Dragonborn - "Wonderful epic tale"

Guest post by Laura Jean Lysander

An epic, sprawling fantasy adventure saga between the dynamics of humans and dragons, working in tandem to rid the many worlds and dimensions they inhabit of evil; it reminded me of the Clan of The Cave Bear series, yet it is far more reaching within the arcane mysteries, the uses of Magic and Dragon interaction within time and space. The Tale follows two humans who are destined, picked, and sought to aid the dragon race (multiple species of them) which live and interact and understand the humans with divine allowance. This is to thwart the evil of a magic grimoire book created from a dragon's blood and skin. 

 

 

 

I did not find the tale to be particularly highly humorous, or chock full of any comedy but still captivated me into what was going to come up next within the story. It did hold my interest and the descriptive writing of the dragons and the magic interested me. I had a hard time sometimes understanding something that had happened or specific plot changes, for it was not always described specifically as to what it meant, the action or the riddle/clue but it was then mentioned later on, and then it was understood either to leave you wondering or hanging or that most likely my brain being the way it is..just was too daft to get it the first time.

 

The tale follows the interactive lives of the humans, Dragons, and their progeny and the adventures and perils they are symbiotically subject to; the Evil book which is stolen by a rogue criminal starts the tale, however, is not spoken of after 1/3 of the start of the saga tale is written, and it gave me wonder as to what became of it during the entire time the other action was being presented, and who the next evil owner would wind up to be; I thought at the end it would be mentioned or brought back into the story by the antagonist mentioned who I will not mention for not to spoil it, but still, it, the Evil book was not mentioned and it gave rise to that it might be mentioned then in a forthcoming book for this was to be a series. 

 

 

If you enjoy magic and adventure regarding epic family interaction and mystery, one that is not high-tech or hugely humorous, serious, and methodical with a sense of suspense, enjoy the tale! I did and went to sleep wondering how it would end until I finished it the next day.

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The Star of Whatever (The Western Lands and All That Really Matters #2) - 5 Stars

 

Andrew Einspruch’s The Star of Whatever (The Western Lands and All That Really Matters #2) picks up where book 1 in the series left off. I delighted in book one, The Purple Haze, and so it surprised me that I enjoyed book two even more.

The story picks up in the Half Kingdom where Princess Eloise Hydra Gumball III’s quest to rescue her twin sister, accompanied by her champion chipmunk, Jerome, her loyal guard, Lorch, and two royal horses. The deadly Purple Haze edges the Half Kingdom, and fogging has become the mode of execution of criminals. Once someone enters, they never come out, except for Princess Eloise and her twin. They not only don’t come right back out but feel called to delve deeper into the fog. Within the Haze a secondary quest develops. It leads them to a surprising find and a challenge for their lives.

Outside the Haze, Eloise’s friends Jerome and Lorch rot away in the royal dungeon while the horses try to figure out what they can do to get them out. The plot makes twists, turns, and a few herky-jerky maneuvers that surprise, like when the Purple Haze starts to spread. (I put it this way only to avoid spoilers.)

I highly recommend this book to people who enjoy coming of ages stories with strong female protagonists set in fantastical worlds where animals can talk and magic, even weak magic, is real. Think Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Einspruch’s pacing in The Star of Whatever is perfect. He does a great job with the ebb and flow of conflict and resolution with doses of subtle humor, suspense, and an emotionally engaging plot. I give this one a solid five stars. I’m thankful for the review copies I’ve received of this series, and I look forward to reading book three in the series, The Light Bearer.

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