The Summer Dragon (Evertide, #1)

by Todd Lockwood

"Maia and her family raise dragons for the political war machine. As she comes of age, she hopes for a dragon of her own to add to the stable of breeding parents. But the war goes badly, and the needs of the Dragonry dash her hopes. Her peaceful life is shattered when the Summer Dragon -- one of the rare and mythical High Dragons -- makes an appearance in her quiet valley. The Summer Dragon is an omen of change, but no one knows for certain what kind of change he augurs. Political factions vie to control the implied message, each to further their own agendas. And so Maia is swept into an adventure that pits her against the deathless Horrors -- thralls of the enemy -- and a faceless creature drawn from her fears. In her fight to preserve everything she knows and loves, she uncovers secrets that challenge her understanding of her world and of herself." --

• ISBN10: 0756408334
• ISBN13: 9780756408336
• Publish Date: 3 May 2016
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Imprint: Daw Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 512
• Language: English

Reviews

[Silvara]

Check out my other reviews, discussions and link ups at Fantasy of the Silver Dragon.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I loved the details about how dragons were raised, how they bonded to their riders, and all the little things. Like cutting small holes in a baby dragons wings, so that when they are adults, straps can be passed through the holes to help their rider stay in place.

The world was rich with tidbits and details, everything coming together to make a world I was happy to be lost in. I enjoyed the characters as well, especially Maia and Darian, Keirr and her father. I especially loved the drawings that headed each chapter. They were really well-done, and helped show the characters as well as the dragons.

This was mostly a fast read, but in between the two major action plots, some of the book was super slow. It almost felt like this book should have been two books instead of cramming everything into this one. There was a lot of what felt to me like filler in the middle. Some was interesting and I liked reading about it, but other bits made me want to skim through to see if anything else interesting was going to happen.

You will totally get invested in the characters. Some you will hate, and others will make you cry. I loved how Maia and Keirr interacted, from the first moments they meet to the last ones as the book ended. I also liked Maia and Darian's relationship. As much as I wanted to smack him at one point, it totally fit his character at the same time. All the characters were written really well, they had strengths as well as flaws. And each one of them was distinct.

I can hardly wait to see what happens in the next book. If you love dragons, you need to read this book!

This review was originally posted on Fantasy of the Silver Dragon

[tweetybugshouse]

An ARC was provided to me from the author — Thanks again, Todd Lockwood, for sharing your amazing story with me.

The opening line to the first chapter, “A dragon handler with her head in the clouds is cursed.” was the first tweet I shared with the author on Twitter as I was reading the book. The central theme to the story is of Maia as she struggles with her mother’s death and the possibility that she has been cursed. A wide range of events happen throughout the story that are in turn attempted to be buried by others. “I been patient while you, mabir, and Bellua play keep away with the truth.”

This author I feel almost lived with dragons, as he describes aeries and how the characters interact and care for these mystical creatures. I was really drawn into the story as Maia and Keirr take their first flight together; it was so magical. The heartache you feel towards the end as destruction wreaks havoc between characters emotionally and physically. At times, I had tears streaming down my face I was so wrapped up in what was unfolding across the pages.

“Curse or blessing, we contend with it. Neither arrives without the other close behind. It’s all part of the Evertide” This is at the heart of the story, how Maia comes to term with her mother’s death and how she chooses to allow her “Scars to give her strength” and to do what needs to be done to save her baby dragon and those she loves.

I leave you with this thought — “Allow light to balance the darkness, for everything you do leaves a shadow, a ripple on the Evertide.”

Check out my tweets to the author as I read his story #TheSummerDragon