World Cup on dragons? Yes, please and thank you. I have been eagerly anticipating Blazewrath Games, by Amparo Ortiz, since the first announcement. Unfortunately, it did not live up to my high expectations.

Plotwise, it does not hold up much under scrutiny. Too much of the plot is based on exceptions to the world building that Ortiz has done, without giving the reader enough time to settle into the rules of the world before they are broken. Major plot points are developed through methods that seem far too convenient, and the narrator and main character, Lana, does not have enough impact on the events that take place.

From a character perspective, there are simply too many people on the page. It is impossible for any of the characters to make a real impact because each one is fighting for a few lines here and there. The emotional stakes fall apart due to a simple lack of caring about any individual character.

The moments where this book shines are in the action sequences, especially the drama of the cup games. Overall, however, a surprisingly small amount of the action actually takes place during the cup itself, with the other plot taking precedence at every turn.

Another huge plus is the amount of rep on the page. There are tons of queer characters, as well as many POC and Spanish speakers. Although the translation of Spanish lines was sometimes clunky, the amount of Spanish was great to see.

Overall, this book was highly ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful in its goals. I fervently hope that other readers will find it more to their taste, as there was much to appreciate in the concept.

Thanks to Page Street Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!