Book Review: The Dragonslayer's Sword

The Dragonslayer's Sword

By:  Resa Nelson

Publisher:  Mundania Press

Publish Date:  June 2008

Format:  eBook

Genre:  Fantasy

Series:  1st in Dragonslayer series

Recommendation:  Yes!  A fantasy read that will keep you enthralled with wonder of the world and what new you learn of Astrid, the world, and secondary characters.

Book Synopsis:
For Astrid, a blacksmith who makes swords for dragonslayers, the emergence of a strange gemstone from her body sets in motion a chain of events that threaten to destroy her life.  Her happiness is shattered when her lover-the dragonslayer-disappears without a trace, and the life that she knows and loves implodes without warning.  Astrid lives in a world of shapeshifters whose thoughts have the power to change not only themselves but others.  Everything Astrid knows to be true is called into question when she learns the truth about her past and the mysterious family from which she was separated as a child.  Reality turns inside out as Astrid gradually learns the truth about the people she loves as well as those she disdains.  With the fate of dragons, ghosts, and slaves in foreign lands resting on her shoulders, Astrid faces the challenge of deciding who she is and how she will stand up inside her own skin.  Will she withdraw and hide from the world that has disappointed her so much...or will she rise to lead others to freedom and peace?

First Sentence:
When Astrid was eight years old, she was given to a child seller.

My Thoughts and Summary:
We meet Astrid as she is looking forward to her future, even after being given to the Child Seller and travels the land finding someone to buy her.  To Astird it's better than where she came from, and what they did to her.  Along the way he picks up another little girl, Mauri.  Heading into Guell with both girls they come across a dragonslayer boy, DiStephan, and his father.  Astrid is taken by the idea of a dragonslayer and thinks the boy is cute.  This is the last town the Child Seller will attempt to shack Astrid, because of her marred face no one will take her, so she may die at the Child Sellers hand soon.  The blacksmith, Temple, understands why Astrid is special, knowing what the scars are from, and is a strong person and takes her.  Astrid is to stay inside the Smithery, where no one but Temple sees her, until she comes of age and can change her body to look as she wishes.

Over ten years later she's eighteen, loves being a blacksmith and realizes she loves DiStephan.  However, eight months ago DiStephan did something that Astrid didn't approve of with a dragon.  Sending him away, she didn't realize he'd not return.  The town is left vulnerable until a new Dragon slayer arrives.  However, the new Dragonslayer seems to take a liking to Astrid, creating issues for her; changing her body, and other things.  But when a dragon shows up at her smithery one day, it's not good for her or her town...or is there something more here.  When her town is then attacked by bandits and her past is drawn forth to Astrid, will she fight or hide from all of the world?

Astrid considers herself a monster, one people stare at and are scared of.  As I went through the book I learned there is more behind the monster claim Astrid makes, other than just the scars all over her body.  Her history is tied into this as well.  Astrid was scarred by a dragon, chewed up and spit out.  Astrid is physically and emotionally a scared character, from the time we meet her as a child.  DiStephan, a very nice young man who helps Astrid, giving with the support of his father the name of someone who will take her if no other will.  Someone they know.  This being Temple.

Very Interesting!!  People get to an age (maturity) and can change their bodies (allowed to do) to what they want.  There are those who are strong enough to change others, which is NOT allowed to do, that can make the world dangerous.  Astrid could hide her scars then.  Then we have the Dragons.  I really like the stories of the dragons in relation to the perception of others.  Dragons see humans as small and weak, so people become so.  But a few are strong enough to over come that forced change, hence they are Dragonslayers.  The lore behind the dragons is interesting, and the ties it has with the storyline, really held me to the story to learn the way it works out.

This book is done in sections that highlights Astrids life, important pieces of her life.  First we learn of her travel to Guell as a young girl.  Then we jump to ten years later where Astrid is older, happy with life, and maybe even in love.  We see times of when she learned to make a dragonslayers sword with her father-figure and mentor Temple.

In the first hundred pages I wasn't sure where the plot would lead.  We meet Astrid and secondary characters.  Grow attached and learn their life history leading to where they are now.  This set up made me curious to Astrids scary past and scars and the ability to change ones skin, and to see the dragons as well.  After that all falls apart and Astrid learns secrets of her past, her heritage, and of the true dragons.

I'm not one for metal yielding.  I don't know much about how to do it, but Resa had to have taken great effort and time to learn it to describe it so detailed for me to understand what to do.

This story is of the birth of a dragonslayer.  This story struck me as an adventure in love, not love of lovers but the love when you are where you belong and finding your way there.  The love of friends and family, other than blood related.  Being accepted by yourself for who you are and others accepting you as well.  Feeling comfortable in your own skin.  This adventure we take with Astrid as she is sold a few times, tries to fit in with her scars, hides who she is along with her scars of her scary past.  A journey through life and love.  A love for self and acceptance ~ with others and in ones eyes.

If you would like to purchase:

Amazon ~ Print:

Amazon ~ Ebook:

I read this book for an honest review from the author, for tour.

Who? What? Where? (81)

Who are you with? Where are you at? What's happening?

Share with us just a little bit of what is happening in the book you are reading, right where you are now.

Just a tiny taste of what's happening, remember try to not give spoilers of the book.

(This is a new meme I'm going to try and will tweak as I go. And please don't laugh at my lame attempt at drawing. ;D )

This Week:

I'm with Harry Dresden as we talk with his subconscious, while he's out like a light due to exhaustion.  Yeah, the guy seems to be losing it a little.  There's a lot going on in his mind it seems.

Fool Moon
By:  Jim Butcher

Cover Sneak

I just reviewed the first novella in this series last week.  I enjoyed the starts of this paranormal world and look forward to more.

I have a sneak peek at the third novella's cover!  Yes, I'm thrilled to share this with you, and looking forward to reading the second one.

Here is all three of the first three book covers of the novella series to be of six books.  I'm loving the color contrast between them and the scenes depicted.  Cool!

Here it is!  I've shared Krista D. Ball's second book cover with you previously, but the third is new:

Spirits Rising
I read, enjoyed, and reviewed this one.
Description:
Rachel Mills has one wish in life: for the spirit world to shut up and leave her alone. She thought her move to a remote fishing village in Northern Newfoundland would help.

Population: Twenty. What could go wrong?

Instead of peace, however, she relocates to a land of superstitution, the air alive with the presence of others.

When a local teenager accidentally summons the spirits of the area, including those from a thousand-year-old Viking settlement, all supernatural breaks loose. As the spirits stalk her and each other, Rachel finds herself in over her head. With the help of Mrs. Saunders, her 93-year-old neighbour, Rachel has to put aside her own prejudices long enough to send the spirits back to rest, or risk being caught in the midst of a spirit war.

Dark Whispers
Oh I look forward to reading this one when releases in November 2012!
Description:
A rash of teen suicides shakes the remote Newfoundland village that Rachel Mills calls home. As Rachel helps the school investigate, painful memories from her past – events she’s worked very hard to forget – resurface and won't go back into the grave where they belong.

As if she didn't have enough problems!

Her beloved 93-year-old neighbor becomes ill. The man Rachel is in love with moves into her house--along with his girlfriend, the most perfect woman in creation. And a strung-out wreck of a woman claiming to be Rachel's biological mother shows up on her doorstep. But it isn’t until a local boy with a talent for spellwork is attacked by a mysterious stranger that Rachel asks the question she’s avoided her whole life: how powerful can a Spirit Caller like herself become?

Knight Shift
No Description as of yet, but I'm curious about the knight on the front cover!  I know who I want it to be. ;)

Thoughts On: Avalon Revisited ~ Chapter 1 & 2

Avalon Revisited

By:  O.M. Grey

Genre:  Victorian Vampire Steampunk Romance

Chapter:  1

Format:  Podcast, 21:34 minutes

Book Synopsis:
Arthur has made his existence as a vampire bearable for over three hundred years by immersing himself in blood and debauchery.  Aboard an airship gala, he meets Avalon, an aspiring vampire slayer who sparks fire into Arthur's shriveled heart.  Together they try to solve the mystery of several horrendous murders on the dark streets of London.  Cultures clash and pressures rise in this sexy Steampunk Romance.

My Thoughts and Summary:
Arthur Tudor, or now known as Arthur York as his family history is rather famous...being his brother was king and his nieces and nephews shed each others blood for the thrown.  The thrown Arthur was to sit on, before he died, and came back to life.  Yes, Arthur is a vampire of three hundred and fifty plus years.  Arthur is hungry in more ways than one, and has found himself a beautiful middle-aged woman to satisfy those desires.  But gets caught up in the moment.

