What do you think?
Rate this book
Amber Boudreau's Dragoneer Stories #1
The Dragoneer
When 15-year-old Moira Noble stumbles across a cave and a dragon in need of her help, she unwittingly forms a link to it and becomes a Dragoneer. Now she must keep Zephyr safe from an escalating troll threat, because if she fails to help Zephyr find a way home, it won't just be the life of her dragon on the line...but hers as well.
256 pages, Paperback
Published June 2, 2020
6 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Amber Boudreau
5 books27 followersHey there! I won't be accepting anymore GR friend requests because of Amazon's linked review policy. Please, it's not personal. You can still follow me on GR for updates, and I'd love to connect on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and my author website. See you around!
Amber Boudreau holds two degrees in Geology and works part-time for the state Geological Survey. In between household projects and parenting, she writes youth and adult fantasy. A native of Northwest Indiana, she currently lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband and two children. The Dragoneer is her debut novel.
Amber Boudreau holds two degrees in Geology and works part-time for the state Geological Survey. In between household projects and parenting, she writes youth and adult fantasy. A native of Northwest Indiana, she currently lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband and two children. The Dragoneer is her debut novel.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 15, 2020
Dragon as Metaphor
This was a fun read, with a great blend of reality and fantasy. The characters are three-dimensional, with orphaned Moira facing teen issues like dating, friendship, curfew, and homework. Complicating her life is her unexpected encounter with a dragon. Unwillingly, she must save the monster from his troll enemies. In the process, she learns not only sword and archery skills, but also courage and trust.
When Moira becomes a “dragoneer” she must also overcome her anxiety and panic attacks from the recent loss of her father -the “monster in the room.” The book, however, is far from preachy, and sprinkled with humor. Who knew a dragon would enjoy a diet of fire rocks and spicy potato chips?
This is an excellent book for the young reader in your life or for anyone who enjoys a rollicking fantasy tale told well.
This was a fun read, with a great blend of reality and fantasy. The characters are three-dimensional, with orphaned Moira facing teen issues like dating, friendship, curfew, and homework. Complicating her life is her unexpected encounter with a dragon. Unwillingly, she must save the monster from his troll enemies. In the process, she learns not only sword and archery skills, but also courage and trust.
When Moira becomes a “dragoneer” she must also overcome her anxiety and panic attacks from the recent loss of her father -the “monster in the room.” The book, however, is far from preachy, and sprinkled with humor. Who knew a dragon would enjoy a diet of fire rocks and spicy potato chips?
This is an excellent book for the young reader in your life or for anyone who enjoys a rollicking fantasy tale told well.
October 14, 2020
Fun modern fantasy set in Wisconsin (which made it fun, having reference to some of the settings)—great debut by a local author! Pacing was good, most plot questions were answered (my one gripe, I wanted more resolution so it ended too quickly for me!) and I finished it in two swift halves. Great setup for a series and I look forward to reading the next one and getting to know Moira and Zephyr even better.
October 23, 2020
A great book! Really enjoyed it.
October 22, 2020
Great story full of well-drawn characters, particularly the dragon, Zephyr, who is equal parts fierce and endearing.
January 27, 2022
Moira Noble lives up to her name. When a dragon's egg hatches, she owns up to the responsibilities associated with caring for the scaly, mythological creature. A wonderful fantasy, this book also grapples with real-life teenage angst as Moira must manage her debilitating anxiety in life-threatening situations which began a few years back after the untimely death of her beloved father. Teens and adults alike can learn from Moira's loyalty and inner strength. Plus, this books is a humorous, page-turning read.
September 28, 2020
This book was such a nice read. Featuring fantastic descriptions, witty one-liners, and a great plot, it was easy to love the "real world" bits as much as the fantasy portions of the story. Unwind with The Dragoneer by curling up on the couch with this book and a bag of spicy chips!
September 12, 2020
A super-fun modem fantasy! Characters with real problems and relationships. High stakes. Realistic reactions to the unexplainable. And dragons! Zephyr is bester dragon, hands down.
Scoring this 5 out of 5 spicy chips
Scoring this 5 out of 5 spicy chips
December 18, 2020
Take a girl who loves books, rocks, and caves (not necessarily in that order), add one wyvern who likes spicy chips, toss in trolls and a dash of teen drama, and shake well. Out comes this fresh new YA fantasy from a talented debut author.
Moira is a budding geologist who, during a rock-finding hike, discovers a small, wingless dragon. LIttle does she know their encounter will kick off a new chapter in her life that will involve a favorite teacher, a mysterious Librarian, a conflict between her best friend and his twin brother, and trolls. Stinky trolls. As an unexpected "dragoneer", Moira is pulled into the mysterious world of wyverns, magic, and troll soldiers.
And you thought high school was dull!
Moira discovers her inner strengths, which help her to both deal with past tragedy in her life and current threats to both her and Zephyr, as well as new abilities that tie her more tightly to the new reality she is sucked into. She manages to juggle her personal teen life (aka school and boys) with her new life as a dragoneer, risking not only her life, but the belief that dragons are only in fairy tales, and swordsmanship is an outdated skill. Zephyr is a refreshing new take on dragons as something more than winged menaces or intelligent steeds.
Boudreau is skilled at drawing the reader into the struggles and hopes of Moira's life. At the end I wanted the story to go on, to find out what happens next to Moira and Zephyr. What luck--she's working on the next book!
Moira is a budding geologist who, during a rock-finding hike, discovers a small, wingless dragon. LIttle does she know their encounter will kick off a new chapter in her life that will involve a favorite teacher, a mysterious Librarian, a conflict between her best friend and his twin brother, and trolls. Stinky trolls. As an unexpected "dragoneer", Moira is pulled into the mysterious world of wyverns, magic, and troll soldiers.
