From Coal Mines to Dragon Fire: My Review of George Goodwin, Dragon Slayer: A Scouting Legend
The world’s most legendary dragon slayer, St. George, gets a bold, modern reimagining in this explosive beginning to the Order of the Dragon Slayer series—launching a ragtag band of Scouts into a hidden world of ancient beasts, buried secrets, and destinies forged in dragon fire.
“Warning: This adventure is full of danger. It’s got dragons and death, coal mines and cold-blooded killers, treasure and true love—the stuff legends are made of. But even more dangerous are the kids in this tale. They’re tough. They’re brave. And they’re exactly the kind of heroes our world needs.” —from the foreword by Chief World Scouting Ambassador Bear Grylls
Everyone in Big Mountain, West Virginia, knows entering the coal mines is strictly forbidden. But twelve-year-old George Goodwin knows something more—deep underground lies a treasure that could save his town and clear his father’s name.
When his Scouting troop heads out for a weekend camping trip, George secretly recruits his best friends, Skunks and Artie, on a quest to find proof. But their plans unravel when they collide with George’s camera-wielding nemesis, Clementine, and her pageant-queen sister, Flo—and the motley crew is pulled into the adventure of a lifetime.
They’ll need every ounce of courage—and every trick in the Scouting handbook—to survive! Collapsing tunnels. Ruthless thieves. Dynamite traps. And a fire-breathing monster with a hunger to devour mankind . . . starting with them!
Full of unexpected thrills, rebellious hope, and laugh-out-loud humor, New York Times bestselling authors Candace Lee and Eric Newman deliver a blazing new adventure starring an unlikely hero who’s about to become the next great legend.
Wow! What Can I Say About George Goodwin, Dragon Slayer? [Book Review]
It’s a fantastic middle-grade novel packed with adventure. The story is fun and captivating—a modern fantasy that blends a small coal-mining town in West Virginia, Boy Scouts, and dragons. What a perfect setting for a dragon story in the Appalachian Mountains!
I was very impressed with how well this story was thought out. I couldn’t believe how quickly it sucked me in. It was genuinely hard to put down.
I found myself rooting for George, Skunk, Artie, Clementine, and Flo. I loved how they connected and bonded over their shared experience. From beginning to end, you watch each character grow and gain confidence in their own skills. It’s a really cool story that sets itself up perfectly as the start of a much bigger series about the Dragon Slayers.
It’s hard to find good, clean, family-friendly books that both boys and girls will enjoy, but this one does exactly that. If you like fantasy or even just think Boy Scouts are cool, you’ll love this story. I highly recommend it!
Thank you to WaterBrook Children’s Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
