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Dragon Age #1
Bitterwood
Bitterwood has spent the past twenty years hunting down dragons, one at a time. But he is getting old and the hate that he has carried in his heart since a group of dragon-soldiers killed his family is beginning to fade. When he kills the royal prince dragon, the king decides the only retribution is genocide of the human race. Bitterwood is forced to enter the Free City, the grand trap designed to eradicate mankind, with thousands of others. Can he lead from within, or can a select few dragons unite to stop the king's madness from becoming reality. Full of rich characters and drama, this is an amazingly astute vision of our own culture by way of a feudal kingdom where dragons rule, and humans are used as workers or pets.
482 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 26, 2007
211 people are currently reading
2748 people want to read
About the author
James Maxey
93 books188 followersI've been an avid reader since I first picked up a book. Luckily, I was within biking distance of three different libraries growing up. I was a skinny kid. If only I had maintained that link between biking and reading, I might be a skinny adult.
I'm also a writer. I wrote my first book as a kid, an adventure about pirates and ghosts. When I was a teenager, I used to write superhero adventures. Then I went to college and was steered toward writing "literature." It took me several years to shake that off, and today I write the sort of books I devoured by the shelf when I was sixteen, fast-paced fantasy, SF, and superhero adventures, which I use to explore deeper questions about life. My goal is to always be thought-provoking and always be fun.
I've had short stories in about a dozen anthologies and magazines. My novels to date are:
Nobody Gets the Girl
The Dragon Age trilogy
Bitterwood
Dragonforge
Dragonseed
Burn Baby Burn
The Dragon Apocalypse
Greatshadow (January 2012) -- A team of superpowered adventurers are recruited by the Church of the Book to extinguish the primal dragon of fire, Greatshadow.
Hush (July 2012) -- An effort to complete a quest for a fallen friend, the warrior woman Infidel stumbles onto a plot to kill Glorious, the primal dragon of the sun, and plunge the world into permanent cold and darkness, the elemental domain of the dragon Hush.
Witchbreaker (January 2013) -- A young witch named Sorrow has lost control of her magic after tapping into the spirit of Rott, the primal dragon of decay. Her desperate quest to save what remains of her humanity leads to an uneasy alliance with an amnesiatic warrior who might be the legendary champion of the church known as the Witchbreaker. But can there combined powers prevail when they trigger the wrath of Tempest, the primal dragon of storms?
I'm also a writer. I wrote my first book as a kid, an adventure about pirates and ghosts. When I was a teenager, I used to write superhero adventures. Then I went to college and was steered toward writing "literature." It took me several years to shake that off, and today I write the sort of books I devoured by the shelf when I was sixteen, fast-paced fantasy, SF, and superhero adventures, which I use to explore deeper questions about life. My goal is to always be thought-provoking and always be fun.
I've had short stories in about a dozen anthologies and magazines. My novels to date are:
Nobody Gets the Girl
The Dragon Age trilogy
Bitterwood
Dragonforge
Dragonseed
Burn Baby Burn
The Dragon Apocalypse
Greatshadow (January 2012) -- A team of superpowered adventurers are recruited by the Church of the Book to extinguish the primal dragon of fire, Greatshadow.
Hush (July 2012) -- An effort to complete a quest for a fallen friend, the warrior woman Infidel stumbles onto a plot to kill Glorious, the primal dragon of the sun, and plunge the world into permanent cold and darkness, the elemental domain of the dragon Hush.
Witchbreaker (January 2013) -- A young witch named Sorrow has lost control of her magic after tapping into the spirit of Rott, the primal dragon of decay. Her desperate quest to save what remains of her humanity leads to an uneasy alliance with an amnesiatic warrior who might be the legendary champion of the church known as the Witchbreaker. But can there combined powers prevail when they trigger the wrath of Tempest, the primal dragon of storms?
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews
April 3, 2018
Dragons rule the world and subjugate the men living in it. Those who aren't enslaved are taxed into poverty. The dragons rule forged a man into a dragon killing weapon. Dragons took away his family so he takes away their lives. His name is Bitterwood. Unfortunately it seems the feared Bitterwood has killed the wrong dragon. After killing the prince, the king decides humanity must be wiped out once and for all.
Bitterwood is truly not at all what I expected it to be. The dragons aren't truly the massive fire breathing monsters I envisioned. They aren't much bigger than men. They also live in castles, keep slaves, read books, collect taxes, and do many things ancient rulers were known to do. The most surprising thing is it gets weirder. The story itself is actually largely science fiction.
Some aspects of Bitterwood are just what I envisioned namely Bitterwood himself. After losing his family to dragons, Bitterwood turned into a medieval Punisher basically deciding the only good dragon is a dead one. He kills all the dragons he can and allows his hate to fuel and guide him.
While Bitterwood is the tile character most of the story is told through the eyes of others. The varied points of view were overall appreciated, particularly Zanzeroth. Zanzeroth is an advisor to the king, but is largely known as a deadly Hunter who is still somewhat feral. He stalks Bitterwood throughout the tale and is incredibly dangerous.
Bitterwood was a largely enjoyable story with little resemblance to what I initially imagined.
Bitterwood is truly not at all what I expected it to be. The dragons aren't truly the massive fire breathing monsters I envisioned. They aren't much bigger than men. They also live in castles, keep slaves, read books, collect taxes, and do many things ancient rulers were known to do. The most surprising thing is it gets weirder. The story itself is actually largely science fiction.
Some aspects of Bitterwood are just what I envisioned namely Bitterwood himself. After losing his family to dragons, Bitterwood turned into a medieval Punisher basically deciding the only good dragon is a dead one. He kills all the dragons he can and allows his hate to fuel and guide him.
While Bitterwood is the tile character most of the story is told through the eyes of others. The varied points of view were overall appreciated, particularly Zanzeroth. Zanzeroth is an advisor to the king, but is largely known as a deadly Hunter who is still somewhat feral. He stalks Bitterwood throughout the tale and is incredibly dangerous.
Bitterwood was a largely enjoyable story with little resemblance to what I initially imagined.
June 1, 2012
Dragons, dragons, dragons. Sky-dragons, sun-dragons, and earth-dragons. Wizard dragons that and can turn invisible. Ninja-assassin dragons. Philosopher librarian dragons. Wandering, robed dragon cults. A dragon dubbed the "Murder God."
Then there're little girls who have strange powers over animals. Gigantic prophets of Jesus Christ. Green-skinned immortal humans. Genetic tinkering. People don't really ride horses as much as they ride gigantic lizards and ox-dogs.
Oh, and the city of Atlantis thrown in there just for good measure.
In other words, this book is chock full of stuff. Probably too much stuff. The Christian stuff appearing in a fantasy book is strange. A giant dragon casually thumbing through Darwin's "The Origin of Species" is even weirder.
It's definitely much different than most fantasy books out there, mostly because most fantasy isn't quite this ambitious in regards to packing so much random craziness into one book. It wasn't BAD, per se, just a little scattered. And the fact that the titular dragon-slaying hero gets so little page time really makes him seem more like merely a backdrop or a frame as opposed to an actual character. Almost every other primary character sees more action and development than Bitterwood.
Not that the aforementioned over-ambition leaves a lot of room for ANY characters to really be developed, even at nearly 500 pages. Almost all characters seem to be essentially the same from beginning to end, with a few minor exceptions.
I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book, but might not take the time to recommend against it, either. It's just kind of "there." It's an atypical fantasy book that manages to be typical fantasy pulp.
Then there're little girls who have strange powers over animals. Gigantic prophets of Jesus Christ. Green-skinned immortal humans. Genetic tinkering. People don't really ride horses as much as they ride gigantic lizards and ox-dogs.
Oh, and the city of Atlantis thrown in there just for good measure.
In other words, this book is chock full of stuff. Probably too much stuff. The Christian stuff appearing in a fantasy book is strange. A giant dragon casually thumbing through Darwin's "The Origin of Species" is even weirder.
It's definitely much different than most fantasy books out there, mostly because most fantasy isn't quite this ambitious in regards to packing so much random craziness into one book. It wasn't BAD, per se, just a little scattered. And the fact that the titular dragon-slaying hero gets so little page time really makes him seem more like merely a backdrop or a frame as opposed to an actual character. Almost every other primary character sees more action and development than Bitterwood.
Not that the aforementioned over-ambition leaves a lot of room for ANY characters to really be developed, even at nearly 500 pages. Almost all characters seem to be essentially the same from beginning to end, with a few minor exceptions.
I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book, but might not take the time to recommend against it, either. It's just kind of "there." It's an atypical fantasy book that manages to be typical fantasy pulp.
August 5, 2009
From ISawLightningFall.com
New-weird writer China Mieville has gained fame not only for his surreal stories, but for calling the inimitable J.R.R. Tolkien "the wen on the arse of fantasy literature." Not exactly a charitable statement. But while most of Mieville's attacks could be attributed to differences in personal preference or philosophical conviction -- one could answer condemnations of John Ronald Reuel's "cod-Wagnerian pomposity, his boys-own-adventure glorying in war, his small-minded and reactionary love for hierarchical status-quos" at length -- this point hits home: Tolkien's tropes "have spread like viruses." Of course, this wouldn't be a problem if everyone who populated his works with elves and dwarves shared the Oxford linguist's world-building skills. But few do, and unfortunately they get lumped in with the scribblers, ignored simply for writing high fantasy. Take James Maxey's Bitterwood, for instance. I bet many think the novel treads well-worn ground simply because it features dragons and archers, wizards and axe-wielding warriors. But that would be a mistake, because Maxey is interested in upending all the stereotypes.
Mankind has been enslaved, but not by your garden variety tyrant. For as long as anyone can remember, humanity has been ruled by dragons, cruel and intelligent creatures that control the earth and skies. But in past decades, the hand of dragon king Albekizan has become particularly heavy upon the land, levying harsh taxes on wheat and wealth and human life itself. One night when Albekizan's two sons, Bodiel and Shandrazel, are hunting human slaves as part of their rite of succession, arrows flash from the darkness and Bodiel falls -- dead. All signs point to The Ghost Who Kills, The Death of All Dragons, the mythic Bitterwood. Albekizan burns with vengeance, but how can he kill a myth? A plan begins to emerge, one far more satisfying than the execution of a single individual. Albekizan won't bother hunting for one man. He's going to eradicate the whole human race.
One of the things Bitterwood does particularly well is weave a tangled skein of conflicting motivations among its ensemble of characters, looping them every which way before jerking them taut in explosively violent confrontations. Also, the plot twists genuinely satisfy, particularly if you happen to be a fan of John Christopher. That's not to say there aren't a few missteps. Several times exposition occurs through the introduction of minor, extremely short-lived characters, and a ranting, fanatical preacher who EXPOUNDETH UPON THE KING JAMES BIBLE IN ALL CAPS annoys. (Note to authors near and far: Please retire this hoary archetype with extreme prejudice.) Still, it's impressive that Maxey manages to wring an unexpected revelation even out of that character. Bitterwood's a consistently surprising and entertaining read.
New-weird writer China Mieville has gained fame not only for his surreal stories, but for calling the inimitable J.R.R. Tolkien "the wen on the arse of fantasy literature." Not exactly a charitable statement. But while most of Mieville's attacks could be attributed to differences in personal preference or philosophical conviction -- one could answer condemnations of John Ronald Reuel's "cod-Wagnerian pomposity, his boys-own-adventure glorying in war, his small-minded and reactionary love for hierarchical status-quos" at length -- this point hits home: Tolkien's tropes "have spread like viruses." Of course, this wouldn't be a problem if everyone who populated his works with elves and dwarves shared the Oxford linguist's world-building skills. But few do, and unfortunately they get lumped in with the scribblers, ignored simply for writing high fantasy. Take James Maxey's Bitterwood, for instance. I bet many think the novel treads well-worn ground simply because it features dragons and archers, wizards and axe-wielding warriors. But that would be a mistake, because Maxey is interested in upending all the stereotypes.
Mankind has been enslaved, but not by your garden variety tyrant. For as long as anyone can remember, humanity has been ruled by dragons, cruel and intelligent creatures that control the earth and skies. But in past decades, the hand of dragon king Albekizan has become particularly heavy upon the land, levying harsh taxes on wheat and wealth and human life itself. One night when Albekizan's two sons, Bodiel and Shandrazel, are hunting human slaves as part of their rite of succession, arrows flash from the darkness and Bodiel falls -- dead. All signs point to The Ghost Who Kills, The Death of All Dragons, the mythic Bitterwood. Albekizan burns with vengeance, but how can he kill a myth? A plan begins to emerge, one far more satisfying than the execution of a single individual. Albekizan won't bother hunting for one man. He's going to eradicate the whole human race.
One of the things Bitterwood does particularly well is weave a tangled skein of conflicting motivations among its ensemble of characters, looping them every which way before jerking them taut in explosively violent confrontations. Also, the plot twists genuinely satisfy, particularly if you happen to be a fan of John Christopher. That's not to say there aren't a few missteps. Several times exposition occurs through the introduction of minor, extremely short-lived characters, and a ranting, fanatical preacher who EXPOUNDETH UPON THE KING JAMES BIBLE IN ALL CAPS annoys. (Note to authors near and far: Please retire this hoary archetype with extreme prejudice.) Still, it's impressive that Maxey manages to wring an unexpected revelation even out of that character. Bitterwood's a consistently surprising and entertaining read.
July 3, 2011
What It’s About
In the distant future, a race of intelligent dragons dominates the Earth. They have subjugated humanity as slaves and pets, disdaining them as inferior beings. Bant Bitterwood is one of those subjugated humans, but when dragons kill his family and burn his hometown, he dedicates the rest of his life to killing as many dragons as he can. He kills so many that he becomes a folk hero to the humans and a terrifying legend among the dragons. When Bitterwood kills the dragon king’s favorite son, the king vows to kill every human alive in revenge.
Why I Like It
The thing I like most about Bitterwood is the constantly-shifting conflict. Maxey introduces a fairly large cast of characters with very different, but often overlapping, goals. Two characters that are working together at the beginning of a scene may find themselves in deadly opposition by the end after something unexpected happens. This multifaceted conflict really pays off in the climax of the book, which feels both totally crazy (in an “I can’t believe that just happened!” kind of way) and totally inevitable at the same time. The setup takes a while, but the headlong rush of the climax is definitely worth it.
Bitterwood is a good example of what I think of as a Science Fantasy. The story has a very fantasy-like feel to it, but underneath all the “magic” is a plausible science fiction explanation. The science fiction aspects are pretty light, more suggested than explicit, but it makes it feel more unique and less like “just another dragon story”. And let’s face it, if you’re writing a story about dragons at this point in the fantasy genre, you really need something different to make it stand out. Bitterwood does.
What I Don’t Like
At first I wasn’t all that interested in the dragon’s viewpoint chapters, since I was expecting the story to focus on the oppressed humans and their struggle for survival. But as the story went on its scope became larger than that, and I started getting more interested in the dragons’ viewpoints. I was also initially bothered by how human the dragons seem, but later in the story there are some hints about the dragons’ origins that explain why that might be.
The Bottom Line
Bitterwood is a great multi-layered adventure story. The characters are diverse and interesting, and their often-conflicting goals lead to a constantly changing conflict that is a lot of fun to watch unfold. The climax of this conflict is one of the best I’ve read, with the characters clashing in unexpected ways that somehow seem inevitable once they have happened.
In the distant future, a race of intelligent dragons dominates the Earth. They have subjugated humanity as slaves and pets, disdaining them as inferior beings. Bant Bitterwood is one of those subjugated humans, but when dragons kill his family and burn his hometown, he dedicates the rest of his life to killing as many dragons as he can. He kills so many that he becomes a folk hero to the humans and a terrifying legend among the dragons. When Bitterwood kills the dragon king’s favorite son, the king vows to kill every human alive in revenge.
Why I Like It
The thing I like most about Bitterwood is the constantly-shifting conflict. Maxey introduces a fairly large cast of characters with very different, but often overlapping, goals. Two characters that are working together at the beginning of a scene may find themselves in deadly opposition by the end after something unexpected happens. This multifaceted conflict really pays off in the climax of the book, which feels both totally crazy (in an “I can’t believe that just happened!” kind of way) and totally inevitable at the same time. The setup takes a while, but the headlong rush of the climax is definitely worth it.
Bitterwood is a good example of what I think of as a Science Fantasy. The story has a very fantasy-like feel to it, but underneath all the “magic” is a plausible science fiction explanation. The science fiction aspects are pretty light, more suggested than explicit, but it makes it feel more unique and less like “just another dragon story”. And let’s face it, if you’re writing a story about dragons at this point in the fantasy genre, you really need something different to make it stand out. Bitterwood does.
What I Don’t Like
At first I wasn’t all that interested in the dragon’s viewpoint chapters, since I was expecting the story to focus on the oppressed humans and their struggle for survival. But as the story went on its scope became larger than that, and I started getting more interested in the dragons’ viewpoints. I was also initially bothered by how human the dragons seem, but later in the story there are some hints about the dragons’ origins that explain why that might be.
The Bottom Line
Bitterwood is a great multi-layered adventure story. The characters are diverse and interesting, and their often-conflicting goals lead to a constantly changing conflict that is a lot of fun to watch unfold. The climax of this conflict is one of the best I’ve read, with the characters clashing in unexpected ways that somehow seem inevitable once they have happened.
January 19, 2010
Bitterwood was a fun surprise. In my endless quest to find more books to read at night (when my husband is at work), in my parked car (waiting for my oldest to get out of school) and of course the endless waiting in the accurately named waiting rooms; I sometimes take a leap of faith and try new stuff from lists. This book came from a list of authors who attended Orson Scott Card's Literary Boot Camp. http://www.hatrack.com/
I didn't realize that Bitterwood was about dragons until I went to order it from my library. I almost didn't get it on the pure principle that dragon books have been done and frankly if you read books about them you've crossed a line and lumped yourself with people who have conversations like this: "Well, that only applies if you have the staff of summoning and you're a 12th level wizard UNLESS you have the blue stone of ultimate blueness and the left shoe of divining.."
Yeah, not my bag.
So I picked it up anyway and started in. I'm glad I did. These dragons don't let you make wishes or become the best giant fire-breathing pet you've ever had. These guys have elegant high teas at which they eat baskets full of white kittens. They keep precise records on everything they own and that's pretty much everything. If your village doesn't pay it's taxes; well I would ditch the diet and really enjoy your last hours on Earth.
Normally I hate it when books have multiple POV characters, but James Maxey pulls it off. I cared about the cast and I want to read the next book to see how they survive.
I don't think I can give a better recommendation than that.
February 4, 2017
A great read where dragons rule the world in a reversal of fortune, seems humans had created them for fun, to hunt them down as prey, then they gave them intelligence so they would make the hunt more challenging but these took over and now humans were the slaves and remebered nothing of the time when they were in fact rulers and intelligent!! however some dragons had sympathy for some humans they formed bonds with, like jandra and pet. whilst bitterwood (bant) was an avowed dragonslayer and when they all meet one another tragedy strikes. the dragon kings favourite son is killed by bitterwood whose family has all been wiped out by the dragons but the king has another son, one who is not in favour of war and is an intellectual rather than a warrior and when the king dies he in turn becomes king and proposes a truce with human leaders and a new form of governance!! will this succeed when humans are still fighting one another on the bases of religious belief??? are humans as well developed as dragons in this aspect or will they still mire themselves in superstitious belief following one prophet after another?
March 15, 2013
This book sounded like it was going to be a Robin Hood style dragon-slayer story, and I thought "Oh, cool!" Unfortunately, it was just plain weird. While our main character, Bant Bitterwood, does indeed have a bow and arrows with which he slays dragons, any interest factor stops there. The rest is pointless. The dragons themselves seem more like dinosaurs, or just really large iguannas. There's this "prophet" (more to be said on that, but it would definitely be a spoiler) who spouts out scripture but refuses to help people if it doesn't co-incide with his mission. At first I wasn't really sure if he was meant to be a slur against Christianity or not, since it did destroy the faith of Bant Bitterwood himself. But near the end Bant has a scene where there's sort of a renewal of his faith, so I guess that wasn't the intention. Still, the book is blah. I couldn't wait for it to end.
Likely to read the rest of the series: absolutely not.
Likely to read the rest of the series: absolutely not.
December 29, 2015
Wow i just finished rereading this book and i have to say it is still one of my favorites. James Maxey did an amazing job creating characters and world building. Worth a read if you like fantasy and sci-fi.
September 2, 2022
This had such a strong start. For the first two thirds, I just knew I was going to give this a higher rating and go buy the sequels. I was having fun! Heartbreaking.
The premise goes like this: dragons have built a civilization on the ancient ruins of ours. Humans live under their rule as second class citizens. A man named Bant Bitterwood, a legend among humans and a ghost story among dragons, picks too lofty a target for his vengeance, sparking a chain of events that shakes the entire kingdom. I was sold on this because I was assured it was messy. Not a clean divide of good and evil, but a collection of characters with their own motives and morals. And that is the TOP thing the author delivered on. This was an ensemble cast, and everyone wanted something different; alliances changed with circumstances; and the larger society made everything far more complicated than just 'kill evil villain.'
(To be honest, even given the rating for this particular book, I may stick with James Maxey just for that. It's so hard to find a good messy ensemble plot anymore.)
Usually, when I pick up an indie book from a con, the problem is either lack of skill or misogyny. The only thing wrong with the writing in this case was that it really could have used some breathing room: for descriptions (I still couldn't say for sure whether the dragons' wings were their arms), for dramatic moments, for character depth. And there was misogyny, but not an unbearable amount, and the main heroine largely made up for it.
No, here the problem was that there was just too much going on by the end. I knew going in that it was post-apocalyptic. But for two thirds of the book, that didn't matter! Recognizable history only existed as myths and ruins. I was just vibing with a fun fantasy book that had occasional weird interludes. When the post-apocalyptic angle finally kicked in, it did so in full science fiction swing with jarringly modern references. We pulled out ALL the stops. And... I'm not saying every part of it was objectively wrong. But having nanobots that basically worked like magic made the wizard's shenanigans less interesting, not more. Adding in Puritan androids, immortality based on limitless, kind of senseless tech, someone saying "oh, we're still in Atlanta"--it just took me out of it. Right when we were getting to the good part, too. And WHAT was with the Christianity in this book?
I was so impressed with the fact this book didn't revolve entirely around an angsty vengeance hero guy, and just how quickly I got invested in the various characters. But by the end, it felt so jumbled up that all my reactions were basically "Oh......... okay"
The premise goes like this: dragons have built a civilization on the ancient ruins of ours. Humans live under their rule as second class citizens. A man named Bant Bitterwood, a legend among humans and a ghost story among dragons, picks too lofty a target for his vengeance, sparking a chain of events that shakes the entire kingdom. I was sold on this because I was assured it was messy. Not a clean divide of good and evil, but a collection of characters with their own motives and morals. And that is the TOP thing the author delivered on. This was an ensemble cast, and everyone wanted something different; alliances changed with circumstances; and the larger society made everything far more complicated than just 'kill evil villain.'
(To be honest, even given the rating for this particular book, I may stick with James Maxey just for that. It's so hard to find a good messy ensemble plot anymore.)
Usually, when I pick up an indie book from a con, the problem is either lack of skill or misogyny. The only thing wrong with the writing in this case was that it really could have used some breathing room: for descriptions (I still couldn't say for sure whether the dragons' wings were their arms), for dramatic moments, for character depth. And there was misogyny, but not an unbearable amount, and the main heroine largely made up for it.
No, here the problem was that there was just too much going on by the end. I knew going in that it was post-apocalyptic. But for two thirds of the book, that didn't matter! Recognizable history only existed as myths and ruins. I was just vibing with a fun fantasy book that had occasional weird interludes. When the post-apocalyptic angle finally kicked in, it did so in full science fiction swing with jarringly modern references. We pulled out ALL the stops. And... I'm not saying every part of it was objectively wrong. But having nanobots that basically worked like magic made the wizard's shenanigans less interesting, not more. Adding in Puritan androids, immortality based on limitless, kind of senseless tech, someone saying "oh, we're still in Atlanta"--it just took me out of it. Right when we were getting to the good part, too. And WHAT was with the Christianity in this book?
I was so impressed with the fact this book didn't revolve entirely around an angsty vengeance hero guy, and just how quickly I got invested in the various characters. But by the end, it felt so jumbled up that all my reactions were basically "Oh......... okay"
January 24, 2018
Hin und wieder verschmelzen Fantasy und Science Fiction, was die spannendsten Mischungen ergeben kann. Auch James Maxey hat sich daran versucht: »Bitterholz« ist der Auftakt der »Herrschaft der Drachen«-Reihe, die die Geschichte des Drachentöters Bitterholz erzählt.
Schon vor langer Zeit haben sich die Drachen als Herrscher über die Menschen aufgeschwungen und haben sie versklavt, um für ihre Tyrannen zu arbeiten. Doch nicht jeder hat den Kampf aufgegeben. Bitterholz ist ein legendärer Drachentöter, doch als er den Sohn des Königs tötet, schwört dieser bittere Rache. Sein Plan: Alle Menschen zu vernichten. Ein blutiges Massaker droht.
Zugegeben, es wirkt schon etwas befremdlich, wenn Drachen von Nanobots reden und in Darwins Evolutionslehren lesen, um das Geheimnis des Lebens zu entdecken. Aber irgendwie ist gerade das cool. Wie schon der Klappentext des Buches verrät, spielt der Roman in einer fernen Zukunft. Lange ist nicht genau klar, woran sich das festmachen lässt, doch gegen Ende, ohne zu spoilern, werden viele scheinbar magische Dinge auf technische Weise geklärt, so auch die Herkunft der Drachen selbst. Das war in der Tat einer der größten Reize des Buches.
Leider verblasst er beinahe gegenüber den Mängeln. Deren größer ist definitiv, dass der Leser es schwer hat, einen Draht zu den Charakteren aufzubauen. Bis zum Schluss waren Bitterholz‘ Motive nicht in allen Punkten klar. Was machte ihn zum Beispiel zu so einem erbitterten Drachentöter? Warum hat er mehr Hass auf sie als der Rest der Menschheit?
Auch die Dialoge wirkten häufig steif und gekünstelt und nicht immer wie wirkliche Gespräche. Mit der Dramatik hat es auch nicht immer ganz geklappt und sie wirkte häufig aufgesetzt und überspitzt. Da sieht der Drachenkönig seinen von Bitterholz erlegten Sohn und schreit voller Schmerz und Hass Bitterholz‘ Namen in den Nachthimmel, um danach bittere Rache zu schwören. Das hat eher was von einem schlechten Film, als wirklicher Dramatik.
Ob das Buch eine Empfehlung ist? Schwer zu sagen. Mir gefiel vor allem gegen Ende der Science Fiction Teil, aber davor hat mich das Buch streckenweise sehr gelangweilt und es fehlte nicht viel und ich hätte es abgebrochen. Ich konnte einfach keinen Draht zu den Figuren finden und die Handlung plätscherte einfach so an mir vorbei.
Ich danke dem Verlag und Bloggerportal für die Bereitstellung des Rezensionsexemplares.
Schon vor langer Zeit haben sich die Drachen als Herrscher über die Menschen aufgeschwungen und haben sie versklavt, um für ihre Tyrannen zu arbeiten. Doch nicht jeder hat den Kampf aufgegeben. Bitterholz ist ein legendärer Drachentöter, doch als er den Sohn des Königs tötet, schwört dieser bittere Rache. Sein Plan: Alle Menschen zu vernichten. Ein blutiges Massaker droht.
Zugegeben, es wirkt schon etwas befremdlich, wenn Drachen von Nanobots reden und in Darwins Evolutionslehren lesen, um das Geheimnis des Lebens zu entdecken. Aber irgendwie ist gerade das cool. Wie schon der Klappentext des Buches verrät, spielt der Roman in einer fernen Zukunft. Lange ist nicht genau klar, woran sich das festmachen lässt, doch gegen Ende, ohne zu spoilern, werden viele scheinbar magische Dinge auf technische Weise geklärt, so auch die Herkunft der Drachen selbst. Das war in der Tat einer der größten Reize des Buches.
Leider verblasst er beinahe gegenüber den Mängeln. Deren größer ist definitiv, dass der Leser es schwer hat, einen Draht zu den Charakteren aufzubauen. Bis zum Schluss waren Bitterholz‘ Motive nicht in allen Punkten klar. Was machte ihn zum Beispiel zu so einem erbitterten Drachentöter? Warum hat er mehr Hass auf sie als der Rest der Menschheit?
Auch die Dialoge wirkten häufig steif und gekünstelt und nicht immer wie wirkliche Gespräche. Mit der Dramatik hat es auch nicht immer ganz geklappt und sie wirkte häufig aufgesetzt und überspitzt. Da sieht der Drachenkönig seinen von Bitterholz erlegten Sohn und schreit voller Schmerz und Hass Bitterholz‘ Namen in den Nachthimmel, um danach bittere Rache zu schwören. Das hat eher was von einem schlechten Film, als wirklicher Dramatik.
Ob das Buch eine Empfehlung ist? Schwer zu sagen. Mir gefiel vor allem gegen Ende der Science Fiction Teil, aber davor hat mich das Buch streckenweise sehr gelangweilt und es fehlte nicht viel und ich hätte es abgebrochen. Ich konnte einfach keinen Draht zu den Figuren finden und die Handlung plätscherte einfach so an mir vorbei.
Ich danke dem Verlag und Bloggerportal für die Bereitstellung des Rezensionsexemplares.
August 6, 2024
A well paced, fun fantasy novel. Definitely worth reading.
May 17, 2012
As is the case with most things in life, it’s the oddball that captures our attention. Whether it is the sheep in a pack of wolves or the cactus amidst tulips, our attention will be aimed towards that what doesn’t seem to belong. When it comes to books, it’s not that different. Not me for, at least. When I come across a book with quite a different premise in comparison to what I’m used to, I’m tempted to give it a try. A good example of this is James Maxey’s Bitterwood, cause its premise is quite peculiar when you put it next to your average Fantasy novel.
Take everything that you know about man and dragon, and put it on its head, that’s Bitterwood for you. Man is enslaved and dragons reign in beautiful palaces. Cunning, intelligent and talkative, the dragons have everything going for them, if it wasn’t for Bitterwood. Bitterwood is a dragon hunter, and when he kills the prince of dragons, the king decides that only Bitterwood’s death can redeem his crime. But the hunter is not the only human who is destined to die…
The whole aspects of dragons ruling over man got me intrigued, for it is quite a different approach to the relationship between man and winged beast. In fact, the dragons that populate these pages aren’t much beast anymore, for they are very much human in character. If it weren’t for the odd reference to their talons, wings and scales, I would have forgotten that almost every single character here is a dragon. This is, of course, a very interesting starting point for a novel and the way it all unravels is pretty mesmerising as well.
The books starts with a bang, that much is sure, only to drop the pace in the first few chapters and gradually build up to the big finale. One of the things that lead up to that, is the revealing of the world. Whereas other novels give you a good idea of the world from the very start, this one keeps is a secret until you’re about ¾ in it. When the world is completely revealed, it is quite a shock when you finally grasp how this has all come to be. Throughout the books, certain hints are given to the reader, so you can figure it out on your own. I had my suspicions, but I would have never thought that instead of a . This only made it more interesting and made me really excited for the next two books in the trilogy.
Another storyline that slowly builds, is Bitterwood’s tale. Next to the regular chapters, there are some sort of prologues of interludes which take the reader back to Bitterwood’s past and how he came to be the person he is today. The attentive reader will not have all that much trouble piecing this together, though.
When it comes to the characters, I have to say that Maxey did a pretty good job in giving the dragons their own, unique personalities. Still, I found them very hard to like – not helped by the fact that most of them are douchebags – and I only liked Vendevorex. His personality is just so nice and he’s a genuinely sweet dragon with humour, that you can’t not like him, I think. The few humans that populate the story are less ‘evil’ than the dragons, but it’s still hard to like them. Especially Bitterwood, the main character here, was very much closed off and didn’t come across as nice at all. It’s the little girl Zeeky that I took an immediate liking to. Because of that, I had trouble really caring for the human characters and I couldn’t be bothered by them dying or not.
At almost 500 pages, this is quite a big book, but it’s a very fast read. Much is due to Maxey’s writing, which is very fluent and well paced. He did a really good job at describing things without dumping too much info or description on the reader and maintaining a good balance between description and action. One aspect of the book that kept me reading, was the fact that the characters know more than the reader does. They talk about things you don’t know jack of, and because they act all mysterious about it, I just kept reading to find out what they were talking about.
In the end, I quite liked this book. It was different and very enjoyable. Still, I was left behind with the feeling that there was something missing, but I can’t really pinpoint what. I felt like it could have been a very good to great book, but know I’m stuck at good and very enjoyable. That’s not a bad thing, though, and I’m very much looking forward to reading the sequels.
Take everything that you know about man and dragon, and put it on its head, that’s Bitterwood for you. Man is enslaved and dragons reign in beautiful palaces. Cunning, intelligent and talkative, the dragons have everything going for them, if it wasn’t for Bitterwood. Bitterwood is a dragon hunter, and when he kills the prince of dragons, the king decides that only Bitterwood’s death can redeem his crime. But the hunter is not the only human who is destined to die…
The whole aspects of dragons ruling over man got me intrigued, for it is quite a different approach to the relationship between man and winged beast. In fact, the dragons that populate these pages aren’t much beast anymore, for they are very much human in character. If it weren’t for the odd reference to their talons, wings and scales, I would have forgotten that almost every single character here is a dragon. This is, of course, a very interesting starting point for a novel and the way it all unravels is pretty mesmerising as well.
The books starts with a bang, that much is sure, only to drop the pace in the first few chapters and gradually build up to the big finale. One of the things that lead up to that, is the revealing of the world. Whereas other novels give you a good idea of the world from the very start, this one keeps is a secret until you’re about ¾ in it. When the world is completely revealed, it is quite a shock when you finally grasp how this has all come to be. Throughout the books, certain hints are given to the reader, so you can figure it out on your own. I had my suspicions, but I would have never thought that instead of a . This only made it more interesting and made me really excited for the next two books in the trilogy.
Another storyline that slowly builds, is Bitterwood’s tale. Next to the regular chapters, there are some sort of prologues of interludes which take the reader back to Bitterwood’s past and how he came to be the person he is today. The attentive reader will not have all that much trouble piecing this together, though.
When it comes to the characters, I have to say that Maxey did a pretty good job in giving the dragons their own, unique personalities. Still, I found them very hard to like – not helped by the fact that most of them are douchebags – and I only liked Vendevorex. His personality is just so nice and he’s a genuinely sweet dragon with humour, that you can’t not like him, I think. The few humans that populate the story are less ‘evil’ than the dragons, but it’s still hard to like them. Especially Bitterwood, the main character here, was very much closed off and didn’t come across as nice at all. It’s the little girl Zeeky that I took an immediate liking to. Because of that, I had trouble really caring for the human characters and I couldn’t be bothered by them dying or not.
At almost 500 pages, this is quite a big book, but it’s a very fast read. Much is due to Maxey’s writing, which is very fluent and well paced. He did a really good job at describing things without dumping too much info or description on the reader and maintaining a good balance between description and action. One aspect of the book that kept me reading, was the fact that the characters know more than the reader does. They talk about things you don’t know jack of, and because they act all mysterious about it, I just kept reading to find out what they were talking about.
In the end, I quite liked this book. It was different and very enjoyable. Still, I was left behind with the feeling that there was something missing, but I can’t really pinpoint what. I felt like it could have been a very good to great book, but know I’m stuck at good and very enjoyable. That’s not a bad thing, though, and I’m very much looking forward to reading the sequels.
May 18, 2009
This book was my first foray into the world of pure fantasy since Lord of the Rings. So I have no idea how well this guy did sticking to or breaking from conventions within the genre. All I know is that it was a mesmerizing story. Taking place on Earth in the far future, dragons have become the dominant lifeform on the planet and have all but enslaved the human race. One man, Bant Bitterwood has made it his life's mission to kill as many dragons as possible. But after he kills the king's son, an order is put out to exterminate all humans on earth.
This high concept set up is the backdrop for some really fascinating characters, mostly dragons, each of whom has their own mission, their own goals, their own arcs. Sides are chosen, battles are fought, and the theme of religion and man's attitude toward it are explored in a truly unique way. One of the most poignant scenes comes during a horrific battle where the dragons have been set loose on the humans in one city. Rather than joining forces against the common enemy, the two rival sects go after EACH OTHER for not following the "one true way."
Only two disappointments for me in this book, one major, one minor. The major one is that the character of Bitterwood, for whom the story is named, is really kind of a blah hero. I had heard that this book was a Robin Hood allegory. But in Robin Hood, the title character is the one who leads the people against their oppressor. In Bitterwood, the title character is almost tangential to the story. But perhaps that was the author's point all the way. My minor gripe is that one of the dragons, Gadreel, is established early in the story as having a mission to prove that he's better than the slave he's been made to be. But then they never come back to him. Perhaps he's in the sequel.
Still, as far as high fantasy goes, this one was quite good. It's got good action, great characters, points to ponder and, I thought, a unique take on traditional "magic." I'd recommend it even if fantasy isn't necessarily your thing.
This high concept set up is the backdrop for some really fascinating characters, mostly dragons, each of whom has their own mission, their own goals, their own arcs. Sides are chosen, battles are fought, and the theme of religion and man's attitude toward it are explored in a truly unique way. One of the most poignant scenes comes during a horrific battle where the dragons have been set loose on the humans in one city. Rather than joining forces against the common enemy, the two rival sects go after EACH OTHER for not following the "one true way."
Only two disappointments for me in this book, one major, one minor. The major one is that the character of Bitterwood, for whom the story is named, is really kind of a blah hero. I had heard that this book was a Robin Hood allegory. But in Robin Hood, the title character is the one who leads the people against their oppressor. In Bitterwood, the title character is almost tangential to the story. But perhaps that was the author's point all the way. My minor gripe is that one of the dragons, Gadreel, is established early in the story as having a mission to prove that he's better than the slave he's been made to be. But then they never come back to him. Perhaps he's in the sequel.
Still, as far as high fantasy goes, this one was quite good. It's got good action, great characters, points to ponder and, I thought, a unique take on traditional "magic." I'd recommend it even if fantasy isn't necessarily your thing.
April 7, 2018
Would you consider the audio edition of Bitterwood to be better than the print version?
I have enjoyed both the print and audio versions of Bitterwood. I would gladly experience either, but audio books are so convenient and bring the action to life.
What other book might you compare Bitterwood to and why?
I got back into epic fantasy with James Maxey's Bitterwood, Storm Front by Jim Butcher and Elantris by Brandon Sanderson. I enjoyed each of them, but just comparing each volume on it's own bitterwood was my favorite.
What does Dave Thompson bring to the story that you wouldn't experience if you just read the book?
Dave Thompson did a wonderful job of bringing to life a variety of characters and making each sound unique. He did a wonderful job as an aged dragon scientist and as a scared 9 year old girl. He kept each voice unique and filled each line with the appropriate pathos and emotion. He even did a few animal sounds, singing and sound effects. I hope he does the rest of the trilogy.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
This book is epic. It has elements from fantasy and science fiction. It is in different turns humorous, action packed, dramatic and the surprises keep on coming. It keeps you guessing right to the end.
Any additional comments?
I received this audio book as a free review copy, but I had read and loved the book beforehand. I asked for the review copy so that I could express how much I enjoy this book and author and encourage others to give it a try.
I have enjoyed both the print and audio versions of Bitterwood. I would gladly experience either, but audio books are so convenient and bring the action to life.
What other book might you compare Bitterwood to and why?
I got back into epic fantasy with James Maxey's Bitterwood, Storm Front by Jim Butcher and Elantris by Brandon Sanderson. I enjoyed each of them, but just comparing each volume on it's own bitterwood was my favorite.
What does Dave Thompson bring to the story that you wouldn't experience if you just read the book?
Dave Thompson did a wonderful job of bringing to life a variety of characters and making each sound unique. He did a wonderful job as an aged dragon scientist and as a scared 9 year old girl. He kept each voice unique and filled each line with the appropriate pathos and emotion. He even did a few animal sounds, singing and sound effects. I hope he does the rest of the trilogy.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
This book is epic. It has elements from fantasy and science fiction. It is in different turns humorous, action packed, dramatic and the surprises keep on coming. It keeps you guessing right to the end.
Any additional comments?
I received this audio book as a free review copy, but I had read and loved the book beforehand. I asked for the review copy so that I could express how much I enjoy this book and author and encourage others to give it a try.
July 1, 2009
James Maxey spins a wonderful tale. This second of the Bitterwood trilogy picks up where the first left off, and takes on a non-stop ride. The main characters from Bitterwood continue their stories, well, some of them, and we are introduced to new and compelling characters. Some of them could go on to spin off their own trilogies - how about it James?
The blending of dragons as equals (or are they superior to humans, hmmm?), and earth as an alien world, and technology is reminiscent of Anne McCaffrey's novels of Pern though James Maxey's are more grown up, and there is not always a purely happy, nice, neat ending. I like that messy ending thing - it's closer to real life.
I also was left wondering about James' true feelings on life, the universe, religion and everything. No, the answer is not 42. However, my suppositions about Maxey's answer to this question have ranged from he's devout to the biggest cynic of anyone I've met (except my own child), and back to somewhere in between. Who knows. I do know one thing though, I guess Mars Hill College gets some credit for his intimate knowledge of scripture, and I think I see some of the discussions with Dr. Jinx and Lieneger (I never could spell his name) woven into the fabric of the tales.
Exceedeingly enjoyable summer reading. Hillary (Class of '86)
The blending of dragons as equals (or are they superior to humans, hmmm?), and earth as an alien world, and technology is reminiscent of Anne McCaffrey's novels of Pern though James Maxey's are more grown up, and there is not always a purely happy, nice, neat ending. I like that messy ending thing - it's closer to real life.
I also was left wondering about James' true feelings on life, the universe, religion and everything. No, the answer is not 42. However, my suppositions about Maxey's answer to this question have ranged from he's devout to the biggest cynic of anyone I've met (except my own child), and back to somewhere in between. Who knows. I do know one thing though, I guess Mars Hill College gets some credit for his intimate knowledge of scripture, and I think I see some of the discussions with Dr. Jinx and Lieneger (I never could spell his name) woven into the fabric of the tales.
Exceedeingly enjoyable summer reading. Hillary (Class of '86)
January 28, 2015
Delightfully odd! I appreciated the scientific backdrop because I'm a huge nerd. The heroine annoyed the crap out of me as did her pretty boy sidekick, but I enjoyed Bant Bitterwood who incidentally experienced the most development. The action was fairly well written, who doesn't love dragons?! There was only the occasional line that made me cringe. For the cost of free, this book was great. Just picked up the next book because I want to to find out what happens next (which is a rarity).
September 27, 2024
Though I’m not a dragon fan, I enjoyed this
Dragons have been done before. I don’t generally go looking for books about them, or the other well-established fantasy creatures. But I figured this author would tell a good story, and I was not disappointed. Despite what some say, I didn’t find purple prose or terrible writing here. In fact, I was impressed with the clarity of prose and immersive details. The characters are well-developed and the world building was rich without being overwhelming.
As for the religious content, I don’t think the author meant to make Christianity look bad as much as show what some fanatics do in its name. I could totally be mistaken, but that’s how I chose to perceive it.
And as for how badly some of the characters behave, well, that just feels realistic. Not all characters need to be likable, and I feel this book leans toward the gritty side of realism. If you’re okay with those kinds of stories, then you’ll probably love this book. If not, this might not be for you. I just go into stories hoping to be immersed and surprised. This book did both, and I plan to read more of the series.
I really liked the dragon named Vendevorex and how he stood up for the humans. He was easy to root for from start to finish. I especially enjoyed scenes where he was featured. I would say “where he was the point of view”, but this book felt like more of a 3rd person omniscient, which wasn’t as weird as I thought it would be.
If you like fantasy and want something a bit different, give this a try.
Dragons have been done before. I don’t generally go looking for books about them, or the other well-established fantasy creatures. But I figured this author would tell a good story, and I was not disappointed. Despite what some say, I didn’t find purple prose or terrible writing here. In fact, I was impressed with the clarity of prose and immersive details. The characters are well-developed and the world building was rich without being overwhelming.
As for the religious content, I don’t think the author meant to make Christianity look bad as much as show what some fanatics do in its name. I could totally be mistaken, but that’s how I chose to perceive it.
And as for how badly some of the characters behave, well, that just feels realistic. Not all characters need to be likable, and I feel this book leans toward the gritty side of realism. If you’re okay with those kinds of stories, then you’ll probably love this book. If not, this might not be for you. I just go into stories hoping to be immersed and surprised. This book did both, and I plan to read more of the series.
I really liked the dragon named Vendevorex and how he stood up for the humans. He was easy to root for from start to finish. I especially enjoyed scenes where he was featured. I would say “where he was the point of view”, but this book felt like more of a 3rd person omniscient, which wasn’t as weird as I thought it would be.
If you like fantasy and want something a bit different, give this a try.
January 28, 2019
A slow start to this story, but once it got going, it was an entertaining read.
An interesting premise - a world where intelligent dragons rule over humans, who are little more than slaves or serfs. One man fights back, a man who has so much legend and rumour surrounding him that no-one actually knows who is. When he kills the King's favourite son and heir apparent, he unwittingly leashes a sequence of events that could lead to the ultimate destruction of the human race.
I have to admit that I didn't totally empathise with either side in this war - most of the character's actions seemed somewhat dubious at best. Apart from Zeeky - whose love for her pet pig and ability to communicate with most animals, made her my favourite character!
There are a lot of 'lessons' to be learnt in this book and the author isn't all that subtle about smacking the reader over the head with them. Unfortunately, they're not exactly new ideas (ie the difference between vengeance and justice is very old hat!), so you're not exactly blown away. Neither was there much surprise as to the secret origins of the Dragons, although I did like how that was dealt with.
However, despite those petty grumbles, I did enjoy reading this. I largely liked the story and that the 'bad guys' got their comeuppance in the end. Will definitely track down the rest of the series to see where it goes from here.
An interesting premise - a world where intelligent dragons rule over humans, who are little more than slaves or serfs. One man fights back, a man who has so much legend and rumour surrounding him that no-one actually knows who is. When he kills the King's favourite son and heir apparent, he unwittingly leashes a sequence of events that could lead to the ultimate destruction of the human race.
I have to admit that I didn't totally empathise with either side in this war - most of the character's actions seemed somewhat dubious at best. Apart from Zeeky - whose love for her pet pig and ability to communicate with most animals, made her my favourite character!
There are a lot of 'lessons' to be learnt in this book and the author isn't all that subtle about smacking the reader over the head with them. Unfortunately, they're not exactly new ideas (ie the difference between vengeance and justice is very old hat!), so you're not exactly blown away. Neither was there much surprise as to the secret origins of the Dragons, although I did like how that was dealt with.
However, despite those petty grumbles, I did enjoy reading this. I largely liked the story and that the 'bad guys' got their comeuppance in the end. Will definitely track down the rest of the series to see where it goes from here.
May 18, 2025
At first I was really thrown by the random Christianity bits this book had? Like, this is a fantasy book where dragons are the ruling race. Humans are all either servants, pets, or peasants. I was expecting a made-up fantasy pantheon like every other fantasy book. But then towards the end it all started to make sense. It wasn't a fantasy setting, not all the way, but a mix of sci-fi and fantasy. The time period isn't in the past but far, far into the future, past the year 2077. Dragons taking over the top spot in the food chain regressed the planet back to medieval times, but some modern elements still remained, like Christianity....taught by an android...which I didn't see coming. Normally I hate a far in the future-set book, especially when they show that it's the distant future time period through modern present day callbacks, but this book wasn't that bad at it though. Hopefully one of the other books in the series takes place when the dragons were genetically made, grew too much sentience, and overthrew the humans that created them. I think that'd be really interesting to read about. Jurassic Park but with intelligent dragons instead.
June 10, 2018
Bitterwood was a familiar tale, with dragons. It wasn't badly written but it did have one major flaw that will keep me from reading any further with this series. I don't know any of the characters. I don't care about any of them, either. Halfway through the book a pretty woman with dark hair, a tiara, and a sophisticated air walks up and saves Zeeky. Imagine my surprise when this woman is Jandra. I had no idea. I honestly thought Jandra was blonde and kind of farm-girly. And Jandra is a main character! That's how little character development we get. And forget about the dragons. There's no way I could tell any of them apart. I'm also super confused about their size. Sometimes they're just a little bigger than humans and sometimes they use buckets as drinking glasses? This book expects me to fill in too many holes.
April 20, 2023
Bitterwood explores the gray area between heroism and terrorism. The character Bitterwood wrestles with his violent pass and his zealous faith. Multiple character perspectives allow readers to see the repercussions of the violence. Bitterwood is contrasted by a girl raised by dragons and serial killer dragon who loves death for his own twisted reasons.
At times, the violence of the book feels like adolescent thought experiments and can be off-putting or distracting.
The magic system, explored in greater detail in other volumes is interesting, rooted more in science fiction than fantasy.
This is the best book in the Bitterwood series and stands-alone--worth reading on its own with no obligation to read the rest of the series.
At times, the violence of the book feels like adolescent thought experiments and can be off-putting or distracting.
The magic system, explored in greater detail in other volumes is interesting, rooted more in science fiction than fantasy.
This is the best book in the Bitterwood series and stands-alone--worth reading on its own with no obligation to read the rest of the series.
April 28, 2018
These are not the dragons you are looking for...
Blame Tolkien for it, but I thought dragons differently. Some blabbering reminded me of Smaug, but only that. The rest, the rest is wonderful. The idea of the book and the spicy suspense here and there made me rate it three stars. And this book came after the Brandon Sanderson’s Oathbringer, which I devoured with dragon ferocity. The two missing stars are from the parts where I feared I stumbled on some fairy tale plot with gore and sharp teeth. It sometimes felt like a child and a grownup were taking turns in writing the chapters.
Blame Tolkien for it, but I thought dragons differently. Some blabbering reminded me of Smaug, but only that. The rest, the rest is wonderful. The idea of the book and the spicy suspense here and there made me rate it three stars. And this book came after the Brandon Sanderson’s Oathbringer, which I devoured with dragon ferocity. The two missing stars are from the parts where I feared I stumbled on some fairy tale plot with gore and sharp teeth. It sometimes felt like a child and a grownup were taking turns in writing the chapters.
June 16, 2018
An interesting mix of science and fantasy that intrigued me enough to take a break from my favourite genre of LitRPG. The main theme is fantasy but the science is slowly introduced until you recognise the setting as not so fantastic after all - just like the ending of “Planet of the Apes”.
I read the updated version (part of the Bitterwood anthology, published as a single book) so I don’t know quite how it differs from the originally published version but this version flows seamlessly into the next book.
I read the updated version (part of the Bitterwood anthology, published as a single book) so I don’t know quite how it differs from the originally published version but this version flows seamlessly into the next book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2021
This book reminded me of Planet of the Apes except with dragons instead of apes being the dominant creatures. There was some interesting world building.
I wasn't quite certain why certain elements were included, but, hopefully, that will become clear in the next book.
I would have felt more comfortable if Jandra's age wasn't so young (15). That was uncomfortable with Pet who was ten years older hitting on her!
I wasn't quite certain why certain elements were included, but, hopefully, that will become clear in the next book.
I would have felt more comfortable if Jandra's age wasn't so young (15). That was uncomfortable with Pet who was ten years older hitting on her!
November 26, 2023
Honestly I really enjoyed it. A lot of foreshadowing. Some parts were a little too cliche though. The only thing that dropped this down from a 5 was how the 2 human female leads were basically SAed and it was made to be a non problem, even used to justify feelings for the assulter. It is a really good high fantasy novel with a touch of sci-fi. It's surprising it was never picked up for a movie or TV series. It would of been better than game of thrones imo.
August 31, 2025
It's been quite a while since I read fantasy books, particularly those containing dragons, as so many had been written which were so similar.
However, finding this in my collection of never-actually-read, I gave it a try. And I was glad I did!
I liked that there was a new and unusual way in which this world had formed, and I liked that it was set in the future, and why. There were some interesting ideas, and I found it an interesting read.
There are a lot of books in the series, though!
However, finding this in my collection of never-actually-read, I gave it a try. And I was glad I did!
I liked that there was a new and unusual way in which this world had formed, and I liked that it was set in the future, and why. There were some interesting ideas, and I found it an interesting read.
There are a lot of books in the series, though!
September 8, 2017
I was so glad that some chapters gave us an insight into Bitterwood's life they gave us vital information and developed his character well. Enjoyed the tale of the dragons and how they came to be ,as there was no time references began to suspect early on there was more to the plot. Will definitely read more in the series.
January 1, 2019
A fantasy story with a twist
This is a great read with plenty of interesting characters keeping the story moving quickly with enough twists & turns that you can't guess them all.
You may think this us a traditional fantasy story with dragons & armies using swords & spears but as the book progresses you get hints of a sci-fi theme as well. Excellently blended
This is a great read with plenty of interesting characters keeping the story moving quickly with enough twists & turns that you can't guess them all.
You may think this us a traditional fantasy story with dragons & armies using swords & spears but as the book progresses you get hints of a sci-fi theme as well. Excellently blended
December 11, 2019
Add this to the "books that took way longer to read than what they deserved."
There is definitely a potential story here, but the execution is quite lacking. It's sad when I would have to do a mental inventory at the start of every section to try to remember who each character is. Human? Dragon? Which one? Very unmemorable characters due to lack of/inconsistent development.
There is definitely a potential story here, but the execution is quite lacking. It's sad when I would have to do a mental inventory at the start of every section to try to remember who each character is. Human? Dragon? Which one? Very unmemorable characters due to lack of/inconsistent development.
March 23, 2021
A pretty good story and while there is a lot going on as we do get a lot of lore dumps about the world. But still a nice set up and I do like the twist as it is kind of creative and does help it stand out among other dark fantasy settings. Also I do love that it does not portray either side as good as it does reveal both main factions humans and dragons both have evil elements.
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