Voices of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn

Title: Voices of Dragons

Author: Carrie Vaughn

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: HarperTeen

My Rating: 3 Stars

    I tried reading this book years ago and never finished because I was bothered by Kay's friend's obsession with sex. However, I decided to return to the novel and this time I actually finished it.

    Dragons are awesome, and that is why I continued reading this book. It's a friendship between Kay-a teenage girl-and Artegal-a dragon. Sounds wonderful, right? But the author's writing style seemed far less sophisticated than I would have liked and there were a few times when the grammar/word usage was incorrect.

    Despite her best friend Tam's obsession with having sex with her boyfriend and trying to get Kay to do the same, Kay didn't really ever want to. At all. With the information given to us by the author, I think it may be safe to say that Kay is asexual, which is really cool because there aren't many books with ace characters.

   The ending....*sigh*. This book wasn't really resolved at all. And there is no sequel to my knowledge. Carrie Vaughn wrote another YA book-Steel-soon after Voices of Dragons and it has nothing to do with this story. She has also continued to publish her adult novels, so it doesn't seem like we will ever get a sequel or find out what happened to Kay and Artegal and the war between dragons and humanity.

    In the back of the book, there is an author's note, saying that Ms. Vaughn had this idea of "Kay riding a dragon and dodging cops." But it didn't work out the way she had planned so she changed the story and made Kay a teenager. I really wish I could read the original version...and that the writing style would have been more advanced.

I think I enjoyed Steel better.

**Update-Ms. Vaughn has said that she wants to write a sequel, but the publisher doesn't want to publish it and she has too many other book contracts to fulfill.

Dragonwitch by Anne Elisabeth Stengl--Review

Title: Dragonwitch
Author: Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Series: Tales of Goldstone Wood-Book 5
Pages: 425
Publisher: Bethany House
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating: 2 stars

Summary:
WHO WILL DARE FACE THE DRAGONWITCH?

Submissive to her father's will, Lady Leta of Aiven travels far to meet the future kind of the North Country and a prospective husband she neither knows nor loves.

But within the walls of his castle, all is not right. Vicious night terrors plague Lord Alistair. Whispers rise from the family crypt. The reclusive castle Chronicler, Leta's tutor and friend, possesses a secret so dangerous it could cost his life and topple the entire nation.

    And far away in a hidden kingdom, a flame burns atop the Citadel of the Living Fire. Acolytes and priestesses serve the goddess to the limits of their lives and deaths. No one is safe while the Dragonwitch searches for the sword that slew her twice...and for the hero who can wield it.

My thoughts:
    I hate to give this book such a low rating, as I love fantasy and I really like Anne Elisabeth Stengl, but I do have my reasons...
    First, this series started out with Heartless, the story of Princess Una. The second and third books I also enjoyed, but they were someone else's story, not Una's. Then with the fourth book, Starflower, the story went back thousands of years to tell yet another person's story. She definitely had something to do with history that was important to the world that the author had created, but I am not sure how she was connected to what had happened before. I don't even remember her being mentioned that much. Yes, perhaps in future novels in this series, everything will come together perfectly, but....after 5 books of this jumping around...who knows what will happen or how long it will take? I'm not even sure where Dragonwitch fits in at all with the others (besides something to do with dragons...).
    The summary of the book talks about Lady Leta and Lord Alistair as though they are the main characters, but throughout a lot of the book, it doesn't seem that is the case. Most of the time, it is more the Chronicler who is the "main character". (I don't have anything against that, but it just makes it confusing)

More information:

• Amazon
• Author
• Bethany House
• Goodreads

I was given this book by Bethany House Publishers for my honest review.

Starflower by Anne Elisabeth Stengl--Review

Title: Starflower
Author: Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Series: Tales of Goldstone Wood-Book 4
Pages: 348
Publisher: Bethany House
Genre: Fantasy
My rating: 5 Stars

Summary: Years ago, a young faerie queen gave herself over to the Dragon. Becoming his first child, she burned her city and became the fearsome Dragonwitch, Hri Sora. Then the Dragon took her wings. Desperate to get them back, she agreed to get the "Flowing Gold." Hri Sora kidnaps Lady Gleamdren, the only one who knows where this "Flowing Gold" is. Eanrin, the bard, loves Lady Leamdren and vows to get her back. The soldier, Glomar, says the same. They both set out to find Gleamdren, but along the way, they encounter a young mortal girl, Starflower, who is unconscious beside a river. Eanrin rescues Staflower and she travels with them to find Lady Gleamdren. Both Eanrin and Glomar seem to think the Starflower is an unnecessary burden, but Starflower seems linked to the Dragonwitch. Is Starflower the key to Lady Gleamdren's rescue?

My thoughts:  Amazing book! I love Anne Elisabeth Stengl's Tales of Goldstone Wood series.The characters and the stories are beautiful. But sometimes they get confusing. I was a bit confused about some of the faerie characters' names and their places in the story. And then, about halfway through the book, Starflower began to tell her story. It really helped to see her background, but when it kept switching between her story and the regular story with Eanrin, it did get a bit confusing.  But...I still give it 5 stars.


I got this book free for review from Bethany House. (Thank you!)

Dragonwitch cover reveal

An Ancient Evil

Long ago, Etanun buried his sword in the depths of the Netherworld then vanished from all known history. One day, it is said, his heir will find the sword, and the Dragonwitch, firstborn of the Dragon King, will be finally slain.

A Desperate Hope

These stories are no more than nursery rhymes. In a world of cold reality, what room is left for fairy tales? Lady Leta of Aiven is pledged to marry a man she does not love . . . sleepless Lord Alistair struggles to unite the stubborn earls of the North Country . . . Mouse is lost, far from home, slaving as a kitchen drudge . . .

. . . and the reclusive Chronicler, keeping the records of Gaheris Castle, bears a secret so dangerous it could cost him his life and plunge the North Country into civil war.

An Impossible Journey

But when nursery rhymes begin to come horribly true, will these unlikely heroes find the strength they need to fulfill a prophecy of fire? For the Dragonwitch lives. And she has vowed vengeance on all who have wronged her.

______

Coming Summer 2013

Tales of Goldstone Wood

Timeless Fantasy that will keep you Spellbound!

(www.anneelisabethstengl.blogspot.com)

This is book 5, so be sure to read the first four (Heartless, Veiled Rose, Moonblood, and Starflower). This is a series you definately don't want to miss, so check it out!

The Princess of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen

The Princess of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen
437 pages

    Princess Meg is bonded to a dragon, Jakl. She loves Jakl and knows he would never try to hurt her people, but they think otherwise. The people of Trelian are uneasy and don't want a dragon princess to rule them some day. So Meg's parents put restrictions on what she and Jakl can do.
    Lately, Meg has been easily angered, and when she is, her dragon is, too. She doesn't know what is going on, but she knows it has to stop. A nearby kingdom has accused Jakl of killing farmers and their families, but Meg knows it's not true. Can she and her friend Calen find out who it really is? And will they be able to stop the evil Mage Krelig from coming out of exile?

**Book 2**
Previous book:

Next book:

Moonblood by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Moonblood by Anne Elisabeth Stengl
373 pages

    The dragon has finally left the Southlands, but the people are growing suspicious of Lionheart's maid, Rose Red. Afraid, Lionheart banishes his best friend. Rose Red is trapped in the Faerie world of Arpiar, where the evil goblin king keeps her.
    Lionheart, regreting what he has done, goes off in search of Rose Red, but the path to Arpiar is only open to those who are invited by one dwelling inside the realm. Rose Red, trapped inside, refuses to call for the one who betrayed her. With the night of Moonblood drawing closer, time is running out, and the dragons will soon awake. Can Lionheart find Rose Red and free her from the goblin king before it is too late?

**Book 3 in Tales of Goldstone Wood**
Previous book: Veiled Rose

Next book: Starflower



Look for book 5, Dragonwitch, coming soon!

Masters and Slayers by Bryan Davis

Masters and Slayers by Bryan Davis
415 pages

    Adrian Masters is one of the few people who believe in the exisence of the dragon world, Dracon. In fact, he knows that it exists: his brother went there and sent a message back. The ledgends say that a hundred years ago, a dragon took a bunch of humans captive back to Dracon. Adrian is determined to find the Lost Ones, and his brother, and bring them home.
    Marcelle also believes in the dragon world, but many otheres don't, and since she is a noble's daughter, it is hard for her to express her beliefs. But like Adrian, she is determined to rescue the captives. The two team up with the Starlighter Cassabrie, from the dragon planet, but will they be able to free the slaves from the dragons?

**Book 1 in Tales of Starlight**
Next book: The Third Starlighter

Swords of the Six by Scott Appleton

Swords of the Six by Scott Appleton
309 pages

    The mighty white dragon is betrayed by his six most trusted soldiers. A thousand years later, the dragon hatches six human daughters from eggs, each with the blood of the dragon. He trains the six sisters to fight with the traitors' swords and sends them on a mission to bring justice to the traitor. Along the way , they will face danger and impossible choices. Will they be strong enough to comlete their task, or will they become divided?

**Book 1 in The Sword of the Dragon**
Next book: Offspring

Slayers by C. J. Hill

Slayers by C. J. Hill
373 pages
    Tori, the daughter of a U.S. senator is obsessed with dragons. She doesn't know why, but she reads all she can about them and one summer she signs up for dragon camp. When she gets, there, it is nothing like she thought it would be: a clean camp like the ones she had been to before. Her older sister tells her that she won't be able to stay. Determined to prove her wrong, Tori stays.
    She soon finds herself in the advanced part of the camp with a group of teens who call them selves slayers, saying they are descendants from the original dragon slayers. They tell Tori that she is a slayer, too. Not sure if they are right, Tori is caught up in a quest to find and destroy the last dragon eggs before they destroy the country. Will they be brave enough?

Wonderful Mail

Guess what came in the mail yesterday. A package from Anne Elisabeth Stengl! I won signed copies of both her books, Heartless and Veiled Rose . . .

A book mark for each book . . .





 plus a Veiled Rose magnet and a pencil  for each book.

And I thought I was only getting signed books!. . .  Book pencils. What a great idea!

Warrior by Bryan Davis

Warrior by Bryan Davis
421 pages

    The Dragon Prince has hatched, and as prophesied, is handicapped-he is lacking sight. Now, more than ever, he need Koren, a Starlighter. But Koren, having been a slave and then a prisoner of the Dragon Prince, wants to be free. She knows that there is freedom in the Creator's love and longs for that. So she escapes. But will she be able to help her fellow slaves?
    Jason Masters, a young man Major Four, has come to Starlight to free the dragons' slaves. He soon meets up with Koren and together they journey to the Northlands to find the injured star, Exodus. If they can get Exodus to rise again, then the dragons will have no reason to keep the humans as slaves. But with so many against them, can they succeed?

**Book 2 in Dragons of Starlight**
Previous book: Starlighter
Next book: Diviner

Dragon Castle by Joseph Bruchac

Dragon Castle by Joseph Bruchac
333 pages
Price: Hardcover-$16.99 U.S./$19.50 Canada

    Prince Rashko's parents, the king and queen, are missing. When Rashko finds an enchanted invitation in their room that says they are invited to a party, he knows something strange is going on. Soon after, the evil Baron Temny arives at the castle gate saying that his parents invited him to stay as long as he wanted. He also tells Rashko that his daughter is to marry Paulek, Rashko's older brother. Paulek quikly falls under their spell, but Rashko is not so easily deceived. With the help of his friends, the prince discovers the legend of Prince Pavol, a dragon, and the history of the castle. Untangling the secrets of Dragon Castle might be the only way to save his family and the kingdom from the Baron.

Would you read this book? Why or why not? If you have read it, what did you think of it? Please share you opinion.

A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine

A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine
328 pages
    Elodie is going to Two Castles to become a mansioner-an actress. When she gets there, she finds out that it is no longer free to become an apprentice; and since she has no money, she has no where to go. Then a dragon takes her in to be IT's assistant.
    When the Count Jonty Um, an ogre, goes missing and other things begin to happen in Two castles, it is up to Elodie to find out who is behind these terrible things.

Would you read this book? Why or why not? If you have read it, what did you think of it? Please share you opinion.

Veiled Rose by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Veiled Rose by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

375 pages

Price: Paperback-$14.99 U.S.

    Leo is staying at his cousin's house for the summer. Maybe it would not be so bad if the two boys got along. Leo's cousin reads books all day, but Leo wants adventure. When he hears tales of a monster in the woods, Leo sets off to find it. On his "monster hunt," Leo meets Rose Red.
    Rose Red lives alone with her nanny goat and he old father. She covers herself in rags so no one can see her face. When she and Leo become good friends, everyone is shocked.Rose Red learns that Leo is hunting the monster and he learns that the real monster is Rose Red, no one sees her for who she is inside.
    But Rose Red is trapped by the real monster, an evil dragon who wants to rule the world. He seizes Leo's kingdom and holds everyone captive. Can Leo and Rose Red defeat to evil that has been brought upon the land?

Previous Book: Heartless

Next Book: MoonBlood

Would you read this book? Why or why not? If you have read it, what did you think of it? Please share you opinion.

Anne Elisabeth Stengl, Tales of Goldstone Wood

Watch for Anne Elisabeth Stengl's next book, Moonblood, coming April 2012. But first read Heartless and Veiled Rose. Veiled Rose comes out 1 July. Visit http://anneelisabethstengl.blogspot.com/ to learn more about Anne Elisabeth Stengl and her books.

I Won Anne Elisabeth Stengl's book, Veiled Rose . . .

Congratulations to need2read for her brilliant success, naming all the dragons in the Maiden and Dragon contest! The interesting thing to note is that not all of her answers were the same as mine . . . yet all her answers were correct! Here is my list of Maidens and Dragons:

1. Princess Cimorene—Kazul (The Enchanted Forest Chronicles)
2. Princess Adelina—Vollys (Two Princess of Bamarre)
3. Mulan—Mushu (Mulan)
4. Lady Sibyl—Errol (Guards! Guards!)
5. Lessa—Ramoth ( Dragonflight)
6. Una—The Dragon of Errour (Faerie Queen) OR . . . the Dragon King/Death-in-Life/Father of Dragons from my own book, Heartless! Tricky, that one . . .
7. Aerin—Maur (The Hero and the Crown)
8. Alice—Jabberwocky (Alice in Wonderland)
9. Kara—Draco (Dragonheart)
10. Princess Aurora—Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty)
11. Kale—Gymn and Metta (DragonSpell)
12. Belinda—Custard (The Tale of Custard the Dragon)
13. Princess Fiona—Dragon (Shrek)
14. Princess Elspeth—Vermithrax Pejorative (Dragonslayer)

need2read, however, answered Brom for #4, which is correct . . . Brom is another one of her pet dragons. She also answered Flagra and Byrn for #9, which is also correct. I had to research that one, but Kara turns out to be the heroine of the Flight of the Dragon Kyn, which is definitely full of dragons!

Excellent work on all those answers, people! Yet again, I am impressed by your dragon knowledge.

Written by Anne Elisabeth Stengl on her blog.

Eye of the Oracle by Bryan Davis

Eye of the Oracle by Bryan Davis
609 pages
     Dragons have been helping humans throughout all of time. Makaidos helps protect Noah and his ark from the evil Watchers. Years after, he and his family help King Arthur battle the Saxons. Later, the dragons are not safe, so they disguise themselves as humans. There children are both dragon and human.Follow the dragons fight  between good and evil from the creation of man to present times.
     Meanwhile, Mara, an underborn slave, works in the dark caves under the earth to create an army of giants. She slaves under the harsh rule of Morgan, an evil sorceress. Starting from the time of Noah and the ark to present times, this prequel to the series Dragons in Our Midst reveals all the secrets.

Next book: Enoch's Ghost

Raising Dragons by Bryan Davis

Raising Dragons by Bryan Davis
371 pages

     Bonnie Silver and Billy Banister both have a secret. Billy's dad is a dragon, so he can breathe fire. Bonnie's mom is also a dragon and she has dragon wings. Both teens live normal lives-well, almost. When Billy's hot breath sets off the fire alarm, Bonnie comes to his rescue, but now the principle knows there is something strange about them. Which might have been okay, except they realize that the principle is really a dragon slayer in disguise.

     Will Bonnie and Billy be able to save themselves and their parents from the slayer, or will the last dragons be killed?

http://www.dragonsinourmidst.com/

Starlighter by Bryan Davis

Starlighter by Bryan Davis
About 400 pages      Jason has heard the stories and rumors about dragons and their human slaves, but has never believed them.
      Koren, a young slave girl on the dragon plant Starlight, wonders if the human world is just a myth.
      When Jason's older brother declares that he is going on a quest to save those who were taken into slavery by dragons, Jason decides to follow his brother and also help free the slaves.  But will he succeed? Will he even reach his destination?

Visit http://www.dragonsofstarlight.com/ or http://daviscrossing.com/ for more information.