Sky Battles (Dungeon Runners 2)

SKY BATTLES is a new Dungeon Runners story with the Triple Trouble entering the Bottom Feeder League! Kit, Thorn, and Sandy have made it into the official league, and they are nervous to be traveling so far from home as a real Dungeon Runner team. As they enter their first contest, they will contend with things not being quite what they had expected - plus game-related challenges.

What I loved: This is a really engaging idea and brings video game-style sequences into a fantasy world. The world-building was fascinating, and the story explains some of the other creatures that live in it as well as some tidbits about travel and places, which will likely be expanded upon in future books as well. The book is infused with humor (such as with their sponsor) that works well to keep readers turning pages.

The story is told from Kit's perspective - and he is often a pessimist and downer, especially to his friends, dampening their excitement. This is a learning opportunity, however, and he begins to see things differently by the end of the book. His character growth was great during the story.

There are some other great themes around teamwork, appreciation, and finding your way that will speak to the intended audience well. The format of the book is really fantastic, with a share of illustrations and dialogue bubbles that helps to break up the text.

That being said, there is a lot of word complexity and full pages of unbroken text that will work better for advancing independent readers. The oversized font does help with ease of reading. This is a step up from the heavily illustrated chapter books, but it also brings in images to help tell the story and keep budding readers engaged.

What left me wanting more: There are some bullying situations from a couple characters that are not really dealt with, and it would be great to have seen some resources or potential solutions for these. The book also moves very slowly, only getting into the actual contest about halfway through the book. The story also heavily favors Kit, and it would have been great to get more from the other two on the team.

Final verdict: SKY BATTLES is an engaging new installment in the DUNGEON RUNNERS series that will work well for young middle grade readers.

What worked:
The camaraderie between Kit and his teammates sets them apart from the other competitors. Kit lacks confidence, although he wants to prove he can be a fierce, brave hero. Sandy is the team’s spell-casting mage but doesn’t know many incantations. She’s conjured a sandcastle spell before, and Kit’s grandfather gives her a staff and a second spell written on paper. Sandy’s main contribution to the group is her positivity and rosy disposition. Thorn is the third member of the team, and he’s a vegan vampire (although Kit and Sandy think he might have eaten something else during the previous competition). He’s the team’s healer but doesn’t see much action this time.
The story has humorous highlights, as you can see from Thorn being a vegan vampire. Kit shows up for his first professional Dungeon Runner competition carrying a sword and shield he made out of wood. Not very handy when battling monsters. Kit wishes the team could get a sponsor, and the only business interested is called Troll Boogers. Apparently, their snot is good for making things stick together. One of the other teams is called the Yarn Stormers, and the team members are made of living string in humanoid shapes. The Gravediggers consist of Dr. Kronkenstein and two assistants made from bits and pieces of former Dungeon Runners. They tend to fall apart in the dungeons.
What didn’t work as well:
Thorn doesn’t have much of a role this time, unless you count knitting the team uniforms with purple and orange yarn. There’s not much character or plot development in this short book, and the challenges don’t develop much drama. There are two bully-like characters, but there aren’t enough interactions to be significant. It feels like the book ends rather than builds to a big climax, which may be because it describes challenges in the first part of the overall competition.
The final verdict:
The short, quick-paced story and abundant illustrations of various monsters are perfect for emerging or reluctant middle-grade readers. It doesn’t seem to be as eventful as the first book, but I still recommend you give it a shot.