Need an unforgettable page turner to kick off the summer season that totally rocks? Look no further than Dad Rock Dragon Quest by Joan Reardon!
Zadie Drake is an aspiring rockstar with a love of classic rock who’s loud music and personality can’t be contained. Not even by Lloyd, her mom’s boring new boyfriend, who’s always putting limits on her guitar playing and nitpicking her every move. When Zadie’s dad, a park ranger (and fearless daredevil), invites her and her environmental warrior sister Persephone to spend the summer at his cabin, she couldn’t be more excited to break free from the dullness at home. Her mom and her sister aren’t so excited though, because all of the reasons Zadie idolizes her dad are the same reasons that make him kind of unreliable, and Zadie’s mom decides to send Lloyd along to chaperone the trip.
🎸ZADIE’S SUMMER PLAYLIST: Rock out to all of Zadie’s favorite classic rock hits HERE!
Being crammed in with a car with Lloyd’s dull taste in music, his overpreparedness, and overprotective rules aren’t exactly Zadie’s idea of fun, but she’s excited to see her dad. After arriving at the cabin, Zadie starts to suspect that there’s more to her dad’s job than just being a park ranger, and when danger strikes, she learns his biggest secret of all.
Turns out, her dad is a Gamewarden, a protector of magical creatures, including his ice-breathing dragon who’s being kidnapped by poachers and turning Zadie’s ordinary summer vacation into an epic quest worthy of a classic rock soundtrack.
A girl’s awkward road trip with her dad and her mom’s new boyfriend turns into to an epic quest to rescue a dragon from poachers in this “fast-paced, exuberant, and genuine adventure” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) perfect for fans of Fablehaven and Wilderlore.
Aspiring rockstar Zadie Drake’s world flipped upside-down the moment her mom started dating Lloyd Clutterbuck—a boring risk analyst with an aversion to all things fun. Since Lloyd moved in, he’s made it his mission to drain every drop of joy from Zadie’s life—putting strict limits on her guitar sessions, nitpicking her every move, and filling the house with his utter dullness. Naturally, when Zadie’s daredevil park ranger dad invites Zadie and her older sister to spend the summer at his cabin, Zadie can hardly contain her excitement. But Zadie’s joy is short-lived when her mom announces that Lloyd will be tagging along.
Soon after arriving at the cabin, Zadie begins to suspect that there’s more to her dad’s job than meets the eye. Her suspicions are confirmed when family secrets make an explosive entrance in the form of a fire-wielding poacher who kidnaps her dad’s best friend—an enormous, ice-breathing dragon. The revelations launch Zadie and her family into a cross-country rescue mission of epic proportions. As tensions spike, tempers flare, and the family’s differences become glaringly obvious, Zadie realizes her family’s most daunting challenge might not be rescuing the dragon but working together.
Dad Rock Dragon Quest
AUTHOR: Joan Reardon
PUBLISHER: Aladdin
DATE: June 3, 2025
Dad Rock Dragon Quest is an absolute blast to read, it’s an action-packed page turner from start to finish and it’s the kind of story that’s just begging for a cinematic adaption. Even with adventure, danger, and challenges along the way, there’s still time for the important stuff, like sisterly bonding (and arguments), major realizations about her guitar (and herself!), and maybe even reconsidering her opinion of Lloyd (and her dad!).
Author Joan Reardon is taking you beyond the pages of this summery romp filled with magic, music, and mythical creatures! Keep reading as she shares fun facts about the story.
Author Joan Reardon Shares 5 Fun Facts About Dad Rock Dragon Quest:
Magical Family Lineage… With Magical Pets!
In Dad Rock Dragon Quest, Zadie discovers that she, and her other family members, are Gamewardens—protectors of magical creatures who are descended from an ancient line of knights. Each Gamewarden gets an animal companion, a magical creature that follows them for life and bestows them with magic powers that fit their personality.
I spent a ton of time researching mythological animals to find the perfect animal companions for each of the characters. Animals like pegasi, dragons, and kitsunes grant Gamewardens all sorts of powers. Some Gamewardens can control fire, while others get super strength and super speed—some can even manipulate people’s dreams!
There is a catch, however: Gamewardens can’t get an animal companion until they learn to appreciate themselves and let go of anything holding them back. If you don’t know who you are, then an animal companion can’t bond with you. This is a challenge for adult Gamewardens, but is even more difficult for a kid like Zadie.
Chapters that Make a Classic Rock Playlist (Available on Spotify!)
Classic rock has been one of my favorite genres of music since I started watching Supernatural in the summer before sixth grade. When brainstorming Dad Rock Dragon Quest, I knew I wanted to combine the epic elements of old myths and legends with the epic feeling of a rock concert.
Zadie is an aspiring rockstar who picked up her music taste from her dad, a massive rock-and-roll fan. References to bands like Led Zeppelin, Queen, and Fleetwood Mac permeate the book, and each chapter title is a classic rock song that makes a rock-and-roll playlist perfect for summer reading.
Family Adventure With the Whole Family!
When I was a kid, I always struggled with the fact that parents in books were always either dead or nowhere to be found. I knew full-well that if I were trying to save the world, it would not be a solo quest; my whole family would be right there beside me, pulling up to Mount Doom in my mom’s minivan while blasting Jimmy Buffet music. When I wrote Dad Rock Dragon Quest, I wanted to make a book featuring a real, complex, messy American family; everyone trying their best, thinking they’re right, and voicing their opinion LOUDLY (and lovingly).
Enter: the Drakes. Zadie’s parents are divorced. Her dad is a ton of fun and has the same hobbies she does, but is never around. Mom is great, but she’s dating a new guy, Lloyd Clutterbuck, a boring risk analyst who Zadie does not get along with. On top of that, Zadie’s older sister barely speaks to Dad, something Zadie can’t understand. Sometimes, navigating family relationships can feel more difficult than saving a dragon from magical poachers. In order to succeed on their quest, the Drakes will have to do both.
A Setting Close to Home
I wrote this book while attending law school at Case Western Reserve University School of Law. At the time, I was living in Cleveland’s Little Italy neighborhood, which is one of my favorite places on Earth. Naturally, I wanted to pay homage to Cleveland’s Italian population and the wonderful people I got to know in Dad Rock Dragon Quest. In the middle of the book, after facing a minor setback in the form of a bite from a Mongolian Death Worm, Zadie and her family travel to the Fidanza Family Magical Preserve just outside of Cleveland, where they encounter Carmenta, an elderly Italian Gamewarden and her animal companion, Lucia, a cat sithe who can steal souls as easily as she can mend them.
As a fun fact within a fun fact, Lucia is based on a real cat, who belongs to my sister’s boyfriend. Lucia is so smart she can open doors on her own, and she loves to spend her days wandering around the neighborhood. Lucia is the only cat I have ever met with an Italian name, and her no-nonsense personality fits book-Lucia.
The Muse!
The inspiration behind this book is my amazing husband, Ben! I started writing Dad Rock Dragon Quest right after we got engaged, so I tried to put everything he loves in the story: rock music, road trips, mythology, action movies, The Godfather—even his Subaru! He is also the direct inspiration for two characters in this book: Zadie’s father, Damian, and her mom’s boyfriend, Lloyd. Damian—Zadie’s risk-taking, adventurous park ranger dad—represents Ben’s right brain (the creative side of the brain), while Lloyd—Zadie’s mom’s risk-averse boyfriend.
I love both sides of my Ben, so I do not have a favorite between the two, though it was hilarious watching him read the story for the first time. He claimed Damian and Lloyd’s discussions felt like reading his inner thoughts. Though this book is very much an action-adventure fantasy on the outside, to me, it will always be a love story.
🎸GIVEAWAY: Enter for a chance to WIN a copy of Dad Rock Dragon Quest – CLICK HERE!
