May 10 2013

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Dragon Obsession – The Visual Files

Cadmus and the Dragon of Ares

by Ciruelo

I’ll admit that the first couple of times I saw this painting I didn’t even notice the dragon – that sense of discovery I felt when I finally saw it is probably why this is one of my favorites. Not only is it visually stunning, but it evokes in me feelings of everything I love about dragons and fantasy, indicating that magic is all around us even when we aren’t aware of it. The inspiration from this photo is actually the starting point from which I developed a new breed of forest-dwelling dragons in the novel I’m working on. It always gets me in the mood to write when I see it.

My Dragon Obsession files would not have been complete without this one, and it probably won’t be the last Ciruelo picture I post, either – he has some of the best dragon paintings out there. This is the book I snagged it from:

Apr 4 2013

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Dragon Obsession – The Visual Files

Ciruelo Dragon Art

Taken from www.fantasygalleryart.com this Ciruelo print has always been one of my favorites. I love the blend of colors for the sky and the rock and I love the little castle in the distant. My favorite element (obviously) is the dragon, particularly the obsidian scales and the pointed shape of its head. Ciruelo has some of the best life-like dragon paintings out there, so I knew my Dragon Obsession list wouldn’t be complete without at least one of his prints.

For a great compilation of his paintings, check out:

Title: The Book of Dragons

Author: Ciruelo

Overview: They lurk in the most hidden corners of the world: the powerful and beautiful creatures known as dragons. We know them as the terrifying beasts of fairy tales, but their own story has remained a mystery–until now. Ciruelo, an illustrator of astounding skill, delves into their secret universe, revealing a rich and fascinating culture filled with poetry, magic, enchantment, and knowledge. Each of these wondrous creatures has its own unique personality and history, and it’s captured dramatically on these spectacular pages. But the revelations go beyond the images, as we gain insight into their psychological characteristics; encounter many different types (Earth Dragons, Water Dragons, Fire Dragons, and the legendary Golden Dragon); learn about their long-held customs; and explore the many legends in which they have figured so prominently–including the heroic tales of Perseus, Hercules, and Tristan.

Nov 14 2012

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The Adamantine Palace by Stephen Deas

Title: The Adamantine Palace

Author: Stephen Deas

Series: Memory of Flames #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: N/A

The Overview: The Adamantine Palace lies at the centre of an empire that grew out of ashes. Once dragons ruled the world and man was little more than prey. Then a way of subduing the dragons through alchemy was discovered and now the dragons are bred to be little more than mounts for knights and highly valued tokens in the diplomatic power-players that underpin the rule of the competing aristocratic houses. The Empire has grown fat. And now one man wants it for himself. A man prepared to poison the king just as he has poisoned his own father. A man prepared to murder his lover and bed her daughter. A man fit to be king? But uknown to him there are flames on the way. A single dragon has gone missing. And even one dragon on the loose, unsubdued, returned to its full intelligence, its full fury, could spell disaster for the Empire. But because of the actions of one unscrupulous mercenary the rivals for the throne could soon be facing hundreds of dragons …Stephen Deas has written a fast moving and action-fuelled fantasy laced with irony, a razor sharp way with characters, dialogue to die for and dragons to die by.

The Review:

Unfortunately, this was a book I didn’t finish, which bums me out because I’d been looking forward to reading it since I first laid eyes on it. I don’t usually write reviews for the books I didn’t care for, preferring instead to focus on the recommend-worthy titles. I decided to make an exception in this case because I believe there are a few people out there who would enjoy this book a lot more than I did.

‘The Adamantine Palace” was difficult for me to walk away from, as the storyline was actually quite interesting – it kept me trying for about 100 pages. I liked the world, I liked the plot, and I liked the dragons. What I didn’t care for was the writing style. There were times where it was just underdeveloped enough that it read like a draft rather than a finished product. The dialogue was also a bit weak. Everybody spoke with the same voice and there was little variation in tone. It was unfortunate because it made interesting characters come across one-note.

I’ve been in the book business long enough to know that just because I don’t care for a title doesn’t mean others wont. If you might be one of those people, the digital world we live in makes it easy for you to find out. Just go to www.bn.com and download a digital sample. After reading the first few pages, you’ll know if it works for you or not.

Other dragon books you might like:

“Dragon Weather” by Lawrence Watt-Evans
“Joust” by Mercedes Lackey
“Dragon Champion” by E.E. Knight
“The Last Dragonlord” by Joanne Bertin
“Dragonflight” by Anne McCaffrey

by Niki Hawkes

Oct 22 2012

Niki’s Best Book Bulletin: Dragons!

Here’s a list of my top 6 favorite dragon books of all-time! What dragon books are at the top of your list?

#1 Dragon Weather

Author: Lawrence Watt-Evans

Series: Obsidian Chronicles

Adrian was only 11 when a dragon destroyed his village, killing everyone but him. Left alone and defenseless, he is soon captured and sold into slavery, sent to work the mines of the Lord Dragon. As Adrian grows through the story, he seeks vengeance on those who wronged him. I have to say I loved every moment of this trilogy – so much so that I bought them in hardcover. Watt-Evans is an excellent writer. He has a way of drawing you in, making every moment is engaging and entertaining. Not only is it an amazing dragon book, it just plain good fantasy!