We meet Arthur in this first chapter as he is romancing and turns to seducing this beauty of a married woman.  Although she seems to be more than willing with a younger man as her husband is thirty years her senior.  During the romancing Arthur tells he was to be king, which brings us to learning Arthur's family history and where he fell in the line.

We also see there was a love, once, Catherine.  But when he died his brother took her and then turned to many other women in his bed as well.  Arthur seems a little bothered that his wife betrayed him in death to stay Queen, but he loved her so.

This first chapter has stared off full of sexy, and history of Arthur.  I will say sexy from chapter one is touch and go for me, but this was very well done.  We know Arthur is not looking for a relationship, just...companionship for a short while (like a few hours of fun and food).  This is setting Arthur up for me and I'm curious to see how he goes.

The world is a Victorian period, and the clothing and setting is started.  The listening went by quickly, which is a good sign, so on to the next chapter I went.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter:  2

Format:  Podcast, 26:02

My Thoughts and Summary:
Arthur has woken and his butler Cecil brings his tea and the newspaper with the headlines of a well-off woman's murder...by a vampire attack.  Arthur decides to go out for a little bit in the late afternoon and meets Lady Bambridge and a few of her friends out for a walk.  The sit with him on his blanket and chat of the murder and of the Airship Gala to come this evening.

This chapter gives us a glimpse at the steampunk present here.  We see an airship out the window of Arthur's home and that there is an Airship Gala this evening to come.  But what has caught my eye in this one is the way Cecil gives his blood in Arthur's tea.  Very interesting!  A contraption attached at his wrist.  I like this blend and idea very much.

Cecil seems older, but he makes me chuckle when he tells Arthur that Arthur doesn't much like people.  And Arthur admits to it.  We get to hear a small bit about Arthur's father as he remembers just a few pieces of his past with things going on.

We see London through Arthur's eyes.  Not only how this is a perfect city for one like him being overcast and rainy, but the people and woman's attire as it's changed and reverted over the years.

Arthur seems to always be looking for his next conquest and lady to entice and seduce.  Of Lady Bainsbridge and her friends Arthur is taken with one, although Lady Bainsbridge seems taken with Arthur as well.  But we do learn that Lady Bainsbridge plans on bringing her "spinster" niece to the Airship Gala this evening as her husband will not attend on an airship.

We also get to meet Arthur's friend, Nick Stanton, who is quite the young ladies man.

I'm curious to see who Arthur will follow and 'hit on' at the Gala tonight.  And it seems vampires are accepted in some sense as it is mention in the newspaper, and the ladies talk of it as well with out major fear.

I am liking how the author reads the story, with different tones for each character along with the accents.  Very clear and easy to understand.



If you would like to listen, or read, this story you can find it in many places:
   Free Listening:
On O.M. Grey's blog Caught in the Cogs, she has chapter by chapter coming up on her blog weekly as it's a new listen.
iTunes the story is up weekly for free listening.
   Reading:
You can purchase the Print or Nook book at Barnes & Nobles.
You can purchase a Print or Kindle version at Amazon.
Or if you need in a different ebook format, you can find on Smashwords as well.


I'm listening to this story for my own enjoyment.

Teaser Tuesday (133)

Teaser Tuesday

is a weekly event

Sponsored by MizB of Should be Reading

Here's how it works:

Grab the book you are currently reading (anything at all)

Open the book to any random page.

Share 2 teaser sentences from anywhere on the page

Please Make Sure They Are Not Spoilers!

(Don't Give Too Much Away)

Just enough to pique our interests

This Week:

I didn't get to hear the rest of what Susan said, because I grabbed my blasting rod in one hand, the potion in the other, opened the door to the car, unfastened my seat belt, and rolled out onto the shoulder of the road.

Fool Moon
By:  Jim Butcher
243pg

Book Review: Bloodhound

Bloodhound

By:  S.A. Archer & S. Ravynheart

Format:  eNovella

Publisher:  Ravynheart Publishing

Publish Date:  July 2012

Series:  4th of Rise of the Unseelie series
Affiliated with Touch series and Champion of the Sidhe series

Book Synopsis:
Donovan rescued the earthborns.  Protected them.  Gave them shelter from the predators who would feast on their blood and Sidhe magic.

That time is over.

Time for the earthborns to train.  To fight back.  To reclaim what is theirs.

Time to show the world what it means to be Unseelie.

First Sentence:
"You're so dead, mate!" Bryce shouted over the explosion of gunfire.

My Thoughts and Summary:
While playing a relaxing (relaxing from magic) video game with Bryce, Malcolm hears a strange whistle no other can hear.  He knows it's Kieran and when searches for his sound magic, he can't find it.  He knows Kieran is in trouble.  Donovan's not around as he's been taking fey cases, protecting fey.  Donovan returns to a panicked Malcolm as Kieran returns to the club with a human female...London.

This story overlaps in time and happenings with Enchanted, novella #3 in Touched series.  Do you need to read that novella, or series, first?  No.  I think you will be good with out doing so.  But might be one to check out as well.  This story gives us the Unseelie view of the happenings, and why they react as they do with what they learn, where Enchanted is London's side of the happenings.  We get to see the Unseelie thoughts of London as well, or at least Donovan's and Malcolm's which are the strongest.

Donovan doesn't feel the earthborn Sidhe are ready just yet to fight and protect, but are being trained.  This novella he starts to crack them into shape with an awakening of what is out there hunting them.  We find Donovan on a case where a wood elf is found dead, actually a few wood elves.  The case ends up being the first for the earthborn.  It seems the earthborn Sidhe don't worry much that there are any threats out there to them, yet Malcolm is the first to just at any threats possible.  But now with the mounds have fallen, things are different in the earthborn world, and they are starting to get a feel for that.  There is danger out there for them, more now than there was.

Malcolm is panicked but seems to be accepting the other earthborn with him, compared to last story.  Playing video games with Bryce, worrying about Kieran.  Maybe getting use to their magic?  After Donovan's talk about them needing him as much as he needs them, sounds like he's trying and becoming attached to these new 'friends.'  But still has an uncontrolled craziness about him.  We see Malcolm remember the terrible time he had with the goblins, and how it's affected him, and still does.  Malcolm then worries about his little sister, that someone could go after her like they did him.

We get to see what special skills each earthborn has as Donovan appraises them as he puts them through rough training.  He knows he needs to straighten this soft bunch into something better than the Elite he was leader of.  The earthborn need to be trained up before the threats find the Glamour Club.  They go on their first mission with Donovan, and one learns about her magic a little more and acquires a few 'pets'.  Then they have a personal goal they are given which in relation to the female cursed by the touch.


I read this novella for an honest review from the author.

Monday's Beginnings (158)

And it's Sunday on a Monday.  Yes, here in the US we are celebrating Labor day with a day off work.  So, Sunday on Monday.  I can handle these.

Well, it's been a week/weekend.  I've spent the weekend on the couch with my foot propped up with a sprained ankle, of three weeks now, hoping it won't swell up like a balloon as it has been and heals up some.  So in doing that I finished my book from last week and started another which I'm half way through.

Last week seemed to be a rough week for me in reading and all sorts of doing anything with my ankle and the kids football.  But, I got through and on to a new week.

Current Read:
Fool Moon by Jim Butcher

Finished Last Week:
Shadows Before the Sun by Kelly Gay
Shades of War by Sarah-Jane Lehoux

Reviews to Come:
Tethered by Meljean Brook
The Dragonslayer's Sword by Resa Nelson
Full Blooded by Amanda Carlson
Bloodhound by S.A. Archer & S. Ravynheart
Hunter of the Dead by Katee Robert
The Battle of Blood and Ink by Jared Axelrod & Steve Walker
Shadows Before the Sun by Kelly Gay
Shades of War by Sarah-Jane Lehoux

Book Reviews Posted:
The Ripple Effect by J.A. Saare
Spirits Rising by Krista D. Ball

Movie Review Posted:
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Podcast Reviews Posted:
Fables of the Flying City Ep 42-44
Overall Thoughts on Fables of the Flying City

Books and Covers Shared:
Fathom by Merrie Destefano

Special Posts:
Final Chat on Shadows Before the Sun
Freebies and Deals, on Nook too (23)

Sorry, and again no Flash Fiction Friday.  I don't even remember if there was a picture last week. Sorry!

My WANT List...I've added 5 books.  And they sound awesome! :D

Received Last Week:
Purchased:

Endgame by Ann Aguirre
Goodreads Synopsis:
Regret nothing. 

Sirantha Jax has the J-gene, which permits her to “jump” faster-than-light ships through grimspace. She loves nothing more than that rush, but the star roads have to wait…

Her final mission takes her to La’heng, a planet subjugated during first contact. Since then, the La’hengrin homeworld has been occupied by foreign conquerors.

All that’s about to change.

Now, as part of a grassroots resistance, Jax means to liberate the La’hengrin. But political intrigue and guerrilla warfare are new to her, and this will be the most dangerous game she’s ever played—spies and conspiracies, a war of weapons and hearts, and not everyone is guaranteed to make it out alive...

Soul Trade by Caitlin Kittridge
Goodreads Synopsis:
Soul TradeA Black London NovelCaitlin Kittredge The crow-mage Jack Winter returns —to crash a secret gathering of ghost hunters, soul stealers, and other uninvited guests, both dead and alive… Normally, Pete Caldecott stays far away from magical secret societies. But ever since her partner and boyfriend Jack Winter stopped a primordial demon from ripping into our world, every ghost, demon, and mage in London has been wide awake—and hungry.  And the magical society in question needs their help putting things right.

SOUL TRADE

It all begins with an invitation.  Five pale figures surround Pete in the cemetery to “cordially” invite her to a gathering of the Prometheus Club. Pete’s never heard of them, but Jack has—and he’s not thrilled about it. Especially the part that says, “Attend or die.” The Prometheans wouldn’t come to London unless something big’s about to go down. So Pete and Jack decide to play it safe and make nice with the club—even if that means facing down an army of demons in the process.  But now that they’ve joined the group, they’re about to discover that membership comes at a cost…and has apocalyptic consequences.

Won:

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede
Goodreads Synopsis:
"I want to do things. . . ." 

Take one bored princess. Make her the seventh daughter in a very proper royal family. Have her run away.

Add one powerful, fascinating, dangerous dragon.

Princess Cimorene has never met anyone (or anything) like the dragon Kazul. But then, she's never met a witch, a jinn, a death-dealing talking bird, or a stone prince either.

Princess Cimorene ran away to find some excitement.

She's found plenty.

I guess you can say I won this one, as the author was celebrating and giving away ecopies on her blog.  So I had to have one of these with all these short stories in it.  I really enjoyed her Fey series and want to try this out as well.

A Little Short For An Alien by Frances Pauli
Goodreads Synopsis:
Six inter-galactic short stories from author, Frances Pauli.

From The Fobidden Zone to the Alien-Human relations department, these short, alien-infested romps explore encounters with a diversity of imagined species, scenarios, and space disasters. 

Join Dylan Lowwater, lackluster employee at Space Station H22-J231, Jo Lorey, wayward musician desperate to communicate with a threatened race, and Lieutenant Commander Roe, just plain desperate, as they struggle against out-of-this-world obstacles. 

In a universe overflowing with tentacles and glow gin, sometimes adventure is easier to find than a date.

For Review:
This new YA book I just could not pass up after reading the first chapter.  I REALLY want to know more!

Fathom by Merrie Destefano
Goodreads Synopsis:
Everything is changing . . .

Turning sixteen can be hell, especially if everyone in town thinks your mother killed herself and your sister. All Kira Callahan wants to do is swim, hang out with her best friend, Sean, and ignore the kids who torment her at school. That is, until one day when she gets invited to a party. For three minutes her life is wonderful—she even kisses Sean in the driveway. Then somebody spikes her drink at the party and some girls from out of town lure her into the ocean and hold her underwater.

Kira soon discovers that the group of wild teenagers who have come to visit Crescent Moon Bay are not as innocent as they seem. In fact, nothing is as it seems—not the mysterious deaths of her sister and mother, not her heritage, not even her best friend. And everything seems to hinge on the ancient Celtic legends that her mother used to tell her as a child.

Downloaded:

I've listened to the first 7 chapters and downloaded the next through to chapter 18.  The thoughts on each chapter will start going up this week.
Avalon Revisited by O.M. Grey
Goodreads Synopsis of the book:
Arthur has made his existence as a vampire bearable for over three hundred years by immersing himself in blood and debauchery. Aboard an airship gala, he meets Avalon, an aspiring vampire slayer who sparks fire into Arthur’s shriveled heart. Together they try to solve the mystery of several horrendous murders on the dark streets of London. Cultures clash and pressures rise in this sexy Steampunk Romance.

So...how was your week last week?  How does this week look for you?

I'm hoping for a great week.  I plan on finishing the book I started on Saturday and reading a beta read today, it's a shorter one. Then we shall see where the week takes me from there.

Here's wishing you all the best in words and pages.