The 19 Dragons

by S.M. Reine

Dead gods. War. And the end of the world.
There are nineteen provinces in the Land held aloft by nineteen pillars. Above the earth there is sky, and nobody knows what goes below except the Nineteen Dragons.

That is all you need to know, but that is not all there is to be known.

The Device has been stolen and the godlike Dragons have been rendered mortal. Someone is murdering them one by one, and each death brings the world closer to its end. Unless the the Device is somehow restored to its deceased owner, the Dragons are doomed to destruction--and the human world will go with them.

PLEASE There are blank pages and unusual formatting as a method of storytelling. This is intentional.

Genres: Steampunk, Fantasy, Dragons, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Ebooks

110 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 6, 2011

About the author

Hi everyone! My name is Sara, and I write urban fantasy and paranormal novels as SM Reine. I collect swords, cat hair, and typewriters (which I do use for writing!). It's a good day when those three things have nothing to do with each other.

If you would like to know the instant my next book is available, you should enlist in my Army of Evil! We have a wicked cool secret handshake, but you'll have to sign up to learn it. ;) Check it out -- http://smarturl.it/armyofevil

Reviews

[A Book Vacation · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reine has created a wonderful Steampunk novella that will keep readers glued to the pages throughout the suspense and mystery. Although somewhat confusing in the beginning, as Reine jumps directly into the story, the important characters and relationships within the novel are quickly identified as the Device is stolen and the Dragons must race against time to find the person behind the theft. If they should fail, they will all die, taking the human world with them. This was an intriguing concept and I really enjoyed watching the novella unfold. Reine has created wonderful characters, in the form of Dragons, perfectly matching their dispositions with their human form...

To read my full review (7/8):

http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...

[Sparrowapril · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even they author couldn't keep straight what was going on with her 19 dragons in this steampunk novella. This was basically a cast of characters who ran briefly across a chapter, there's not much in the way of story here. There's a McGuffin. Don't expect to learn why things are happening they just are. I hope I got this book for free.

[Carl · Rating 3 out of 5]

S.M. Reine's “The 19 Dragons” is (I am told) a steampunk fantasy with an unusual and very creative plot. Here, the Dragons are the gods of this world - they are the pillars of the world and actually hold up the very land and seas by their existence, and they are being killed. “The 19 Dragons” is an unusual and highly creative novella, and I confess to struggling with a 3 or a 4. Regardless, for its artistic merit, I do recommend reading the book.

Reine leads us immediately into the story; the important characters and relationships within the novel are quickly identified as the Device, mounted on a cane, is stolen from the first Dragon. The thief is not caught; the “device” is lost, and consequently, the First Dragon dies. Without the device, all the other dragons become mortal. Now the Dragons must race against time to find the thief and restore the stolen device. If they should fail, the Dragons will all die, taking the human world with them.

Each chapter is about a different character - a different Dragon. Chapter 1 focuses on the First Dragon from whom the device was stolen; Chapter 2 is about the Second Dragon and so on. Each Dragon and each chapter builds on the previous and adds to the understanding of this strange, but unique world. There are constant odd twists and turns in the plot which keeps one guessing and intrigued and engaged in the story. Reine's “The 19 Dragons” is paced perfectly. It gets more tense and puzzling as you read. The ending is interesting and satisfying and fits perfectly with the rest of the story. The reader is told in advance that there are blank pages on purpose – and this clever use of blank pages becomes a part of the plot near the end of the novel -- so keep clicking those pages!

[Opal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a strangely compelling story with its unusual formatting and odd cast of characters. There isn’t any one protagonist that truly seems to have stuck out until the end when Number Two saves the day along with her cousin dragon Number Five who is also Number 19. Yes, that point is rather confusing.

Yet somehow it all works in favor of the novella. There are odd twists and turns at every corner of this story. It keeps the pace up and kept me engaged. There were dirigibles or air balloons and air gun ships. There were other automaton that weren’t well-described and I felt like they could have been to give the story more of a Steampunk flavor.

Otherwise I was very pleased with the way the story went. It flowed around the 19 dragons and their colorful tales. Each of them were unique and flavorful with their own unique characteristics. I don’t consider that an easy task when you consider there were 19 of them. Some of them passed more quickly then others. Some were given more attention then others. All were interesting in their own way.

I enjoyed the fantastical elements Reine included with her dragons. She kept them majestic and noble. Only deigning to don human vessels out of absolute necessity.

For such a short story I thought it was well done. The romance was more then a little rushed, but it was in keeping with the odd tenor of the whole tempo of the book. I have no real complaints about that.

All in all an enjoyable read.

[Nereid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now I have to point out having read the author's other books I found this style of writing to be very different. Not familiar with steampunk as it were, I really enjoyed this novella and how it was written. Dragons are a favourite of mine, this story was about 19 dragons whose lives were linked to 19 pillars that held up 19 provinces and they lived as mortals but could be reborn when they died. A device was stolen from the First Dragon, killing him which caused a domino effect rendering all the other dragons mortal. Someone was killing them off and destroying the world in the process. Pages filled with murder and mayhem over who was causing these deaths and the race to stop them, The second dragon must find the device before its too late and the dragons are no more but will she save the other dragons in time. A fantastical world of dragons, floating cities in the sky, aeroplanes and balloon flights yet it is a world of war and rebellion. There was not enough time to get to know the characters but it did not detract from the impact of the story. I must admit I did not pick the ending at all and was quite surprised when I found out how the newspaper man was involved yet it made perfect sense when explained to me. An endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth intertwining the lives of mortals and dragons alike weaving them together to form a tapestry offering the promise of hope for a better world.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 19 Dragons is a steampunk novella. It is about 19 dragons whose lives are linked to 19 pillars that hold up the 19 provinces of the land. I really enjoyed reading The 19 Dragons as it was very original and thoroughly entertaining.
There was a very unique prose to The 19 Dragon which I really enjoyed. The writing has a sort of poetic element to it that makes it a really different and enjoyable read. The writing style gave the whole story a feeling of reading an old fairy tale sort of story.
The story itself was very unique and I really liked it. The story was quite mysterious which kept me reading on as I just had to know more about the 19 dragons and what was happening to them, not to mention who was doing it.
I also loved that there was a twist in the story that I did not see coming. It was really awesome to see that as it’s not very often that books surprise me anymore.
Overall, I thought that The 19 Dragons was really enjoyable and extremely well-written. The 19 Dragons is awesome. It’s got enough steampunk elements for fans of steampunk but at the same time I think that it would be a good read for those who aren’t the biggest fans of steampunk. If it sounds like your kind of book definitely check it out because it is really good and you will not be disappointed in it!

[Romonina · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Thoughts

Some of you may have know that i tried getting into the SteamPunk Genre but never really found much interest in it. Well, this book makes me want to continue on reading into this genre.

I love the idea that the dragons are Gods. That these people once worshiped them, & through carnivals to celebrate the fact that these 19 dragons watched over them. It was very different. It was action packed & very fast passed. At some points in the book i was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened next.

I loved the fact that the Dragons decided to live amongst humans in a "human Vessel". Once they received there mortality they where either reborn into a new family or just continued living. They had families and friends who loved them dearly but did not know who they were in their "past life". I really enjoyed seeing who they turned out to be once they were human. They each had a meaning and a special trade that fit perfectly with their personalities.

SM Reine is an amazing story teller. She gets to the point & the action but gives you an amazing backdrop for each of her books. She made sure to give you the history behind each of the 19 dragons & how their mortal lives reflected on who they were as dragons long ago. These stories were always interesting & complemented the story perfectly.

Overall Amazing plot Amazing Characters.

5/5

[L. David Hesler · Rating 5 out of 5]

S.M. Reine's "The 19 Dragons" is something else.

And I don't mean, "Whoa, man, that story sure was somethin' else."

I mean, it truly is something different. The reader jumps into this novella expecting steampunk elements, which are certainly present. Yet, mingled into this story is a fantasy angle that will capture the imagination of anyone who loves the work of Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, or Alan Moore. The narrative is surprising, paced well and offers some truly intriguing images of a world so similar to our own, yet so very different.

One of the most interesting elements of "The 19 Dragons" is S.M. Reine's use of white space. The author provides a warning that these blank spaces are intentional. It's an experiment in using text and lack of text as a way to communicate visually that which is possibly too large for words. This playful tinkering with visual presentation leaves the reader feeling like something else has happened.

This novella is not simply read. It's experienced.

[Vera M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was considering giving this a higher rating since I think the author's writing is good and a decent peak at what the author is capable of. The content was interesting. It just jumps right into the story and then jumps around. Sometimes to the point of confusion and not knowing where in the timeline the particular section falls. It follows along with the 19 dragons and what they are, who they are and the mystery of who is killing dragons.

I feel if this were expanded into a series it would make a great series to be interesting in the world set up around these dragons. It would be interesting to read how the war here unfolds. As a Novella it just didn't quite do it and I'm not sure if I would pick up a series by this author, but I would probably check out full length books and see if it lives up to the potential shown in this Novella.

[Alexandra]

Free for Kindle

[Romy · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF - Couldn't get passed the first chapter. If this book didn't have an editor, it needed one to make the story worthy of the blurb. The characters introduced are not presented so that I care about them - no names or good descriptions are provided to get me invested. The writing is so stilted that it feels like I am reading a book written at a fourth grade level even though the cover suggests to me that it is aimed at an adult audience.

[CJ Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short Steampulp story (each of twenty chapters is a few pages long) that opens, step by step, the flower of the plot. It starts with an old man and a news paper vendor, and blooms into a war torn end of days. It's a story that suggests rereading in order to catch the little things you didn't realize were significant the first time.

[Erik Sapp · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was a lot of potential in this book. As I read, I was pretty sure I could see where the author was going. However, it never felt like it was getting there. I kept reading, hoping the story would pick up, but it never happened. I finally quit reading about half-way through out of boredom.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

ok

[NC · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was torn between 3 and 4 stars on this one. Probably should bump it up to 4 and I may yet do that.
This is such a great, simple story.

[Becci · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5. No real characters, no real story arc, and it's told in what I think is referred to as fourth person - a narrator talking directly to the reader about what's going on in the story.

[Devon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 19 Dragons was a short, surprising, but satisfying read. The story mixes steampunk science fiction with fantasy - blending the old and new ages of the world, where dragons walk in human form even as great mechanical constructions make war and destruction.

The story is told in third-person omniscient, the author taking the role of an all-seeing narrator. I actually really enjoyed the style, and felt it a compelling way to tell the story, to follow the characters through the narrative. The point of view and voice were sometimes inconsistent, but for the most part, I enjoyed the way S. M. Reine chose to tell the story. Focusing each chapter, more or less, on one of the dragons was also a clever way to introduce the reader gradually to the characters and the world. (The experiment in spacing and line breaks, in the style of poetry, in places was also wonderfully evocative.)

Unfortunately, being such a short story, some of the characterization and world-building falls short. Many of the characters are not fleshed out as well as they might have been, but the author does give us interesting tidbits about her characters and world as she goes. I found it incredibly interesting (and immensely satisfying) that the majority of soldiers were women. It was a young man left crying in the village because his girlfriend had been killed in war, not the other way around; a girl takes up defending her family against the bombing of New Haven even against certain death. I would argue that the women in the story are actually the strongest characters - including the Second Dragon, the woman in the silver boots, entirely mechanical. (Her character concept, as well, was awesome; the mental image of the corset holding in her innards, the wig covering her glass-enclosed brain, is grotesque and intriguing.)

There is also a delicious sense of nihilism running through the story. The dragon who seeks to destroy all other dragons - and thus the world - bespeaks this intense and dark will for (self)destruction that can be seen mirrored in many of the other dragons. The cost of godhood becoming flesh, perhaps? I would have liked this theme fleshed out more, but, for the shortness of the story, and the way it wove in and out with the characters and world-building, it stands well enough.

The only real issue I have with the book is the ending. For me, it seemed too nice, too clean. I did, of course, want a hopeful ending, where something of the world still remained - some hope of rebirth. But the way it happened...it didn't do it for me. I can't exactly say why it felt too clean to me - I suppose I would have liked to see some evidence of the darkness they had defeated - the darkness and void still in the world - shadowing the "next generation" (as it were). As it stands, the ending was slightly disappointing after the great ride through the pages that came before.

All in all, The 19 Dragons was a great read, and I'm glad for the whim that caused me to pick it up.

[Samuel Vega · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a short read, but an interesting one. I'm not quite sure what exactly drew me to this book. I've never really read Steampunk (I believe I am going to change that, so please recommend your favorite Steampunk books :D), but Dragons are usually awesome so that might have been it.

Let me just start with this. I really love the whole idea of the 19 dragons and what they represent in the world. I don't really want to give away too much of the story in the review, but let me just say that the concept of this book is very strong and I enjoyed it very much. It was mysterious, clever, and particularly intriguing. So much so, that I read the whole thing in one sitting.

That being said, I did have some issues. The first being that the story changes POVs way too often and I think it weakens the story quite a bit. It seems odd to me that the author didn't choose to just write it solely from the POV of the second dragon, considering that she pops up everywhere. The shift from dragon to dragon is interesting, but I really feel like it doesn't do the story justice.

Another thing that kind of bugged me about the story was that it wasn't fleshed out enough. I understand that it was a novella and perhaps that's the whole problem. It should have been a full length novel, then perhaps the switching of POVs might have worked better. But as it was, it was too quick and meh. Meh might not be a good way to describe it, but I think you get the idea.

I obtained the book while it was free on Amazon, but I think even if I had purchased it, I would have been decently content with the purchase. It's not the greatest book in the world, but I think I'll keep an eye out for this author in the future.

Oh and I did quite enjoy the ending.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 19 Dragons is a short novel that tells a single story spread out over 19 different characters. The Device has been stolen and with it the immortality of the Dragons. The Second Dragon leads the chase to find out who is systematically trying to destroy each dragon, and bring their world to a crumbling end.

I can’t say I was overly fond of the way this story was told, but it does make it feel rather unique and it does pass very quickly because of it. It’s like there is a hidden narrator telling you all that is happening, but is never named, and they lend a sort of documentary style quirkiness to the tale. I did really love the idea of having Dragons be deities of sorts, and that each section pf land that floats in the unending void is connected to one of the Dragons. With each dragon that is slain a piece of the map drops from existence, and all the humans living on that land are wiped from existence. Each Dragon has it’s own personality, and it’s own way of adapting to the human world. Some have adapted better than others to say the least. However because of the quirky style of writing, I feel like a lot of the details are missed. We get the gist of their personalities, but some of their unique motivations are missing. And of course with very little world building it comes off as a quick fairy tale rather than a full story, which is fine…but slightly unsatisfying given the rather cool concept.

Overall I think this was a fun read for a rainy evening, but I would have loved to have more involved so that I could truly immerse myself in the steampunk like world that Reine created. Oddly enough I think I’ve had this ebook for so long that the author has pulled it from Amazon.

[Stacy Sabala · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book Review- 19 Dragons by S.M. Reine

A thief steals the device from the first dragon. Without the device, the first dragon falls as does a pillar holding up part of the world. Many people die as that land falls away from the world.
The dragons have always existed. However they had to appear human to survive. They live in their human forms and are reborn into new ones when the time comes.
However one of the dragons wants to destroy his cousins and the world in the process. Each dragon that dies without the device will not be reborn. With each dragon’s death, a pillar will fall and a part of the world falls away with it.
The second dragon is determined to save the remaining dragons and the world as war rages and the dragons are being stalked. Time is running out.
In this steam punk story the author presents a world where there is more than meets the eye. Each chapter introduces that number of dragon. The author goes into detail about what happens to each dragon, which really kept the story going.
It was a pretty short read, but at some parts I was confused. A war was going on but who was fighting who? The world that the dragons lived in as humans was extremely confusing for me to follow. I didn’t like that. Then the ending totally confused me. How was that possible? It was not a well-liked story for me. I felt like I was dropped in the middle of something and had no clue what was really going on. I’m glad it was short and I usually don’t say that. I gave this story a 2 out of 5.

[S. Policar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 19 Dragons is my first delve into the Steampunk genre. From Dirigibles to airships, this book has every means of flying device imaginable for the genre. Including dragons parading around as humans. The 19 Dragons are the guardians of the provinces. They live and die as we do, but they always come back. That is until war breaks out and someone steals the device that holds their immortality from the First. What happens then is a chain of events where entire continents of the world disappear and the 19 must figure out how to survive and find who stole the device.

This was a great book. I really enjoyed the old feel to the wording and narration. The chapters are just long enough to keep the reader engaged (and tell what dragon we'll be meeting). There are some errors scattered throughout the book, mainly in the form of missing words. Only one error is more of an obvious oversight on the editor's part than the missing words in a few of the sentences. In chapter 13 we learn about the Thirteenth dragon, but at one point toward the end of the chapter, the Thirteenth is referred to as the Eleventh. Which may cause some readers slight confusion since the Eleventh is very much alive in the following chapter.

I truly enjoyed this story and look forward to finding more books by this author, This is a terrific opener to the Steampunk genre and can be read by anyone of any age since the story reads very much like a fairy tale. I believe this is a must read for anyone who enjoys tales of dragons and devices that run on steam.

[Sherri Dub · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been waiting for this novella to come out. I bought it first thing this morning, and read it straight through.
I won't give any spoilers, but I will say that I enjoyed the story, even though it was largely "told" and not shown through the author's writing skills. At times, it was a confusing march through introduction after introduction to new characters, without pause for reflection.
The entire novella is narrated by an omniceint storyteller, which I felt dilluted the necessary action scenes and potential connections that a reader can create within the uses of descriptive dialogue and character interaction.
Also, I purchased this on the Kindle, and there were many blank pages, typos and odd formatting issues to leaf through. Perhaps another round of editing is needed, as I hope this wasn't intentional.
That said, it was a good segway into the Steampunk genre, but at times I felt the story was more suited to the YA audience.
The premise of the story is about the inhumanity of humans and the God-like status of dragons that are in hiding from human greed. The humans have hunted the dragons to near extintion, so they take up residence in human-vessels to blend into the world around them in hopes of surviving the human race. However, one dragon does not agree with this fate and decides to plot against the world of both races, hoping to bring an end to everything.
I hope this author continues to hone her craft. She will be one to watch for.

[Ambur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before reading The 19 Dragons, I read another of S.M. Reine's books, Six Moon Summer, and I loved that one. I wasn't surprised when I read and loved The 19 Dragons, too.

I was surprised by how different the two books were, though. The author's voice, and the tone of the books were completely different, and I thought that was fabulous. It just shows how much versatility S.M. Reine has that she can write two completely different books and excel at both of them.

The 19 Dragons isn't a long story, and it isn't one that gives you a tonne of information about the characters. If ever there was a story where you learned only what you needed to know about characters, this was it, and because of that, it's a bit mysterious. It's also full of destruction, and has characters that make you beyond curious to know more. Each chapter you learn a brief amount about each of the characters, and if you haven't already guessed, the characters are the 19 dragons. As the world crumbles around the characters, you are slowly learning about them, and you can only guess at what the intentions of each character are.

I loved the mystery in this book, and how the descriptions were brief, yet incredibly vivid. It was completely enthralled me, and I highly recommend The 19 Dragons. It's the perfect quick read, and I think fans of Steampunk will thoroughly enjoy it. :)

[Stories & Sweeties {Becky} · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating short story, very entertaining. I don't read many short stories unless they are off-shoots of full books that I enjoyed, but I 'm really glad I gave this one a try. The authors writing style and the tense that the story was written in, was almost like standing on the sidewalk in the futuristic, elegant world it's set in, while someone stands beside you saying, "Look, there goes the First Dragon!" The story was exciting and fast paced and although you don't have a chance to really get to know any one character, that same fact adds to their mystery, and I found myself quickly drawn into the lives that each Dragon had built for him or herself in the mortal world. There are 19 of them, and each one is being hunted down by one of their own who has stolen the device that allows them to still be immortal in their human forms. The Dragons are in charge of keeping the natural order of things and if they disappear, the human world will disappear with them into a void. The Second Dragon is on a desperate race to track down the murderer and restore the device before everything is lost. Set in a beautifully imagined steampunk world of dirigibles, magic, and robotic beings, I would love to read more of this world in the future!

[Scott Kinkade · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot revolves around the titular 19 Dragons who inhabit Reine's gothic steampunk world. One day they decide to become human in order to live among the mortals who hate them. They live happily until they are betrayed by one of their own who steals the source of their immortality and starts hunting them for unknown reasons. After surviving an attempt on her suddenly mortal life, the 2nd Dragon takes it upon herself to track down the traitor. She is easily my favorite of the Dragons as she has both the most interesting personality and the most unique appearance, though that isn't to say the others aren't also interesting.

The story is told from the point of view of each of the Dragons as they try to deal with a murderous traitor and a world that is literally falling apart. Reine fills the story with rich imagery and fantastic prose. The story clips along at a good pace and Reine's characters come alive. The only downside to the book is that it wasn't edited quite as well as it should have been; Reine sometimes confuses one Dragon for another. Also, 100 pages isn't enough to fully flesh out 19 protagonists (and one antagonist). However, I still thoroughly enjoyed the story and highly recommend it.

[Gerd · Rating 2 out of 5]

What struck me while reading the story was how similar it felt to Erin Morgenstern's "The Night Circus" in its use of present tense and switching back and forth between past and present events.
But unlike Erin's story "The 19 Dragons" becomes awfully hard to follow, and frankly, by the end I wasn't able to tell what it was all about.
There are three storylines that unfold and sort of meet by the end:
The earliest of which explains why the dragons chose to turn human,
the middle part that details how the war escalated into a devastating world war, and the main storyline playing out in the now, the chase after the person responsible for the deaths of the dragons.

Feeling highly convoluted in its storytelling, it would have helped if the author had dated the single chapters, each of which is focused on another dragon, to give the reader a better sense of time. As it stands we often find out only towards the end of a chapter if it was meant to play in the now or then.

Still, it has some great reading moments; it manages to be lyrical, funny and features a sigh worthy romantic scene.

[Tahlia Newland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this strange story set in a steampunk world. It’s quite different to anything I’ve read before and memorable because of it. Dragons have taken human form to avoid humans slaying them. They move from one vessel to another, immortal, until someone steals the staff with the ‘device’ on the top. Then the first Dragon dies and all the other dragons become mortal. I have no idea why, but in a story this length that didn’t really matter. Several more dragons in human form are murdered and each time one dies, a whole province associated with that dragon disappears leaving a void where before there was land. It’s a mystery why anyone would be doing this and it appears that is it one of the dragons. In the course of the story we meet the dragons, hear their stories and in many cases witness their demise. The ending is clever. It’s a great introduction to SM Reine’s work and the excerpt from ‘Six Moon Summer,’ in the back of the book shows it to be a promising read. I’d definitely read more of her work.

[Eoghann Irving · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a rather unique story/novella.

It's relatively short, which makes it an easy read and it plays with form quite a bit. There are chapter illustrations. Between chapter bits that I don't have a name for. And a few pages have only a sentence on them.

The method of telling the story is a little unusual to. We are conducted from character to character by an omniscient narrator who seems aware of past and present. And each chapter focuses on one of the 19 Dragons. It's a collection of scenes, characters and short stories that somehow comes together to tell a story.

Did I mention it's written in the present tense? I don't really like reading things that are in the present tense, yet it didn't bother me much at all here. Maybe because it's such an unusual concoction to begin with.

The setting is a mixture of steampunk and fantasy. The story has a dreamlike aura to it. Details are sketched in but many of the underpinnings aren't explained. It doesn't seem to matter. Somehow it holds together anyway.

It's really quite a gem.

[Rebecca Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this novella. I saw “dragons” in the title and thought, “Dragons? Heck yeah!” Plus, it was free on Amazon, and I’m a sucker for freebies.

Nineteen dragons—one for each province, with a pillar supporting each region. Should the corresponding dragon perish, the pillar crumbles, and the province falls with it. This was definitely an interesting concept. I enjoyed the world-building of this novella, although I wish it had been fleshed out a teensy bit more; however, S.M. Reine created a fascinating world of fantasy and steampunk (yes, the two genres collide in this story). But what I liked most about the series of short stories was how each action one dragon performed changed the outcome of another dragon. Although there were nineteen dragons in total, and it was a bit tough to remember all of them, there were several aha! moments later on in each story.

Overall, if you’re looking for a quick read, and if you love fantasy and steampunk (especially if you love them together), then I’d recommend picking up this book.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

19 Dragons takes us into the future in a steampunk kinda way. The Dragons have kept humans on an fairly even keel for milleniums’ but now something has gone wrong. Badly wrong.

Posing as humans and in some cases posing for so long that the Dragon side of their lives has been forgotten, the 19 Dragons are being murdered by one of their own. Why? That’s for you to find out but let me say that although this novella is not very long, there is a lot of information here for you to digest. The murderer is quite clever and VERY persistent!

“New Haven” is the center of the world at this point and is surrounded by other countries and humans and each seems to be watched over by a Dragon. When the Dragons begin to die, so do their protected places.

If you read Six Moon Summer by this author I want to let you know that this book is nothing like that. And that isn’t at all a bad thing!