Flying Blind by Deborah Cooke

Goodreads Synopsis
The next generation of shape-shifting dragons from the popular author of the Dragonfire novels. 

 Zoë Sorensson is perfectly normal, except she's been told she's destined for great things. Zoë's the one female dragon shapeshifter of her kind. But Zoë is at the bottom of the class when it comes to being Pyr and her powers are AWOL, so she's sent to a Pyr boot camp.

Zoë quickly realizes that she has to master her powers yesterday, because the Pyr are in danger and boot camp is a trap. The Mages want to eliminate all shifters and the Pyr are next in line-unless Zoë and her friends can work together and save their own kind.

Ever since Firelight by Sophie Jordan,I've loved the idea of dragon shifters. There's something amazing and unique about them. So, of course, when I found out about this book, I was eager to read it.
By Deborah Cooke

Paperback, 308 pages

Published June 7th 2011 by New American Library

4 out of 5 stars

Genre: YA Paranormal/Fantasy

Flying Blind is about fifteen year old Zoe Sorenson, a Wyvern who is the only female dragon-shifter among the Pyr (the official name of the dragon-shifters), trying to find her powers and defeat the Mages, spell casters who want to eradicate all shifters in the world. Along the way, she gets help from her dragon-shifter friends, and a really cute boy, Jared.

Wow! So, I don't know where to start. I really liked this book. There was action, suspense, romance, betrayal--all the good makings of a book I enjoy. We go on a journey with Zoe, as she discovers more about herself and what she's really capable of. Being the Wyvern, she's got some extraordinary powers and we're given some awesome kick-butt moments by Zoe. She's a feisty character with a snarky but fun attitude. She's also stubborn, self-conscious, and resentful towards herself. She's actually very insecure, and she repeatedly thinks negatively about herself. She's also lovesick with a fellow Pyr, Nick. The first half or so, she pines for him in am almost irritating manner. She gets jealous of the human girl, Isabelle, who Zoe thinks is perfect and more gorgeous than she'll ever be. I felt for her, sort of. There were some connections I made, and then there were some thoughts and actions by Zoe that made me cringe and shake my head at her. She's immature in the beginning of the novel, but really, she did a tremendous amount of growing as I read on. It was surprising, but I did end up loving her at the end.

So, Zoe and her friends are sent to a boot camp to develop/practice their powers. This boot camp isn't what they think it is, and all the time during it, as a reader, I was filled with this impending sense of doom that was surely coming up. The other three Pyrs are Garrett, Nick, and Liam. Each guy had their own fun personality. We have Garrett, the serious and determined one. There's Nick, the aggressive and kind-of-cocky one. Then there's Liam, the playful and easygoing one. They're also joined by another Pyr Adrian, aware and observant. Isabelle is a human girl who's intertwined in all of them somehow, but Zoe doesn't know how. All five of them made an interesting dynamic, and their interactions were amusing to read. And plus, they can all shift into dragons! There was plenty of awesome dragon-fighting scenes, and I was rooting for Zoe the whole time.


Let's talk about Jared, Nick's cousin. He's a human but knows almost more than Zoe about the Pyr. He has a mysterious vibe to him in the beginning, but we are revealed to what he truly is by the end of this book. I was just as awed as Zoe, to say the least! Jared is everything Zoe needed at this time in her life. With her insecurities and self-doubts consuming her thoughts, he comes in and gives her the confidence boost that she desperately needs. He insists on her trying, makes her believe that she is special and strong, and lets her know that the only person who's stopping her from being a great Wyvern is herself. After he comes along, we see Zoe become more of a confident girl.

Deborah Cooke really outlined a wonderful world of dragon-shifters. I could imagine this world, see their flames and scales, their unique colors and powers. There was different Pyrjobs, and we are given detailed insight into what they can do. We are told of the history of the Pyrs and how they came to be. And the enemy, the Mages, were a fascinating group. I loved the idea of all the shape shifters they had eliminated, wanting to dominate the world.

So, Flying Blind was a pleasant read. There were some inconsistencies with the storyline, but it all wrapped up towards the climax. The ending sets up for a nice sequel, without leaving me on too big of a cliffhanger. I enjoyed this book and will definitely continue the series.