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The Reluctant Dragonhunter #1
Darinel Dragonhunter
Prince Darinel is traveling–for what feels like forever. Expelled from his father’s kingdom, he just wants to find a new home. When a shadow lures him to a wealthy kingdom, he stays to discover more about the darkness, but the citizens are tight-lipped.
Their king welcomes the foreign Prince hoping that he will solve his two problems: the dragon and his strong-willed daughter. Coming from a warrior kingdom, Darinel despises violence, but charmed by Princess Tuskja’s dare, he sets out to confront the beast. Instead of finding a fierce dragon, he finds a friend. The dragon’s malicious humor and his love of fairy tales entangle Darinel in a summer of adventures, while danger stirs in the East, the Dark Prince. Being refused by the Princess and humiliated by the dragon, this proud prince seeks revenge.
In compliance with the king’s decree, Darinel is torn between his friendship with the dragon and his love for Princess Tuskja, whom he can only marry if he kills his friend. Before he can make a decision, the kingdom is under attack. Now it is up to the dragon to either help his friend or respect his wish to not interfere.
Their king welcomes the foreign Prince hoping that he will solve his two problems: the dragon and his strong-willed daughter. Coming from a warrior kingdom, Darinel despises violence, but charmed by Princess Tuskja’s dare, he sets out to confront the beast. Instead of finding a fierce dragon, he finds a friend. The dragon’s malicious humor and his love of fairy tales entangle Darinel in a summer of adventures, while danger stirs in the East, the Dark Prince. Being refused by the Princess and humiliated by the dragon, this proud prince seeks revenge.
In compliance with the king’s decree, Darinel is torn between his friendship with the dragon and his love for Princess Tuskja, whom he can only marry if he kills his friend. Before he can make a decision, the kingdom is under attack. Now it is up to the dragon to either help his friend or respect his wish to not interfere.
242 pages, ebook
First published June 19, 2013
17 people want to read
About the author
Antje Hergt
5 books13 followersBorn and raised in Germany, I came to explore the Canadian Rockies in Canmore, Alberta in 2003. Taking part in the Writing-with-Style Program at the Banff Centre for the Arts in 2007 encouraged me to follow my passion: writing for children. Darinel Dragonhunter is my first novel, which was inspired by my deep love for classic children literature and fairy tales. My thrill for science fiction/fantasy movies and television shows had an outlet in various genre short stories. I am a member of the Alberta Writer’s Guild and graduated from the Justus-Liebig-University in Giessen with a degree in Modern Languages.
Currently, I live in Germany with my snoring cat, Sally, but I miss the magic of the Rocky Mountains. When I am not in Canmore, you can find me in Germany.
Currently, I live in Germany with my snoring cat, Sally, but I miss the magic of the Rocky Mountains. When I am not in Canmore, you can find me in Germany.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 25, 2013
Take an exiled prince and a good-hearted dragon, add a princess whose father has promised her hand in marriage to any man that kills the dragon, stir, and you have a delightful fantasy story about good and bad and misunderstandings.
DARINEL DRAGONHUNTER, Author Antje Hergt’s debut novel for young readers, takes the reader on an adventure with Prince Darinel, who disagrees with his father, King Odomere, in the way he rules the kingdom and so leaves home to search for a new place to live. After wandering for a while, he discovers a kingdom that seems to be exactly what he’s looking for. All is not perfect, however. Soon Prince Darinel is torn between his friendship with the dragon, Idunal, and his love for the Princess Tuskja. To marry her, Darinel must kill the dragon. How does a young prince kill his best friend, even for the girl he loves?
The author keeps the action going with the conflict of an invading army, the people’s fear of the dragon, and Darinel’s desire to protect the dragon and also marry the princess. Antje Hergt describes the land, the snow, and the dragon so vividly the reader can visualize what’s going on in each scene. The characters’ personalities are well developed. You like some; others you hope get what they deserve. I have to admit that Idunal is my favorite character. He’s so … Well, you’ll have to read the book to find out. DARINEL DRAGONHUNTER is a great read for the young and for older readers too. The book would make a nice addition to school libraries and classrooms that have e Readers. You’ll also want a copy for your personal reader. This is a nice beginning to a series. I’m looking forward to seeing what dangers and adventures await Darinel, Tuskja, and Idunal in the next edition.
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DARINEL DRAGONHUNTER, Author Antje Hergt’s debut novel for young readers, takes the reader on an adventure with Prince Darinel, who disagrees with his father, King Odomere, in the way he rules the kingdom and so leaves home to search for a new place to live. After wandering for a while, he discovers a kingdom that seems to be exactly what he’s looking for. All is not perfect, however. Soon Prince Darinel is torn between his friendship with the dragon, Idunal, and his love for the Princess Tuskja. To marry her, Darinel must kill the dragon. How does a young prince kill his best friend, even for the girl he loves?
