The Rise of Neptune [Dragonships]
by Scott Reintgen
Intermediate, Middle School    Aladdin/Simon    432 pp.
10/25    9781665946544    $18.99

In this sequel to The Last Dragon on Mars (rev. 1/25), Mars is under attack by aliens from Neptune’s largest moon, Triton; and Dread, the newly recognized planetary dragon of Mars, must defend his planet along with his dragoon, Lunar Jones. While Lunar’s fighters are destroying the oddly flimsy enemy fleet, Neptune’s moon dragon, Nereid, uses the commotion to stow away and request asylum, claiming that another of Neptune’s moons, Proteus, was supposed to escape with her. Lunar locates Proteus—shapeshifted into a human—but Proteus’s ability to see a range of probable futures upends their assumptions and completely reshapes the battlefield. Should Lunar trust Proteus’s visions, especially when Triton knows them all as well and has stolen a memory from Proteus that may hold the key to success in battle? The original crew that bonded in the first book possesses a band-of-brothers (and -sisters) charm that undergirds the situation with wry humor, each contributing particular strengths and modeling leadership as they encourage newcomers who must step up and prove themselves. In his search for Proteus’s stolen memory, Lunar encounters a memory ripped from his first officer, Proctor, which creates awkward (and delightful) consequences. Each development that isn’t resolved leads to another plot twist, keeping readers guessing, while the climax unveils a new threat strong enough to drive a potential third book.

From the November/December 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.