Book Review: Dragon Blues

by: Edie Ramer

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
Once a dragon. . .
Saxophone player Noah Long shifted from dragon to human 2500 years ago, but the dragon blood still coursing through his veins has kept him healthy and virile. Now his secret is out, and the man who discovered it will do anything to make Noah's blood his own. Noah's only ally is martial arts expert Lila Fox, who heats up the fire in his belly. . . and his heart.

Twice a killer. . .
Lila Fox's first kill was at age sixteen after her stepfather put her mother in a wheelchair. Fourteen years later, she kills another abuser to save a woman's life. When the man who wants Noah's blood kills her sister, she can't let the death go unanswered. She teams up with the strangely compelling Noah, and discovers he's not all man and has a few tricks of his own.

---

Noah, a dragon who had been alive for at least 2,000 years, is wise. He knows that he can get more accomplished by keeping his cool. Lila has a fiery temper, but even so is more than capable of taking care of herself.

Noah is in love, but knows that Lila is broken by her past. Yet he has all the patience in the world to wait for her. Lila is afraid to love, to be dependent on another person, especially a man.

I adored Noah and Lila in this story. Their personalities weren't similar but they still meshed quite well. And Lila's strength. She wasn't always right in her strength and attitude, but she never backed down. And Noah, instead of being intimidated by this, stepped aside and let her be herself. He never once pushed her aside, when she told him to let her handle a situation, even if he knew she was going to make it worse. It's not often you see a capable and strong female lead.

The Last Dragon of the North

by: Tony Chandler and Virginia Chandler

**Originally reviewed for Pagan Writers Community.**

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
Owain Armstrong has been hired to hunt down a red dragon that is killing livestock across Wiltshire . The only evidence is a bloody patch on the ground and the head of the dead animal. Owain begins to track this nocturnal predator when news of another dragon comes – a much bigger dragon.

During his journey, Owain meets up with the famous dragonslayers of the Northern Band: Katja is a beautiful blonde who is deadly with a crossbow; Erik, a massive man that is short in temper and always eager to fight; Lars, a man who is equally as cunning as he is strong and finally Edlund, their leader.

When meeting Owain, the band of weary slayers long had been on a quest to kill the last dragon of the north. But then word comes to them from the Green Dragon Inn about a monster - a dragon - that lives inside the mountain behind the Inn.

And for a price, anything is possible...

---

Bad fantasy is just bad, but good fantasy rocks! And this was fantastic. So many details, and it was dirty and scary and far more realistic than any other dragon book I've ever read. It answers questions such as "If there were really dragons why haven't scientists found the bones?" and "Really, a huge reptile and one knight in shining armor can take it down single handedly?"

The characters take their time opening up too, this really keeps the story fresh as they are traveling around after the last dragon. Plus with five main characters, it allows loads of time for them to develop and deepen. I really disliked Owain at the beginning, but came to love him by the end. Lars is another one I liked, I think I just loved the name Lars...and speaking of Lars...who has ever combined Vikings and Dragons? Ok, I'm not especially well-read in the fantasy genre, it may have happened, but I haven't seen it yet. And who doesn't love Vikings and Dragons???

So yes, if you want a great fantasy read that is going to let you immerse yourself into the story for a few days, The Last Dragon of the North is it. And I'm hoping, as there was a hint, there may be a continuation of this story. I will be waiting in line for that one!

Dragons Away!

by: K.D. Berry

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
It seemed like such a good idea at the time ... a wager with the devious, dangerous and probably quite deranged King Davkosh of the Southern Realms. Half the kingdom staked in a race between mystery contenders. Ten leagues, point to point as the –er– crow flies.

Drewdop the Illusionist is quick to point out the flaws in this plan and is tasked with a secret spy mission - to find out just what kind of invincible champion Davkosh has training at home.

Travelling in magical disguise causes unforeseen complications for Drewdop, while his half-ogre bodyguard, in the guise of a beautiful woman, certainly turns a few heads.

But Drewdop soon discovers that the great race is the least of their worries. Davkosh's glamorous, fiery and ruthless queen, Gunora, is massing an army ready for attack whatever the outcome.

Meanwhile, deep in the dark forest, one of Davkosh's elite royal messengers is facing his own perilous destiny - how to become the world's first and only surviving dragon rider...

---

Look at that cover! Who can pass by such a magnificent looking dragon without being just a little curious? I've read some bad fantasy recently though so I was leery. Boy was I surprised, this book is awesome!

Both the writing and the story progression are smooth. The story is fairly fast paced. I can't tell how many pages it is...I haven't figured out how to do that on the Kindle yet. It's not a short novel, but reads easily in a few days. It is occasionally silly, and sometimes deadly serious.

I loved the name Drewdop...I still call him Dew Drop in my head. He's a magician, set up to look like a cliche wizard but the only magic he can do are illusions. It comes in handy, but there are more than a few occasions where he is frustrated by his lack of magic. He is, however, smart...at least more intelligent than the king. King Credos, while being a bit naive, is a nice person and treats his subjects well. His kingdom is doing well and is full of happy people.

King Davkosh and his wife Gunara are really not any more intelligent than King Credos, but meaner than a crabby rattlesnake. They regularly feed people to their alligators - especially if they need an influx of cash. Queen Gunara also thinks she is invulnerable.

Urkhart, the half-ogre was my favorite character. He was really a sweetheart, but people shunned him because he looked mostly like the ogre half. His ogre half did come to the front when he was in the heat of battle, though!

This is honestly the best piece of fantasy fiction I've picked up in a long time. And K.D. Berry is a penname for a husband and wife team from New Zealand. Oh and the best bit of news, looks like there could be another one for these characters. At least the ending gave a strong hint. Yeah!