Amaterasu Reads: ARC Review: Flying Blind by Deborah Cooke

Who doesn't love Dragons?

Those winged, mythical creatures, big and strong and elusive. Deborah Cooke brought them to life in this book, and she did it really well!

Title: Flying Blind by Deborah Cooke
Pages: 336
Release Date: June 7th 2011
Published by: New American Library
Source: Publisher (Thanks, Alexandra!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary (from Goodreads):

The next generation of shape-shifting dragons from the popular author of the Dragonfire novels.

Zoë Sorensson is perfectly normal, except she's been told she's destined for great things. Zoë's the one female dragon shapeshifter of her kind. But Zoë is at the bottom of the class when it comes to being Pyr and her powers are AWOL, so she's sent to a Pyr boot camp.

Zoë quickly realizes that she has to master her powers yesterday, because the Pyr are in danger and boot camp is a trap. The Mages want to eliminate all shifters and the Pyr are next in line-unless Zoë and her friends can work together and save their own kind.

Zoe is the Wyvern, the only female Dragon in existence. But being the only one has her going crazy because all the powers she supposedly have were nowhere to be found. She was a failure as a girl (she hasn't had her first period yet at fifteen and she's as flat as a board) and as a Wyvern (she couldn't shift, couldn't see the past, present or future or do the important things a Wyvern can). So she was sent to bootcamp, but a week long test of skill turned out to be a week filled with danger as Zoe tries to learn all there is to be a Wyvern, while attempting to save her dad, and prevent their race from being eradicated by evil Mages.

I am not familiar with the original series this was taken from, but Flying Blind stands very well on its own even if you have not read the Dragonfire series.

Zoe has a very entertaining, fun voice throughout this book. Readers will instantly love this girl with her refreshing, funny personality and her struggles to become her destiny as the Wyvern was made more interesting with light, hilarious observations and situations. That whole week changed Zoe's life in ways she couldn't even imagine. Just when she thought she'd fail even in relationships, she met Jared. And who can resist a mischievous, hot, sexy, older boy who trusts Zoe more than she trusts herself, who dares her to do things she thought she couldn't. This is probably the first book I've read where the main guy lead did not appear often but he's had the biggest impact on Zoe. Jared was a great match for Zoe, a bad boy outside, but a great, nice guy inside.

The supporting characters are very dynamic and they breathed life to the plot greatly. Garrett is a mysterious boy who I can't figure out just yet. I loved Liam because he's an easygoing, naturally nice kid who isn't judgmental. He was the only Pyr who trusted Zoe when everyone else turned on her. And Nick, who was rash and bold and hot headed. I would have loved Zoe to end up with him, but it's not the road Zoe would want to take especially when she knew what happened to the previous Wyvern. I wanted to hate Isabelle, but you can only hate a character so much at one point, especially when all her good points appeared gradually throughout the story. Zoe found a friend in her in the most unexpected of ways.

I always loved reading books where I can connect with the characters easily, and despite them being Pyr, being Dragons, it was easy to understand and put myself in Zoe's shoes, because even if she was a Dragon, her feelings and thoughts as a teenager and as a person were easily conveyed with Deborah Cooke's simple and easy going writing. Flying Blind teaches the readers that sometimes we just need to have confidence in ourselves. A little faith and trust in us as well as to those we love can go a long way.

Flying Blind made me want to read the Dragonfire series so much! I wanted to know the story behind the Pyr's fathers, Erik, Quinn, Donovan among others. However, Deborah Cooke provided a complete story arc that will make the readers understand the world of the Pyr, a different story that readers will enjoy!

Overflowing with magic, treachery and deception, trials concerning friendships and love, Flying Blind is one exhilirating read! This book has heart stopping action, suspense, thrill and romance which will hook readers from the first up to the last page. Definitely recommended to everyone!

Content (plot, story flow, character):