The author keeps the action going with the conflict of an invading army, the people’s fear of the dragon, and Darinel’s desire to protect the dragon and also marry the princess. Antje Hergt describes the land, the snow, and the dragon so vividly the reader can visualize what’s going on in each scene. The characters’ personalities are well developed. You like some; others you hope get what they deserve. I have to admit that Idunal is my favorite character. He’s so … Well, you’ll have to read the book to find out. DARINEL DRAGONHUNTER is a great read for the young and for older readers too. The book would make a nice addition to school libraries and classrooms that have e Readers. You’ll also want a copy for your personal reader. This is a nice beginning to a series. I’m looking forward to seeing what dangers and adventures await Darinel, Tuskja, and Idunal in the next edition.
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August 18, 2013
This is really a sweet book.
It has princes, dragons, fantasy, true love and adventure.
I love dragons and the one in this book is quite the character.
Now I am looking forward to the second book in the series.
This book will definitely go on the reading pile for my grandson, until he is old enough.
It has princes, dragons, fantasy, true love and adventure.
I love dragons and the one in this book is quite the character.
Now I am looking forward to the second book in the series.
This book will definitely go on the reading pile for my grandson, until he is old enough.
October 13, 2013
I love Dragons, especially if they are nice ones :)
This one is a really cool "guy", and I can't wait for more adventures of Darinel and "his" dragon!
This one is a really cool "guy", and I can't wait for more adventures of Darinel and "his" dragon!
October 1, 2013
Prince Darinel is unhappy with his life at court. He would rather go out on adventures and explore new ways of ruling instead of his father's teaching. He would also like his brother to take his place as heir to the throne. Prince Darinel speaks his thoughts to his father which ends in the two fighting one another. Prince Darinel announces he's leaving first thing in the morning. Much to Queen's dismay, Darinel is leaving yet she wants him to stay understands his desire to go. Darinel travels far from his home kingdom to a kingdom that has unusual secret. Princess Tuskja wants to learn more about healing because it's her passion. Yet the ladies of court look down their noses at Princess Tuskja's efforts as pointless. She eludes her guards in search for valuable herbs to use in her healing work. The King doean't know what to do with his daughter but he knows one thing the dragon must go. The King decrees that any man who kills the dragon will gain his daughter's hand in marriage. Suitor's from all over try for Princess' Hand only to fail miserably. The Dark Prince is a spurned suitor that wants to take his revenge on The Princess for turning him down. The dragon finds an unlikely friend. Who is the dragon's friend? Will will take up The King's decree? Will Princess Tuskja learn more about healing? What are Darinel's plans? What will The Dark Prince plan now? Your answers await you in Darinel Dragonhunter.
I thought this was incredibly sweet story about the power of friendship no matter the cost. I thought Darinel choosing to leave was a very brave act on his part inspite of his father's demands. I applaud his courage to stick to his plan and accept the consequences as well. The dragon's part in the story was so skillfully woven together that left little doubt to it's importance. The Princess is a very good role model. She's unafraid and willing to stand up for what she believes in. Each of the characters were interesting, thoughtful, generous, and kind at times. I will definitely continue reading more of this author's work.
I thought this was incredibly sweet story about the power of friendship no matter the cost. I thought Darinel choosing to leave was a very brave act on his part inspite of his father's demands. I applaud his courage to stick to his plan and accept the consequences as well. The dragon's part in the story was so skillfully woven together that left little doubt to it's importance. The Princess is a very good role model. She's unafraid and willing to stand up for what she believes in. Each of the characters were interesting, thoughtful, generous, and kind at times. I will definitely continue reading more of this author's work.
November 13, 2015
I was given this copy by the author in exchange for a honest review.
(thank you for that by the way)
this book can be considered as a middle-age book rather than a YA.
i liked it quite a bit actually.it had nice flow and it was easy to read and follow what happened.i really liked Idunal and his stories^_^ and i loved his and darinel's friendship and since im a sucker for battles,dragons and kingdoms at war(due to the cry of the icemark and lord of the rings) this book was a really good chance to get back to this genre.
i actually enjoyed darinel's character.he's honorable,generous and brave.for me though the best of all was tibor and juri believe it or not.
the love interest was good,i think they suit each other.i like that darinel became a commander and that the king accepted his and tuskja's relationship:)the characters weren't flat,they had depth and they actually evolved through the book.and this for me is a really important factor in order to make a good enjoyable and not boring story.
the plot and the ending left me satisfied but i am curious to see what happened afterwards. i believe that 'Darinel's Dragonhunter' of Antje Hergt has the feeling of a classical fantasy book with all the needing properies to make it succesful.
in general this was a fun book to read,i enjoyed the plot and the characters,it did NOT bored me and definately worthed my time.i expect to read more of the author's work.:)
what i mean to say?
TOTALLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(thank you for that by the way)
this book can be considered as a middle-age book rather than a YA.
i liked it quite a bit actually.it had nice flow and it was easy to read and follow what happened.i really liked Idunal and his stories^_^ and i loved his and darinel's friendship and since im a sucker for battles,dragons and kingdoms at war(due to the cry of the icemark and lord of the rings) this book was a really good chance to get back to this genre.
i actually enjoyed darinel's character.he's honorable,generous and brave.for me though the best of all was tibor and juri believe it or not.
the love interest was good,i think they suit each other.i like that darinel became a commander and that the king accepted his and tuskja's relationship:)the characters weren't flat,they had depth and they actually evolved through the book.and this for me is a really important factor in order to make a good enjoyable and not boring story.
the plot and the ending left me satisfied but i am curious to see what happened afterwards. i believe that 'Darinel's Dragonhunter' of Antje Hergt has the feeling of a classical fantasy book with all the needing properies to make it succesful.
in general this was a fun book to read,i enjoyed the plot and the characters,it did NOT bored me and definately worthed my time.i expect to read more of the author's work.:)
what i mean to say?
TOTALLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
October 10, 2013
Okay, let me just come right out and say, I love dragons. So this title and cover hooked me off the bat. And what I love more than the typical, enraged man-eating type of dragon is the dragon’s that are actually old and wise creatures, mazes so-to-speak. To my immense delight, Hergt is fond of those ancient fire-breathing intellects as well.
The story starts off with Darinel, a prince who is in line for the throne but doesn’t agree with the harsh ruling policies of his father. Refusing to take the throne and become a cruel king like his father, Darinel sets out to find a new home, surrendering his kingdom to his younger brother and risking banishment for life.
This story has its roots in the classic medieval style dragon-slayer tale—Darinel finds a kingdom he’d love to make his home, and a princess he can marry to gain a foothold in the ruling class of that kingdom. But he has to slay a dragon to gain her hand in marriage. Much better than those stories where the dragon is a heartless evil creature that you want to watch die, this dragon is a misunderstood storyteller that I fell in love with from the first chapter where it was introduced.
A great read, I give this book five stars.
The story starts off with Darinel, a prince who is in line for the throne but doesn’t agree with the harsh ruling policies of his father. Refusing to take the throne and become a cruel king like his father, Darinel sets out to find a new home, surrendering his kingdom to his younger brother and risking banishment for life.
This story has its roots in the classic medieval style dragon-slayer tale—Darinel finds a kingdom he’d love to make his home, and a princess he can marry to gain a foothold in the ruling class of that kingdom. But he has to slay a dragon to gain her hand in marriage. Much better than those stories where the dragon is a heartless evil creature that you want to watch die, this dragon is a misunderstood storyteller that I fell in love with from the first chapter where it was introduced.
A great read, I give this book five stars.
November 24, 2013
Even though I received this from a YA group I think its better suited for preteens. Its a really well written story about a prince and a dragon becoming friends.
I think my favorite thing about it is their way of speaking is more modernized, for example the prince refers to his fathers way of ruling as "old school". I think because of this younger people will enjoy it as it makes it easier to read.
The prince leaves/is exiled from his kingdom and after travelling finds another one to settle in. The king has made a decree that whoever kills the dragon will marry his daughter. Darinel has no desire to this this but the princess dares him and he can't refuse. His first trip up the mountain he meets the dragon and they become best friends. He of course has to keep this hidden, even from the princess who he is falling in love with. When the kingdom he's in has war declared on it Darinel is recruited to help.
This is the first book in a series but I think it could be read as a stand alone since this adventure seems to come to a close at the end.
I was given this copy by the author in exchange for a honest review. Thank you.
I think my favorite thing about it is their way of speaking is more modernized, for example the prince refers to his fathers way of ruling as "old school". I think because of this younger people will enjoy it as it makes it easier to read.
The prince leaves/is exiled from his kingdom and after travelling finds another one to settle in. The king has made a decree that whoever kills the dragon will marry his daughter. Darinel has no desire to this this but the princess dares him and he can't refuse. His first trip up the mountain he meets the dragon and they become best friends. He of course has to keep this hidden, even from the princess who he is falling in love with. When the kingdom he's in has war declared on it Darinel is recruited to help.
This is the first book in a series but I think it could be read as a stand alone since this adventure seems to come to a close at the end.
I was given this copy by the author in exchange for a honest review. Thank you.
September 1, 2013
Do you know what I find amazing about this book? More than the effective development of the characters, more than the fine craftmanship of its writing, more then the delightful fairytale style plot? It's that the author, Antje Hergt, is German! Yes, that's right - German, as in it's her first language. Yet she can write a story just as well as the next anglophone. And I find that astonishing! But I also fell in love with the dragon because he loved to weave stories and serve tea. I mean, how endearing! Serve tea. I can't wait for Antje Hergt's next novel. This was an absolute pleasure to read.
November 22, 2013
4.5.5 my ratings
Awesome read!
Cute and Lovely story plot!
Loved the bond between Idunal and Darinel
Loved the relationship between Tuskja and Darinel
All in all it was an amazing book would love to own a physical copy of it!!
i felt a little sad when i came to that part where Idunal sacrifices that thing he loved the most to save his best friend, he knew he wouldn't be able to live without his best friend, i guess everyone in our own way would do what Idunal did to save Darinel! this was my favorite part of the book too..
Friendship, love, relationships, sacrifice, war everything was all bundled up in this awesome book!
LOVED IT!!
Looking forward for the sequel!! <3
Awesome read!
Cute and Lovely story plot!
Loved the bond between Idunal and Darinel
Loved the relationship between Tuskja and Darinel
All in all it was an amazing book would love to own a physical copy of it!!
i felt a little sad when i came to that part where Idunal sacrifices that thing he loved the most to save his best friend, he knew he wouldn't be able to live without his best friend, i guess everyone in our own way would do what Idunal did to save Darinel! this was my favorite part of the book too..
Friendship, love, relationships, sacrifice, war everything was all bundled up in this awesome book!
LOVED IT!!
Looking forward for the sequel!! <3
October 14, 2013
Antji approached me for a review swap and I'm thrilled I agreed. I'm becoming a fan of YA fiction.
This is an incredibly well told story with believable characters and a loveable villain. But then again, do dragons has to be villains? I love the big, feared dragon, Idunal.
The hero, Darinel is a gutsy prince that I admired from the first chapter on. He isn't afraid of the unknown or pushing the limits
Tuskja is no ordinary princess, possessing healing powers which the prince seems to need, regularly.
I loved this book from start to finish. Highly recommend.
This is an incredibly well told story with believable characters and a loveable villain. But then again, do dragons has to be villains? I love the big, feared dragon, Idunal.
The hero, Darinel is a gutsy prince that I admired from the first chapter on. He isn't afraid of the unknown or pushing the limits
Tuskja is no ordinary princess, possessing healing powers which the prince seems to need, regularly.
I loved this book from start to finish. Highly recommend.
April 2, 2014
Disclaimer: I’m published by the same house as the author. Notwithstanding that fact, Darinel Dragonhunter has been on my TBR list for months. Just a few days ago I was delighted to receive a giveaway copy, which I read within twenty-four hours – and it was even better than I had anticipated.
Darinel Dragonhunter has the charm of a fairy tale, but its humor makes the book all the more entertaining. This endearing,family-friendly story is not simply a piece of light banter, though. I was drawn into the story mostly by the genuine progression of relationships between the significant characters, each of whom was so well developed that I had to care about them.
Thank you, Ms. Antje Hergt, for sharing this adventure about a noble prince, a beautiful princess with backbone, and a most enchanting dragon.
December 20, 2013
Ok, so one spelling error I think: pg 238 Tuskja's horse tripled nervously. Other than it being written in more of a British fashion: colour, realise, etc.
I thought the story was good, however I feel like it needed to be more developed especially in the middle where Darinel was sick and Tuskja was helping him. Also, there was almost no background on the dragon Idunal. I felt like some parts were spelled out that were obvious, but the parts that needed development were one liners. Like killing the Dark Prince/Lord. Really?
Otherwise, I did enjoy the book. I think I read it in 3 readings, so really easy to get through. I agree it is a kid/tween/teen book. It could have easily been 100 or 200 more pages.
I thought the story was good, however I feel like it needed to be more developed especially in the middle where Darinel was sick and Tuskja was helping him. Also, there was almost no background on the dragon Idunal. I felt like some parts were spelled out that were obvious, but the parts that needed development were one liners. Like killing the Dark Prince/Lord. Really?
Otherwise, I did enjoy the book. I think I read it in 3 readings, so really easy to get through. I agree it is a kid/tween/teen book. It could have easily been 100 or 200 more pages.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews