Alliana, Girl of Dragons Book Review

Alliana, Girl of Dragons

By: Julie Abe

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Publish Date: August 2, 2022

Children’s Fiction

#AllianaGirlofDragons#NetGalley

I would like to thank both NetGalley and Little Brown Books for allowing me to read and review this book.

Good Reads Synopsis:

Once upon a time, Alliana believed in dreams and fairy tales as sweet as spun-sugar clouds. Alliana wished on shooting stars, sure that someday she and her grandmother would be able to travel to the capital city to see the queen. Then her grandmother passed away—and those dreams disappeared in a disenchanted puff.

Now Alliana’s forced to attend to the whims of her wicked stepmother—with long days of cleaning her stepfamily’s inn as her skin burns raw or staying up until the crack of dawn to embroider her stepsister’s ball gowns. Until she meets two beings who change her life forever—the first is a young nightdragon who Alliana discovers she can magically talk to. And the second is Nela, a young witch.

Nela needs Alliana’s help navigating the mysterious abyss, filled with dangerous beasts, a place Alliana knows by heart. Alliana sees Nela’s request as a chance to break free of her stepmother’s shadow and to seize a chance at a life she’s barely dared to hope for—but there’s a risk. If caught, Alliana will be stuck working for her stepmother for the rest of her life. Can Alliana truly make wisps of dreams into her own, better-than-a-fairy tale happily ever after?

Book Review:

I enjoyed this book and gave it 4 stars. It is a quick read.

This is a Cinderella retelling. You have an evil stepmother and instead of two ugly stepsisters you have instead an evil stepbrother and a stepsister who isn’t so bad.

Alliana is an orphan and is being raised by her stepfamily. She is treated poorly and has to do all the chores and most of the cooking. When she has spare time, she tries to sale off some herbs she gathers to pay off the debt she owes her stepfamily.

One day while gathering herbs she witnesses an event with three-night dragons. Two of them are fighting over the third baby one. Alliana goes and rescues the baby, and she is able to communicate with it through thought. She tells the little dragon to hide, and she will try to see him as soon as possible and will leave it some food if she can.

As time goes on the night dragon grows and Alliana isn’t able to see him but is able to leave a little bit of food for him. During this time Alliana also meets up with a witch. This witch needs her help with some problems that the town they live in is having. Alliana isn’t sure what she can do but she is willing to help out.

As the year continues on things are happening both in her life and the town. Alliana tries really hard with her stepfamily, but it is not easy. Eventually she finds out somethings and this makes her angry.

This is her story and how she handles things.

This story will also make you have some strong feelings toward the stepmother and stepbrother.