Category: Fantasy
The Pygmy Dragon by Marc Secchia
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Yesterday, a Dragon kidnapped me from my cage in a zoo.
Stolen from her jungle home and sold to a zookeeper, Pip knows only a world behind bars, a world in which a Pygmy warrior and her giant ape friends are a zoo attraction. She dreams of being Human. She dreams of escaping to the world outside her cage.
Then, the Dragon Zardon kidnaps her into a new life. Pip rides Dragonback across the Island-World to her new school – a school inside a volcano. A school where Humans learn to be Dragon Riders. But this is only a foretaste of her magical destiny, for the Dragon Assassins are coming. They have floated an Island across the Rift and their aim is nothing less than the massacre of all Dragons.
Now, the courage of the smallest will be tested to the utmost. For Pip is the Pygmy Dragon, and this is her tale.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review.]
I have to say that I fell in love with Marc Secchia’s writing just a few pages into the first book of The Shapeshifter Dragons series, Aranya. So when he took me up on my open submission announcement, I was so excited to begin the spin-off series, Shapeshifter Dragon legends. In Aranya we heard passing tales of a pygmy dragon while Aranya was learning about dragon lore in general, but the story of that singular occurrence was never fully fleshed out. In The Pygmy Dragon, we get to see the Island World several decades before Aranya’s birth, when dragons roamed free and shapeshifters were respected.
Into this totally alien world to the readers of the original series is Pip, a Pygmy girl taken from her home island at a very young age to be placed in a zoo with dangerous apes that she eventually befriends. The squalid conditions, the dehumanizing behaviour of the ‘people’ that come to the zoo to see her are all horrific and Marc Secchia shows that horror without belabouring the point. We get a very, very clear picture of her suffering and desperation until a regular person begins to talk to her to learn about the Pygmy culture. He treats her like a real human being and they learn from each other until the dragon Zardon whisks Pip away to a new life as a dragon rider.
You really can’t help but cheer for Pip the whole way through. From her horrible treatment in the zoo to the bullying and tormenting she finds at the Dragon Rider Academy, you’d have to have a heart of ice not to feel for her. Despite everything, she works so hard to prove herself every bit her fellow students’ equal and in some ways, surpasses many of them. It’s there at the Academy where she discovers a secret that she never expected she had: she’s a Shapeshifter Dragon. A Pygmy Dragon to be exact. And because of her hidden power, she’s now flying around with a giant target on her back. All of the dragons are as a war begins to brew between the different factions.
As always, Marc Secchia’s world-building is second to none. The Pygmy Dragon can absolutely be read as a stand-alone novel, but for those of us that read Aranya before reading the spin-off series, it expands upon what we’ve learned. We even meet some of Aranya’s friends, the unrepentantly lecherous Nak and the love of his life, Oyda. I love how Marc Secchia finally let us see the mysterious gigantic original dragons that created all of the regular dragons. And how he gave Pip the special power that would make her a legend. I don’t want to give too much away, so I can’t gush as much as I would like, but needless to say you won’t find any better world-building out there in YA right now.
He also includes some pretty powerful themes without beating his readers over the head with a stick. The theme of freedom is so central to the whole story and it makes you really appreciate just how good you really have it. No matter how bad your life gets, you’ve never been locked up in a zoo, treated like an animal and forced to befriend animals that were once your natural enemies. There’s also a theme of redemption throughout the novel. Not everyone who appears to be evil is and sometimes truly bad people can be redeemed. The little subplot with the Silver Dragon Pip meets is just one such example of that.
Marc Secchia has a beautiful writing style. He’s able to write highly emotional scenes without getting too sappy and he can describe things beautifully without going overboard. His descriptions of the dragons and the flourishing dragon culture at the Academy made me both happy and sad because so much of that is lost by Aranya’s time. His characters are so vividly sketched out that you expect them to just come up and walk off the pages. And the amount of thought he put into dragon anatomy and the descriptions of their powers, language and emotions is just amazing.
