that this story takes place in an entirely different world than the first five books. It could almost be read as a standalone novel, as the whole book takes place in Co:pern:ica, and if not for the references to the other books in the series and the obvious direction the ending takes us, this adventure could be isolated. I love how it takes the idea of alternate timelines/dimensions to reintroduce us to the characters, who are the same, but different. This new world was both fun and head-spinning to explore.

I almost didn’t finish this book on time. I just had to rearrange my Friday morning, so no harm done, and I will again read the next book the same as this one and all the others.

The book is separated into five parts, each which are followed by “which has its beginnings in…” to set the scene. It follows David, but also Rosa and several other characters, including the firebirds.

We have all the same cast from the first five books, but they are reimagined in this alternate universe. David is still David, but Liz becomes Eliza, Arthur becomes Harlan, Bergstrom becomes Strømberg, Zanna becomes Rosa, and more.

The relationships between the characters are also much the same. Eliza and Harlan (Liz and Arthur) are married, and they have a son named David (and later a daughter named Penny). David meets Rosa when they are both twelve years old, and they later fall in love and then out of love—just like the David and Zanna of Earth. There is just enough familiarity with the characters to recognize them, but I love the new way they are explored in this story. Even Henry Bacon, who is instead Charles Henry in this world, has a father-daughter sort of relationship with Rosa, just like Mr. Bacon had with Zanna.

D’Lacey’s style continues to be humorous at the same time it is elegant. I can easily picture the beauty as well as the desolation of Co:pern:ica, the alternate dimension he has created. It continues to be a great quality for children, but also graceful enough to be enjoyed by adults who don’t mind the simpler language. On that note, there are also a few words here and there of a higher difficulty level, such as ‘poignant’, which is good for elevating vocabulary. (And if not, there is enough context to understand the story without looking these up.)

This is an excellent continuation to the series, so I highly recommend it. I could even recommend it as a standalone science fiction novel, since it would be read and understood even without reading the other books.

The Last Dragon Chronicles Book 6: Fire World by Chris D’Lacey

Delightful Science Fiction Adventure

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