Review – Dragon on Trial (The Menagerie, Book 2) by Tui T. Sutherland and Kari Sutherland (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy
Size: 304 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: March 11, 2014
ISBN: 978-0060851439
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in the Menagerie series
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars

I read The Menagerie for review when it came out last year and really enjoyed it. I was excited to see that the next book in the series had come out. This is a story full of mythical creatures and mystery and I really enjoyed it.

Something…or someone has killed the goose that laid golden eggs (one of the main sources of the Menagerie’s funding). Evidence is pointing to a dragon named Scratch who has had some mysterious behavior lately. However, Logan and Zoe aren’t convinced and they are absolutely determined to prove that Scratch is innocent. There is more at stake here than Scratch’s life, if the Menagerie shows that it can’t control its animals then it might be shut down for good.

This was a well done middle grade fantasy with lots of humor, some mystery, and tons of cryptozoology. I continue to enjoy this series about a secret compound that serves as a sanctuary for mythological animals.

I also continue to enjoy the characters. Logan is not as lonely as in the first book and is continuing to enjoy spending time with Zoe and her crazy family. Blue is in the story a bit too, but not as much as he was in the first book. There is the addition of an incredibly humorous character named Marcus, who happens to be a wererooster….yeah kind of sucks to be him.

The plot has a few twists and turns (most of them were fairly predictable for me). Of course SNAPA is involved again. All the events are mainly leading up to a trial for the dragon Scratch and proving whether or not he is guilty in the killing of Pelly the Golden Goose. There is also some addition to the plot involving the disappearance of Logan’s mother.

Overall this was a fun read, with an excellent mystery to be solved, some fascinating creatures, and engaging/likable characters. I really enjoy the cryptozoology in here and the humor. I would recommend to middle grade readers who enjoy humor and fantasy (and to adults who like to read fun middle grade fantasy). The book has been described as a combination of Brandon Mull’s Fablehaven and Carl Hiaasen’s humor and that is a pretty accurate description of this series.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge