Dragonscale Leggings

by Freya Pickard

What would you do if you woke up in a place you did not recognise, with no memory of who you are? Would you fall asleep again and hope to remember when you woke up next? Would you hide yourself away, giving into self-pity? Or would you walk out and explore this strange new world, hoping to recover your memory on the way?Join the narrator of Dragonscale Leggings as she sets out to discover where she is, why she is there and how or if she can return home. Accompanied by Tygar, a white stallion who appoints himself her guardian and armed with a giant potato peeler, Dracomagan travels through a lush and dreamlike Otherworld. Discovering she has a strange aversion to magic users, particularly Merlin, the narrator turns her hand to dragon slaying, only to end up being arrested for heresy.Who will help her find her true identity? Will it be Sama, the gorgeous harpist who gives her a name? Will it be aggravating Agravaine, a knight who prefers fashion to fighting? Can Gatus, the goat herder help her? Or will the mysterious retired Pirate King show her the path to her real memories?Think Alice in Wonderland meets Bridget Jones. This story is an antidote to the long, on-going series where everyone dies... There are no shiny vampires or cute werewolves in this tale, but there is a crowd of fantasy characters who refuse to conform to type.

188 pages, Paperback

First published December 8, 2008

About the author

You can contact Freya Pickard at: -
https://freyanrites.wordpress.com
https://nirunen.wordpress.com
https://purehaiku.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/freya.pickard
https://studio.youtube.com/playlist/P...
https://open.spotify.com/user/m55bv7u...
https://www.patreon.com/FreyaPickard
https://bsky.app/profile/freyapickard...

Reviews

[Elizabeth Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing comedy is very hard to get right. I can count on the fingers of one hand the writers of fantasy comedy I can think of that do it well. Now I’ve read Dragonscale Leggings, I'd have to add Freya Pickard to that list. I have to admit, when I first started reading Dragonscale Leggings I wasn't sure what to expect. I often find that the jokes in comedy fiction fall flat and that somehow, it misses the mark. Dragonscale Leggings though, is a great read, and very very funny.


The reason it works so well is that we have a combination of great storytelling and great characters. Dracomagan is a kick ass 21st-century gal who winds up in a land of Arthurian legend with the job of being a dragon slayer. But she doesn't let this get in her way, and goes about her business with a blatant disregard for the rules of the day and with a witty sarcasm that often had me laughing out loud. This is a heroine who knows what she wants and how to get it. There is a great supporting cast as well, including some very delicate dragons and some less than chivalrous knights. But the best supporting character has to be Tygar, Dracomagan’s horse who could easily have a book all to himself. The interplay between Dracomagan and Tygar provide lots of the laugh out loud moments in the book.


I would have liked the story to be a little longer as I really wanted to see more of Dracomagan and Tygar’s adventures. Luckily, the book ends at a perfect point to allow for sequels and I hope in time Freya Pickard will add to Dracomagan’s adventures.


I’d recommend this book for anyone who likes fantasy and a good laugh into the bargain.

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent parody of the fantasy genre, and the authoress does a smashing good job of lampooning its conventions and tropes while telling a compelling story with memorable characters. What happens at the end will surprise you.

[Jiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different, quirky and totally unpredictable. I really enjoyed the way that seemingly stereotyped characters weren't stereotyped at all. This is a book with many layers to it. It's humorous too with a strong female leading character which I adore!

[Claire Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A YA Fantasy story about a Teenage girl who finds herself in a strange land with Knights and Dragons.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect of this book especially when i saw the front cover. I did wonder what the potatoe peeler had to do with dragons and Knights. The story itself unfolds slowly with a quirky sense of humour, the mix of the olde worldie way of life and language and the modern viewpoint of the trapped girl is a good combination. I found the ending a bit flimsy though. Almost as if the Author had run out of ideas so ended it with the first thing she thought of.

Not my favourite book including dragons, but still an amusing read.