Sofiya Pasternack
May 1, 20172 min
Updated: Aug 16, 2018
Title: The Mark of the Dragonfly
Author: Jaleigh Johnson
Genre: Fantasy
Series: World of Solace #1
Blurb
When Piper finds the girl, she doesn’t remember a thing about her life, but the intricate tattoo on her arm is proof that she’s from the Dragonfly Territories and that she’s protected by the king. Which means a reward for Piper if she can get her home.
The one sure way to the Territories is the 401, a great old beauty of a train. But a ticket costs more coin than Piper could make in a year. And stowing away is a difficult prospect–everyone knows that getting past the peculiar green-eyed boy who stands guard is nearly impossible.
Life for Piper just turned dangerous. A little big magical. And very exciting, if she can manage to survive the journey.
What I Liked
Okay, in all honesty, the cover drew me in pretty hard. Look at it! It’s gorgeous! Piper is smart, and she cares about people but tries not to show it. Anna is very obsessed with logic, order, rules, and organizes everything so she can see it (took bowls out of cupboards, etc). Gee is a grouchy secret lizard. The cast all have distinct voices and motivations, and are engaging to follow.
What I Would Have Liked to See
World building was very interesting, although sometimes I felt like Piper was remembering a Wikipedia article she had read once about King Aron or the Dragonfly Territories or what have you. Info-dumpy. These Wiki-memories were cool but did kind of push me out of the immersion of the story. I wish there had been a more natural way to get that information across.
My Favorite!
Anna’s name. It made me laugh for spoilery reasons. I wonder if it was on purpose.
TL;DR
Some things weren’t resolved, but the main storyline (Piper rescuing Anna) reached its conclusion, so I’m happy! The open stuff is good to leave open for the sequel(s). It’s a great read for ages 10+!