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Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
The Wounded Sky by Ray Strong is book two in The Dragons' War series. In book one, Zephyr's Flight, fifteen-year-old Astria Sannfjaer hopes to become a Rider like her father, who vanished with his dragon years ago. She bonds with Zephyr, but the Council denies her path, fearing her ability to understand dragons, a power tied to legend. Isolated but determined, Astria turns to outsiders for help as a rising enemy threatens to plunge the world into chaos. Now bonded to Astria, Zephyr is weakening under a curse. In disguise, Astria joins the College of Singers, where music can reshape reality, in search of a cure. Traveling with companions, she follows clues leading to old enemies, the barbarian Hordes. With conflict looming, Astria faces a critical decision: save her dragon or accept their fate.
The Wounded Sky by Ray Strong is a fantastically beautiful, brilliantly written story grounded in the most human aspects of Astria: bodily exhaustion, sharp emotion, and quiet acts of courage. I love that Astria’s endurance is as present as her sword, and Strong lets us see her as a character shaped not only by power but also by her limits. Her bond with Zephyr transcends the page, and is expressed in scenes like a quiet ride where Astria, “held onto Zephyr’s mane and felt the earth drop away.” She’s not riding a dragon, she’s trusting another, and she’s finally letting herself be carried. The symbolism incorporated throughout is a testament to Strong's skill as a storyteller, turning a purple ribbon from her gown and an imagined noose into visual markers of choice and cost, with attention to her awareness of consequence. These choices make The Wounded Sky unique and a worthy addition to an already great series.
