Prairie Fire (Fiction - Young Adult) - Hardcover

"In this poignant sequel to the stellar The Story of Owen (BCCB 4/14), Owen and his bard, Siobhan, return to fight more dragons and try to keep humans safe. That's an important skill in this parallel world that closely resembles our own but includes carbon-eating, city-ravaging dragons. Owen and Siobhan are still very close in this new volume, undergoing military training together and trying to recover from emotional wounds that will never really heal. While the last volume was about both Owen and Siobhan, this outing is focused more closely on Siobhan, in spite of her insistence that she is merely the bard; her vulnerability and wisdom stand out more than Owen's quiet fortitude. Johnston isn't afraid to write for a world where happy endings are rare, but there is such grace and dignity that heartbroken readers will likely forgive what was almost an inevitable tragic ending for some characters. Knowledge of the first volume will go a long way in adding nuance and background to the characters; more importantly, readers are likely to want to go back just to absorb as much of Owen and Siobhan's story as they can."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"There is a little something for everyone in this sequel to the acclaimed The Story of Owen (Carolrhoda Lab, 2014). Fantasy fans will love returning to an alternate world in which the armed forces slay dragons. History fans will get a kick out of the way Johnston intermixes actual U.S. and Canadian history with a dragon-friendly story line. Eco-aware fans are unlikely to miss the underlying sentiment that oil brings nothing but trouble in both titles. This time around Owen, Sadie, and Siobhan have enlisted in the Oil Watch (think the U.S. Army, but with more fire drills). While Sadie and Owen excel with ease, troubadour Siobhan struggles to prove her worth. When the three are stationed in separate locations, Siobhan must learn to find her role without the reassurance of her two best friends. VERDICT: A fantasy YA novel that steers clear of love triangles, teen angst, and a tidy ending is hard to come by; Prairie Fire and its prequel are must-haves."―School Library Journal

"A follow-up to the acclaimed The Story of Owen (2014) is part adventure, part alternative history, part friendship story, part ecological fable and all heroic saga. Once dragon slayer Owen Thorskard graduates high school, he signs up for his mandatory service in the Oil Watch, and of course Siobhan McQuaid, his bard and best friend, enlists as well. Their previous exploits (chronicled in Siobhan's songs, now a YouTube sensation) have made the pair unpopular with those in power, so they receive the dreariest, most remote deployment: Fort Calgary. Grueling practice gradually coheres their raw support team into a tough fighting unit--and trusted friends. But are they prepared for the test of the biggest, deadliest dragon of all? This sequel is not as perfectly crafted as Johnston's debut: The plethora of new characters is hard to keep straight, the minutiae of military training drag on the pace, and promising subplots peter out without resolution. Still, the narrative is held together by Siobhan's unique voice, which casts every character as an instrument, every event as a melody; all she witnesses is knit together in a symphony expressing universal themes of friendship, duty, loyalty and sacrifice. For all Siobhan's insistence that she merely channels Owen's story, it becomes evident that tales are as much about their tellers and that heroism comes in all forms. Grand, heartbreaking, ennobling and unforgettable." --starred, Kirkus Reviews

"Now that dragon slayer Owen Thorskard and bard Siobhan McQuaid have graduated from high school, their plan to use Owen's renown and Siobhan's musical ability to reshape the relationship between dragon slayers and the public can enter its next phase. In this sequel to the alternate-universe contemporary fantasy The Story of Owen (rev. 3/14), the duo begins compulsory service in the Oil Watch, a military organization protecting the world's carbon sources from hungry dragons. Siobhan, however, faces a greater hurdle than the other recruits: when she and Owen destroyed a dragon nesting ground in the first book, her hands were severely burned, leaving her unable to play her cherished instruments. While Siobhan adjusts to her diminished capacity, Owen struggles with government animus toward his previous heroics: to keep him from upsetting the status quo, they stash him away at a remote posting near the home of the largest dragon species in existence, the fearsome Chinooks. If Owen and Siobhan's objectives and the reasons for the government's animosity are somewhat opaque, and if a bard's role in the Oil Watch is a mystery to characters and readers alike, the story of how the squad comes together to accommodate Siobhan's disability is highly gratifying, and details of military life are immediate and gripping. The penultimate scene of a Chinook attack that assures Owen's elevation to lasting fame may come as a jolt, but it is Siobhan's transformation into a star in her own right that will stay with readers."―The Horn Book Magazine

"Owen, dragon slayer in training, is required to serve in the Oil Watch for four years, during which time he'll learn to work with the support team, who will help him fight dragons around the world. Siobhan, his bard, is less certain of her role, since there hasn't been a bard in the Oil Watch for a very long time. But as she learns military life, she also discovers the dangers that come with being a part of history. Since this sequel dives right into Siobhan's life after the events of The Story of Owen (2014), this volume is by no means a stand-alone story. Fans of that standout novel, however, will love watching Siobhan gradually find out she is the hero of her own story, not merely the narrator of Owen's life. American readers may be thrown by some elements of Canadian history and geography, but Johnston's solid writing will keep them engaged with her smooth blend of fantasy and realism, all anchored by Siobhan's determined personality and her solid friendship with Owen and his team." --Booklist

"3Q 3P J S--Taking place a few short weeks after the dramatic conclusion to The Story of Owen (Lerner, 2014/VOYA June 2014), this story is mostly Siobhan's. Adjusting to her scarred, painful limbs, Siobhan remains Owen's bard. She has to accept the fact that she needs help with some basic things, such as tying her shoes and opening her bugle case. She feels she is letting Owen down but cannot just sit around and do nothing. Both serve on the Oil Watch in Canada, where they are part of dragon-slaying teams. Their story changes when they are stationed in different areas. This is where Siobhan finds her own place in the world where dragons, government, and teamwork are part of everyday life.
"Siobhan is a flawed but strong and likable heroine who finds her way in the world. Her story is one of finding strength in spite of multiple challenges. While some may enjoy the moments throughout the story that go back and explain historical events, others may get frustrated with the constant interruption in the story's action. One strength of this story is the great use of sensory detail--even when one is being put into an alternative reality, the sensory details of dragons' wings flying over help make these scenes more believable. This story is a must for those who loved the first book and want to continue with the story."--VOYA