Basically, if you’re going to read any book about dragons, read The Pygmy Dragon. I seriously can’t recommend it enough.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Organ Reapers by Shay West
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Detective Elliott “Eli” Robinson and his new partner, Ava Aguilar, are baffled by a series of brutal murders happening in their fair city.
No evidence, no eyewitnesses…only mutilated corpses with missing internal organs.
When Eli and Ava stumble upon evidence of similar gruesome crimes around the globe, they realize there is more to the murders, but the answers continue to elude them. In a race against time, Eli and Ava must figure out who is behind the killings and stop them before more people die.
But the answers will take them out of their comfort zone and into the realm of the fantastic: another world with a different set of rules, and a leader who has no qualms about killing.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook from the author’s agent in exchange for an honest review.]
When I saw the blurb for this book, I just knew that I had to read it. The whole ‘detectives must solve mysterious murders that are increasing’ trope is nothing new to me but when I saw that the murderers are not human at all, but instead come from another world, I thought Organ Reapers would be a winner.
And you know what? I wasn’t wrong; I ended up loving this book more than I thought I would.
You see, at first you have the typical “I don’t need a partner” detective in Eli but when Ava comes onto the scene things change. Eli cleans up his act a bit and eventually Ava grows on him as she provides such a handy contrast to his brooding excesses. And when the murders become more frequent and they discover that they’re happening worldwide, Eli is pretty happy to have a partner that can connect the dots like Ava.
Likewise, Tani and Keena’s partnership in the other world, the one that butchers humans to steal their organs, start out pretty typically. They are believers in a cause, become disillusioned and start a de facto rebellion to overthrow the established order. Only things are not so simple because they’re the only ones openly rebelling and once they travel to Earth to try to set things right, they have a huge price on their heads. And when the two accidental rebels cross paths with the two detectives things get interesting.
The characterization was very, very good through the entire story. All of the characters grew as people by the end of the book and I felt like their conflicts were resolved realistically, if not completely resolved. It leaves room for a sequel but at the same time, I wasn’t mad at Shay West for leaving her readers completely dangling. It was an excellent medium.
What I really thought was interesting was the world-building of Tani and Keena’s world. It’s sort of like an alternate world but is in many ways similar to Medieval Europe. Now that sounds like a recipe for extreme boredom, but what’s interesting is the technology of the gateway to Earth as well as the fact that they can (and frequently do) do organ transplants. So you have advanced medical technology and portal technology combined with a very feudal way of life for a very interesting contrast. I personally would have liked a bit of a better explanation for the portal and how it came to be, but it wasn’t a major issue because it didn’t detract from the world-building or the plot.
As for the plot, not only was it fast-paced (while being largely character-driven) it was also very interesting. There were lots of twists and turns and although I did predict the ending, it was still very satisfying. I didn’t really get bored and what really interested me was the fact that at different points in the novel, I was rooting for different protagonists. At first I was firmly on the side of Eli and Ava, but then I began to feel a little more sympathetic toward Tani and Keena. I won’t give out any spoilers, but by the end your preconceived notions about who the good guys are and who the bad guys are will probably be destroyed.
I really have no complaints about Organ Reapers. It’s an exceptionally well thought-out book with realistic and easy to relate to characters combined with a great plot and pacing. You can’t really ask for much more, can you?
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Of Bone and Thunder by Chris Evans
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Channeling the turbulent period of the Vietnam War and its ruthless pitting of ideologies, cultures, generations, and races against each other, military historian and acclaimed fantasy writer Chris Evans takes a daring new approach to the traditional world of sword and sorcery by thrusting it into a maelstrom of racial animus, drug use, rebellion, and a growing war that seems at once unwinnable and with no end in sight. In this thrilling epic, right and wrong, country and honor, freedom and sacrifice are all put to the ultimate test in the heart of a dark, bloody, otherworldly jungle.
In this strange, new world deep among the shadows under a triple-canopy jungle and plagued by dangers real and imagined, soldiers strive to fulfill a mission they don’t understand and are ill-equipped to carry out. And high above them, the heavy rush of wings slashing through the humid air herald a coming wave of death and destruction, and just possibly, salvation.
[Full disclosure: I requested and received a free ebook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
As always, I’m going to be honest with you guys: I had a really, really hard time getting into this book. I’m sure that some of you out there would have a similar problem because of all the new vocabulary, culture, characters, etc. With that said, by about the second half of the novel I really began to appreciate Chris Evans’ writing.
His world-building is frankly amazing. Not only has he created a somewhat unique fantasy world (something that I haven’t seen a lot of lately), he has populated it with very interesting creatures, different races and cultures. My favourite part of the entire book was the dragons, or the ‘rags’ as their drivers call them. They’re so unique and yet at the same time, it makes perfect sense for them to have done all of the things Chris Evans thinks of: they can overheat, there are many different species of dragons, young dragons are more ornery when they’re first being ridden and they have their favourite roosting spots. My favourite seen was when one of the characters rides on a rag for the first time and they have to make a quick landing to cut it open because its core was overheating (because of old age). It was hilarious to read about his reactions to what was his first day in the Lux.
Really, you can’t fault anything with Chris Evans’ world-building the same way you can’t fault his characterization. He has such a diverse cast of characters that are so well fleshed-out that you can’t help but feel for all of them. In particular I liked Vorly because he was a rag driver, but Jawn, Wraith and Listowick were also right up there. Everyone in his book has their different reasons for fighting in the war: glory, honour, nowhere else to go, a chance at a better life, etc. It’s very realistic and I love the depictions of the soldiers who have been in the Lux for a long time compared to the new recruits, particularly the heavily devout ones. It certainly makes for inter-character tension and plenty of conflict.
My only real problem with the book was the pacing. It took me a little over half the novel to really get into it because even though I recognize this is epic fantasy, the plot crawled along at a snail’s pace. Yes, it helps to go slow to get your reader oriented, but that came later in the book so Chris Evans really could have sped up the beginning a little to hook readers better. It’s not a long book, only 496 pages, but in the beginning it did feel like an eternity. Once you get past the beginning, however, things get pretty crazy as the forces of the Kingdom and the slyts get ready to face off in a battle that has not been seen in the thus far guerrilla-style war. So yes, there is some sag in the middle and the beginning but the rest of the book is very, very fast-paced.
In the end, I’m very glad that I didn’t give up on Of Bone and Thunder as I was very tempted to in the beginning. Chris Evans is an excellent writer despite the shaky beginning and I’m definitely adding his Iron Elves trilogy to my ever-expanding to read pile.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
Short Story: Merry Christmas, Henry by Aubrey Wynne
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Henry, a shy and talented artist, moonlights as a security guard at a museum and loses his heart to a beautiful, melancholy woman in a painting. As his obsession grows, he finds a kindred soul who helps him in his search for happiness. On Christmas Eve, Henry dares to take a chance on love and fulfill his dream.
[Full disclosure: I requested and received a free ebook in conjunction with the review tour in exchange for an honest review.]
Normally I’m not in the mood for Christmas books until at least December 20th. However, I put my grumbling aside about having to review a Christmas story while it’s still warm out and decided to take a chance on Aubrey Wynne’s short story. The blurb sounded interesting enough, so I figured I’d give it a go.
You know, in the end I was not disappointed in the least. Aubrey Wynne somehow managed to give me that warm and Christmassy feeling in the middle of October, which is certainly a testament to her writing skill. Yes, Merry Christmas, Henry is your typical heartwarming semi-sappy story about Christmas and the magic surrounding it, but I still loved it. It’s nice to read a story where the good guy gets what he deserves and life improves for him after having a hard life.
Henry is a pretty three dimensional character, especially considering the fact that this is a short story. He’s a shy and retiring artist who passionately loves his work at the museum. One day he becomes obsessed with a woman in an obscure painting in the back of the gallery and can’t get her out of his head. He visits her, talks to her and generally thinks of her as real. As Christmas approaches, the pull becomes stronger and stronger. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but let’s just say that anything can happen on Christmas Eve in Aubrey Wynne’s world.
The plot was fairly fast-paced since it was a short story, but at the same time I feel like I knew the main characters intimately. There was no one-time info dump, but rather an organic growth of Henry’s sad backstory and the events leading up to his getting a job in the museum. By the end, you really do feel like you know him intimately and Aubrey Wynne spins such a beautiful tale that you can’t help but cheer for the heartwarming ending.
In short, it’s the perfect Christmas story. Even in October.
I give this short story 5/5 stars.
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*No link because B&N is stupidly telling me I don’t have permission to access the requested search. I know: huh?
Aranya by Marc Secchia
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Chained to a rock and tossed off a cliff by her boyfriend, Aranya is executed for high treason against the Sylakian Empire. Falling a league into the deadly Cloudlands is not a fate she ever envisaged. But what if she did not die? What if she could spread her wings and fly?
Long ago, Dragons ruled the Island-World above the Cloudlands. But their Human slaves cast off the chains of Dragonish tyranny. Humans spread across the Islands in their flying Dragonships, colonising, building and warring. Now, the all-conquering Sylakians have defeated the last bastion of freedom–the Island-Kingdom of Immadia.
Evil has a new enemy. Aranya, Princess of Immadia. Dragon Shapeshifter.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook in conjunction with the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.]
As with a lot of books I seem to read, I was a little skeptical about this one from the blurb. It had the potential to be either a totally awesome book or really suck. Good thing for me it was the former and not the latter, right?
I am just blown away by Aranya. The plot, the world-building, Marc Secchia’s incomparable writing and the vivid characters all come together to make this book one of the best I’ve read in quite literally years. Considering the fact that I read around 200 books per year, that’s no small feat either. Sometimes books take the words quite literally out of my mouth and this is one of those instances (which is why I had to write this review hours after finishing the book, just to process it).
I’ll start off with the world-building, which was fabulous. Here we have a complex geo-political situation within an epic fantasy world! There are various alliances and rivalries and each little island on this world has its own distinct culture and history. Its ruling families are all different, as are their customs and languages. At the same time, for those of you worrying that this just becomes a political thriller, don’t worry. Marc Secchia walks the fine line between political thriller and awesome world that has complicated politics (but ones that are not the main focus of the story). So while his world is excellently built, we never get the backstory dump that sometimes happens in similar works.
And the dragons? Wow. I like that despite the impossibility of somehow having more matter when you shapeshift from human to dragon, the overall concept is very well thought out. There are limitations for people like Aranya in both forms and her dragon form is far from invincible like it is in so many other stories. She actually has to work at developing her powers, with the help of an incurable old letch, Nak. And her limitations as a new dragon do significantly hinder her as she goes about her journey to save Immadia and her friends/family. It’s very well done in my opinion.
As I said, Marc Secchia’s writing is incomparable. He can not only describe action sequences with the ease of a writer with 50+ years of experience, but can also slow down and write heartbreakingly tender moments. At the same time, the plot never really slows down. There’s always something going on, a hint of background tension that forces you to keep reading in order to find out what happens next. I was sucked into the world of Aranya, feeling everything from the humidity in the jungles of the Pygmy and the cool volcanic climate where Aranya gets kidnapped inadvertently.
Last but certainly not least are the characters. Aranya and Zip are certainly some of the more memorable characters I’ve ever read about and they defy gender stereotypes left, right and centre. How many female characters have a serious duel nearly to the death and then become the best of friends? Not as many as male characters, I can tell you that much. Both of them are well-rounded and three dimensional characters, but Aranya will always hold a special place in my heart. She’s willing to leave her family and Immadia behind in order to secure the future of her country, even if it means living in obscure exile for the rest of her natural life. And she does it with minimal whining as well, accepting her duty to her country. Does that mean she’ll go down without a fight? Certainly not! But she also doesn’t spend all her time pining after every attractive guy who crosses her path and whining about how awful her lot in life is. It’s quite a novel concept after the many, many YA novels I’ve read with similar concepts that were far less well carried out.
I just can’t recommend Aranya enough. Even if you’re not big into epic fantasy, I think you can still enjoy this book. Not only are the characters some of the most memorable I’ve ever encountered, the plot was amazing and Marc Secchia’s writing is always superb. I just don’t have anything to say but this: buy the book already!
I give this book 5/5 stars.