Aug 16 2013

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Dragon Obsession – The Visual Files

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 9 2013

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Dragon Obsession – The Visual Files

Meet Book Werm

(Artwork by Kristin Kest Illustration)

This picture is the perfect representation of the things I’m most passionate about – books and dragons! Part of why I love dragons so much is that they are the ultimate creatures of fantasy, and fantasy is where I escape reality and feel truly free. When I’m reading about dragons, I feel totally wrapped up in their world – so the dragon wrapping around the reader is especially symbolic. Anyway, I think this might be one of my most favorite pictures ever (special thanks to my bestie who found it for me), and I hope you all enjoy it! :-)

Jul 26 2013

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Dragon Obsession: The Visual Files

Meet Toothless

(Or perhaps you’ve already met?)

Toothless 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.

When 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.

I 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

Jul 4 2013

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Dragon Obsession – The Visual Files

Meet Jekyll and Hyde

As you can probably tell from my endless posts of “Dragon Obsession,” I have a problem. Every time I see awesome dust-collectors like these in a store, I can’t resist the urge to buy them.

Why is this a problem? Well, aside from the obvious negative impact on my bank account, I’m also running out of room. It’s to the point now where I actually have some in storage. I tried to display them all once but my bookshelves started to bow under the extra weight (I have horribly cheap shelves that can only barely handle my 4000 book collection… but that’s a collecting problem for another day).

Anyway, I couldn’t resist buying this one. The photos you see are actually the flip sides of the same statue (who can pass up a two-for-one deal?). I’ve had it for three or four years and I still can’t decide which side I like better. I love the ombré effect of green to red on the “orange” side, but I really like the little purple baby dragon on the blue side.

Which one would you put on display?

For the record, “Hyde” is whichever of the dragons not on display at the moment. I liked the play on words (because he’s hiding… get it?). ;)

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

She 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:

: Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb

: Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb

: Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb

: The Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb

by Niki Hawkes

Jun 6 2013

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Dragon Obsession – The Visual Files

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