Avis’ life has changed now that her mum and brother Bruno have moved to Australia to live with Mum’s new partner. Her Dad has left her for a week while he helps Bruno settle in Australia, and she is enjoying staying with family friend Malinda and two dragons they have raised.

Dragons Humbert and Princess can communicate with Avis and Malinda through their thoughts, from kilometres away – as long as they are wearing glass-like tear shaped talismans. This secret communication is becoming stronger and stronger and sometimes it’s too hard to ignore – especially during class at school.

One day Avis comes home from school to find Humbert and Princess have been squabbling again, and she realises that they are growing too big and too bored to be hidden in Malinda’s property for much longer. They need a bigger and more remote home.

Malinda has been looking at an island that just might be what they are looking for, but they will need some way of getting there to check it out. Avis and Humbert try to have a look for themselves and only just escape disaster. On their journey, they see two unexpected things – some sort of drilling rig where it shouldn’t be, and a huge, reddish, creature below the waves. Even Malinda looks shocked when they tell her, but Avis knows that if dragons can be real, so can something called a kraken.

This discovery, worry about the drilling and a trip to the island soon fill Avis with anxiety. She is also dealing with a school bully yet again, and is surprised at her reaction which nearly gets her suspended. Not to mention she and Humbert’s bond has been stretched lately as they both develop into young teens. Her biggest worry however is that others have seen Humbert and Princess and she’s concerned for their safety. Will her secret be spilled to the world while they find a new home for the dragons?

This is a sequel to the 2020 Storylines Notable Book Avis and the Promise of Dragons.

Reading the 1st book would add more to the understanding of the back story, but it isn’t essential. I could understand what had happened previously by what the author provides in this story (without a full-on recap).

Avis is a likeable character as she deals with the changes in her life and the responsibility of keeping two quickly growing dragons, safe. An environmental theme threaded within a fantasy of homing dragons in a suburban NZ neighbourhood, allows readers to contemplate the effects of mining or drilling on sea-life.

Making the key sea creature a kraken capable of pulling a huge ship under, just makes this adventure all the more exciting, while trying to keep a multitude of secrets and emotions under wraps.

Author – Heather McQuillan

Age – 9+

(2024, Cuba Press, Ahoy! Dragons, Growing Up, NZ, Aotearoa New Zealand, Family, Secrets, Anxiety, School Bully, Bullies, Blended Family, Trust, Sequel, Series, Courage, Environment, Sea-Life, Kraken, Octopus, Drilling, Oil Rig, Action, Adventure)