Cirrus@Austlit

'Everyone in Vallen knows that ice wolves and scorch dragons are sworn enemies who live deeply separate lives.

'So when twelve-year-old orphan Anders takes one elemental form and his twin sister, Rayna, takes another, he has to question whether they are even related. Still, whether or not they’re family, Anders knows that Rayna is his best and only true friend. She’s nothing like the brutal, cruel dragons who claimed her as one of their own and stole her away.

'To learn what he needs to rescue her, Anders will have to enlist at the foreboding Ulfar Academy, a school for young wolves that values loyalty to the pack above all else. But for Anders, loyalty is more complicated than blind obedience, and friendship is the most powerful shape-shifting force of all.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'After the fateful battle between the ice wolves and scorch dragons, Anders and his twin sister, Rayna, have been reunited. But there’s no time for celebrating.

Anders and his wolf friend Lisabet are hiding away in the mountains of Drekhelm under 'the watchful eye of the dragon high council. They are perceived as threats, and only the leader of the dragons can keep them safe. Then the temperature in Drekhelm starts to drop throughout Vallen, threatening the lives of the Scorch Dragons. Suddenly, the dragons suspect that the two young wolves are spies for their old pack -- that they helped them steal a weather-altering artifact called the Snowstone. The artifact puts everyone including Anders' twin sister, Rayna, in terrible danger. Desperate to broker peace, Anders enlists the help of a few new flame-breathing friends to stop the wolves' next plan of attack.

'Together, these former rivals must go on a perilous journey to find the scattered pieces of the Sun Scepter, the only artifact that can counteract the Snowstone. Because if either device goes unchecked, all hope for a truce will be lost.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The much-anticipated finale to Amie Kaufman's epic middle-grade trilogy

'Though Anders and his friends have delayed an all-out war between the ice wolves and scorch dragons, their mission is far from over. With adults on both sides trying to track them down, they've sought refuge in Cloudhaven, a forbidden stronghold created by the first dragonsmiths. The ancient text covering Cloudhaven's walls could be the key to saving their home if only the young elementals could decipher it.

'To make matters worse, the city of Holbard is in ruins and its citizens are reeling. Food is running short. Many have been forced into bleak camps outside the city, causing friction between the humans and wolves who once protected them.

'To rebuild Vallen, Anders, Rayna and all their allies must find a way to unite humans, ice wolves and scorch dragons, before they lose their last chance.

'New York Times bestselling author Amie Kaufman delivers the thrilling second installment in this epic middle-grade fantasy series about a world where powerful magical shapeshifters are locked in a conflict that has spanned generations.' (Publication summary)