Dragons and Destiny by Michelle Wilson

If you enjoy my series, A Penny Lost, then you will love this new book I found called Dragons and Destiny by Michelle Wilson. Below is the official blurb:

The supernatural world is full of secrets.

And Sophie’s family is the center of them all. When Sophie gets accepted into Animage Academy, the elite school for supernatural shifters, she is thrust into the role her twin brother was supposed to have. Now she’s expected to keep the secrets that keep her world safe while still dealing with her new shifter abilities, unpredictable magic, and strange classes.

When Sophie starts resisting her new role, she’s drawn the gryphon shifter Drew who seems to have all the answers to this new life. But giving in to her destiny means Sophie might have to give up her old friends, including best friend and werewolf, Hudson. When the cracks in her world begin to show, Sophie will have to decide if being safe is more important that being herself.

This book has a love triangle, friendship struggles, and peer pressure. Set in a magical background, Destiny and Dragons is dominantly a coming of age story. Other than being the daughter of an influential wizard, she doesn’t have any more pressure on her than anyone else (and let's be honest, being a teenager in today's world full of stress, potential, and the political climate is tough enough without having to add more). Dark lords aren’t targeting her nor do any magical quests take her away from the realistic life of any magical teenager. The tension instead rises from her being chosen to go to the fancy school over her twin brother, what friends to make when cliques are formed, and political debates as opposite sides become more and more aggravated with each other. Sophia has a natural, protective empathy which helps her see both sides of the political debate, adding another layer of authenticity to the story. I quite enjoyed the realistic tale set in a magical background. It’s the kind of story I think a lot of people have been calling for. More and more people want to see the day to day life in crazy worlds. If you ever thought to yourself “I wonder what the other kids were up to in Hogwarts” or “What do the Avengers do between big battles?” Then this is the book for you.