Tag Archives: Dragon Books!

Aug 16 2013
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Dragon Obsession – The Visual Files

IMG_3144 2  Meet Vetch, Kashet, and Tala

 Named after my second favorite dragon series of all-time (Dragon Jousters by Mercedes Lackey), these little guys have been with me for more than five years. Now, most people would see these displayed in the store and choose just one to take home. I tried to do this, I really did, but I the ones I left behind kept looking at me with those cute little faces… what’s a dragon-hoarder to do? They make me smile every time I see them, so it was totally worth it!

 Think they are as cute as I do? You can still buy them here. :-)

Aug 12 2013
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Top Ten Tuesday – Top Ten Favorite Books with School Settings! (8/13/2013)

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Welcome to this week’s Top Ten Tuesday – a feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today we got to choose what kind of setting to feature. My choice: schools. Above all else, if a book features a school I am more inclined to read it (even more so than dragons, and that’s saying something). So without further ado:

Top Ten Favorite Books with School Settings!

 All of these books feature schools in one way or another, and most of them include people learning things that I will never have a chance to study in reality. Magic of all different sorts, space ship navigation, and dragonriding – to name a few. Many of these books are among my all-time favorites.

You may notice that my final choice is not a typical cover but in fact a mockup one I converted from a free stock photo online. I debated for quite a long time whether or not to include my own book on the list, but finally came to the conclusion that it’s one of my favorite school stories, despite the fact that I’m the one writing it. It combines two of my favorite subjects (dragons and schools) and is literally the story I’ve always wanted to read. I hope to produce a novel of the same caliber as the other books on my list.

What books made your list?

by Niki Hawkes

Also, don’t forget stop by and vote your favorite book in this month’s Your Pick for Nik! Book Club:

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 Remember, you can vote for up to 3 books.

May the best book win! :-)

Jul 26 2013
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Dragon Obsession: The Visual Files

Dragon Obsession Furey

Meet Toothless

 (Or perhaps you’ve already met?)

Night-fury-Toothless-dragons-17321056-577-438Toothless is quite possibly my favorite dragon in cinema – and it all started with some excellent storytelling. In the movie, dragons are hated for the amount of destruction they wreak upon this tiny Viking village. We find out fairly early on how many different ways Vikings have supposedly been killed by dragons. And there are all sorts of different types they’ve battled over the years – and they’re pretty well documented… all except for one: the night fury. No one has ever really seen one, but they are regarded as the single most dangerous breed of dragon in existence. 

The-touch-of-Trust-toothless-the-dragon-21330620-1680-1050When we finally do meet the dragon, he is injured and angry, but not malicious like we had come to expect. His act of mercy gives a young boy the courage he needs to seek the dragon out and befriend it. Although certainly dangerous, the night fury is anything but evil. With an initial standoffish yet curious nature, Toothless essentially has the mannerisms of a giant house cat (much to my delight – what’s not to love?). This major perspective switch leads the young boy to consider that maybe not all dragons are as evil as they seem.

tumblr_mnzikslefQ1spq3obo1_400I love the mystery and the buildup surrounding the night fury breed, but the contrast between those theories and the actual creature was my favorite part of this plot. Setting up expectations right away gives you the opportunity to shatter them later on and really surprise people. It’s called a “reveal,” and it’s one of my favorite writing tools. I’m sure it’s part of the reason why How to Train Your Dragon is one of my favorite movies (it also has a great plot, loads of wonder and excitement, relatable characters, humor, and plenty of adventure). If the book I’m writing does any of these half as well, I will be in good shape.

At this point, I’ve seen the movie but have not had a chance to read the books (apparently there’s also a television series). I hear they’re all quite different from one another, but worthwhile all the same. Here’s a link to one of my favorite reviewers who’s looked into all three:  The Unlikely Librarian.

by Niki Hawkes

Jun 12 2013
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Dragon Obsession – The Literary Files

Up to this point, I mostly use this feature to highlight awesome dragon paintings (and the fact that I have spent way too much money on dust-collectors). Today, however, Dragon Obsession gets a new angle. What can I say? I was inspired.

Today’s post is a feature on an author who has dazzled me so much with her dragons that I can’t remain quiet about it anymore! I give you:

Robin Hobb

a43She  has written about dragons before, but takes it to the next level of brilliance in her latest series (The Rain Wild Chronicles). It follows the life cycle of dragons, makes them just as important as the humanoid protagonists, and celebrates just how beautiful and shall we say unhuman they really are. 

If you are a dragon-lover like me and haven’t yet picked this up you’ll kick yourself for waiting so long when you finally do (I know I did).

While this series can be read as a standalone, the characters within are ones we’ve seen before. In fact, this book is the culmination of everything we’ve been working towards in a previous series. Even though dragons don’t play a huge role in the earlier novels they are still well worth your time to read. The last book in the Tawny Man series was so profound that it  was one of the main reasons why I started this blog. I’d read a phenomenal book and had no one to tell… that had to change. :-)

So, if you’d like to start from the beginning (the recommended path) consider following the order below from left to right:

by Niki Hawkes

Jun 6 2013
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Dragon Obsession – The Visual Files

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 Dragon Lake by Michael Whelan

This is the second Michael Whelan piece I’ve featured and it also happens to be a cover photo from the same Melanie Rawn series, Dragon Prince. As you can see On the right, I’ve tried to re-create it with colored pencil but it’s nowhere close to being finished (…or as vibrant. I’m definitely going to have to branch out into different mediums for this one). There are several different types of dragons that people envision when they read a story and I have to say that this photo comes really close to my “ideal” dragon.

by Niki Hawkes

May 29 2013
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Dragon Obsession – The Visual Files

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Meet Pete!

 This little guy is the newest addition to my collection. I have so many dragon and fairy figurines that I won’t buy anymore unless they really strike me (mostly because I’m running out of room – lol). I generally veer away from anything that is either purple or orange (because I’m weird and I just don’t like those colors) so it’s a testament to just how cute I thought he was that I bought him anyway. He’s not the only one in my collection featuring an egg, but he is the only one with an egg that I actually like (come to think of it, I should probably get rid of the other one…).

Featured in the background are two of my favorite dragon books: Dragon Weather by Lawrence Watt – Evans and Dragon Champion by E.E. Knight.