And you thought high school was dull!
Moira discovers her inner strengths, which help her to both deal with past tragedy in her life and current threats to both her and Zephyr, as well as new abilities that tie her more tightly to the new reality she is sucked into. She manages to juggle her personal teen life (aka school and boys) with her new life as a dragoneer, risking not only her life, but the belief that dragons are only in fairy tales, and swordsmanship is an outdated skill. Zephyr is a refreshing new take on dragons as something more than winged menaces or intelligent steeds.
Boudreau is skilled at drawing the reader into the struggles and hopes of Moira's life. At the end I wanted the story to go on, to find out what happens next to Moira and Zephyr. What luck--she's working on the next book!
June 21, 2021
The Dragoneer is a great debut young-adult fantasy.
Moira’s life gets more interesting when she finds a real dragon in the woods. She forms a bond with the dragon and has to protect him from trolls, and help him find a way back to the other world where he belongs. Along the way she’s learning to use magic, training with a bow and a sword, and dealing with high school and a little bit of teen romance.
I enjoyed every part of this book. The story was fun, the characters were relatable and interesting, and the little bit of world-building was intriguing, with hints for more to come in future books.
Read this book if you like young-adult dragon stories, and keep watch for the sequel!
Moira’s life gets more interesting when she finds a real dragon in the woods. She forms a bond with the dragon and has to protect him from trolls, and help him find a way back to the other world where he belongs. Along the way she’s learning to use magic, training with a bow and a sword, and dealing with high school and a little bit of teen romance.
I enjoyed every part of this book. The story was fun, the characters were relatable and interesting, and the little bit of world-building was intriguing, with hints for more to come in future books.
Read this book if you like young-adult dragon stories, and keep watch for the sequel!
January 29, 2021
This is exactly the type of book I loved reading in my early teen years! Moira is a 15 year old girl who is out collecting rocks for a science project when she meets a small wingless dragon who needs her help. Little does she know what that will involve! You'll wind up rooting for Moira who has to learn to fight with swords to fend off foul-smelling trolls, all while trying to keep up normal appearances at school. And you'll feel for her when she deals with romantic troubles. A fun story with likeable characters.
September 19, 2023
4.5 stars on its own plus more because I know the author!
Let me start with - I don't normally read fantasy. It's just not my preferred genre, like at all. But I really did enjoy this! I was so impressed by the many facets of the story line. There was the dragoneer part with magic and archery and sword fighting, but there was the geological part, the library part, the teen relationships and school and home life part. This story had a lot of depth and I truly was just in awe of how the many parts came together so seamlessly. I'm already looking forward to book #2.
Let me start with - I don't normally read fantasy. It's just not my preferred genre, like at all. But I really did enjoy this! I was so impressed by the many facets of the story line. There was the dragoneer part with magic and archery and sword fighting, but there was the geological part, the library part, the teen relationships and school and home life part. This story had a lot of depth and I truly was just in awe of how the many parts came together so seamlessly. I'm already looking forward to book #2.
May 13, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this YA fantasy book for my local book club. The author is a Madison native like myself, and I will get to meet her at our book club meeting this week!
Moira discovers a small wyvern in her local woods while collecting rocks for a science project. He needs help getting back to the land of the dragons and she is committed to helping him do that. They develop a bond and with help from Moira‘s former chemistry teacher and a whole lot of spicy potato chips, they battle trolls and work together to get Zephyr home.
Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this YA fantasy book for my local book club. The author is a Madison native like myself, and I will get to meet her at our book club meeting this week!
Moira discovers a small wyvern in her local woods while collecting rocks for a science project. He needs help getting back to the land of the dragons and she is committed to helping him do that. They develop a bond and with help from Moira‘s former chemistry teacher and a whole lot of spicy potato chips, they battle trolls and work together to get Zephyr home.
February 8, 2021
**Great YA/high middle grade book! Fantasy are mixed gently with contemporary issues. The main character, Moira, is complex yet relatable and believable, with a sharp wit and voice. The secondary characters have enough depth to make me want to hear more from them and [maybe??] see expanded roles in the next installment of the story.
The author challenges the reader with word choice, geology, and cartography (loved the map/dragon joke).
Enjoyed!
The author challenges the reader with word choice, geology, and cartography (loved the map/dragon joke).
Enjoyed!
January 31, 2021
The Dragoneer is an awesome debut novel. The pace is steady, and the characters are endearing and relatable. The Southern Wisconsin woods give the story an earthy feeling, grounded and fresh. The Dragoneer, Moira, wins us over with her strength and sensitivity. I'm excited for the sequel, hoping we'll learn more about the villains and their back story!
December 24, 2020
Moira's rich back story helps drive the relationship she has with both her dragon and the other characters in this story. The path she has to weave between home, school, and friends is well developed. This is a great book for readers of all ages.
May 18, 2021
Zephyr is my new favorite dragon. first, he loves spicy chips. I love spicy chips!
You don't have to be a kid to enjoy this exciting tale of a fast-growing friendship. Well, and a fast-growing dragon! This realistic tale, set in Wisconsin, is a fun read for all ages.
You don't have to be a kid to enjoy this exciting tale of a fast-growing friendship. Well, and a fast-growing dragon! This realistic tale, set in Wisconsin, is a fun read for all ages.
April 2, 2021
Great middle grade fantasy book! I loved that it featured a strong female protagonist.
November 22, 2022
Nice enjoyable read, can’t wait to read more about Moira and Zephyr
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews