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mcifrese's review against another edition
Too much adventure and taking too long to develop meaningful relationships for my taste. And there was just no hook to pull me in.
inkfire's review against another edition
4.0
I like the premise of this book and I love the main character, particularly in that she has many of the same doubts and fears that I do myself.
What bothered me about this book is the consistent and almost malicious refusal of all characters except Paladin to offer anything even approaching an explanation. I know it was important for her to not have the answers, as that was part of her character development journey, and it's also part of the Christian faith - not having all the answers. But the consistent dismissal of questions and lack of answers provided was honestly more frustrating than I knew how to handle. The only way I could continue enjoying the book was by basically ignoring that the Big Questions are very rarely addressed and even more rarely answered.
Now I admit that I am an emotional creature. Ask me again in two weeks and I will probably say I loved this book to pieces, because... well, I did. I've therefore left my rating at 4 stars, rather than 3, under the assumption that I will feel more kindly about this book once my emotional reaction has simmered down a little.
What bothered me about this book is the consistent and almost malicious refusal of all characters except Paladin to offer anything even approaching an explanation. I know it was important for her to not have the answers, as that was part of her character development journey, and it's also part of the Christian faith - not having all the answers. But the consistent dismissal of questions and lack of answers provided was honestly more frustrating than I knew how to handle. The only way I could continue enjoying the book was by basically ignoring that the Big Questions are very rarely addressed and even more rarely answered.
Now I admit that I am an emotional creature. Ask me again in two weeks and I will probably say I loved this book to pieces, because... well, I did. I've therefore left my rating at 4 stars, rather than 3, under the assumption that I will feel more kindly about this book once my emotional reaction has simmered down a little.
charliecantread's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
desikauwa's review against another edition
1.5
Found out that the genre this author is considered to be a part of is Christian fiction and that ruined all enjoyment I had of the book. As a non Christian, I’m tired of being surrounded by Christianity in the stories I read. World building was still okay tho
what_ella_reads's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this allegorical fantasy. It reminded me of LOTR, but it wasn't a copyoff.
liz_keeney's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
ammbooks's review against another edition
4.0
A nice young adult series. Good character development. Worst thing was trying to place Ms. Paul's "races" into pre-conceived slots..."dwarf, elf, gnome"
booksong's review against another edition
3.0
Average book that I was expecting a bit more from; there were some parts I liked, but other things dragged it down for me and in the end it just came out as "okay."
Kale is an ex-slave who is excited about getting to move one step up in life; becoming a servant. But a chain of unexpected events throws her from her path, and she finds herself instead part of a questing party to find a rare dragon egg and save it from an evil wizard.
A lot about this book is just standard. Most parts are pretty obviously gleaned from other popular fantasy, with a few admittedly pleasant twists. There are dragons, and others of the "seven high races" that have barely concealed similarities to elves, dwarves, faeries, humans, and other generic fantasy races. The quest is fairly ho-hum, with a bit of danger but little that really draws you in and makes you feel what the characters are feeling. They're all nice and everything, but nothing makes the book really rise above an average level.
The final straw for me, however, was the Christian overtones of the book. In the past, I've cheerfully read Narnia and other books that incorporate some religious messages and symbols. And I'm not saying this book was bad about it; it certainly could have been worse. But as a nonreligious person, it just absolutely kills the story for me when the characters actually take a couple of entire pages aside here and there to preach the author's religious views, just changing the names of God and Jesus. It's a poorly concealed tactic; why not just come right out and say what you're trying to? And when Paladin (Jesus) actually becomes a main character that fights off evil with his aura and teaches Kale about his love and justness, well, then it's just a bit ridiculous.
Fantasy young adult books are not really the proper place for teaching people about your faith, especially not when you pretend that that isn't what you're doing. A good story at least has to be attached to it (as was the case with most of Narnia), and this book just kept my attention enough to possibly make me want to read the sequel to see if it might get better.
Kale is an ex-slave who is excited about getting to move one step up in life; becoming a servant. But a chain of unexpected events throws her from her path, and she finds herself instead part of a questing party to find a rare dragon egg and save it from an evil wizard.
A lot about this book is just standard. Most parts are pretty obviously gleaned from other popular fantasy, with a few admittedly pleasant twists. There are dragons, and others of the "seven high races" that have barely concealed similarities to elves, dwarves, faeries, humans, and other generic fantasy races. The quest is fairly ho-hum, with a bit of danger but little that really draws you in and makes you feel what the characters are feeling. They're all nice and everything, but nothing makes the book really rise above an average level.
The final straw for me, however, was the Christian overtones of the book. In the past, I've cheerfully read Narnia and other books that incorporate some religious messages and symbols. And I'm not saying this book was bad about it; it certainly could have been worse. But as a nonreligious person, it just absolutely kills the story for me when the characters actually take a couple of entire pages aside here and there to preach the author's religious views, just changing the names of God and Jesus. It's a poorly concealed tactic; why not just come right out and say what you're trying to? And when Paladin (Jesus) actually becomes a main character that fights off evil with his aura and teaches Kale about his love and justness, well, then it's just a bit ridiculous.
Fantasy young adult books are not really the proper place for teaching people about your faith, especially not when you pretend that that isn't what you're doing. A good story at least has to be attached to it (as was the case with most of Narnia), and this book just kept my attention enough to possibly make me want to read the sequel to see if it might get better.
sundragonheartt's review against another edition
2.0
are you in the market to yell in rage at an insufferable book with a painfully Christian ajenda? Look no further than Dragonspell. Awful.
(I didn’t *technically* finish, but I know when a book is a waste of my time.)
(I didn’t *technically* finish, but I know when a book is a waste of my time.)