Dragon Flames

On the celebratory ship landing day, Talei watches helplessly as dragons burn her parents and neighbors alive. She and her brother manage to escape the devastation and join up with others who survived. ... Talei and her friends warn the settlers of the dragon attacks and are laughed at. There is no such thing as dragons after all. The Boon townsfolk learn differently when they're attacked as well. They, however, have a defense not available to the other towns--the space ship on which they arrived on the planet. It provides a shelter to protect them. During the attack, Talei makes mental contact with one of the dragons. She soon learns that the dragons are not at fault, but are being forced to attack the human colonies by an alien race called the Pundras. With that knowledge, Talei leads a small group to the western continent--the home of the dragons--to help the dragons overcome the Pundra slavers.

... this year, Landing Day is nothing to celebrate. When an invasion of fire-breathing dragons arrive and destroys everything in their path, only a handful of orphaned children are left. It's now up to eighteen-year-old Talei to help them survive on their own. Talei is a remarkable girl. Only just turned eighteen on Landing Day, she's quick to step up and take the lead when needed. Even though the responsibility of caring for so many young children and re-establishing a settlement overwhelms her, she never thinks of throwing her hands up and walking away from it all. She takes her responsibilities to heart and makes things work the best she can. A natural born leader, people will follow her wherever she leads. Adri is Talei's natural complement. He's mellow when she's uptight, rational when she's not. Being from a more well-established settlement than Talei, he's a bit more refined and brings a lot to the table when they meet. His addition to the party makes things more balanced and smoother. Together, they make a great pair of leaders, with democracy at the forefront of their reign. Dragon Flame is an adventure for all ages! From the first dragon attack to the freeing of the dragons from their captors, you're glued to the words before you. I found it interesting as to why Talei and her brother, Byron, were the only ones capable of communicating with the dragons at first. A different sort of idea and I think it worked well here, showing how the siblings differed from all the other survivors around them. A great fantasy for younger teens and adults alike, Dragon Flame is a fun and exciting mix of both fantasy and science fiction. Originally posted at LAS YA Reviews

Perkins crafts a tale full of adventure with "Dragon Flame." Humans left Earth and settled on the planet Numar. After living in peace for eighteen years, dragons attack the human settlements. ... With Talei's ability to talk to the dragons, can she stop the havoc they make? ... Talei meets Adri on the way to Boon. He's willing to help her free the dragons from the Pundras' influence. ... The adventure draws Talei and Adri close. Perkins imagination soars with this adventure-filled story. Talei and Adri face many obstacles from the dragons, disbelief from their fellow humans, and an ocean. Perkins writing is easy to read and the plot moves at a nice clip. I enjoyed the rich back story of the dragons. They possessed many emotions that the reader can identify with - love, distrust, kindness, and curiosity. Perkins paints vivid pictures of the setting that resonate in the reader's mind. "Dragon Flame" offers an adventure full of excitement, danger, and sweet romance.