Dragons and Lotsa Running: My Blazewrath Games Review

I'm just gonna admit that I love dragons. I also love sports. So when I found out about a book that combined dragons AND sports into an epic tournament, I knew I had to check it out!

Read on, if you dare ...


Book Title: Blazewrath Games
Author: Amparo Ortiz
Publisher/Year: Page Street Kids, 2020
Genre: Fantasy
Number of Pages (According to Goodreads): 368
My Rating: 4 out of 5

Book description (from Goodreads):

How to Train Your Dragon meets Quidditch through the Ages in this debut fantasy, set in an alternate contemporary world, in which dragons and their riders compete in an international sports tournament

Lana Torres has always preferred dragons to people. In a few weeks, sixteen countries will compete in the Blazewrath World Cup, a tournament where dragons and their riders fight for glory in a dangerous relay. Lana longs to represent her native Puerto Rico in their first ever World Cup appearance, and when Puerto Rico’s Runner—the only player without a dragon steed—is kicked off the team, she’s given the chance.

But when she discovers that a former Blazewrath superstar has teamed up with the Sire—a legendary dragon who’s cursed into human form—the safety of the Cup is jeopardized. The pair are burning down dragon sanctuaries around the world and refuse to stop unless the Cup gets cancelled. All Lana wanted was to represent her country. Now, to do that, she’ll have to navigate an international conspiracy that’s deadlier than her beloved sport.

Pretty awesome, no? Well, I'm happy to say that I had a blast reading this book!

The Lower YA Adventure You've Been Waiting For

This book is classed as YA, but it’s on the younger side. I was actually very happy to see that, because YA has been getting increasingly more mature over the past few years, which risks leaving younger teens with nothing to read. I think Blazewrath Games helps fill that gap -- it's a great read for people aged about 11 and up, so definitely check it out if you’re looking for YA in that range! 

The book contains fantasy violence and things of that nature, but nothing graphic or inappropriate for younger teens. It does deal with some complicated issues like identity and national pride, but in a way that’s accessible for most people.

Why Read Harry Potter When You Can Read This Instead?

Interestingly, the magical regulatory organization in the book gave me clear Harry Potter Ministry of Magic vibes. I really enjoyed that aspect of Harry Potter, and I was happy to see it in this book as well (HP has kind of been ruined for me, so any book that can recreate the vibe is a thumbs up in my view!). The team sport aspect also reminded me of Warcross, and I loved getting to know the members of Team Puerto Rico.

There are a lot of twists in the story that were fun to encounter, and though the plot does get a tad complicated, I had a lot of fun uncovering all the secrets! It’s the kind of fast, compulsive read that you can devour in a couple of days :D

Trigger Warnings for Blazewrath Games

This book might not be for you if you're sensitive to depictions of violence, death, mind control/manipulation, and homophobia (challenged). It also mentions a parental death from cancer.

Final Thoughts

This was a fun, quick read that seriously scratched my dragon itch. Long story short, if you’re looking for a fun alternative to HP with a diverse cast and lots of dragons, definitely check this one out!

Blazewrath Games is available everywhere, so check out the links below if you want to snag your own copy:

Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads

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