Tales from the Chocolate Heart #3

The Princess Who Flew with Dragons by Stephanie Burgess

Publication Date: November 5, 2019

Summary from NetGalley:

Princess Sofia of Drachenburg is sick of being used for her older sister’s political gains. At twelve years old, she’s already been a hostage to invading dragons and promised to marry a wicked fairy. Now she’s being sent to far-off Villene to play the part of a charming, diplomatic princess. Her only comfort lies in writing letters to her pen pal and best friend–Jasper, a young dragon she’s never even met.

But when an accident leads to her exile from Villene, Sofia is free to wander as she pleases for the first time in her life. And when Jasper’s magical sister Aventurine turns him into a human boy, Sofia thinks life can’t get any better. Until . . . the legendary ice giants of the north attack, trying to reclaim the territory that was theirs centuries ago. With the dragons and royals frozen in ice, can Sofia and Jasper save their families and kingdom?

With another strong heroine and plenty of action, this is an enchanting and strong-hearted fantasy set in the same world as The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart and The Girl with the Dragon Heart.

ARC provided by Bloomsbury Children’s Books via Netgalley for an honest review.

One of the best things about this series, is that you don’t have to have read the others in order to enjoy any of them. They are all delightfully wonderful on their own. Especially this one.

Sofia was a character I think many kids will be able to relate too. She makes a lot of mistakes and feels guilty about them, but she also looks for ways to remedy them too. It is her mistakes that makes her stronger and a believable character. I also liked the fact that she didn’t see herself as a very good princess, but when the time came to really be one, she was able to step up and get it done. It was also good to see her change her perspective about herself and her sister, and what it meant to be a ruler to a kingdom.

I loved Jasper, Sofia’s dragon pen pal. When she finally gets to meet him I was just as excited as she was. He really steps up as well to help Sofia when the others are taken. His comments of human behavior were very interesting as well and the two of them had some interesting discussions.

The other characters in this book were also delightful. Sofia meets many new and interesting characters including a kobold and goblins. Talvikki and Fedolia both help Sofia expand her self and her beliefs with their stories and adventures. Fedolia was especially an interesting character with many hidden talents and some selfish priorities. But she does end up helping Sofia in the end.

The plot was really interesting. Sofia’s adventures in Villene were full of fun and learning. The Ice Giants were pretty terrifying and their territory and kingdom were written with such detail that it made me shiver. The resolution of the problem was maybe a bit over the top, but I loved how Sofia just decided to take charge to save her sister, Jasper and the other royals without a thought for her own safety.

A great addition to this series. Kids who loved the first two books will just adore this one as well.