Revenants Return (The Dragon’s Apprentice #2)
James Riley
Labyrinth Road
Published February 23, 2026
Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads
About Revenants Return
The fate of magic rests in the hands (and claws) of a cranky dragon, a feisty apprentice…and a prince who may not be all he seems? Get ready for the sequel to the New York Times bestselling hilarious fantasy adventure in the new series from the author of the Story Thieves.
You were warned to stay away from THE DRAGON’S APPRENTICE. It was forbidden for a good reason, as it told the story of a village girl named Ciara finding her own book of magic and learning spells from a dragon of all things. These are dangerous ideas, and no one should be allowed to see them.
Fortunately, Ciara’s story didn’t end there, or she might have doomed us all. No, thankfully, a true hero to the Draconic Empire, Prince Aiden, has come to Ciara’s village to stop her and her teacher, Scorch the dragon. The prince, like his father the Emperor, is a powerful magic-user. And Aiden uses his power to keep us safe from strange, forbidden books. If anyone can stop Ciara from teaching others magic and therefore summoning the horrible Revenants that once defeated the Dragon Mage herself, it’s the Empire’s beloved prince.
Let’s just hope that Ciara can’t spread her knowledge of magic before the prince can find her and put an end to her evil deeds once and for all…
My Review
Ciara and her magic teacher, Scorch, continue their adventure in this second installment of the series. The story begins very close to where the first book ended, with Ciara’s village still recovering from the machinations of the Warden’s rule. Like the first book, the chapters in this one open with a quote from Bianca’s journal hinting at the scenes to come. Ciara remains impulsive and quick to (humorously) insult anyone she perceives is trying to hurt the people she loves.
One interesting plot element emerges when Ciara supercharges a truth spell, which leads to unplanned results. Scorch reminds Ciara that the spell will only highlight when someone repeats something they know is a lie. If someone believes in what they’re saying, the truth spell won’t flag it as false, even if the statement is factually untrue. Scorch tells Ciara that sometimes people believe a lie because it’s less painful than facing the truth. Ciara learns an awful lot about what that means before the story concludes.
The plot is fairly fast-paced, keeping readers moving from one obstacle to the next. At 240 pages, it’s a pretty quick read, too.
All in all, this is a nice continuation of a series that will interest fantasy fans. My youngest reader is absolutely hooked on the series and already anxious for the third book, which doesn’t come out until November 2026.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.
Romance/Sexual Content
None.
Spiritual Content
Some characters can use magic. One character is a dragon.
Violent Content
Situations of peril. One character uses magic to threaten or control others.
Drug Content
None.
Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I borrowed a copy of this book from the library. All opinions are my own.