11 new YA book releases to kick off your spooky season right this October
By Lacy Baugher
Blazewrath Games – Amparo Ortiz
An international sports competition involving dragons with a Puerto Rican flair? Sign me up right now.
Blazewrath Games, a contemporary fantasy from Amparo Ortiz that mixes dragon-riding with the World Cup and if, like me, you grew up reading the Dragonriders of Pern series that this line alone has already piqued your interest in this title.
The story follows Lana, a seventeen-year-old girl whose lifelong dream has been to be Runner for Team Puerto Rico in the Blazewrath Games. But her dreams are nearly dashed when a former Blazewrath rider teams up with the dragon who was so dangerous he was cursed into human form and starts threatening the very sport she loves. With the threat of violence increasing and complicated conspiracies unraveling around her, Lana discovers she’s now tied to that same dragon-human known as the Sire herself.
The official synopsis has a lot more story details.
"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"
Blazewrath Games is available on October 6.