Elena Watkins grew up with only her dad in everywhere-America as they were always on the run from an enemy that Elena never saw until the night her father died at the claws of a dragon. Whisked away to Paegeia, a land hidden away from our own that houses a shape shifting race of dragons and their dragon riders, Elena is introduced to a whole new world where one wrong move could get her head bitten off, literally.

It doesn't take long for the powers that be to enrol Elena into the training academy for riders and dragon, all because she has a very dark birth mark on her thigh. Apparently that is what marks her as a famed dragon rider in this crazy fantasy world that she has found herself in.

But it isn't all as bad as it seems. She begins to make friends with other girls in her year and they are incredibly loyal and funny. The rules for living in Paegeia aren't as hard to learn with dedicated friends and for the first time in her life, Elena is starting to find a place called home. She evens starts to catch the eye of a handsome prince – yes a real prince – and it doesn't seem like such a horrible place to be at all.

OK, so it isn't the greatest dragon story out there but it has loads of magic, hunky dragons and dashing princes. The school is a cross between a normal high school and a fighting club with a bit of mystery thrown in. The characters are believable, but not incredible and I have to admit, Elena is a bit of a cry baby at times. I did struggle through the first in the series, but it got heaps better with quests, adventure, evil magical bad guys and loads of tension between characters. Having read four books in the series, I wouldn't say that the main character grows up so much as becomes more entitled and stroppy. Her manners slip further and further into bitch mode and I didn't really see how that added to the over all story arch.

3.5 out of 5 stars for Firebolt, 4 for the series. The adventure in the second book makes it loads of fun to read.