#2 Joust

Author: Mercedes Lackey

Series: Dragon Jousters

Vetch is a young slave who yearns to become a jouster – a warrior who rides a dragon into battle. Sold into a house of riders, he soon finds himself caring for the great beasts. It isn’t long before he gets the idea to raise one in secret… Not only is this my favorite Mercedes Lackey series, but it’s quite arguably one of my favorite series of all-time. I love books that teach you things and after reading “Joust” I felt like I knew a lot more about how to care for and train dragons (useless knowledge, I realize, but filled with awesomeness nonetheless). Yet another series I had to have in hardcover, it was the ultimate fun-read!

#3 Dragon Champion

Author: E.E. Knight

Series: Age of Fire

This one I’ve already highlighted in a review. Told from the point of hatching, Auron is an anomaly, lacking the rock-hard scales of his species. Forced to make his way alone in the world long before he’s ready, he starts out on an unforgettable journey. The coolest thing about this book is that it’s told from the dragon’s perspective, and I’ve yet to read one done better. The author does an excellent job at keeping the integrity of the beast, rather than “humanizing” them as you see in other works. I loved it for its originality, and knew it had to be near the top of my list.

#4 The Last Dragonlord

Author: Joanne Bertin

Series: Dragonlord

Linden Rathan is a weredragon and the last of his kind. In an endless search for a mate, Rathan has to deal with constant threats from those who would see him destroyed. I’ve mentioned in an earlier post that this book was initially released back in 2000. Because the final book in the trilogy was twelve years in the making (and only announced recently), I never went back and reread these. Honestly, I only remember three things about these books: Rathan was a dragon-shifter, there was an excellent love-story, and I finished them eager for the next book because I loved them so much. Now that the final book is almost here, I’m definitely going to go back and enjoy these for a second time. In cast you were wondering, these were also deemed hardcover-worthy!

#5 Dragonflight

Author: Anne McCaffrey

Series: Dragonriders of Pern

A ragged kitchenmaid, Lessa struggles to take back her birthright. Her whole world changes after she meets a queen dragon, and bonds with her. Now, woman and dragon must fight to save their world from death that falls from the sky. This is a classic, and likely the series that sparked the passion for dragons in a lot of readers. There’s no way I can have a complete dragon list without including the Pern series. The initial trilogy should be on every fantasy-lover’s “must read” list!

#6 Dragon’s Blood

Author: Jane Yolen

Series: Pit Dragon Chronicles

As a bond boy in a dragon nursery, the only way Jakkin can earn enough money to buy his freedom is to train a champion fighting dragon. As all the hatchlings are fiercely guarded and accounted for, Jakkin somehow manages to steal one, raising him in secret. What I loved about this series is that it both dazzled me with originality while still reminding me of other series that I loved. Set on another planet, it had elements of Lackey’s Joust, McCaffrey’s Pern, and even a touch of Harry Potter. Yup – I got them in hardcover. :)

There are many others that deserve mention, but none of them rocked my world quite like the six listed above. That said, there are still quite a few dragon books I’ve yet to read, and perhaps one day soon I can add a few more excellent titles to the the list.

What dragon books are YOUR favorites?

By Niki Hawkes

Sep 17 2012

Book Review: Dragon Champion by E.E. Knight

Title: Dragon Champion

Author: E. E. Knight

Series: Age of Fire #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: Knight’s fantasy debut concerns a rare, scaleless gray dragon named Auron. Born high in a mountain cave, he witnesses the slaughter of his parents at the hands of a band of dwarves and eventually matures into the last hope for the survival of his kind. Once above ground, Auron learns quickly just how dangerous it is to be a dragon. With dwarves, elves, and humans relentlessly hunting him, Auron finds friendship in the most unlikely of places — but the young dragon’s quest to find others of his kind may not lead him to the answers he hopes to find.

The Review:

Even though there are many other excellent dragon books out there, I have never before read one quite like this. Most authors use dragons as important companions to their main human characters, but E.E. Knight takes it one step further by allowing his readers to become a dragon.

Told from the dragon’s perspective, the story follows him from the struggles of hatching all the way to the adventures of adulthood. As if that wasn’t cool enough, this dragon, Auron, is grey-scaled, an anomaly in the dragonworld who lacks the rock-hard scales that protect others of his kind.

Because most of the main characters are dragons, it makes for an interesting dynamic, as they have all sorts of traits and motives that are quite different from a human’s. Everything from their basic regard of other species to the complex inner-workings of their societies was simply fascinating. Not only, that, but it also has a highly interesting story, an engaging plot, and a decent writing style.

Overall, with such a unique concept, this is a must-read for any dragon-lover!

Recommendations: Although “Dragon Champion” is geared towards adults, I sometimes feel comfortable recommending it to young adults who are ready to up their reading level, provided they can handle some “scary” moments.

Other books you might like: