Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Sharique Zea to bring you this post.
I love a good fantasy book and really love a good fantasy series. Today we get to share the second book in the Lionborn series. You can check out our review of the first book here. This series is a fantasy series for ages 10 to 14 that is full of mystery, magic, adventure and friendship. The second book is Lionborn and the Secret of Dark Rider by Sharique Zea. After my review is a giveaway! Get ready to be amazed with the creativity of this book.
About the Book:
Lionborn and the Secret of Dark Rider Written by Sharique Zea and Illustrated by Manuel ŠumberacAges: 10-14 | 238 Pages | Publisher: Silverhush Press (2026) | ISBN-13: 978-1-0669013-5-7
Publisher's Book Summary: Some enemies seek power. This one seeks Fionn Hurley—but heroes don’t fall, they rise roaring.
Fionn Hurley thought life between London and the magical realm of Arborea couldn’t surprise him anymore. He was wrong. When his bonded shadow-beast whisks him back to Arborea and straight into a burning village, he fears that a banished enemy has returned.
As Fionn and his friends at Arborea’s school of magic wrestle with unpredictable powers, intense magical training, and a baby dragon who depends on him, unsettling clues surface: an aunt who suddenly can’t stand him and visions that suggest his ties to Arborea run deeper than he ever believed.
With enemies closing in, Fionn realizes there’s only one way to track the real threat before it finds him first: earn a coveted place on a magical investigations team.
The thrilling second book in the Lionborn series — a fast-paced middle-grade fantasy adventure packed with magic, courage and friendship, and the next step in Fionn’s journey from uncertainty to confidence.
Perfect for fans of Percy Jackson, Skandar, and the Amari series.
Purchase Links:
Amazon
About the Author:
Sharique Zea was born in Ranchi, Eastern India, and grew up in a home where books were part of everyday life. With a headmaster for a father and a college professor for a mother, he spent countless hours in his local library, where his imagination took root in tales of magic, courage, and faraway worlds.
He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from St. Xavier’s College and an Executive MBA from XLRI Jamshedpur, one of India’s leading management institutions. Now based in London, Sharique works as a Chartered Accountant, balancing financials by day and building fantasy worlds by night. When he is not writing, he’s reading, collecting story ideas, or chasing that same sense of wonder that first drew him into fiction.
Website
From Me:
Fionn is back with his friends, Ella and Tiny. They are going back and forth between the world we know and Arborea, the magical world. There is a new villain in Arborea, and he seems to be going after Fionn and Ella. Can they find him and stop him before he captures them?
This book is full of stories on being bullied, friendships, and love of family. It has an important message that is being adopted is family. Fionn has to prove this to his nosy and critical aunt. As much as he hates to be the object of her critiques his real issue is her talking his mom into not letting his sister pursue the music she loves. Fionn truly fights for the people he cares about.
Throughout the story are challenges that Fionn and his friends face. There is a new friend who seems to take a lot of his time and Tiny has some jealousy. There are some amazing quotes about friendship in the book. The book has important messages about good friendships and protecting one another.
In the first book Fionn learns about his birth mother and her world of magic. No one is able to tell him about his birth father. However, in this book Fionn discovers more about him. Each book seems to share a bit of Fionn's mysterious past with him and the reader. Each book also ends on a cliffhanger so the reader cannot wait for the next one. This book really does that!
The characters are well developed and strong. The story shows the importance of relationships in many ways and could be part of the discussion when read in a book club or class. The books have action and adventure as well as a bit of fighting and good versus evil plots. The details are intriguing and deep. The reader can truly picture the magical realm and places Fionn visits. It reminds me a bit of Harry Potter mixed with Percy Jackson. It is a book that will fascinate readers and have them wanting to read more and more!
The series as a whole is amazing and a great one for middle grade and young adult readers to get started. They have mysteries, action, drama and wonderful characters. The series is perfect for classroom reads, book club reading or individual reading. They entertain as well as have great messages about relationships and other everyday life issues.
Giveaway:
