🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
The third instalment of S R Langley’s Dragon’s Erf saga sees Roger and Mary still desperately trying to get the unhatched True Dragon Prince, Regor, to Dragon’s Nest. It’s not just the Dragons of Erf who need Regor to reclaim his throne from the usurper Fire Worms, but the entirety of Erf – Lord Morgrim’s plans are to control every being on the planet, gaining him ultimate control. When Grannie Maddam tells Mary that following her release from hospital, she’ll be taken into a a children’s home, they collude to run away as soon as possible; and they plan to sneak out the day before her transfer to the home. Meanwhile, Roger is trapped in his unhappy home with his parents, neither of whom care about him. He knows he needs to escape, with Regor’s Egg (disguised as a pond rock), before his father’s nefarious plans have a chance to come to fruition, and he agrees to help Grannie execute the escape. But as they plan to rescue Mary from the hospital, their plans are interrupted when her transfer is bought forward.
Cue a brand new adventure as Grannie, Roger, Regor and Grannie’s cat, Jericho race against time to save Mary from the horrors of a children’s home. And then even more adventure after that. With old friends and new they tackle old enemies and new dangers, all the while ensuing that Prince Regor is safe in his Egg. When it is revealed that Roger knows his father is working with the dark Magick users, the peril becomes ever more present and much more difficult to evade.
As the series progresses, the themes become ever so slightly more mature – and the story lines become darker, with more of an edge to them. Dragon’s Flight is still full of the same humour from the previous two books, though – especially with Regor’s voice becoming more and more present with his quirky speech pattern. The content is also slightly more mature, with Grannie Maddam, especially. She’s prone to some mild swearing when she’s having an outburst or is angry.
We see a little less of the Fire Worms in Dragon’s Flight, and with Mavis having exploded in Dragon’s Inferno, we finally see more of the scheming Mr Briggs – Roger’s father – and more of the Magickal species that populate Erf. It’s a breath of fresh air into the series, making it once again, a charming read.
S. A.
First published on Reedsy Discovery as part of their ARC program. You can read the original review here.
Dragon’s Flight is available to buy from Amazon. You can purchase it by clicking on its name.